What Does That Mean?

"Is the interpretation simple or complex? The answer is Yes."

I ASKED the Holy Spirit, who I call “Papa,” a question. Papa, does everything symbolic have to be difficult to understand? Because it seems to me, this is me speaking to you again, that we take every dream, every vision, and make them into a mystery. Okay, get me started on John’s Revelation. Horns and Scrolls and Trumpet blasts (not in that order) with numerical interpretations and words I could not say as a child. Bar. Of. Soap. And here’s another thing He said to me about those: No one has the interpretation entirely correct. (Me again.) No one.

So, back to my question. Is the interpretation simple or complex? Because the more complicated people make it, the more I’m not listening.

The answer is Yes. There is always a simple meaning (ME: Yay!) and a deeper one. They will never conflict but will build one upon the other. No two minds think entirely alike. Which is why we are told to renew our minds to think like God. Jesus is the mind-standard. And the Holy Spirit knows our every thought and the intent behind them. There’s no pulling the wool over His eyes. I, personally, love that. I (a) don’t have to explain myself to Him, and (b) know He can fix whatever’s bugging me. He also speaks to me like how I understand things. I had a high school teacher (who shall remain nameless) that had taught college classes. Well, though he was now teaching high school, he still had college student expectations, and many of us couldn’t keep up. The Spirit of God, Papa, will never to that. We can know however much we desire to know. He wants us to want more but loves us if we don’t.

Okay, get me started on John’s Revelation. The fact no one has interpreted it correctly makes me not try too hard. There’s also the fact as a writer, I lean toward “less is more.” When writing fiction, I rarely ever wrote a novel-length book. I’d rather remove details than add them in order to avoid confusing the reader. Writing devotionals, like this one, is slightly different because I’m writing in the Spirit. But still, there are times I restructure sentences to make them clearer. But returning to the symbols in John’s vision, they are there for a purpose, and the only way to know it is to talk to God. We cannot guess or figure-it-out with our mind. These are Jesus’ words about why He spoke in parables. It was so that some would hear and not comprehend.

That really makes no sense to us, except He was talking about in the spirit, hearing with your inner man, and receiving revelation. Revelation is that “a ha!” moment. Suddenly, you see something you’ve never seen before. Many of God’s children never push for it. They hear what is spoken in the pulpit and read the Word at “face value,” not realizing there’s so much more to what seems to be cut-and-dried. I like simple, but when reading God’s truths, I always tell people to throw out the familiar. Put aside what you’ve always heard said and read it as if it were the first time. Then listen to your heart. It is by listening that I began to call Him “Papa.” He is the Breath or Ruach of the Father. I needed stability right then, and so He spoke so I could hear Him.

There is no backspace. A college professor can successfully return to teaching high school, but he should remind himself that these students are not as far along as those he’s had. However, he also cannot stop knowing what caused him to teach college classes. What God reveals to us, that we cling to and meditate on, we will not forget, and we will hunger for more. But to embrace more, sometimes, we have to step outside of our personal box. Mine is reading John’s Revelation with the intent to hear what God is saying and not simply to “get it out of the way.” My mind says: I’ll be in heaven then, so why does it matter? The answer: Well, because God put it in there, and nothing He writes or speaks through ministers of the gospel is of little value.

We are to be “careful little eyes what you see,” and not watch things which bring confusion or teach error. I’m not talking movies and secular entertainment but preaching and reading material and exhortation. We must be led of the Spirit to know when to watch (when, as in what time or place, and when, as in either yes or no) and when it will distract us from what we need more. Some people love-love-love prophecy and so never listen to the gospel being preached. This includes the prophets themselves. Every man or woman of God needs spiritual training and words that encourage and teach. We all need each other. That’s why there are so many different styles of preaching and different ministry gifts. We are a “body” made up of many parts. We should walk in unity and seek peace with each other. We should also hear the Spirit when, despite the message having good content, it simply isn’t what He asks for us today.

Which sends me back to John’s vision again anytime He asks me to turn there. And to not beating myself up if I don’t get it the first time or the second. Because, the important thing is it tells us how things end, and I love that part. Whatever happens in the chapters before the last one, there will one day be no more sorrow.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

“Because of this, ever since we heard about you, we have not stopped talking to God about you and asking him to enlighten your minds with truth and with a greater knowledge of his character, methods, principles and will, thus increasing your wisdom and understanding of eternal realities.” (Colossians 1:9, Remedy)

Image by AstroPengu_art at Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com