NO.13/ ON ANTICHRIST #6 ALLEGORY VS METAPHOR
“Folks, what we are talking about is transformation, specifically, our own! When we “SEE” Jesus as He is, we are changed into WHAT we are seeing, or as John says, “we shall be like him.’”
Back in the saddle again. Let's go!
I'm excited to share the encounter my wife and I experienced with the Lord several months ago. But as I've mentioned, I'll need to lay a foundation and give some background information before I can do so. Most of what I share will be within the parameters of what John offers in the book of Revelation - a book most tend to avoid because it reads like someone on hallucinogens. I'll attempt to make the book easy to read and understandable.
Let's start with what the book is about.
I love asking this question to others. The most common answer I hear is that it's a prophetic book about the future. While I wouldn't disagree, that's actually a secondary point. The primary point can be found in the very first verse of the first chapter.
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants-things which must shortly take place." (Rev. 1:1 NKJV)
Did you catch the theme? Most relate to the second part of this verse and take it to mean that John is going to divulge things in the future; hence, why people believe it to be a prophetic book. HOWEVER, did you also notice that this book is THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST? This book is an UNVEILING of the ONE you and I call LORD.
Why is this such an important detail?
In John's first epistle, he makes an observation we should all take to heart.
"Brethren, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is ." (1 John 3:2 KJV).
Translated, it means that when we "see" Jesus AS HE IS, we know what we will be like because we are His very "bone and flesh." WE ARE HIM!
Are you with me here? Folks, what we are talking about is transformation, specifically, our own! When we "SEE" Jesus as He is, we are changed into WHAT we are seeing, or as John says, "we shall be like him."
This is precisely what happened to Moses when He saw the Lord FACE TO FACE on the mountain. He came down with his face lit up in glory - a transference of the Lord's glory to him simply because Moses saw Him "as He is."
Wow!! Translated, it means that within the Book of Revelation lies our identity IN CHRIST, not just in WHO HE IS, but what He is doing as it relates to His church. Double Wow! Once this is clear, we're able to center our attention on the prophetic side of the book's content, having been provided context by which the offering of information will lie within!
However, we are not yet over the hump!
This book is written in ALLEGORY. If you're not familiar with this term, let me offer my own definition of what it means. "Allegory is the use of images to REPRESENT a particular truth or idea of something real and not imagined."
Let me also offer that allegory IS NOT metaphorical - the use of images to portray what something is like. Do you see the difference? If it is allegorical, the image will represent something specific. If it's metaphorical, the image will be like something specific.
If this is still not clear, let me provide an example of each. In the fifth chapter of Revelation, John sees a "lamb with seven eyes and seven horns." (Rev. 5:6). This is an allegorical picture of Jesus (who is represented as a lamb throughout the Bible) with the eyes of the spirit and the horns representing authority and government. (We will get into this all later). A metaphorical image would be when John saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus after His baptism "like a dove" (Luke 3:22). The Holy Spirit does not look like a dove, nor does a dove represent the Holy Spirit. However, God's Spirit did descend upon Jesus like a dove.
As a side note, let me mention that by saying the book of Revelation is offered in allegory, I have sparked controversy within the church. That's because there are those who believe some parts of the book are to be interpreted as literal and others allegorically. Although I'm not going to get into a debate here (not necessary), if the book was both literal and allegorical, there would have to be a "rule" given within the book itself that told us when we were to read it one way or the other. Are you with me here?
Alas, there is no such "rule." Therefore, we must read the book either all literal or all allegorical. I choose the later. (YES, I know this could put someone to sleep if they weren't careful. But these points of information being offered now will be of MAJOR importance as we dive into the book.)
Tomorrow (yes, tomorrow), I'm going to expound on what some of these allegorical images mean as well as get into how the book is laid out. Expect to have your faith stretched to the limits by some of these things offered.
Can hardly wait!
