Biblical allegory is not about refuting literal meaning and replacing it with an allegorical one. It is simply a way of translating the scriptures into allegory.
A belief in biblical allegory does not mean that you are categorically stating that the scriptures are literal, or allegorical, or both, or either. What you are saying is that the scriptures can be interpreted allegorically, and since the allegorical interpretation is clearly apparent, it only seems logical to point out such possible alternate meanings.
Jesus said himself: “I speak to them in parables” see KJV Matt 13
“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. [13] Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”
If Jesus said himself that he speaks in parables, can it not be said that it’s possible that the scriptures are also parables? Or at the least, that the scriptures can be interpreted not only literally, but also as parables?
Esoteric meaning is the prime foundation of mythological stories and myth and mystery are absolutely riddled with metaphor. Can the same not be applied to scripture? It would seem ignorant to ignore the possibility.
Most people who detail biblical allegory are not saying that anything is 100% fact – some allegory can be debunked, such as ‘the place Pinel’ in Genesis 32:20 and the New-Age claim that this was a reference to the Pineal Gland.
The ‘pineal gland’ was not given its name until about 4 centuries ago, so the fact that ‘the place of pinel’ was named as such in the KJV seems purely coincidental. It is occurrences such as this within New age philosophy that have to be addressed and debunked.
It is of course, also possible, that God knew these occurrences would happen, and so orchestrated reality in such a way that said coincidences would occur. So, I am not willing to outright refute such claims altogether personally, but when an inconsistency in theory arises, I feel it’s only right to point out such inconsistencies.
But regardless of whether ‘the place of pinel’ was intended to be interpreted as a reference to the pineal gland, there are still many other allegorical interpretations within the Bible that hold just as much weight, which seem to be better-able to withstand scrutiny, such as Jesus’s directions to: “cast your net to the right side” – which you will find explained in many forums of allegorical breakdowns.
This allegory, for example, is one that truly needs to be reviewed and understood. It is more than just a message, it has a deep hidden meaning that you can learn and develop from on a higher-spiritual level.
Regardless of your beliefs, or your understandings, I encourage you to look into allegory with an open mind and to not disregard them as pure nonsense. The deciphered messages are full of guidance regarding spirituality and the nurturing of ones soul, and once you truly understand such messages, you will find that you can use these translations to cradle, nurture and heal your inner self, ultimately bringing your inner-being to a point where you can finally transcend to a place higher than this – that cannot be explained or understood purely by the simple three-dimensional logic and reason on this superficial plain.
And of course, if you still deny the world of Biblical allegory, then that is your decision which I completely respect. Though personally (I stress the word personally) I believe that anything that brings people closer to Christ, regardless in what form it may be, is a good thing.
Thanks for reading,
Cantona Lynx 1084
