Page 78 - THE REVELATION OF THE THIRD HEAVEN and THE MEAT OF THE WORD

The answer is very simple, we will understand the truth according to our desire to
receive and use it, this applies for all time (Isaiah 44:18, Mat 13:9-16, Luke 9:45,
10:21, John 7:17, Rom 1:20-21, 1 Cor 2:7, 9-16, Heb 5:11-14). This determines
how explicit God is in reaching people (Mark 4:11-12). Hence the fate of those
covered by Matthew 13:19 and the essential need to understand the Word. This
explains the use of parables (Mat 13:3, 11-15, 18-35) and the phrase ‘He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear’ (Mark 4:9). God does not reveal Himself totally and
immediately so that Man can respond in his own time with the maximum,
individual and circumstantial chance of salvation by free choice - the prime
principle (Eccl 9:11, Mark 5:43). Likewise God will not give understanding for
conversion if they are not willing to be saved in accordance with the prime
principle (Mat 13:15, Mark 4:12, Rom 1:20-21). A man is given the optimum
level of understanding to encourage his salvation (John 6:44, 1 Cor 2:11) and its
subsequent sustenance (Rom 8:27-30). God interacts with men through their basic
spirit (Ezra 1:1, 5, Job 20:3, 32:8, Prov 16:32, Hag 1:14) as well as by the totality
of their circumstances (Rom 8:28) and their souls (Ex 14:8 'hardened the heart').

Only by the revelation of Christ to us and not by deduction of the mind can we
believe in Christ (Luke 10:21-22). God has chosen to reveal things more explicitly
as time has progressed (Eph 3:5).

The Word interpreting Himself by Himself shows us that at certain points it is not
being literal and at others it is. The default is literality (Psalm 119:140, Rev 22:18-
19). There is however no hard and fast grammatical, textual or linguistic set of
‘rules’ that can objectively decide which it is, only the Spirit can discern this for us
(1 Cor 2:14). God is in control of the interpretation not us by the operation of our
rules and intelligence (John 14:26, 16:13, 1 Cor 2:12, 12:7-9, 11, 2 Pet 1:20). This
takes faith and patience (John 16:12, Heb 5:14). As the Word is given,
supernaturally and spiritually, so must it be understood (1 Cor 2:12, 2 Pet 1:20-21).

In summary and as pointed out earlier, it is no good saying that the Word is literal
except for obvious ‘figures of speech’ or any other such rule of textual scholarship,
as in certain circumstances the Word is being simultaneously literal and yet is
expressed in a fashion that would normally be considered figurative i.e. the event is
real but sounds like an Aesop Fable. A good example is the real event of the ass
talking to Balaam (Num 22:28). By any linguistic or grammatical rule this is a
‘figure of speech’ or an ‘expression’ but it is not. However when the Lebanese
thistle sends a verbal message to the Lebanese cedar (2 Kings 14:9, 2 Chron 25:18)
this is an ‘expression’ or ‘figure of speech’. No ‘rule’ of human understanding or
grammar can distinguish between such instances and this transcendance over the