(10) INSIGHT (understanding the symbolism of the Bible); Part 2
3: God’s Language
A deeper dive into the natures of Jacob/Israel:
As Jacob with Leah: 1st legit - Reuben, 2nd legit - Simeon, 3rd legit - Levi, 4th legit - Judah, 5th legit - Issachar, 6th legit - Zebulun: these are the most likely the figs (symbolic for their spiritual nature, directly from Jacob’s loins with a mother of the same ancestry as Jacob, their carnal nature that of man+sheep), they were sons of man (man being what Jacob was at birth), but joined to the nature of sheep from their mother. Man however given dominion over all carnality and commanded to use his nature to make other men of carnal nations, would have had the major influence on his sons. The exposure of his sin nature and his own efforts to cover it up however, reduced him (in his sons) to creature.
As Jacob with/from Rachel: 7th legit - Joseph: Joseph may be lumped in with the other legitimate brothers above, but because he is from a different mother I will bet he is referred to as the mustard tree (the one under whose leaves, the people referred to as birds find their place in God’s plan); the mustard tree whose seed is small and seemingly insignificant rather than the many of Leah see Mark 4:30-34. But I leave room for reconsideration with regard to Joseph’s spiritual symbol. Joseph becomes significant in Israel, in his sons, who both are blessed with a nation and multitudes of Nations through their seeds. Joseph’s carnal nature was sheep, since both Rachel and Leah shared the same ancestry. His separation from his “father” and siblings and his unfettered obedience to God kept him God’s sheep even in his carnality.
Manasseh, son of Joseph adopted by Jacob the Man+sheep+Law, the ox in observance of the Law. They are part of the vine; vine symbolic for their spirits formed in observance of the Law (this will be explored further) (Psalm 80:8, Isaiah 5:7).
Ephraim, son of Joseph - the ass in carnal nature (Judah (ox)+bird/Egypt-Canaan mix, out of which Pharez was born, ancestor to David) influenced by Egypt in observance of the Law. David further mixes the nature of his descendants with his choices of wives. We must not forget the significance of a harlot in consideration of the nature of peoples. Once a man (of Jacob/Israel) has tainted his nature with that of an Egyptian/Canaanite or any other Gentile for that matter, when he then sleeps with a wife of his own lineage, she and her sons from that union are also tainted.
Jacob with Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid:- Gad and Asher; Jacob with Bilah, Rachel’s handmaid:- Dan and Naphtali:- these are the corn, the wheat, barley or other grain of Jacob, with layers of other peoples, the peoples of their mothers Zilpah and Bilah (handmaids to Jacob’s wives, in all likelihood, Canaanites). They may be camels, particularly, two humped, symbolic of two “peoples” bonded together on one ridge by their father’s lineage and belonging to two concubines.
As Israel from Rachel: 8th “freeborn” - Benjamin:- the choice vine; God’s choice out of the sons of the adopted of Jacob the seeds of Joseph, Judah in Ephraim, David, prevailing in righteousness of the Law; the true Jew; the circumcision under the Law; chosen by God to receive the seed of faith. Judah helps to accomplish this: Genesis 49:11…Binding his foal unto the vine (Israel), and his ass's colt unto the choice vine (Ephraim); he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes… Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh, as Israel, male and female.
Section 2:
There has been much misunderstanding of what exactly was/is the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and who exactly is referred to as Satan in God’s Word. In the following section we will consider Satan’s identity. Realize though, that although it may be that the fight between good & evil started in heaven, according to the traditional understanding of the place where angels dwell, the fact is that here on earth, evil-will and good-will alike need human hosts for action. I personally hold a different view of the altitude from which the serpent fell than what is traditionally held. My thinking is that God has communicated things to us we can understand from our human perspective, and that matters which do not concern us especially that which we could have no influence on, is not in His Word to us.
What do I know for a fact about the place where God dwells? His will is done there, as per our Lord’s prayer; and because of it, I must therefore ask myself, how is it that there could ever have been disobedience in the heavenly realm where God dwells?
It is important to remember that I have suggested that Jacob was God’s first Adam, the blessing of Shem and Abraham for their obedience as cattle, God’s sheep, led by His voice.
