Destruction of the wicked

Pagans are saved for kindness

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Is it possible to say that parables are just what our great Teacher Christ used?

In fact, parables are much more common in the Bible than we humans usually realize. And when the disciples of Christ asked: ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ (Matt. 13:10), the Lord’s answer showed the essence of not only parables, but of the entire Holy Scripture:

‘’It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to those outside everything happens in parables; so that they look with their own eyes, and do not see; they hear with their own ears, and do not understand, lest they turn, and their sins be forgiven” (Mark 4:11,12).

The Word of God is written in such a way that everyone who reads this book can understand it in his own way, as his inner essence tells him to. And people often find in it certain passages from the Scriptures that confirm precisely their views. But it shouldn't be like that, as the Lord said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Mat. 5:8).

‘’Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’’ (Mat. 5:8)

And in this article [being careful, asking the Almighty for wisdom], we will try to impartially analyze those allegories that are not explained by the prophets. We will also try to derive a certain principle that will help to more adequately understand the parables in the Bible.

Proverbs of Solomon

Let's start with what the wise Solomon wrote about parables:

“The wise will listen and increase knowledge, and the prudent will find wise advice; to understand the parable and the intricate speech, the words of the wise and their riddles '' (Prov. 1:5,6).

And it was not just a momentary statement that jumped out of my head ... Many simply agree that Solomon was superior in wisdom to all who lived before Christ came to earth (1 Kings 4:29-31.).

However, not many people think about the fact that the parables of Solomon are not just a book of ''Parables'', this is a book of allegories, images that point to something more.

This wise Son of the World [Solomon], was the image of the great Teacher Christ, Who taught in parables (Mat. 12:42. Mark 4:33,34.). Nevertheless, people still try to take the parables of Solomon literally.

Let's take some of Solomon's parables as an example:

1) “Whoever speaks evil of his father and his mother, his lamp will go out in the midst of deep darkness” (Prov. 20:20).

It’s time for a normal person to think about whether the lamp really burns out because a person is evil and ungrateful towards his parents?.. Undoubtedly, the law teaches to honor one’s parents, however allegorically, this points to the Most High Father, whose image was Abraham, as well as the Heavenly Jerusalem [Kingdom of Heaven], the image of which was Abraham's wife, Sarah(See Galatians 4:22-26. Mal. 1:6.).

The lamp, in this sense, is the spiritual vision of a person (see Isaiah.29:13,14. Amos.5:18-20.).

2) ‘Deep abyss is the mouth of harlots: with whom the Lord is angry, he will fall there’ (Prov. 22:14).

How do you, dear readers, imagine it? beautiful words literal harlots... In this verse, we are talking about SPIRITUAL harlots.

Pay attention to this parable:

"And now - towards him a woman, in the dress of a harlot, with an insidious heart, noisy and unbridled; her feet do not live in her house: now in the street, now in the squares, and at every corner she builds coves. Let not your heart deviate in her way, do not wander in her paths, because she cast down many wounded, and many strong ones were killed by her: her house is the way to hell, descending into the inner dwellings of death '' (Prov. 7: 10-12 ,25-27).

And later, the apostle John described a parable - a vision of the harlot Babylon:

‘‘The kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the inhabitants of the earth became drunk with the wine of her fornication’’ (see Rev. 17:1-5).

The apostle Peter also warned about spiritual fornicators:

‘There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce pernicious heresies and, denying the Lord who redeemed them, will bring swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their wickedness, and through them the way of truth will be reviled. And out of covetousness they will deceive you with flattering words; their judgment has been ready for a long time, and their death does not sleep ... Their eyes are filled with lust and unceasing sin; they deceive unasserted souls; their heart is accustomed to covetousness: these are the sons of a curse” (2 Pet.

And how to understand the words from the second part of the parable: ‘‘Whoever the Lord is angry with, he will fall there’’(Prov. 22:14)?.. Apostle Paul wrote about this:

‘’ with every unrighteous deception of those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth for their salvation. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, so that they believe a lie, so that they may all be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:10-12).

3) There is also a description of a virtuous wife in the 31st chapter of the book of Proverbs.

Pay attention to the words: ‘There were many virtuous women, but you surpassed all of them’(Prov. 31:29.).

• What is this super wife who has surpassed all other wives?..
• Or what kind of husband is that ‘’known at the gate when he sits with the elders of the earth’’(Prov. 31:23)?..

• In fact, the King of kings, Christ, is represented here as a majestic man (Rev. 19:11,16.).
• The unsurpassed and virtuous wife in this parable is the image of the church of Christ (Eph.5:30-32. John.14:12.).

If we carefully examine the context, this is exactly the conclusion we can come to - compare:

1) Proverbs 31:11. - Ephesians 4:11-13. Matt. 25:14-23.

2) Prov. 31:15,18. - Luke 12:35,36,42,43. Matthew 5:14.

3) Proverbs 31:22,25,31. - Micah 5:5,7. Zech.9:16. Rev. 2:25,26.

Parables of Christ

So, King Solomon was only a likeness of our King and Teacher Christ (Mat. 12:42.). And when our Lord came, He also used parables in his teachings. There is a reasonable suspicion that if there were no explanations of the parables of Christ in the Gospels [judging by the way the majority take literally the parables of Solomon and other allegorical descriptions in the Bible], then the meaning of these [already explained] parables would most likely remain so. secret. However, the interpretation of the parables by our Lord showed the possibility and necessity of understanding many other mysteries of the Bible allegorically, which we will discuss later.

