I was born into a traditional Catholic family in the 1950’s, and as far back as I can remember, I have believed in the existence of God. The wonder of creation was clear evidence of a supreme being, but I did not believe in a personal God. God created me and everything around me, but I had no sense that God was involved in any part of my life. That all began to change in 2013.
Being Catholic, I was not encouraged to read the Bible. I vividly recall my father even telling me not to try because I was unable or unqualified. He was right. I tried a couple of times, but I was not impacted in any sense. In 2013, however, I went through a personal crisis which resulted in my joining my first Bible study class. I will never forget standing in the back of the room and being impacted by something from the book of Job. A nerve was struck, and my curiosity was awakened such that I was drawn to seek understanding of His Word.
Being a salesman with much windshield time, I began listening to RC Sproul, Tim Keller, and Martin Lloyd-Jones, while also reading 100’s of theology books. I became well-versed in the doctrines that arose from the Reformation movement, and I thought I was developing a much deeper understanding of God and man. When I retired in 2019, my greatest passion became the study of the Bible. I completed one semester at Liberty University, but I realized that the seminary environment was not the place for me. Since then, I have been a full-time student of scripture, particularly the OT. And during those years, I experienced a growing sense that there was a deeper understanding that I was missing.
I will describe my journey in an appendix, but perhaps the proverbial lightbulb lit up after reading Ray Stedman’s commentary on Esther (https://www.raystedman.org/old-testament/esther). His perspective of God’s Word as a depiction of our inner spiritual world encouraged me to consider God’s Word more as the revelation of the world within me, rather than the world around me. And, in contrast to my previous perspective, this new perspective began to change my Bible study from an often boring and fruitless effort into the most exciting and meaningful thing that I will ever do. My thought life evolved into constant meditation on God’s Word, and much to my surprise the insights gained were much different than what I expected. The more I studied and meditated, it became apparent that I could not read the Bible in any other way. The scripture made sense in new ways, and I was being hugely impacted. Now, instead of imagining God as impersonal, I am constantly being overwhelmed as He reveals my true inner world and His plan for me through this life and into the next. The question became: what should I do with these new insights?
Since I enjoyed reading and meditating on God’s Word more than anything else, my inclinations were to keep the insights to myself. Because, other than Stedman’s commentary, I had found no one else pursuing the spiritual perspective, and most seminaries and theologians despise “spiritualizing” the Bible. Also, I dreaded the prospect of trying to share my thinking with others, because I knew that most people would immediately reject my thinking. Even worse, I knew that some people would reject me, so I tried to convince myself that these insights should remain with me. Because, who am I to claim that I have been given a unique understanding?
Ultimately, I realized that the implications were too significant to keep to myself, so I felt compelled to share my thinking. Yet, never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined that one day I would write a book about God’s Word that was totally different than anything I had ever read. Even more stunning is to be writing a book claiming that God’s Word is absolute truth, while also claiming that all Christian religions are false and a deceptive work inspired by the god of this world. I pity myself when I consider how my effort will be despised by everyone, both religious and non-religious people.
Obviously, suggesting that I have been given a unique understanding is perhaps grounds for insanity. And certainly, any religious person will be offended by my claims that they are following a false religion, and that God’s Word proves that every person ever conceived will be “saved” in a certain sense. Of course, any mention of “universalism” is heretical thinking for most Christians, and perhaps all. non-religious people will be offended by my claim that scripture proves the existence of God, and that everyone will be “judged” in a certain sense by His Word. Therefore, please know that the idea of promoting a concept that will either be hated or patently dismissed by perhaps everyone has always been disconcerting.
There are several thoughts that I hope you will consider. First, I did not choose to believe what I believe, rather it feels as if the understanding is being imposed upon me. Because, other than the trigger from Stedman’s commentary, every thought that I will share originates solely from God’s Word. Notably, I even disagree with most of Stedman’s conclusions, so I cannot even claim his support of the spiritual perspective. Perhaps there have been others who went down this road, but I have not based my thinking on any source other than the typical canon of sixty-six books. And, if you knew me, then you would also wonder how an analytical person who hated to read stories about people could ever be passionate about reading God’s Word. My passion from childhood was math, and still to this day I have tremendous difficulty following the storyline of a two-hour movie. Yet, after much digging and meditation, the biblical story of Israel has taken on a life of its own in my mind, and I cannot claim any credit for my new understanding because I sense that I have only discovered something that was already there.
The second thought that I hope you will consider is that I am not trying to convince anyone to believe my understanding. Frankly, according to my understanding, it is literally impossible for anyone to casually accept my thinking as truth. I will argue that my understanding is a gift from God, and that everyone will eventually adopt the exact same understanding at some point in their eternal existence. However, in order for anyone to perceive the truth that I perceive, it will require a relegation of any and all preconceived understandings, and a diligent search to perceive the new understanding. So, imagine the gall of me to suggest that I have received a special gift from God, and that the only way anyone can accept my understanding is to first disbelieve all of your current core beliefs, and then you must devote thousands of hours in God’s Word before you can come to the same understanding. Arguably, there will be very few people this side of death who are willing to make that commitment. So, instead of trying to convince you to accept my understanding, please realize that my primary goal is just to make you aware of the spiritual perspective.