Remember always, your own convictions about the Word of God must come from its source, The Holy Spirit. I am simply pointing to where in the Word to look for answers to questions which have too long been left for the most part, unanswered. And also remember that question marks show up in this writing, where questions remain for me.
Additional symbolic words, phrases, and their meanings:
Fish- Metaphor for the persons of the Gentile nations, in the sea; Japheth’s descendants (Gen.10:1-5); to become part of the multitudes of Ephraim as nations in the sea; Key phrase- “isles of the Gentiles”; Gen. 9:27…God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem…-tents meaning, scattered temporary movable shelter. Genesis 10:1-5…Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations... Revelation 17:15…And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues…
Birds- Metaphor for Ham’s original descendants - Gentile nations in the land (Gen.10:6-20); king of Babylon referred to as an eagle (Ezek.17); Reference to wings for the king of Assyria (Is.8:1-8), note here also, the reference to waters of the river-to be explored later; also to become part of the multitudes of Ephraim. Eagles-Babylon (Ezek.17) & Assyria, gentiles in the land
Creeping thing- Metaphor for the Canaanite (Canaan cursed by Noah to be servant to Shem and Japheth; see Gen.9: 20-27); I am equating the serpent’s curse in Genesis 3:1-16 to Ham’s curse, more specifically, to his son Canaan (Ham’s metamorphosis due to God’s curse, is Canaan his last son, being born or devolved into a creeping thing). In relating it to an evolution or de-evolution/ metamorphosis of a creature (carnal nature of a people), which I believe it is, I believe I am making a likely supposition. The serpent deceived Eve, and through Eve, Adam. Eve, woman of man Adam, with Egypt’s influence on her, led man to eat of the tree which exposed their sinfulness, losing the life which they held before the Law (Romans 7:9-10 partial quote…AKJV For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died…). Of course I am mindful to clarify that it was the knowledge of man’s sinfulness which did the damage, not that the Law itself was evil. However, the Law of works for righteousness was certainly a gross misrepresentation of God’s true Law. John 8:44 refers to the devil as a murderer, and a liar, calling him the father of lies, which I believe refers to his suggestion to Eve which prompted her to eat of the tree. By causing man to acknowledge his true and sinful nature, he became in essence a murderer. Mark 4:4 & 4:15 certainly associates the fowls of the air with Satan. Remember I am referring to the application of symbolism after the flood of Noah’s time, keeping in mind that God decreed it at the beginning for an appointed time in the future. Scripture references for consideration of this would be Gen.3:1 & 14-15; Rev.20:2 & 12:9. In Gen.3:14, God tells the serpent that he is cursed above all cattle and all beasts. I assume then that he is speaking to the people whose carnality is symbolized by the “birds”. I am willing to bet that as Hagar was of Egyptian (Ham) descent, so too were Bilhah and Zilpah, being “bondmaids” in the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, all seem to be of Egyptian lineage (the people symbolized by the birds). From once having had wings to soar above the earth, but to end up on your belly on the ground, in the dirt, represents a significant fall. And remember, we are examining figurative meanings. It makes sense to me, but like I’ve said, I welcome deeper insight. Rom.16:20…and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. This passage of the New Testament, promises that God’s decree in Gen.3:15 will shortly happen. Keep in mind, for further exploration, that Paul in Rom.16:20, is speaking to his brethren in Rome and suggests that they are Gentiles; see Rom.1:7&13 (even as among other Gentiles). God also describes the dragon of Rev.20:2 & 12:9 as the old serpent and the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole earth. A serpent is all flesh, a perfect representation of 100% carnality. Satan’s identity is however considered more closely, a bit further on.
Beasts- Esau/Edom (Gen.25:21-28; Gen.27:37-40; Gen.36:6) The beast of the field. He gave up his birthright to be man natured, allowing his base instincts to rule him, He also became unclean in his descendants with his Canaanite wives. But certain of his descendants, esp. those of his union with Ishmael would be included in the congregation of God. This is explored elsewhere in this writing.
Dogs- Syro-Phoenecian/woman of Canaan (Matt. 15:22-27, also see Mark's reference) a mingled people: Esau as in Edom (beast) + Syria (cattle)? Therefore no, Jesus was not being insulting to the woman of Canaan, he was describing her carnal nature, the mixture of peoples within her.
