John 3:14:

By using a story from the Old Testament about Moses and the children of Israel, Jesus was able to open our understanding of His crucifixion, and the terrible price He paid on Calvary.

In this story the children of Israel had sinned against God. Because of this, fiery serpents had bitten them. Many died, and many more were dying. God told Moses to make a brass serpent and put it on a pole. He was told to hold it up for everyone to see. Everyone who looked upon this serpent was healed from the serpent's bite.

This story is an allegory about Jesus. When Jesus took upon Himself our sins, He became sin. He took the blame for our sins. In God's eyes, Jesus was the worst sinner He had ever seen. The allegory of the serpent helps us to see the severity of this. The serpent represents our sins on Jesus. The pole represents the cross. Everyone who looks upon Jesus in faith is healed from sin, or the bite of the serpent, and is saved from eternal death.

Paul used an allegory to explain the law and Grace.

Paul is using the story of Sarah and Hagar out of the Old Testament to open our understanding about the Law and Grace. This is why Abraham had two wives. It is the reason God allowed many events to occur that didn't really seem to make a whole lot of sense. Those things happened and were written down to become allegories of revelation today. They happened for our understanding. God never wanted man to have two wives, but He allowed this story so that one day He would be able to use it to show us the difference between Law and Grace. The Law is born of the flesh, and Grace is born of promise. We are children of the promise.

These stories are allegories, and the Bible has many that have been overlooked down through the centuries. It was God's plan to keep them a secret until now, but now He wants us to understand these stories in the Old Testament, in the allegorical interpretation.

In this book are many Old Testament stories that reveal God's plan for Israel. By understanding this plan, we are also able to understand the book of Daniel, Matthew 24, the book of Revelations, and many more mysteries that have been hidden for centuries.

The names of Bible characters in the Old Testament are allegorical in their meanings. While researching the names that are used in this book, their meanings were drawn from a number of references. I was surprised to see that the leading concordance fell short in some ways, even though it is still the greatest source of words and their meaning probably in America.

I will explain by using one of the names in the Bible, as to why and how did I determine which references were right in their meaning. For example:

In Genesis 32:28, God gave Jacob a new name. It was the name of Israel. The leading concordance said the name of Israel meant He will rule with God. Other concordances and Bible references said that it meant Prince of God. I chose this meaning because of what God said to him in Genesis 32:28:

Which sounds right to you? I have also heard the Jews themselves say that prince of God was the meaning. I don't know about you, but if I really wanted to understand Russian, I think that I would prefer a Russian's opinion over that of an Englishman. We use references, but must always take into account, what the scripture says, including the persons life in the scriptures.

Many people call allegories Bible shadows. I have called them shadows for so many years. In this book the shadows are what I call allegories. When I mention Bible shadows, they are simply allegories.

Jesus was talking to Israel when He said, in Luke 13:26-30:

There are a number of places in the New Testament that Jesus referred to the first being last, and the last being first. With careful study through Old Testament Bible shadows, we can understand what Jesus was talking about. In the scriptures above, Jesus was simply saying that the people of Israel wouldgo through much sorrow for not accepting Him as the Messiah. And that, even though the Gospel came to them first, the Gentiles would receive it. That, in the end of the age, the nation of Israel would accept Him. When Israel is born again, they will not only receive the Gospel, but will, for a short period of time, take the Gospel to the world.

The parable of the workers in the vineyard, (Matthew 20:1-8) is a parable concerning the Gentiles and the Jews. This parable is a warning to the Gentiles, that even though they received the Gospel first, and have labored for the Lord a long time, Israel would come to God, in time to do a short work for the Lord. He wants us to rejoice with Israel, rather than being jealous of her.

The story of the prodigal son, (Luke 15:11-32), is also a warning to the Gentiles. Even though I believe that this parable can be taken on a personal level, showing God's mercy to the backslider, God is referring to Israel. After having spent all their substance in a foolish way, they will return to God. When they do come to Him, God wants us to rejoice with them, rather than feeling resentment towards God's mercy. It will be a time of celebration!

In the Old Testament, God has given us a number of shadows concerning the first being last, and the last being first. Even though the Gospel came to the Jew first, it will be the Jew who will be last to receive it

Abraham's firstborn son, Ishmael, did not receive the promise, but his last born, Isaac, did (Genesis 21:10). Isaac was Sarah's only child, born to her in her old age. This was a shadow of Israel not having children of promise until the end of the age. Ishmael was a son of the bondwoman. She, being a shadow of the Law, made Ishmael a son of the Law. (Galatians 4: 23-31). When Jesus came to Israel to give them salvation, Israel preferred the Law to Jesus, and was blinded by it. They were unable to receive Him because of this, but the time is coming that Israel will be able, as a nation, to receive Him.

