The Voice of Elijah® October 1998 Newsletter

I’ Tell You What: Odds Are, You’ll Never Beat God at His Shell Game

This is the second in a series of articles that explain the meaning of Jesus’ parables in terms of the parabolic imagery and Hebrew idioms the Prophets used. The first article appeared in the April 1998 issue. This article explains the meaning of the three parables Jesus tells in Matthew 21–22 in which He uses the parabolic imagery of Himself as Corporate Israel—the Firstborn Son of God. It concludes by pointing out that He uses the same parabolic imagery in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Questions & Answers

The major part of this column is devoted to explaining how the Prophets’ use of the definite article—like the Apostle Paul’s in the Book of Romans—makes a big difference in the meaning of what they say. In this case, the Hebrew term they use is one that can be understood as either “earth” or “land.” But the things they say when they use the definite article do not bode well for “the Earth.” The column also, once again, records a polite refusal to respond to a question concerning things that are not pertinent.