Swine- A mingled people, i.e. unclean not pure bred; Cattle + creeping thing; Ammon & Moab (Lot + Canaan)?
Man- Jacob as he was born, before the Law; the birthright of the circumcision before they fell; the trees; Psalm 8:4…what is man that thou art mindful of him…; some of whom lost their way in their understanding of The Law, and were referred to by Jesus as lost sheep; Hebrews (Gen.40:15). The birthright of the legitimate sons of Jacob whose mothers shared the same ancestry with Jacob. Unlike the sons of the handmaids, Bilah and Zilpah which in all likelihood were Egyptians, were impure/mingled to begin with, not as pure as their brethren. Jacob became Jew in his struggle with the Law, eventually led by Judah, and was named Israel due to his persistence and victory in his efforts to be blessed by it.
Woman- Childbearing Israel; Joseph taken out of Jacob (the rib taken out of man- Gen. 2:21-23), separated from his brethren, went into Egypt, was given seed by the daughter of the priest of On, whose two sons, Ephraim & Manasseh, were formed by God into woman giving birth to spiritual children. Jacob joined Joseph in Egypt and adopted Joseph’s sons/seed as his. Remember the spiritual significance of seed. Reference is made about Joseph's bones brought back to Canaan (Heb.11:21-22), while Gen.2:23-24 reference to woman by Adam - bone of my bones; Manasseh to become a great nation and Ephraim's seed to become a multitude of nations or fullness (Gen. 48: 17-19), I believe implying their ability to multiply greatly; Gen.49:22-26; Ez.23 1-49; see chapter, “The Gospels”; 1Tim 2:13-15; seed of Abraham (Is 41:8);
Section 3:
Jacob- House of Jacob – 12 tribes, 1Kings 18:31
Israel- Genesis 32:28…And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed…both the chosen and the called of God; called out of bondage, Is.48:12…Israel my called; Is.49:3…Israel God’s servant, in whom God will be glorified; spiritually fruitful Jacob, is Israel; Gen.46:5 …And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him… Jacob is father to the sons of Israel who is the spiritual mother); Is. 41:8…but thou Israel, art my servant Jacob, whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend… Israel, Jacob who God chooses, and who is promised to Abraham as seed (Ez. 20:4-5). Isaiah14:1…for the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them apart in their own land: and the strangers (Gentiles) shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob… The promise of God to Abraham is therefore chosen Israel; As mentioned above, the seed is also called. Gen. 21:12…In Isaac shall thy seed be “called”. The 10th given to God by Jacob (the chosen of Israel) is given to Abraham as the alternative sacrifice to/of God in exchange for his willingness to offer Isaac (the called of Israel) to God. The seed is called in Isaac. These called of Israel like Isaac, are spared spiritual death, some remain vigilant, some sleep/rest as a result of God’s mercy while the chosen of legitimate Israel, servant Jacob, follow Jesus into “seeming” spiritual death so that Gentiles might live. The called and the chosen are heirs at different times (Genesis 21:10…Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac…). The elect is however the chosen of the called, selected to lead the called. They are those of Israel who would be given sight to lead Gentiles to faith in Christ.
Children of Israel- 10 tribes, Joshua 14:2; Benjamin.
Samaria- Woman of Israel in her mingled carnal state, i.e. joined to Egypt and other gentile nations (Ephraim and West Manasseh); Ez.23; John 4:3-9; the teil tree (Isaiah 6:13)? I am not 100% sure of this.
Jerusalem- The stronghold of the misinterpreted Law; those of Jacob/Israel in bondage to the Law (John 4:3-9-not Samaritan); Rom. 2:17-29; 1Cor. 9: 20-21, the dwelling of the Jews distinct from those under the Law??; Gal. 4:21-25; Ez. 15 &16; the circumcision in bondage to The Law. Isaiah 1:8 together with Isaiah 1:1, Jerusalem is daughter of Zion; with Isaiah 1:9, the remnant is the Apostles together with their followers from Jerusalem.
