What the Bible says about Parables, Prophetic Nature of
(From Forerunner Commentary)
This is very similar to Jesus' explanation of parables. God says He scatters understanding on any given subject throughout the Bible, and our job is to put it all together and see the amazing truth that results. Therefore, parables cannot be interpreted alone; they rely on the revelation of the rest of Scripture.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables and Prophecy
Christ did not speak in parables to make the meaning clear to just any reader! From the very beginning, God has supervised the writing of the Bible so that it cannot be understood without outside help. Even prophets and righteous men of old did not understand, nor did the multitudes who heard the parables of Christ. According to Romans 11, the meaning is veiled from most of mankind until the day God offers them salvation. They are relegated to unbelief until a later time (i.e. the Millennium or Great White Throne Judgment), lest they rebel and must be destroyed.
Staff
Biblical SymbolismRelated Topics: Biblical Imagery | Biblical Symbols | Ears to Hear | Parable | Parables | Parables, Prophetic Nature of | Spiritual Understanding | Understanding | Understanding Spiritual Things
When Jesus taught parables as prophecies of the course of the church's history until His return, He provided two views of the one subject: specifically, the outward aspect, shown to the multitude of people; and the inward aspect, as revealed to His disciples. He gave the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19) to the mixed multitude to disclose evidence of a specific characteristic of the church compared to the outside world.
The historical development of the church of God would be one of humble beginnings. However, this parable contains more than this important truth. Hidden within it is a warning about the perversion of the church's method of growth and of satanic attacks upon it. This parable is an analogy, and as with all analogies, the symbolism is not exact but similar. Therefore, the symbolism of the Kingdom of God being likened to a mustard seed is not identical, yet it explains a particular aspect of the process that the church goes through in preparing for God's Kingdom.
Martin G. Collins
Parables of Matthew 13 (Part Four): The Parable of the Mustard SeedRelated Topics: Growth | Mixed Multitude | Parable | Parable of the Mustard Seed | Parables | Parables, Prophetic Nature of
A parable is a story drawn from human experience that has a higher spiritual meaning. This is its principal purpose, just as a psalm is primarily intended to praise God. This does not exclude its use for other ends. God creates most things with multiple functions, and the various parts of His Word are not exceptions.
The Parable of the Fig Tree is a good example. It both teaches a universal principle and prophesies of the coming Kingdom of God. As further proof of this parable's prophetic nature, Jesus gives it in the midst of the Olivet Prophecy! He has just listed several signs of His second coming, and He presents this parable to key us in on their time element. Notice He says, "when they are already budding," meaning that the events that signal His return will be happening—in motion—before we realize how close we are to the end!
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables and ProphecyRelated Topics: End Times | Olivet Prophecy | Parable | Parable | Parable of the Fig Tree | Parables | Parables, Prophetic Nature of | Signs | Signs of Christ's Return | Signs of the Times
Because of its abundance of well-known symbols, the Parable of the Ten Virgins is perhaps the easiest to understand in a prophetic light. The Bridegroom, of course, is Christ. Virgins are often symbols of churches or individual Christians, most likely the latter in this case. Lamps are vessels that contain oil, a common symbol of God's Spirit, thus they represent our minds, which, when filled with the Holy Spirit, provide illumination for the path to the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 2:10-16). The wedding refers to the marriage of the Lamb to the church (Revelation 19:7).
Jesus flatly states that this parable deals with conditions just before His second coming (verse 13). It does not take much interpretation, then, to understand what will happen - maybe has happened in part. All of God's people will go to sleep spiritually, but only half of them have enough spiritual strength to prepare for Christ's return. When He does return, our Savior shuts the door on the other half, proclaiming that He has no relationship with them (compare Revelation 3:7, 20). The warning to us is to draw close to God now because we do not know when Christ will come back.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables and ProphecyRelated Topics: Bride of Christ | Bride/Bridegroom Analogy | Christ as Bridegroom | End Times | End-Time Church | Foolish Virgins | God's Holy Spirit | Lamp Image | Lamps as Metaphors | Marriage Supper of the Lamb | Oil | Oil as Analogy | Oil as Metaphor | Oil as Symbol | Oil Imagery | Parable of the Ten Virgins | Parables, Prophetic Nature of | Spiritual Lethargy | Spiritual Preparedness | Vigilance | Virgins | Wise Virgins