Chacun des quatre évangiles contient un récit de l'apparition de Jésus à ses disciples après le dimanche matin où ils avaient trouvé le sépulcre vide. Par exemple, voir Matthieu 28:16-20; Marc 16:14-19; Luc 24:13-33; Jean 20:19-31, et Jean 21.

Dans Luc, il y a l'histoire de deux disciples qui marchent de Jérusalem au village d'Emmaüs, une marche d'environ sept miles. Peu de temps après avoir quitté la ville, ils sont abordés par un autre voyageur qui a remarqué leurs visages troublés et leur conversation sérieuse et leur demande ce qui les préoccupe. Marchant ensemble, ils demandent à l'étranger : "N'as-tu pas entendu parler des troubles à Jérusalem, de la façon dont le prophète de Galilée, dont nous espérions qu'il serait celui qui sauverait Israël, a été livré pour être crucifié ? Et, chose étrange, lorsque certaines femmes sont allées le troisième jour pour oindre son corps, elles ont vu des anges qui leur ont dit qu'il n'était pas là mais qu'il était ressuscité des morts."

En entendant cela, le voyageur leur reproche de ne pas croire, et leur dit : "Ne voyez-vous pas que le Christ a dû souffrir ces choses et entrer dans sa gloire ?". L'étranger raconte alors aux deux disciples de nombreuses choses concernant Jésus, tirées des livres de Moïse, et des prophètes, dans l'Ancien Testament. Les deux disciples écoutent avec crainte, mais ne reconnaissent pas l'étranger. Finalement, ils arrivent à Emmaüs. L'étranger semble vouloir continuer quand les deux disciples s'arrêtent, mais ils le supplient de s'arrêter aussi, car il se fait tard, et ils veulent en entendre davantage. Ils s'assoient donc tous pour partager le repas du soir, et lorsque l'étranger prend la miche de pain, la rompt et leur en donne des morceaux, leurs yeux s'ouvrent et ils le reconnaissent, et il disparaît.

On peut imaginer la stupeur qui s'empare d'eux lorsqu'ils réalisent que c'est Jésus. Elles savaient qu'il avait été crucifié, et pourtant il avait marché et parlé avec elles pendant plusieurs heures. Les femmes avaient raison ! Les anges avaient raison ! Il était vivant !

La Nouvelle Eglise croit qu'il y a des significations internes à toutes les histoires de la Parole du Seigneur, les écritures sacrées, et que cette signification interne, dans les histoires littérales sur Abraham, Isaac et Jacob, Josué, Samuel, David et les autres, et toutes les paroles des prophètes d'Isaïe à Malachie, et les quatre évangiles... cette signification est ce qui rend la Parole sainte.

Alors, que pouvons-nous voir ici dans cette histoire ? Eh bien, ce sens interne dans "Moïse et les prophètes" est l'histoire de la vie de Jésus dans le monde, depuis sa naissance à Bethléem jusqu'à sa "mort" et sa résurrection, en passant par toutes ses années de croissance. Parce que Jésus le savait, et qu'il avait certainement lu les Écritures et les avait comprises intérieurement, Il savait depuis longtemps comment Sa vie terrestre allait se terminer, et qu'il était nécessaire qu'elle se termine comme cela avait été "écrit", afin de sauver la race humaine. Il a donc raconté cette histoire aux deux disciples alors qu'ils marchaient vers Emmaüs.

Plus sur cette marche... Dans la Parole, toute mention de la marche fait réellement référence à la manière dont nous vivons notre vie au jour le jour. Dans de nombreux récits de la Parole, il est dit que quelqu'un a marché avec Dieu. Il est dit que nous devons marcher dans Ses voies et que nous devons suivre le chemin droit et étroit.