And how can we understand those parables of Christ that the Lord did not explain? There is a principle: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). Therefore, the explanation of any passage of Scripture must also be confirmed by other passages of Scripture.

And for a clear example, let's try to understand and explain two parables in this way:

1) ''The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls, who, having found one precious pearl, went and sold everything he had and bought it'' (Mat. 13:45,46).

This parable refers to our Lord Christ, who redeemed his church for himself, leaving what he had before his coming to earth.

Why can it be understood in this way? Considering the principle that ''before two and three witnesses every word shall stand firm'', we can pay attention to these Scriptures: (Prov. 1:5,6; 31:10,15-18,23,29. Eph. .5:32.). Acts 20:28. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.

2) “The Kingdom of Heaven is still like a net that was thrown into the sea and captured fish of every kind, which, when it was full, they dragged ashore and sat down, collected the good in vessels, and threw the bad out. So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and cast them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat. 13:47-50).

Here we see that our Master, for the most part, has already explained this parable; however, in order for it to bring us more benefit, it is also important for us to understand its ESSENCE. For example, what criteria do the Angels use when separating good "fish" from bad ones? In the book of Lev.11:10 it is shown that a fish that does not have [feathers] and scales is considered filthy.

And notice, when the first people sinned, and nakedness became a symbol of their sinfulness, then the Almighty himself gave them clothes (Gen.3:9,11,21.).

Throughout the book of the Bible, clothing has a great symbolic meaning, showing how righteous a person is - see Rev. 3:17,18. 2 Corinthians 5:3,4. Rev. 16:15. Matt. 22:11-13.

Parables from the book of Psalm

Parables were used not only by the wise Solomon and our Teacher Christ, they were also used by David and other prophets. Pay attention to the key detail:

‘Jesus spoke to the people in parables, and without a parable he did not tell them that what was spoken through the prophet would come true, who says: I will open my mouth in parables; I will speak hidden things from the foundation of the world” (Mat. 13:34,35).

These words were quoted from a psalm that, at first glance, simply tells about biblical history and Israel's unfaithfulness (Psalm 77:2,3.). But first impressions are deceiving. In fact, this story is full of prophetic images pointing to Jesus Christ and how Israel subsequently received him.

To explain all these images, you need to write separate book(John 21:25.). Therefore, for comparison, here are just a few points:

1) Psalm 77:14. – Exodus 13:21,22; 14:19,20. Exodus 23:20,21; 33:2,3. Heb.4:1-3,7,8. Matt.9:2-6.

2) Psalm 77:15-17. - 1 Corinthians 10:4-6. John 7:37-40.

3) Psalm 77:23-25. – Matt. 4:1-4. John 6:27,49-51.

4) Psalm 77:36-39. - Romans 3:11-13,19,21,24-26.

5) Psalm 77:70-72. - Ezekiel 34:2,22-24. Matt. 9:35,36. John 10:6,11,14,15.

Also, the 126th and 127th psalms can be called a vivid description of the parables.

At first glance, it may seem that children are a blessing for any Christian. However, this does not always happen in real life.

• For example, not all the righteous kings of Judah raised God-fearing children.

• At the time of the sign of the last days, there was a prediction that

“Children will rise up against their parents and kill them. And you will be hated by all because of my name…” (Mark 13:12,13).

So what are we talking about in these words:

‘’This is an inheritance from the Lord: children; reward from Him is the fruit of the womb. Like arrows in the hand of a strong man, so are young sons. Blessed is the man who filled his quiver with them! Will they not remain in shame when they speak with the enemies at the gate (Ps. 127:3-5)?..

What is this person who ‘’filled his quiver with them’’?

The answer is given through the prophecy of Isaiah:

“Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, of the house of Jacob: then Jacob will not be ashamed, and his face will no longer turn white. For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, they will holyly honor my name and holyly honor the holy Jacob, and revere the God of Israel '' (Is.29:22,23. Also: Isaiah.49:2, 3).

When the Pharisees tried to prove to Christ that they were the children of Abraham, the Lord disputed this, pointing out that their SPIRITUAL father was the devil (John 8:37-44.).

The 126th and 127th psalm has the same meaning, which points to SPIRITUAL children [Abraham - as the image of the Heavenly Father, and Sarah - as the image of the Heavenly Kingdom] (Psalm.127:3. Isaiah.49:14,20-22 Galat.4:22,24,26.). First of all, it is important to what extent such children have a pure inner essence from the Heavenly Father.

The apostle Paul wrote:

‘’…for not all those Israelites who are from Israel; and not all the children of Abraham who are of his seed, but it is said, In Isaac your seed will be called. That is, not the children of the flesh are the children of God, but the children of the promise are recognized as seed. As in Hosea he says: I will call not my people my people, and the one who is not beloved, my beloved. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God” (Rom. 9:6-8,25,26).

‘‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile… But if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise’’ (Gal. 3:28,29).

The above explanations from the book of Psalm are only a tiny fraction of what is actually narrated in these prophetic songs (Deut. 31:19; 32:1-44.). The meaning of our description is to show that the Bible is the book that deserves not just reading, but also close attention - Proverbs 2:1-9.