The final thought to consider is that I laugh at myself for claiming any wisdom because I know that I am very early in my journey towards understanding, and that there is a huge amount of additional understanding yet to be revealed. In a sense, it feels like I have only discovered that 1+1=2. That is a huge step for someone who had no understanding of math, but the understanding is elementary at best. Yet, just as I learned in my study of engineering, I know that I am gaining understanding because I am realizing what I do not understand. Because, as any scientist will attest, the evidence of knowledge is when you begin to realize the intelligent questions that need to be answered. So, I am not claiming anything but a very simple understanding of the mysteries of God’s Word, but even that simple understanding is very deep when compared to the understanding proposed by religion.
Please know that this effort has caused me much anxiety, and I am royally pissed that I have to endure the persecution for sharing this understanding. I cannot be upset with God, because this falls under the category of being careful what you ask for. I asked persistently for wisdom, and that has been provided, so it is difficult to complain just because I am not getting the answers that I expected. However, I do feel a certain disdain for mankind, particularly the wise people who supposedly dedicate themselves to understanding the truth of God’s Word. This is not rocket science, and the only reason I discovered my understanding is because I immersed myself into God’s Word with an open mind. Again, while the understanding is a gift from God, arguably the same gift is given to anyone who diligently seeks and deeply meditates on the images within God’s Word.
My goal has become twofold; to provide a logical argument for the spiritual perspective, and to hopefully provide the “spark” that inspires others to consider a different perspective as they approach God’s Word, much like Stedman’s commentary did for me. Simply stated, my argument is that God has provided the story of Israel as a symbolic representation of the eternal spiritual existence of every individual person. Therefore, as depicted by the promise to Abraham, the birth of the nation from Jacob, the exodus out of Egypt, the journey day and night through the wilderness, and the establishment of shalom in the land of promise, God is literally depicting the events of your existence through this life and the next. Notably, it required thousands of hours of thought energy before I felt highly confident in that conclusion, and all subsequent understanding is based on that one overall perspective. Arguably, if you approach scripture with that same symbolic perspective, then you will ultimately derive the same understanding as I have obtained. Because, just as 1+1=2 is an absolute truth with no uncertainly or inconsistency, there is an absolute truth of God’s Word that every person will ultimately understand in their eternal existence. So, when do you want to begin your journey towards that new understanding?
Likely you will immediately say that you do not believe what I believe; however, please realize that what you are more likely saying is that I do not believe what you believe. Obviously, you cannot disagree with my thinking until you have thoughtfully considered it. My plea is that you struggle through my effort to consider my argument so that you are at least aware of the perspective. Because, even though the spiritual perspective may sound like total foolishness now, and you are 100% confident in your current understanding of the purpose of God’s Word, or confident that the Bible has no purpose whatsoever, hopefully you will quickly reconsider your perception when you somehow hear the Word of God as you begin to experience life after death. Sadly, scripture depicts that a large part of our soul will continue to hold onto its own understanding even after death, so apparently many of you will likely perceive that I am a wack job for a very long time. Notably, if you do consider my argument, then you cannot use ignorance as an excuse if the spiritual perspective is later realized as God’s intent for approaching His Word. I will have done my job, and the next question after you read my effort will become; how long will you continue to stone your internal prophetic voice?
Finally, while I am questioning the wisdom of everyone’s thinking, I am not questioning anyone’s heart. People wear a cross or go to church for a variety of well-intentioned reasons; and most people, religious or not, are very kind. Yet, I would challenge everyone to consider their passion for reading God’s Word, because ultimately that might be the best indication of a heart seeking the true God. Because, while your current perception of life after death is obscure or nonexistent, arguably there will still be the same three categories of forces that are currently keeping the mysteries of God’s Word from reaching your heart; Satan, the tribulation or persecution that arises because of the Word, and finally the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. Frankly, I am fearful that those forces will be even more powerful after death, so I sense a strong desire to gain as much wisdom as possible while in this life. So, ask yourself, what is your current level of passion for meditating on God’s Word, and do you even consider the possibility of having a passion for His Word after death?
Ultimately, my hope is that people will begin to read the Bible for themselves, and to seek understanding solely from within God’s Word. My argument is that each generation has allowed the previous generations to define the meaning of God’s Word, such that today’s religion is blindly following the teachings of the early church fathers without questioning their original wisdom. Of course, many today are questioning the wisdom of religion, and the typical end result is that the people leave organized religion, while forming an image of God based on whatever parts of the Bible they deem acceptable. However, can anyone feel confident in their unique understanding if it is not supported by all of scripture? It is one thing to say that you disagree with religion, but are you adopting an understanding that is not what God had intended to convey by His Word? I totally agree that you should ignore everything you were told about God’s Word by others, but that includes even your own preconceived notions of the meaning. Because, if you approach God’s Word in the same manner, then should you really expect different results?