Once again, Isaac had two sons, Esau, the first born, and Jacob, the last. Esau sold the promise to Jacob for a bowl of pottage. Esau did not love the promise, but Jacob did. Esau represents the condition of Israel when Jesus came to bring salvation. Being deceived by the love for other things, Israel did not care much for the promise, and rejected it. But, by this shadow of Jacob, we see that Israel will receive the promise in the latter days.

Since Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, God used him as a shadow of Israel itself. Jacob, in a place called Bethel, wrestled with God all night long. Late in the night, Jacob finally prevailed with God to receive the blessing. His walk was changed, and his name was changed from Jacob (which means supplanter) to Israel (prince of God). This is a shadow of the promise of Abraham. The blessing, being redemption, the restoration of Israel, and Jesus, Himself reigning from Jerusalem.

Israel has wrestled with God down through the ages of time and are still wrestling, but the time will come that they will be blessed and God will change their walk just as He did Jacob's.

Rachel then becomes the next shadow of this. Rachel, although Jacob preferred her first, became last when becoming the bride of Jacob. Jacob, in this shadow, is a shadow of Christ. Rachel (a shadow of Israel), his first love, and Leah (a shadow of the Gentiles), who became his first wife and gave him more children.

Rachel was barren for many years, but finally, after a long time, God remembered her and gave her children to Jacob. The first child she had was Joseph, who was a shadow of his own two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. These were a shadow of the Jews in the nations being saved first. But, the last child she had was born at the time of her end. She was on her way to Ephrath, which means becoming fruitful. In her sorrow she gave birth to her last son. She named him Benoni, which means son of my sorrow, but Jacob called him Benjamin, which means son of the right hand. Although Jacob was referring to Rachel being his own right hand, it symbolized the relationship of this last born son being born from the right hand of God, who is Jesus Christ. This shows Israel's rebirth through the redemptive work of Christ in the last days. The Jews who live in the nation of Israel, the last of the Remnant.

This shadow of the first being last and the last being first continues through the house of Judah. Although Judah himself was not the last born to Jacob, he was not the first born either. The promise becomes divided among the twelve sons of Jacob, the scepter (or King) to come out of Judah. This promise to Judah would show us that the Messiah would come out of Judah's bloodline. But, it would not be Judah's first born who would receive the promise, but rather his grandson, Zarah, who would become a shadow of Israel receiving the promise, redemption.

Judah's first born son should have received the promise, but he was very wicked, and God killed him. The second son was to give seed to his brother, but refused, so God destroyed him also. His youngest son was too young to give seed to his brother. So, God allowed a deception to occur in order that Judah's first born could bring forth the promise. Judah's first born son's wife Tamar, deceived Judah into giving seed to his own first born son. She brought forth twins to her husband, through Judah. Judah was father to his own grandchildren.

When these two children were born, Zarah tried to be born first. In the process, he stuck out a limb, to which they tied a scarlet thread. But, Pharez, the other child, pulled him back into the womb and was born first. The name Pharez means breech, and the name Zarah means a rising light. The scarlet thread was a shadow of the redemptive work of Christ, the blood of Jesus. Zarah should have been born first, but his brother prevented this from happening.

When Jesus came to Israel to bring redemption, the people themselves became a breech. In Matthew 23:13, Jesus told the Pharisees, ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. These people prevented the promise from coming to Israel at that time. But God has shown us, through the shadow of Zarah, that they will become a rising light to the world, through Christ, who is the True Light, to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

The next shadow of this comes to us through Jesse, a descendant of Judah. When Samuel the prophet went to Jesse to choose from his sons the one who was to be anointed king of Israel, we see a shadow of the youngest son being appointed to salvation.. Jesus said that we would reign as kings and priests with Him. This is a shadow of Israel receiving Christ in the last days, to reign and rule with Him, from Jerusalem. It was not Jesses' first born, but his last born, David.

Jesus said in Luke 13:34-35:

Israel has been left without children to God ever since the time of Christ. But, the time is getting close for them to accept Him. Then, shall He gather the children together. The phrase "being left desolate," is talking about no children to God. In Bible times, a woman unable to give birth to children was considered desolate, or barren.

I suppose that the most interesting shadow in the Bible is the one that God gave to us through the life of Adam and Eve. How great is God's wisdom, how wonderful are His ways. When Adam was created, God created him from the dust of the earth. His name means red earth. It makes sense, does it not? When Eve was created from Adam, she was named Eve, which means life. This also makes sense. But, what we begin to see is a mystery in prophecy begin to unfold before our eyes. Since she came from Adam, whose name meant red earth, and her name meant life, she was life from the earth. It would be through her that all life would come to the earth.