For example, the Law that was given through Moses, does it always have a direct meaning? Written: ‘’Do not block the mouth of the ox when it threshes’’(Deut. 25:4). If later the Apostle Paul had not written an explanation that this applies to co-workers with God working in the church (1 Cor. 3: 9; 9: 9, 10.), How would we understand this law about oxen today? ..

From this example, we can also understand that both the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:13,14.), and EFFORT for understanding the spiritual world from the Most High (Mat. 11: 12, 13.) are important for the study of Scripture.

Signs in the Bible

Parables in the Bible are described not only by some examples and images (Ezek.17:2-15; 20:47-50.).

For example, the prophet Ezekiel describes an event, a prophetic action [or a sign], which is also a kind of parable. It says:

‘’…thus says the Lord God: put a cauldron, put it and pour water into it; put in it pieces of meat, all the best pieces, thighs and shoulders, and fill it with selected bones; take selected sheep, and [ignite] the bones under it, and boil until the bones boil in it. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city of blood! and I will build a big fire... Add wood, make a fire, boil the meat; let it thicken and the bones will burn. And when the cauldron is empty, put it on coals so that it flares up, and so that its copper becomes red-hot, and its uncleanness melts in it, and all its scale disappears. The work will be hard; but his great scum will not leave him; and in the fire [will remain] on it its scum ...

Your uncleanness is such an abomination that no matter how much I cleanse you, you are still unclean; from your uncleanness you will no longer be cleansed until I quench My fury against you” (Ezek. 24:3-5,9-13).

But are such prophetic actions-parables rare in the Scriptures?.. In addition to the signs explained in the Bible, about the copper snake that Moses lifted up in the wilderness (John 3:14.), and the prophet Jonah, who was in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights (Mat. 12:38-40.), in fact, there are many such in Scripture.

Naboth and his vineyard

For example, consider the story of Naboth:

‘’Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel near the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab said to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard... But Naboth said to Ahab, Lord save me, that I may give you the inheritance of my fathers! ... And the men of his city, the elders and nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel ordered them, just as it is written in the letters that she sent to them. They announced a fast and put Naboth at the head of the people; and two wicked men came forward and sat down opposite him, and these unkind men testified against him before the people, and said: Naboth blasphemed God and the king. And they brought him out of the city, and stoned him, and he died. … When Ahab heard that Naboth was killed, Ahab got up to go to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and take possession of it.’ (1 Kings 21:1-3,11-13,16).

Who do you think Naboth represents in the prophetic story of the vineyard? The prophet Isaiah wrote:

‘’The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His favorite planting. And he waited for justice, but behold - bloodshed; [waited] for the truth, and behold, a cry” (Isaiah 5:7).

• But the One who owned the “inheritance of the fathers” was in fact the Son of David, Christ, the King of Israel (Mat. 21:33-39.).
• In this story with Naboth, Queen Jezebel was the image of the priesthood of Israel, a spiritual prostitute (Ezek.23:4,45, John.19:15).

Elisha, two bears and 42 children

The story of how Elisha cursed the children, as a result of which 42 children were torn to pieces by two bears, may seem ridiculous to someone. However, there is a deep meaning in this sign-parable. Scripture tells:

‘’ And he went from there to Bethel. As he walked along the road, little children came out of the city and mocked him and said to him: Go, bald! go, baldhead! He looked around and saw them and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the forest and devoured forty-two of them” (2 Kings 2:23,24).

(14 + 14 +14 = 42) “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the migration to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the migration to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations” (Mat. 1:17).

What is the relationship between these two facts?

Let's note the following parallel:

• Elisha, was Elijah's successor and received a double Spirit (see 2 Kings 2:9-11.).
• Likewise, Christ was the successor of John the Baptist [greater Elijah - Luke 1:13,17.], and had an incomparably greater Spirit.

Subsequently, the greater Elisha, Christ cursed the 42nd generation from Abraham, saying:

‘’May all the righteous blood shed on the earth come upon you, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barahiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you that all these things will come to this generation” (Mat. 23:35,36).

And who did the two bears represent in the story of Elisha?

The prophet Malachi wrote:

‘Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, as well as the rules and ordinances. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that when I come, I will not strike the earth with a curse” (Mal. 4:4-6).

These two prophets [Elijah and Moses] were witnesses against a wicked generation that did not accept Christ (Luke 9:30,31; John 5:45-47.).

And in the year 70 AD. more than a million Jews were destroyed by Roman troops along with the Jerusalem temple (Luke 23:28-31.).

Can the signs in the Bible benefit us?

The Apostle Paul wrote: ‘It happened to them [like] images; but it is written for the instruction of us who have reached the last ages” (1 Corinthians 10:11). And so we will consider this example: ‘‘Just as it was in the days of Lot…so it will be in the day when the Son of Man appears’’ (Luke 17:28,30). Pay attention to the parallels that exist in Scripture in connection with this topic:

1) Moral decay of the inhabitants of Sodom(Gen.18:20,21.), is a type of spiritual fornication of Judaism up to the first century (Isaiah.1:10,21.). In the last days of the ungodly world, the measure of the iniquity of Christianity will also be filled (2 Tim. 3:1,5-9; 2 Pet.

2) Two witness angels were sent to Sodom(Gen. 19:1.).

