MasterTruth

Watch the Similitudes in the Bible

The Bible often uses parables to convey truth. Something is like something else. Something is compared to something else. For example, in John 10, Jesus said that he is the door of the sheep. He also said he is the good shepherd. He drove his listeners crazy because they didn’t get it. His words and concepts were only discerned spiritually. The natural person would never understand.

Symbols, types, and similitudes in the Bible aren’t just limited to the Gospels. Much of the rest of the Bible is like that as well, and here we are going to focus further on that rod in the Old Testament, which symbolizes Christ. Most of us don’t get it right off because we are not used to looking at happenings in the Old Testament as being types of what was to happen in the New Testament. But types they were, and after his resurrection, Jesus found himself explaining Old Testament types to two guys on the road to Emmaus. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

If you read my previous three posts, you will see why I say that the rod in Exodus is a symbol of Christ. After I discovered that, I looked more closely at the rod and how it was used and what happened with it, and it made Christ sparkle.

As you recall, when Moses and Aaron were working with Pharaoh trying to secure the release of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, there was this rod that was the agent of miracles. Of all the miracles that were performed, the rod was used to accomplish six of them (It became a serpent in Ex. 7:10; it turned the river into blood in 7:17; frogs appeared in 8:5; lice in 8:16-17; hail in 9:23; and locusts in 10:13). Yet there were more miracles. Why was the rod involved in only six? The best I can figure is that the number six is symbolic itself. It is the number of man. Christ was the God/man and he came to save man.

The rod was quickly used again after the Israelites were released from Egypt, “But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” (Exodus 14:16)

This was the miracle of separating the Israelites from the Egyptians by separating the water with the rod. Hmm. The rod (Christ) separates nations here. Guess what, Christ will do that again. There’s a prophetic sense to what happened in Exodus that is yet to be fulfilled. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world… Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:31-34 & 41)

There may be more insight to be gained considering Christ as the rod that separated the water, saving the Israelites and causing the demise of the pursuing Egyptians. It certainly makes the following pre-explanation by Moses more meaningful: “And Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

Jody

The Rod as a Prophetic Symbol

When we read our Bibles, there is plenty we can read and apply immediately. That’s the beauty of the Bible. If we can read, we can grow. But after knowing the Lord for some time and hearing and applying what we learn, it’s easy to get the feeling that we know pretty much all there is, and eventually whatever we hear in a sermon or read is nothing new.

Fortunately, there’s more depth to be had when we grasp the symbology and types used in the Bible. This idea is not widely taught in churches today, and it should be. Start noticing the words “like” and “as” for comparisons, then study them for doctrine. For example, here is one of the few that is widely taught: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up (John 3:14). We know that refers back to Numbers 21:7-9, and it makes that story so much richer knowing that the serpent on the pole represented Christ on the cross.

If you look at the previous two posts, you’ll see the symbology I’m going to further lay out here regarding that rod in Exodus that turned into a serpent in Exodus 4:1-5. This rod symbolizes Christ. How do we know there’s a connection between the rod and Christ? And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (Isaiah 11:1). If this seems unbelievable, read the previous two posts. Considering that the rod in Exodus represents Christ, re-read the Exodus story and zero in on that rod and how it was used. Here are some things to notice.

• And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. (Exodus 4:17) Moses was to do signs with the rod. Christ also did signs that the people would believe.
• And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. (Exodus 7:10-12) The rod as Christ became a serpent, and all they had to do was believe, but they wouldn’t, and they duplicated Christ—made an antichrist. He can do miracles too. Fortunately, the true Christ eats up the antichrist. This reminds us of a New Testament verse: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)
• Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. (Exodus 7:17) Remembering that the rod is Christ, notice that Christ would turn the water into blood. This reminds us of Christ’s first miracle. He turned the water into wine. Hmm. Christ has turned water into wine and blood. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:25) wine represents his blood. The magicians were able to do the same thing also, though (Exodus 7:22) and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. We get more rod action, which will be explained in my next blog post.

For now, just know that the Bible is three dimensional. It can be perfectly understood historically and applied devotionally, but there is an often unexplored prophetic sense to take us to the next level, and once we get it, we are in awe of the Master of the universe who always knew and knows what He is doing. He is in control and He is Lord.

Jody