Literal Thinking

2007-11-9 23:03:00

Some of my teachings as well as that of DK [Djwhal Khul] have been taking some heat over on Sterling's list so I thought I would make a few comments.

The problem is that when one presents esoteric truths to anyone who has a literal fundamentalists view of the scriptures there is going to be difficulty. Sterling's forum is in some ways the opposite of this one. On the Keys forum the vast majority are open minded to the possibility that the future is not set in stone and that the prophesies from the scriptures could work out in a number of different ways. Then there are a handful here who are more black-and-white and expect the future to work out exactly as they have formulated from various prophecies.

On Sterling's list the great majority are very fundamental and see a literal fulfillment in all things whereas there are a few who may be open to other possibilities.

Even so we have drawn several good people from Sterling's list and he from ours so it is worth the effort go reach out. I have been posting a number of my teachings on his list. Currently I have been placing the series on "Spiritual Principles" there.

The question then is what about the scriptures and their predictions? Are they reliable? Are they useful as a guide to the future?

The answer is that material written 2000 years ago is a rough guide at best. As proof just look at the track record of those who have used the Bible as a guide in predicting the future.

How many do you know who have used Bible prophesies to predict the future and have been successful?

What's that number again?

"Zero," you whisper.

Actually I am the only one I know of who has done this. Using the scriptures in the 1970s I came to the conclusion that Jesus was not going to make his Second Coming by the year 2000 as most then believed. As the millennium rolled by I was proven right, but it seems that I am an anomaly because I cannot find anyone else who has done this.

Many great minds have tried -- even Isaac Newton himself. This person who some call the greatest mind of all time put tremendous energy into deciphering Revelations and Daniel in an attempt to see the future and was not successful.

The most researched prophecies are around the coming of the Messiah or the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the age. Literally thousands of sincere people have carefully researched the scriptures over thousands of years and failed time and time again to accurately predict anything.

What does this tell us? Does it mean the prophets were wrong?

No.

Does it mean the prophecies are easy to misunderstand?

Obviously.

Does it mean the prophesies are difficult to understand correctly.

Yes.

Do the many failures put a cloud over the literal interpretation of scriptures?

To a degree, definitely, for thousands in the past who literally believed the scriptures have not been able to predict one accurate future event from them. Obviously literalism has not worked for anyone in the last two thousand years.

Does this mean that scriptures will not be literally fulfilled?

No.

All inspired scriptures will be fulfilled but not all as many literally conceive them. Sometimes a more figurative fulfillment will come.

Another problem is that literal believers do not even agree among themselves. This is most obviously apparent among the many different interpretations concerning the coming of Christ.

Another problem is that literalists pick and choose that which they decide to take literally.

Let us take this scripture:

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thess 4:17)

Most are happy to literally believe that Jesus will come in the air or clouds and they will be caught up to meet him but then ignore who the scripture applies to: "we which are alive and remain...."

Who's the "we?" Obviously it is Paul and his fellow believers. Since they are all dead and do not remain then the scripture is pretty much a moot point and does not literally apply to 2000 years in the future. If a person is going to be literal with part of the scripture then in the name of fairness he should be literal with the whole.

Another problem is that even if we take the scriptures literally they can be interpreted a number of different ways.

For instance we are told: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him:" (Rev 1:7)

Most literalists believe this means that they will look up one day and see Jesus floating among the clouds.

On the other hand if Jesus rode in an airplane among the clouds (as DK mentioned) the scripture would also be literally fulfilled.

Then there's another twist. "With" in the scripture comes from the Greek META which can also be interpreted as "after" or "behind." He could come "after" a time of great cloudiness, but not in the air or with any clouds at all and literally fulfill this wording

Next it says "every eye will see him." The problem is that if he was floating down with the clouds his body could only be seen from a few miles distant and would be missed by 99.9 percent of the planet. The only way he could be seen by all is through television. But there's another problem. Less than half the people of the earth even have a TV. But then when we look at the next phrase another literal problem arises:

"They also which pierced him"

If we take this literally then not only will people with no TV's see him but those dead for 2000 years will see him when he comes. Those who "pierced him" are those who crucified him 2000 years ago.

This illustrates the reason why thousands have been completely amiss in their literal interpretations over the past 2000 years. If we just look at the scriptures with a black and white mindset and expect a faithful but dogmatic approach to produce accurate vision then we are likely to be disappointed.

Here's what Peter said about the scriptures:

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."  (2 Peter 1:20-21)

This explains why so many in the past who have read the prophecies completely missed in their interpretations. They privately interpreted them according to the carnal black-and-white mind which is geared to the law of carnal commandments given by Moses after the higher was rejected.

The prophesies were given by the Holy Ghost and can only be interpreted by the Holy Ghost and that which the Spirit says may be much different than that which has been passed down by the tradition of our fathers.

The scriptures record that when Christ came the first time those who interpreted the scriptures according to orthodox literacy were wrong. The only ones who correctly saw how he would really come were only five people mentioned in the Bible. It mentions Simeon and the prophetess Anna who were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 2:25-38)   The others were the three wise Magi who came from the East.

It is interesting that three out of five came from outside Israel. If the same percentage applies today then 60 percent of those who recognize the true coming of Christ will be non-Christians. Maybe they'll be "new agers." Interesting thought.

"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail." (1 Cor 13:8)