This is my third attempt to argue that God intended His Word to be approached in a “symbolic” manner instead of religion’s “literal historical” manner. My first two attempts focused on how the symbolic approach consistently “works,” whereas the literal approach typically leads to confusion or apparent contradiction. However, I realized that no one could, nor should, simply accept my symbolic understanding, so this attempt begins by focusing on the reasons why another perspective is logically demanded in order to perceive God’s line of thinking.
Chapter 1 introduces this new line of thinking by discussing how the Bible should be perceived at the highest level. Specifically, did your Father give you a history book to tell you how to live your present life, or a story that symbolically depicts the major phases of your future life? Chapter 2 discusses the implication of making the wrong assumption regarding the overall purpose of God’s Word, and how every current understanding should be placed in doubt if you are approaching His Word with a different perspective than He intended. Chapter 3 discusses how your imagination builds an understanding of life, and how everyone has allowed the wrong sources to form their understanding. Arguably, God’s Word should be the only source of information for forming your understanding of yourself, your purpose, and your future life. Notably, I will even suggest an image of your life after death which I know everyone will patently dismiss, but I hope to reasonably support that image by the end of this effort.
Chapters 4 and 5 discuss how man’s wisdom created “rules” for approaching God’s Word, however I will argue how the Bible clearly depicts that we should be approaching scripture with a symbolic perspective. Chapter 6 delves into the topic of logical thinking by discussing two essential concepts that I found to be necessary for gaining understanding. Arguably, by ignoring these two basic principles of logical thinking, you are allowing religion to keep you deceived by its perception of God’s Word. Chapters 7 and 8 discuss how people typically perceive the biblical images, and the biblical worldview that results from those perceptions. Arguably, religion turns the wonder of God’s Word into a yolk for proper behavior, and a tool to judge the lifestyle choices of others.
Hopefully, by the end of Chapter 8, I have created enough doubt in your mind regarding the literal historical perspective of God’s Word such that you will at least consider another perspective. Chapter 9 will begin the argument for perceiving God’s Word as one continuous story provided in two parts instead of religion’s perception of two distinct testaments depicting two different religions (i.e. Judaism and Christianity). Chapter 10 focuses on the images of the “end times,” and how the symbolic perspective provides a clear understanding of your future life in the kingdom of God, rather than religion’s vague understanding of life after death and the second coming of Jesus. Chapter 11 is simply titled the perception of sin, but it discusses how the biblical images depict your spiritual world so that you can truly understand why you do what you do, and God’s plan to transform your spiritual nature to the image of His Son.
Finally, Chapter 12 provides an overview of the story of Israel by discussing the critical images being depicted from Genesis to Revelation. My argument is that religion has hidden God’s intended message by focusing your attention on Jesus and the cross, whereas the story of Israel is obviously the primary image being depicted throughout scripture. Again, my goal is not to convince you of my understanding of the images, but I do want you to perceive the bigger images being depicted. Because, once you perceive that the story of Israel is God’s intended image, then you will be more inclined to question why God gave you that story, and how that story should be logically approached as discussed in Chapter 1.
Even though this is my third attempt to complete this effort, I recognize that further editions will be required to better communicate my thoughts. Because, as my daughter wisely stated, such efforts are never truly “completed,” rather a “final draft” is just a step in an ongoing process. So, my expectation is to continually update this effort as chapters are further refined and as appendices are added. Importantly, please accept my sincerest apologies for causing many of you to stumble in your thinking of me because of the confrontational nature of my current effort. I am arguing for the truth of God’s Word, and my passion often overwhelms my better judgement. In my mind, I am not fighting people, rather I am fighting a way of thinking. As mentioned, I am extremely frustrated that mankind has allowed religion to hide God’s intended message, because no one should accept the warped image of the nature of God as perceived by man’s wisdom. Still, I realize that my confrontational approach is inappropriate for effective communication, so I ask that you try to overlook the manner and tone in which I state my thoughts.
One final request. Even though you probably perceive the spiritual perspective as foolishness, I am requesting that you forward my effort to others. Because, imagine how you would feel if you later realize that the spiritual perspective is God’s intent, and yet you had decided to keep that understanding from others. Therefore, please give others the opportunity to consider the thoughts for themselves, and allow them to decide how to proceed. Notably, I have no financial interest whatsoever in promoting this concept, and I am certainly not looking for acclaim. Frankly, I find it abhorrent that anyone would profit in any manner from sharing any understanding of God’s Word, unless they felt that they were promoting their own wisdom, and not God’s.
My current thinking is that I will continue to refine chapter 12 into a series of images depicting the events of the story of Israel over its existence. Because, in my mind, my journey started with the thought that God’s Word was intended as a “child’s picture book” to lead me into the next life, and I am determined to simply illustrate how each book of scripture contributes to the symbolic understanding of the hidden mysteries within God’s Word. Ultimately, I can only consider my effort as being successful if you also find that reading scripture is the most exciting and meaningful activity that you could ever imagine. Arguably, religion has hijacked God’s voice from the ears of mankind for thousands of years, and my goal is to provide the impetus for you to stop that famine from continuing in your life.
Blessings on your journey into God’s Word.
Brother Paul