In the first century, two angels-witnesses were: John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (see Mal.3:1. Mark.1:2,4,7), who testified against the corrupted kind of Jews (Acts 2:40.). In the last days of the wicked world, there will also be witnesses from Christ: the apostles and prophets. They are mentioned in Rev. 11:3-8. Zech. 6:1; 4:11-14. Dan.11:33.

3) The inhabitants of Sodom did not accept witnesses from the Almighty, trying to do violence to them(Gen. 19:4,5.). In the first century A.D. the Jewish perverted race, also did not accept two witnesses. Christ said: “But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him as they wished; so shall the Son of Man suffer from them” (Mat. 17:12). True followers of Christ will also be especially cruelly persecuted during the sign of the end of the ungodly world - Dan.7:25; 11:36. Rev. 11:7,8. Micah.7:6-9.

4) Lot's hospitality teaches us the qualities of selflessness(Gen. 19:1-8.). Apparently, with this incident in mind, the apostle Paul wrote: “Do not forget the love of hospitality, for through it some, not knowing, showed hospitality to the angels. Remember the prisoners, as if you were in bondage with them, and the afflicted, as you yourself are in the body” (Heb. 13:2,3). First of all, true kindness saves. In the first century, no one really understood what Christ said during His life on earth; however, such qualities as: honesty, impartiality, kindness from God, helped some to see the ESSENCE of their Great Teacher (Psalm.119:165. Matt.25:31-40.).

5) And finally, the last: some may claim that they do nothing wrong for others, so they can also be saved. But here, too, there is a parallel: ‘as it was in the days of Lot: they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all; so it will be in the day when the Son of Man appears” (Luke 17:28-30).

When Lot began to tell his sons-in-law about the imminent destruction of Sodom, it seemed to them that he was joking [delirious] (Gen. 19:14.). Not believing Lot, they were destroyed along with the city. This is exactly what happened in the first century: those who did not take seriously the news of the destruction of Jerusalem perished along with the sinners. Christ warned about this:

‘’Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the Galileans that they suffered so? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you think that those eighteen people on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them were more guilty than all those living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-5).

O last days wicked world was foretold:

“Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold” (Mat. 24:12).

As a result, many Christians will lose their spiritual vision in favor of taking care of their financial well-being.

So, friends: if we delve into the ESSENCE of the Biblical parables and images, they will help us to see spiritually more deeply and vividly.

Sometimes we may think that we already understand much of Scripture. However, this superficial impression is deceptive; rather, it is due to our self-confidence. Let the curiosity of Christ's apostles serve as an example for us (Mark 4:10-12.). So that what we read from the Word of the Most High becomes part of our inner world (Prov. 2:10-12,16,17.). Amen.

S. Yakovlev (Bokhan)

For our readers: biblical parables are short with detailed description from various sources.

All Short Best

barren fig tree 1 0

Growers 0 0

Wise virgins and foolish virgins 0 0 Good Samaritan 0 0 Debtor and king 0 0

Buried Talent 0 0 Called and chosen 0 0

Isaac and Rebekah 0 0 Isaiah about the vineyard 0 0

Lot and his daughters 0 0

Mercenaries 0 0 Wrong ruler 0 0 Foolish youth 0 0 Beggar Lazarus 0 0

About the merciful king and the ruthless lender 0 0

Tares 0 0 Parable of the sower 0 0 Parables of King Solomon. Chapter 2 0 0 Parables of King Solomon. Chapter 5 0 0 Parables of King Solomon. Chapter 9 0 0 Birthright sold 0 0

Fig tree 0 0 Solomon solution 0 0 Acquisition 0 0 Unrighteous Judge 0 0

Pharisee and Publican 0 0

Christ on the Watching Servants 0 0 Christ about the lamp 0 0

Kingdom of heaven 0 0 king of trees 0 0

Adyghe parables Armenian parables African parables Biblical parables Buddhist parables Vedic parables Eastern parables Greek parables Taoist parables Zen parables Jewish parables Indian parables Chinese parables Parables for children Parables of Jesus Christ Parables by Leonardo da Vinci Parables about good Parables about friendship Parables about a woman Parables about life Parables about love Parables about happiness Osho's parables Parables about children Parables about Khoja Nasreddin Russian parables Family parables Modern parables Sufi parables Tatar parables Hasidic parables Christian parables Esoteric parables Japanese parables

There is such an expression among Russian people - “to speak in riddles”, that is, to explain in an allegorical form, to speak not directly, but in figurative meaning. Once upon a time in the East it was common to express wise thoughts in allegories. Such stories were called parables.

The meaning of the parable

The main purpose of the parable was considered to be the disclosure of religious or worldly meaning in short story. The heroes of parables wore a certain social status(rich man, king, traveler, vinedresser, father and son) and did not have deep descriptions of appearance or character.

Bible parables explained how to behave in order to live well before people and God. They influenced the consciousness more than just accusatory or instructive words, because they showed the rules of behavior on the example of specific people. When a person saw a pattern of actions in parables, he thought that he was leading a wrong life, or remembered the lesson inherent in a little history and tried to avoid bitterness in his life.

Parables of King Solomon

Solomon was the son of King David, after whose death he took the throne of Israel. He ruled the country for 40 years, did not fight with neighbors, investing all his efforts and means in the development of the country. People came to the king for advice if they themselves could not resolve the dispute, and once the Queen of Sheba came to the king from distant lands. She had heard a lot about the wisdom of the ruler and was personally convinced of the correctness of human rumors.