Even though all men have come from her, she was a symbol of Israel, whom God would use to bring true life from the earth for Himself. All of the promises, including the Messiah, have come to the world directly through the promises given to her. Jew and Gentile have been given salvation through the promises to Israel. God chose this nation to bring salvation to the world.

Then, Eve sinned against God, which leads to the greatest love story ever told. The penalty for this sin was death. Adam loved Eve more than anything in the world. Eve had been seduced into sin, but Adam, after calculating the cost, knowing that he was going to die because of her transgression, chose to die with her. He did it willingly, because of his love for her. This was a shadow of God's love for Israel. Israel had sinned against God, and Jesus came and became sin for her, dying in her place that she might live. He died for her, and for all those that were in the promise with her. The whole world! Adam brought death, but Jesus brought life.

When Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden because of their sin, and began to have children, it would become a shadow of God's plan of redemption. The first son to be born was Cain. His name meant spear, or smith. He was a tiller of the soil, and a perfect shadow of the Law; or, salvation through works. He was doing well until a brother came along. It would be because of him that he would find that his works would not be accepted and he would become a murderer. His parents would be pierced like a spear in their hearts because of his sin.

When this second son was born, he was named Abel. His name means breath. Now, look at this carefully. Adam's name means red earth, Eve's name means life, Abel's name means breath. He would be a breath of life from the earth. He was a shadow of Christ, also.

Adam was the first son of God. Abel was the first son of man to please God. Jesus was both. He was the son of God, and the son of man. Abel was a shepherd, a keeper of sheep. He offered a blood sacrifice to God, and God accepted it.

Cain also offered a sacrifice to God that was the works of his hands, and God refused it. Cain became jealous and killed his brother over this. What this shadow tells us is this---When God sent His Son, the son of man, to Israel, He would be killed. Jesus had come to be a shepherd to Israel, and to offer the perfect sacrifice for sin.

After Cain had killed Abel, God came to speak to him. Cain tried to deny it, but God said that Abel's blood cried to Him from the ground. It was his brother's blood that got him into trouble. Then, God put a mark on him, and sent him from the land where he lived, to become a vagabond in the earth. Cain said that it was more than he could bear.

When Jesus came, the sons of Israel cried, "Crucify Him, His blood be on us, and on our children." And, so, the Romans crucified Him. The children of Israel, forty years after this, were driven from their land to become vagabonds in all the earth. They have suffered torment and death in many lands down through the centuries, being accused as "Jesus killers" by people who said they were Christian but,who certainly did not know Jesus.

God placed a mark on Cain for a special reason. Many people see the mark of Cain as something bad, you know, something to identify him so people could treat him bad. But, the truth is, that God placed this mark on Cain to warn others to leave him alone, and do him no harm. God said that if anyone killed Cain, they would suffer seven times a greater punishment than Cain did.

The mark that God has placed upon the children of Israel is the same one that is on their flag today. Hitler, and many other people, have used this mark to identify the children of Israel, in order to destroy them. But, God intended it to be used for a blessing to others. God said that whoever blesses Israel, He will bless; whoever curses Israel, He will curse. The mark is a six pointed star, the Star of David. It is the symbol of the Messiah, the Bright and Morning Star. Six is the number of man. These six points are a symbol of God in the flesh, the Son of man, the Son of God, Jesus. When we see this mark, we should feel love in our hearts for Israel.

The children of Israel have been blamed for the death of Jesus, but it was the Romans (Gentiles), who actually did the killing. So, who killed Jesus? We all did! It was all of our sins, both Jew and Gentile, that put Jesus on the cross. If you want to blame someone, look in the mirror. He laid down His life freely, because He loves us all!

The next son, the last that Eve gave birth to, was named Seth. His name means appointed. This is a shadow of salvation coming to the earth in the last days. It is both Jew and Gentile who have been appointed unto salvation in our time. Appointed to life from the earth all of those who accept Jesus through the promise given to Abraham.

There are several things that I think we should all recognize out of these shadows.

No. 1, that Israel will be saved through the preaching of the Gospel, in our day, along with everyone who will receive it.

No. 2, that God has scattered Israel into all the nations as a test. This test is to try the hearts of all the nations. Our treatment of the Jew determines the way God has chosen salvation to the nations. The nations that despise the children of Israel will utterly be destroyed during the great tribulation that is coming upon the earth. The nations that have treated, and continue to treat, Israel with kindness, will find Jesus before the end of this terrible time. Wherever the Jews have been scattered, the Gospel has followed. But, if they were treated badly, the Gospel was taken away.

I am aware that God is saving a remnant out of these nations, but, it is only because of the prayers of the Church that these nations have received any mercy at all. In the time that is coming very soon, God will be trying to save the Remnant of Israel. We as Christians must do everything we possibly can to make this happen. It is very important to God and the Church. The blessing that will come to us will be tremendous.