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Honestly speaking, with this kind of system of interpretation, that is the allegorical (instead of a literal one), the preacher can just say anything he likes. This passage is not a parable or a type, but W.L. treats it in an allegorical way. He quotes verses to support his interpretation, as every good student of the Bible should do. But, we ask a simple question, What does the text say? Is it too insignificant just to look at what the text says without injecting in it, or trying to discover under its surface a secret message?
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We have had much good discussion on this forum about Lee's excessive use of allegorization and interpretation of O.T. types. The exclusive Brethren teachers became masters at this, and to this day can utilize bible stories to say anything they want. It appears to be the most effective means at waging "war" with other Christian ministries and congregations.
For example, Lee stole the Brethren interpretation of the O.T. ordinance forbidding honey (
No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD. -- Leviticus 2.11) to be a divine command
forbidding natural affection between the saints -- in other words,
no friendships. Lee and Company would pull this little "gem" out of his bag of tricks after every "storm" that passed thru the Recovery.
The ultimate fruit of this aberrant teaching was that in was
not safe to love or trust anyone but the ministry of Lee. Not family, not friends, not James Dobson or Joyce Meyers, and not even one's spouse could be trusted or loved when the ministry decided it was time to "choose sides." Compare this pathetic interpretation with the Apostle Paul's plain words about the end times,
"But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection ..." -- I Timothy 3.1-3. Note also that Paul was most likely speaking of the church of God.
While I am not totally against Biblical allegorization, I prefer to limit its use to those places authorized by scripture. Those of us who spent long periods under Witness Lee often lost sight of the plain meaning of the Bible, while constantly digging through the footnotes or Life Studies for the "deeper" meaning. Often the plain meaning of the Bible was equated with the "low Gospel" and with "degraded" Christianity.
I still seem to be surrounded by those who have different views than mine on this. It is truly amazing what new found "discoveries" are made by some "ministers" who appear to be almost OCD with eschatological allegories and interpretations. They can make the Bible say anything they like, and
only they have got it right!