Zion- Righteousness in the Law; City of David, 1Kings 8:1 & 2Chr. 5:2; chosen Jerusalem; House of the sons of God and who die to glorify God and gives up the Spirit for salvation of the world; Benjamin out of Benoni, some who would follow him, their head, into death for the sake of Gentile salvation, of whom the elect of called Israel, once made to see, would remain seeing/awake to lead gentiles (the children of Israel) to Christ; Includes the grafted in olive tree;
New Jerusalem- Daughter of Zion; the promised redeemed Jews and called gentiles who respond, under the apostleship of Paul. Spiritual Jerusalem Acts 13:32-42. The children of the first fruits. Proof of eternal life. Undying Benjamin.
The people of God- Jacob/Israel, chosen Jerusalem/Zion & New Jerusalem; (Deut. 32:9-10 with Zech. 2: 7-8); the Abraham Isaac & Jacob spiritual lineage.
The earth- Physical Israel & surrounding lands represented by dry land
World- Gentile nations (Rom.11:11&15) represented by the waters, both seas and rivers; or possibly both the earth and the seas together?
Egypt- Is.19; Psalm 78:51; Hos.11:11; the dwellings of Ham (representative of the gentile nations to which Israel is scattered and taken captive-Ez. 29); the dead, the grave - in Gen.37:35 Jacob said “I will go down to the grave to my son…” Also in Gen.13:1 Abraham went “up” out of Egypt. Gen.37:35 - he went to Joseph in Egypt); Psalm 105: 23-27; Psalm 106:21-22; Ham on the move conquering and taking captive as Babylon, & Assyria; bondage, darkness; Egypt of the Old Testament was therefore not the Egypt now shown on modern maps, but rather wherever Ham & his original descendants (the people of the bird nature) set up dwellings conquering peoples all over the earth, and even the seas; 2Chron. 12:2-3 ref. to Egypt being more than one people, including Ethiopians; (all the land between Padan-aram and Canaan (although Canaan is also Egypt-fallen Egypt), the last generation, it was however promised to Jacob); Gen.13:1-4 suggests that Canaan where Abraham had his tent set up was south of Egypt.
Canaan- See creeping thing; cursed Ham; Nations of unclean or spiritually dead/dying peoples; last generation of Ham or offspring of Ham; symbolic of nations in the land & seas to be taken captive by Israel (live in it, replenish it - in a process of salvation/killing the flesh/bringing life). The story of Israel’s occupation and conquering of Canaan is analogy for God’s war on carnality, His taking back of His creation even to the degree of making the dead live. Joel 2: 12-32 esp. 25-32 partial quote: “…And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm, my great army which I sent among you…” : Jesus and his apostles came right after or amid the destructions by the creeping things (read entire reference). The army spoken of here is therefore the Roman army who ruled over Israel in Jesus’ time. Are the conquering Romans then the creeping things of Canaan??
Babylon- Babel-a confused mixture of sound or voices; a scene of noise and confusion; Gen.10 esp. vs.10 - the mighty hunter Nimrod and his descendants spreading over the land and seas, conquering, ruling (Gen. 10:8-11); see chapter “Exploring Biblical Names”; all nations conquered by the people of Ham?
Chaldea- Original habitat of Ham (Ez.23 esp. 15), pure Ham; Ezra 5:12; Genesis 15:7
Syria- Original habitat of Shem, pure Shem; Gen. 31:20 - Laban (Abraham’s kin) was a Syrian; Deut. 26:5 - and thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, a Syrian ready to perish was my father (referring to Jacob), and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:
Mystery Babylon- Captive/blinded Israel, Jerusalem & Judah (Jer.6 & 7) The forced and violent possession of nations in the name of God; pay specific attention to Jer.7:4-7, 20-24, 33-34
Assyria- A mingled people – birds (Nimrod) + cattle (Asshur) (Is. 8:1-8 esp. vs. 8, ref. to wings and waters mean that the “Birds” are part of the mix) (Ez.31); the mingled of Ham and Shem? Asshur, son of Shem (Gen. 10:22); Either Asshur went out of Babel/Babylon and built Nineveh or Nimrod went into Assyria and built Niniveh (Gen. 10:11).
Sodom & Gomorra- Is. 1:1-10 & Is. 3:9 - analogy for carnal Judah & Jerusalem?