Page 37 - THE REVELATION OF THE THIRD HEAVEN and THE MEAT OF THE WORD

The Word can and does often switch in a passage, back and forth, from being both
spiritually and factually true (Ezekiel 31:1-2) to being spiritually true and factually
incorrect (Ezekiel 31:3-18, even within this passage there are times when it is
factually correct as well as incorrect), the factually incorrect part being a story or
expression designed to elucidate the spiritual truth (Mat 13:34, Mark 4:33-34).
Jesus, who is the Word, used parables so it is no surprise that the Word uses them
too (Mat 13:34, Mark 4:33-34). God uses such factually incorrect passages or
stories as they can be the most eloquent and direct way of expressing the spiritual
truth (Mark 4:33). God also uses them to hide truth in accordance with the Prime
Principle and its necessary derivative that people only receive spiritual truth
according to their desire for it (Mark 4:11-12, John 7:17). This is why many of the
factually incorrect passages in the Word are not announced as such (Mark 4:34) i.e.
as parables (Mat 13:3) or riddles (Ezekiel 17:2) to introduce the necessary element
of uncertainty, that only the discernment of the Holy Ghost can de-construct the
meaning for us, if we co-operate. Indeed a parable can even be factually true (Mat
13:3-7) just as the Word is usually factually and literally true (1 John 5:6). In one
sense of course all factually incorrect passages are announced as parables as the
whole Word is a Parable (Psalm 78:2, note use of the singular word 'parable'). The
Word is quite deliberately a mystery and designed as such (Eph 3:4). Even as we
understand more of God he will remain a mystery to us but not so as ever to
prevent us from having perfect relationship with Him and being filled with the
fullness of God (Eph 3:4, 18-19).

In addition if the Word were factually true throughout it could more easily and
obviously be interpreted better by reasoning, grammatical analysis, human
comprehension and scientific endeavour, in short by scholarship (Isaiah 55:8-9, 1
Cor 2:11-13. Instead the Word can not be properly understood, deliberately, by
such human means but only by the work of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 2:11-16), in
interactive communication with the heart of the believer (Mat 13:11-15, Luke
24:32, 1 Cor 2:11-13, 2 Pet 1:20). The more obvious non-factual elements of the
Word are there to act as a rebuke from the Word to those who seek to establish that
it is factually true throughout and as a reminder that only by the Holy Ghost’s work
within us can we hope to interpret and understand it (Isaiah 55:8-9, 1 Cor 2:11-
13). Of course human reasoning is involved in understanding the Word but it is
not sufficient (Acts 17:2).

Cultural relativism is not a valid interpretative approach to the Word, so that those
reading the King James text in English today can’t qualify the commandments of
God by reference to the culture of ancient Palestine or 17th century England (Mat
15:3, 6, Mark 7:9, 13, Rev 22:18-19). Otherwise we could say about anything in