Solomon wrote a book of parables that became part of the Bible. The book of Ecclesiastes is also attributed to the authorship of Solomon, which shows reflections on the stupidity of daily fuss, the true meaning of life and talks about human death.

Most of the parables teach that:

• sons must be obedient to their parents and to God;
• the advantages of wise people over stupid ones are considered;
• if he gave his word, he must keep the promise;
• an example of a real and faithful wife is shown;
• going to harlots (prostitutes) will corrupt and destroy a person;
• an algorithm for the behavior of a wise person is given.

The book of parables consists of 31 chapters. Its chapters briefly discuss many life situations and then Solomon tells how to behave in order to do well and be successful.

Parables of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ not only went from city to city, healed the sick and worked miracles, he taught people a righteous and correct life, including with the help of parables.

He told parables in such a way that only his disciples or those who want to follow him could understand them, and not the Pharisees and scribes who were looking for an opportunity to kill the Savior.

The biblical parables of Jesus Christ are filled with vivid images. One should not look for hidden and encrypted messages in the parables of the Savior. The lesson of the Bible's parables is to give a brief example of social life to show the wisdom that we should follow.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

The father had two sons. younger child asked his father to share the inheritance with his older brother and, having received the money, he went to live in another city. There he spent all his fortune, and when famine came, he decided that it was better for him to return home. The father received him with open arms and arranged a feast in honor of his son's return. The eldest son did not want to come to the feast, he expressed his dissatisfaction with his father that he was working without straightening his back, and his father never even gave him a small goat, so that he would have fun. In the end, the head of the family smooths out the conflict and reconciles the sons.

Here short story, perhaps the most famous biblical parable of the prodigal son. What does this parable mean? The father is God, and his sons are us. We leave, run away from God and think that we will live happier in a foreign land than at home. But all the same, we return to our home: beaten, exhausted, tired. Father will always meet us with joy, give us food and a roof over our heads.

The image of the elder brother is the ostentatious faith of the lawyers - people who believe that God is obliged to save them for their services to him. They do not want to share the inheritance with others, because they think only of themselves.

Parable of the Good Samaritan

One of the biggest and most plot parables of Jesus Christ is the parable of the good Samaritan. Let's look at a brief plot of the biblical parable. One man was returning home, but on the road robbers attacked him, beat him and took away everything that he had with him. Both the priest and the Levite passed by, but did not help the wounded traveler. Only a passing Samaritan bandaged the injured man's wounds, took him to an inn, and instructed the innkeeper to take care of the man.

When Christ was asked who our neighbor would be, then he cited this parable as an example. As a result, it was not his fellow countrymen who turned out to be a neighbor to a man, but a Samaritan hostile to the Jews. He who shows us mercy, kindness and generosity is our neighbor.

The Samaritans did not like the Jews, but in this parable the man who was supposed to be the Jew's enemy took care of him.

Another interpretation of the parable may say that the Samaritan is the Lord himself, who binds up our spiritual wounds and leaves us in an inn for a while. But the time will come when he will come for us.

The parable of the sower and its interpretation

On the shore of the lake, Jesus Christ told an instructive parable that had more spiritual overtones. It was the parable of the sower. The sower scatters seeds in different places: by the road, on a rocky place, next to thorns, and on good soil. By the side of the road the birds ate the seeds, on the stony field the sun burned the plant with its rays, the seed that grew with thorns was destroyed by the weed. And only in good soil did the seeds bear fruit.

Consider this biblical parable with interpretation in more detail. The sower personifies the Lord or the teacher who speaks the word of God (the image of the seed). Birds carry away the seed: when a person hears the word of God, but the devil leads him away from faith, seducing him with various thoughts and offering sinful alternatives. The seeds that fell into the stony ground signify fickle people: now they believe in God, and when they are persecuted for their faith or trouble arises, they no longer believe in him. Seeds in the weed (thorns) - people hear God's word, but forget it, because they love this world and spend time in vanity. The grains that have grown in good soil – this is an image of people who have heard the word, who remember it, do good deeds and have peace in their souls.

The parable tells of four types of people who hear the gospel but receive the Word of God in different ways. Success will be that person who, like good earth, takes into himself the seeds that God wants to grow in us and grow a tree that bears fruit.

Short Bible Parables

There are many parables in the Gospel. Some of them are long, and some are very short, but no less instructive. Short biblical parables include the following stories:

• barren fig tree;
• the parable of the vinedressers;
• wise and foolish virgins;
• king and debtor;
• wrong ruler;
• buried talent;
• rich man and Lazarus.

These short parables teach us that we need to be honest, to do the work assigned to us correctly, not to bury our abilities in the ground, but to serve God and people with them.

Consider some of the shortest parables of Jesus Christ.

The rich man and Lazar

The rich man dies and goes to hell, and the beggar Lazarus is taken to heaven. The rich man begs to be taken to heaven, but he is refused, and it's not about his wealth. The rich man misused the money, using it for entertainment, he did not even think of helping Lazarus, who had been starving all his life.

