Jesus Lover,
Your posts are arduous and cumbersome. Suggest you shorten and focus them if you desire greater dialogue.
JESUSLOVER "
I would like to point out a few wrong allegories that W. Lee makes in his teaching:
*Boiling a young goat in the mother’s milk (Exo 23:19; 34:26; Deut 14:21) 19“You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the LORD your God. “You are not to boil a young goat in the milk of its mother”.
W. Lee’s explanation in his Life Study is: “Now we come to the last condition, a condition that may seem very strange: “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (v. 26b). You may be surprised at the significance of the requirement not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk. This requirement indicates or typifies that we should not seethe young believers with the milk of the word; that is, we should not “boil” them with the word of life that is for nourishment (1 Pet. 2:2).
In ancient times some people probably did have the practice of boiling a kid in its mother’s milk. This may have been regarded as a delicious dish. As we have indicated, we should not use the milk of the word to seethe young believers. This is to use the milk of the word, which is for life- nourishment, to kill the young ones. The point here is that the milk of the Word of God is for nourishment”(1Pet 2:2; Heb 5:12, 13; 1Cor 3:2).
W. Lee in his explanation above gives his “free allegory” made up by himself, additionally he gives references (1Pet 2:2; Heb 5:12, 13; 1Cor 3:2) that have NOTHING to do with the subject verses (Exo 23:19; 34:26; Deut 14:21), except ALL these verses have the word “milk” in common.
The “correct” Biblical way to understand “Boiling a young goat in the mother’s milk” is that it refers to the superstitious custom of the Canaanites at harvest time in which a young goat was boiled in its mother’s milk as a charm to increase the fruitfulness of their crops.
God didn’t want His people copying the pagan fertility rituals instead of trusting Him to bless their harvest. This commandment is the basis for the present Jewish custom of not mixing milk products with meat.
This is according to Israelology, Jewish culture, because the Bible is a Judeo-Christian book.
Another example:
*Eating poisonous gourds (2King 4:38-41)"
If Witness Lee's teachings about not boiling a kid in its mother’s milk and avoiding poisonous gourds are MAJOR ERRORS.... well then, CALL OUT THE NATIONAL GUARD. .. or NATIONAL GOURD as the case may be.
Here is why your assertions about them being erroneous is unfounded. They are analogies, not free allegories as you claim. I am not aware of any allegories that Witness Lee created. Allegories are Bunyon's Pilgrims Progress, C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, or Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. An allegory does allow a lot of latitude to fit in the storyline. I have read all the allegories above and they are useful but not necessarily theologically accurate in a strict literal sense.
Witness Lee's messages are rife with analogies and that is why they are called "Life-Studies". They are theologically accurate but not intended to be strict literal interpretation in every sense of the word. Yet, Brother Lees teaching on topics such as God's plan with Israel do follow the structure of Daniels 70 weeks. You apparently have missed the major point of the Life-studies though you read them all cover to cover.
Here is a life analogy I might make up if I were so inspired: Goliath was a big ugly guy who wanted to kill people, God's people to be precise. Yet, God used the unlikeliest of all to bring the big guy down, a boy with some stones. Maybe there is a Goliath in your life, don't be afraid, instead look for God to send the unlikeliest of all to slay that giant.
That is the literary asset called analogy and it is a valid and useful way to apply scripture as a help, an interpretation, a teaching, a correction, for instruction in righteousness and encouragement in life. All scripture, Old Testament and New, may be applied that way.
Drake