Bible Parallels: How God Chose to Teach Us

By Bruce Baber

 

According to the Ancient Hebrew Research Center, Judaic poetry was composed using parallels. Not the meter and rhyme that we are used to. Here's just one example out of the thousands that occur in our Bible. Psalm 119: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Lamp to my feet" and "light to my path" are parallel ways of saying the same thing. Now look at a familiar Bible story. Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers. Notice the parallels in this story with the events in the life of Jesus:

 

Son of a wealthy, loving father/ shepherd/ each given a special coat/ taken to Egypt/ became a servant/ ministry began at thirty/ filled with the Spirit/ gave bread to the hungry/ resisted temptations/ prophesied/ falsely accused/ condemned between two prisoners/ one prisoner saved and one was not/ Joseph married a gentile woman before seven years of famine and Jesus taking his bride before the seven years of tribulation.

 

In all, there about twenty parallels in the lives of Joseph and Jesus. A number of scholars have written and preached on the similarities. Clearly there is a pattern used in both Judaic poetry and the familiar stories of the Bible. It is the pattern of parallels. 

 

Take a look now at other Bible parallels.  Some are reverse parallels.  I sometimes call them inverted parallels.  Adam and Second Adam/ expulsion from paradise and entrance to paradise/ creation of Eve and creation of a new bride/ shedding of blood to cover nakedness and shedding of blood to cover sin.

 

Are you beginning to see how God consistently uses parallels in His divinely inspired word?  God uses parallels throughout the Bible and we have only to look for them to understand the truth!

 

Now look at parallels to the rapture.  In fact we will find two!

 

Enoch. We find him raptured way back in Genesis. He is the first one to have ever been taken away. He goes for a walk with God one day and he is taken to Heaven. Without preamble or warning Enoch is simply taken away. But, there is a second picture of a rapture and it really is nothing like what happened to Enoch.

Elijah. Elijah's life perfectly represents the church of the persecution during the Tribulation. At various times he had to go into hiding. He was persecuted by King Ahab and his wife Jezebel who participated in the vilest forms of idolatry. Of special interest is the fact that during a period of about three years, there was a severe drought and famine. He had to leave his country and live with a widow who miraculously supplied him with food. On another occasion, Elijah was supplied with food by ravens. Later, he was helped by an angel who provided food and water. At various times, Elijah would say he was the only believer left. He is clearly aware that he will be taken away by a rapture event.

We have two different pictures of rapture events that may very well give us insight into the fact that there will be two upcoming raptures for followers of Christ. I discern that a group of Christians will be taken away before the full onset of the tribulation and that a second group will depart probably midway through. The second group won’t be able to buy or sell, they will be forced from their homes and depend on miraculous provision from God. They too may feel like they are the only true believers who are left. However, they are not alone. God will not abandon them just as he did not abandon Elijah. Moreover, the persecuted Christians will have the same source of strength that Elijah had. They will receive the Holy Spirit. The Amplified Bible calls the Holy Spirit the Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby.

What is the difference between the “Enoch” group who goes in the pre-tribulation rapture and the “Elijah” group who goes in a second rapture midway through? I believe Jesus gives us the answer.

Read Matthew 25: 1-13.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there not be enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord , open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

These virgins are pictured as waiting for the bridegroom to take them to the wedding. Their lamps have oil which represents the Holy Spirit. Five had their lamps filled and were prepared. Five were left behind.

 

Now read Luke 12: 35-38.

35 "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

In Luke, the story is about servants who are waiting for the master to return from a wedding. They aren’t virgins waiting for a bridegroom. Considering the pattern of parallels, this scripture should give us reason to ponder.

Consider two other figures.  Abraham and Lot.

 

Abraham is called away from Sodom well before catastrophe.  Lot is called out with only minutes or hours to spare before God's judgement falls.

 

If you want to read more, see my paper “The Two Feet of the Body of Christ”.

Bruce Baber

jbaber1@comcast.net