Page 63 - THE REVELATION OF THE THIRD HEAVEN and THE MEAT OF THE WORD

(2 Sam 1:23). In the Word an expression can be literally impossible (2 Sam 17:13
- ‘ropes..city..draw it’) and can be a statement which is inaccurate, untrue, but used
to emphasise or stress, a true point (2 Sam 17:13 - ‘one small stone’). Sometimes
these expressions are undefined in area or scope as with the terms ‘sea side’
(Judges 7:12, 1 Sam 13:5 - ‘sea shore’). Abram was commanded to ‘tell’ the stars
(count them) in Genesis 15:5 but later in the verse it is suggested he might be not
able to do this ‘if thou be able to number them’ and indeed this is impossible for
Man as is described in later verses such as Jeremiah 33:22, Hosea 1:10 and
Hebrews 11:12. The word ‘as’ establishes only a rough equivalence (1 Sam 13:5).

Whilst Man can not measure accurately all the sand, stars and angels of the
Universe, God can (Jer 33:22, John 21:17) and Christians shall multiply to be as
these (Jer 33:22, Hos 1:10). So, the commandment of Genesis 15:5 here is
parabolical and the statement literally untrue (John 21:17), indeed God recognises
the impossibility in this instance in the same verse by the words 'if thou be able to
number them'. One of the best examples of a pure expression without any
figurative element is in Joel 1:6, in this verse an inaccurate statement says that a
nation ‘without number’ attacks God’s people. Any nation has a number, whether
known to man or not, and therefore this is an expression for emphasis by
exaggeration (Joel 1:6).

Other expressions include: (1 Kings 4:29, 1 Chron 16:6, Psalms 17:3, 22:6, Eccl
7:16-17, Isaiah 42:19, 43:24, Jer 4:13, 51:20, Ezek 20:6, 23:20, 31:6, Dan 1:17-
‘all’, 2:38-39, 5:19, Nahum 3:16, Zech 8:4-5, Zech 8:23). Cyrus utters a false claim
as an expression (2 Chron 36:23), the same claim that Satan makes (Luke 4:6).
Isaiah 55:12 refers to trees clapping their hands, a parable for the creation praising
God (Psalm 19:1). Yet more expressions include: (2 Chron 10:11, 25:18, Ezra 5:5,
Job 29:6, Psalms 11:4, 45:1, 98:8, Prov 26:6, Isaiah 7:20, 33:11, 35:1, 48:4, 59:5,
Jer 4:4, 8:17, 31:29, Ezek 8:1, Zech 2:8).

A classic expression occurs in Luke 13:32 when Jesus calls Herod a fox. In the
Word this man could be a fox just as the Devil is a spirit and a serpent. After all an
ass can not normally speak. It is not impossible for God but in this instance Herod
was a man, not a fox and the usage of the term fox is an expression. The Word is
not factually accurate and truthful, but is spiritually true, when Samson’s wife is
called a ‘heifer’ with whom men had ‘plowed’ (Judges 14:18).

A good example of the words ‘all’ and ‘whole’ being used expressively as a
parable for the purpose of emphasis is Matthew 3:5-6. We know that not