The Parable of the Vineyards

This is a story about how the owner of the vineyard gave it to the winegrowers, and they first killed the owner's servants, and then his son, in the hope that they would become the rulers of the winegrower. But the owner did justice to them. In the son of the owner, the features of Jesus Christ are clearly visible, whom the Father sent into this world, and the Pharisees and scribes (vine growers) killed him.

Bible Parables for Children

There are no parables specifically for children in the Bible. It all depends on the age of the child and on how a particular parable is presented to him.

The story of the lost sheep can be attributed to children's, teenage parables. This little parable tells that the sheep ran away from the flock, and when the shepherd found it, he embraced it and took it back with love. The shepherd in the parable is presented as kind and loving, for whom every sheep is important. So the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to save us from sin, and every person is important to him, even the one who runs away, and then, like a prodigal son, returns home.

Any parable can be told to a child in simple and clear language so that he understands and realizes the truth that biblical parables can carry.

Parable of the Prodigal Son

One man had two sons; one day the youngest of them said to his father: “Father! give me the next part of the estate.” And the father divided the estate between them.

After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a far country and there he squandered his property, living dissolutely. And when he had lived all, there came a great famine in that country, and he began to be in need;
Read more –>

Foolish youth

One day I looked into the windows of my house, through my bars, and saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the young people an unreasonable young man crossing the square near the corner of it and walking along the road to her house, at dusk in the evening of the day, in the darkness of the night and in the gloom ...
Read more –>

On crossing the Red Sea

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
- Tell the children of Israel to turn and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and between the sea, before Baal-zephon;
Read more –>

About Abraham's Sacrifice

God tempted Abraham and said to him:
- Abraham!

He said:
- Here I am.

God said:
- Take your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac; ..
Read more –>

About David and Saul

David lived in the safe places of En-gaddi. When Saul returned from the Philistines, he was informed, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gaddi." And Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his people in the mountains where the chamois dwell.
Read more –>

The Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia is a unique guide to the Bible. Compiled by Archimandrite Nikifor in 1891 on the basis of scientific research and authoritative reference publications, it enjoys well-deserved respect and is very popular today. Due to the completeness, simplicity and understandability of the content, the book has become a desktop for several generations of inquisitive Bible readers. The articles of the encyclopedia cover all areas of biblical knowledge: archeology, architecture, astronomy, geography, botany, zoology, mathematics, medicine, numismatics, pedagogy, etc. The book contains biographies of all persons in the Bible and explains the theological terms necessary for understanding the Holy Scriptures. The book is intended for the widest range of readers.

Archimandrite Nikifor (Alexey Mikhailovich Bazhanov, 1832-1895) - Russian Orthodox church writer, full member of the Moscow Society of Spiritual Enlightenment Lovers, employee of the Orthodox Palestinian Society. From November 25, 1887, he was rector of the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery in Moscow. His main works: "Illustrated complete popular Bible Encyclopedia" (M., 1891-92), "A guide to reading and studying the Bible in the family and school" (M., 1894) and several articles in the "Collection for lovers of spiritual reading" ( M., 1888).

The world of the Bible is infinitely interesting, amazing, diverse. All of us, modern readers of the Bible, are united by the feeling of a pioneer who has moved from the pages of this great book into an extraordinary world of faith and wisdom, grandiose battles and miraculous events, human passions and divine intervention in earthly affairs. Amazing things are happening today - the Bible once became the foundation of European culture, but now we, the people brought up in this culture, are returning to its origins, to the beginning of all things. This wonderful book, which has become the fruit of many years of work by its compiler, Archimandrite Nicephorus, will help to make the world of the Bible closer and more understandable.

The author of this work, which strove to create a "simple, edifying reference book for every inquisitive Orthodox Christian," managed to build a fascinating story about sacred history and all aspects of life in biblical times.

Heroes, books, cities - in total more than five thousand articles on all topics of biblical knowledge. The encyclopedia contains more than two hundred illustrations.

Encyclopedic and reference edition, fascinating stories about the Holy Scriptures and all aspects of life in ancient times for a wide range of readers. The articles of the Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia cover all areas of biblical knowledge: mathematics, architecture, astronomy, geography, botany, numismatics, archeology, zoology, medicine, pedagogy.

The Bible Encyclopedia provides biographies of all biblical figures and an explanation of the necessary theological terms. The encyclopedia is illustrated with works of outstanding masters of Western painting from the Renaissance to the beginning of the 20th century.

The encyclopedia introduces the reader to the books of Holy Scripture in detail. The main goal of its compiler, Archimandrite Nicephorus, was to create not just an encyclopedia, but also "a simple, instructive reference book ... for every inquisitive Orthodox Christian."

Internet version under general editorship
His Eminence Alexander (Mileant),
Bishop of Buenos Aires and South America

The largest edition of the Bible Encyclopedia in Russian to date, created on the basis of the achievements of modern biblical studies:

• more than 6,000 articles on history, archeology and geography;
• description of all its characters, places, cities, animals and plants;
• review articles to all books of the Holy Scriptures;
• explanation of the most important biblical theological concepts;
• about 200 color illustrations;
• more than 400 maps, drawings and diagrams;

Description

The Fritz Rinecker Bible Dictionary is designed to help Bible readers better understand and contribute to the biblical text. in-depth study. And the proposed new edition also pursues this goal.

We have made an attempt to reveal the meaning of biblical concepts and words by considering all possible cases of their situational and contextual use in Holy Scripture. With this publication, we invite readers to familiarize themselves with the results of our study. The edition is corrected and supplemented. All changes and additions are dictated by the desire of the publishers to correct the inaccuracies noticed, while retaining the original form and structure of the Rinecker dictionary, and to make theological and historical information as accessible to readers as possible.

Publishers make the highest possible demands on the publication and reprinting of scientific and theological biblical literature, which they consider as the main condition for their book publishing activities. Holy Scripture has unrivaled authority, being the Word of God. It arose as a manifestation of the sovereign will of God, who transformed His Word into the word of man and constantly preserves and confirms it as His Word. This principle of attitude to the Bible is set forth in the article "Holy Scripture". That is why the controversy and demarcation with religious-scientific and literary-critical theses were deliberately limited in this edition.

The encyclopedia is designed primarily to evoke a joyful feeling of the truth of the Good News. At the same time, one who seeks an objective and honest approach to the study of Scripture must allow, in certain cases, the possibility of several parallel interpretations.

How to use the Encyclopedia

The headwords and spelling of the Encyclopedia correspond to the text of the Synodal translation.

proper names and geographical names are also given in accordance with the biblical text in Synodal translation. In some cases, a modern geographical name is given in parallel with the biblical one.

In references, the arrow always stands immediately before the head word to which the reader is referring: -> Father -> Names of God. Roman or Arabic numerals and letters after the head word (-> Son, I, 2a) indicate the corresponding section of the dictionary entry.

Archimandrite Nikifor

Illustrated Bible Encyclopedia

Foreword

Alexei Mikhailovich Bazhanov, Archimandrite Nikifor b. 1835 d. 1895. Rector of the Vysokopetrovsky Monastery in Moscow

Under the indicated title is published an extensive work undertaken by me at the beginning of last year. In more or less extensive articles, and often short and concise, depending on the importance of the subject, the Popular Bible Encyclopedia answers almost most of the questions of biblical archeology, architecture, astronomy, geography, biographies of biblical figures, botany, sacred bibliography, military science, zoology, agriculture, arts, mineralogy, meteorology, medicine, mathematics, numismatics, pedagogy, physics, ethnography, etc. Theological terms, with the exception of terms of a strictly biblical meaning, are omitted. The explanation of the details of biblical terms concerns both canonical and non-canonical books of St. Scriptures, however, that the explanations of the latter are marked by considerable brevity in comparison with the former. The publication includes approximately 7,500 explanations of various words found in the Old Testament and New Testament canonical and non-canonical books of St. Scriptures.

“Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39), the Lord Savior said in one place, and in another: “you are deceived, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29), and behold, having main goal the closest acquaintance of readers with the divinely inspired beauty, power and expressiveness of the books of the Holy. Scripture, the compiler of the aforementioned work also has in mind that, in addition to its specialty, to serve for various biblical references, it should also be a simple, understandable, edifying, reference book for everyone, not only for an educated, but also for any inquisitive Orthodox Christian who loves the verbs of the stomach. eternal. At the beginning of each article is placed an explanation of each word, a quote or several quotes, strictly verified with the Russian Bible, which was mainly used by the compiler, and finally, a presentation of the content of the article. Sources and aids in compiling the "Bible Encyclopedia" were: the Bible in Slavonic and in Russian translation, "Theology" by Rev. Macarius and Anthony, “A lengthy Christian catechism and the beginnings of Orthodox Christian teaching” by M. Filaret, “Dictionary of the Orthodox church service language and sacred rites” by Mikhailovsky Ave., “Bible Dictionary” by A. Verkhovsky, “Experience of a Biblical Dictionary” by Solarsky Ave., “Handworterbuch des biblischen Alterthums” Dr. Eduard Riehm, D. Eaidies “Biblical Cyclopoedia”, “Beeton's Bible Dictionary”, “Cassel's Bible Dictionary” and others. The last three English editions have been especially useful in compiling the Popular Bible Encyclopedia , so that many articles on biblical geography, biography, botany, zoology, ethnography, etc., with some changes, are borrowed from them, due to their rich biblical content, elegant presentation and the latest scientific research.

By publishing a biblical encyclopedia in almost all branches of biblical knowledge listed above, I hope that this work will turn out to be not only useful, but also soul-saving reading for many people who read the word of God with love and reverence, and that, on the other hand, readers will condescendingly treat fulfillment of such an extensive, laborious task as the publication of the Complete Biblical Encyclopedia, and will cover with their love if, beyond expectations, any minor typographical errors and errors are found in it.

Arch. Nikifor

BUT! exclamatory interjection expressing generally joy, sadness, and sometimes regret or contempt (Ezek. XXV, 3) and almost tantamount to interjections: Oh! in some places St. Scriptures, as, for example, in Isaiah (I, 24) and E! (Mk. XV, 29); sometimes used in the sense of an adversative conjunction (Jer. I, 6).

Aalar(II Ezr. V, 36) - this is the name of the head of the Israelites who came out of Babylonian captivity, from the areas of Fermelef and Felers, but who could not prove their origin from Israel. In I book. Ride (II, 59) is the name of the third locality from which they came, namely: Herub-Addan-Immer.

And Aaron threw down his rod... and it became a serpent (Ex. 7:10)

Aaron(high, mountain, mountain of light, teacher, enlightened and a name common with the name of Harun, so common in the East) was the first high priest of the Jewish people and the elder brother of the prophet and legislator Moses (Ex. XXVIII, 1). The son of Amram and Jochebed, he came from the tribe of Levi and was three years older than his brother, Moses. Because of the tongue-tiedness of Moses, he had to speak for him before the people and the king Egyptian pharaoh why he was called by God by the mouth of Moses and his prophet (Ex. IV, 16, VII, 1); at the same time, he had to help his brother during the journey of the Jews from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Aaron married Elisabeth, the daughter of Aminadab, and had four sons by her: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The first two were punished by God with death for bringing alien fire to the Lord, and thus the priesthood was established in the genus of the last two surviving brothers (Ex. VI, 23). Aaron and his sons were called in a special way and directly by God himself to the priestly ministry (Heb. V, 4). But even before the consecration, when Moses departed for the city of Sinai to receive the law from God, the Jews missed the long stay of their leader on the mountain and approached Aaron with the demand that he give them a statue of one of the pagan deities as a guide. Aaron, yielding to the foolish demand of the people, ordered the golden earrings of their wives and children to be brought, and when they were brought, poured out of them a golden calf, probably after the model of the Egyptian idol Apis. The satisfied people exclaimed: Behold your God, Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Ex. XXXII, 4). Seeing this, Aaron set up an altar and cried out, saying, Tomorrow is the feast of the Lord. The next day the people offered burnt offerings before him, and began to eat and drink, and then to play (Ex. 1-6). For such weakness, Aaron was justly rebuked by Moses; but since this cowardice was soon smoothed out by repentance, Aaron did not lose God's favor even after this. Moses, by the will of God, at the same Mount Sinai elevated him to the high rank of a great priest, or high priest, with the right to transfer the high priesthood to the eldest in his family, and appointed four of his sons priests or priests (Lev. VIII). However, soon after the consecration, two of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took their censers and brought before the Lord a strange fire (that is, not taken from the altar, as the Lord commanded), for which they were put to death by fire sent from Lord (Lev. X, 1-7). The book of Numbers (III, 4) notes that this happened when the people were still in the wilderness of Sinai. Following their death, Moses went to Aaron and conveyed to him the will of the Lord regarding the priests in the following words: In those who approach Me I will be sanctified and glorified before all the people (Lev. X, 3). Shortly before the departure of the Jews from the wilderness of Sinai, Aaron, with his sister Miriam, had the weakness to challenge the right of prophecy from Moses, pointing to his marriage with an Ethiopian. For this reproach made to Moses, Miriam was punished with seven days of leprosy (Num. XII). Aaron, after confessing his sin before the Lord, was forgiven. As a constant employee of Moses, Aaron, like him, was often reproached and insulted by easily resentful Jews. Once it even went so far as to challenge his right to the high priesthood. This rebellion took place under the leadership of the Levite Korah, Dathan, Abiron and Avnan with 250 of the most prominent Israelites from other tribes. The whole society, all are holy, and the Lord is among them! Why do you put yourself above the people of the Lord? (Num. XVI, 3) - they said to Moses and Aaron. The result of the indignation was that the instigators of the rebellion were swallowed up by the earth, and 250 of their accomplices were burned by the fire of heaven. But the terrible punishment of God did not bring to reason those who were indignant. The next day, the people again murmured against Moses and Aaron (Num. XVI, 41): you killed the people of the Lord, he cried, and then anger from the Lord came out and the defeat began among the people: 14,700 people died. By order of Moses, Aaron took the censer, put in it incense and fire from the altar, stood between the dead and the living, and the defeat ceased (Num. XVI, 4249). After this punishment of the rebels, the high priesthood was confirmed for Aaron by the following significant miracle: from all 12 tribes, Moses placed 12 rods for the night in the Tabernacle with an inscription on each name of the ancestor of the tribe; in the morning the rod of the tribe of Levi, with the name of Aaron, blossomed, budded, gave color and brought almonds (Num. XVII, 8). This flourishing rod was kept for a long time after that at the Ark of the Covenant, as a clear proof that the priesthood was forever approved by God for Aaron and his sons. However, Aaron did not live to see the Israelites enter the Promised Land. For lack of faith in the omnipotence of God, discovered by him in the wilderness of Sin, he died before this solemn day (Num. XX, 12). In the fortieth year after leaving Egypt, the Lord ordered him, together with Moses, his brother, and Eleazar, his son, to ascend Mount Hor and, in the eyes of the whole society, die on its peak (Num. XX, 28). In book. Deuteronomy, the place of Aaron's death is called Mozer (Deut. X, 6), and Mount Hor is still called by the Arabs the mountain of the prophet Aaron (Jabel Haroun). It shows the place of his burial hitherto. The people of Israel honored his death with thirty days of lamentation (Num. XX, 2 9). Aaron died at the age of 123, on the first day of the fifth month. In the Jewish calendar, fasting is supposed to commemorate his death on this day. The high priesthood after him passed to his eldest son, Eleazar. In book. Psalm he is called the saint of the Lord (Ps. CV, 16). Priests in later times were often called the house of Aaron and the sons of Aaron, in honor of their great ancestor. According to the general chronology, Aaron's birth was in 1574 BC, the calling in 1491, the initiation in 1490, and his death in 1451.