Dans cette histoire, on nous dit également que c'était un voyage de soixante stades (dans le grec original). Soixante (ou d'autres multiples de "six") représentent le travail de toute une vie pour rejeter les tentations qui viennent de notre égoïsme inné. L'Apocalypse Expliquée 648. Ainsi, ce voyage vers Emmaüs signifie le voyage de notre vie - en tant que personne qui essaie de suivre les enseignements du Seigneur et de devenir un ange.

La destination était Emmaüs. Dans la Parole, toute ville représente une doctrine, un ensemble organisé de vérités que nous avons mises en ordre afin de pouvoir vivre selon elles - nos règles de vie. Voir Arcanes Célestes 402. Elles ne sont pas nécessairement bonnes, comme pour Jérusalem ou Bethléem, mais peuvent aussi être des doctrines mauvaises, par exemple Sodome ou Babylone. Mon dictionnaire me dit que le nom Emmaüs signifie "sources chaudes". Un autre sens universel dans la Parole est que l'eau signifie la vérité dans ses utilisations bénéfiques, mais peut aussi signifier la vérité déformée en fausseté par ceux qui sont en enfer, dans un sens opposé. Voir, par exemple, Arcanes Célestes 790. Pensez aux puits qu'Abraham a creusés, ou aux eaux que Jésus a promises à la femme de Samarie alors qu'ils discutaient près du puits de Jacob, ou encore au fleuve d'eau pure qui jaillit sous le trône de la nouvelle Jérusalem dans le livre de l'Apocalypse. Dans son sens inverse, où l'eau est destructrice, pensez au déluge qui a détruit tout le monde sauf Noé et sa famille, ou à la Mer Rouge qui a dû être séparée pour que les enfants d'Israël puissent la traverser. Les sources représentées par Emmaüs sont des vérités saintes qui jaillissent de la Parole pour que nous puissions les utiliser. Et ce sont des sources chaudes, et la chaleur signifie l'amour. C'est donc notre destination, là où la vérité et l'amour s'écoulent ensemble pour que nous puissions les utiliser, dans un courant continu du Seigneur.

Cette petite anecdote sur la rencontre des disciples avec le Seigneur sur le chemin d'Emmaüs n'est pas seulement une histoire de la résurrection de Jésus avec un corps spirituel. C'est aussi une histoire sur la façon dont nous devrions vivre nos vies. Nous pouvons voyager vers le ciel, écouter le Seigneur, marcher sur le chemin avec lui, et à la fin, il rompra le pain et soupera avec nous.

What does the Bible say about its own inner meaning?

Some people take most of what the Bible says very literally. Others see the Bible as being largely symbolic, with a deeper meaning. Sometimes a conflict arises between the two different points of view. One side insists that any search for a deeper meaning comes from a failure to believe what God plainly says. The other side claims that it is only by means of the symbolic interpretation that the Bible becomes meaningful and relevant for today.

The question of how to interpret the Bible shouldn't just be a matter of personal opinion. Regardless of whether we prefer a literal or symbolic interpretation, it makes sense to look at how the Bible interprets itself. How does God tell us to interpret His revelation? Does He indicate that we should look for a deeper meaning?

Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets hang upon the Two Great Commandments, to love the Lord and to love the neighbor. But some parts of the Bible don't seem to say anything about loving God and others. Do these parts of the Bible actually have hidden meanings that teach us how to love?

Jesus explained that the commandment about murder shouldn't be taken just on a literal level. On a deeper level, it prohibits hatred and contempt. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder,'...But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22)

Likewise, the deeper meaning of the commandment against adultery prohibits lust. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery,' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)

Jesus frequently showed that the Old Testament contained deeper meanings than were first apparent. For example, He told His disciples that the Old Testament contained many prophecies about His own life that they had not understood.

"Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke 24:27)

"He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45)

Jesus showed that stories in the Old Testament were symbolic of His own life, even when the symbolism was not apparent in the literal meaning. For example, the story of the manna is symbolic of Jesus as the bread of life: "Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven." (John 6:32)

Another story with an inner meaning referring to Jesus is the brass serpent: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up." (John 3:14)

It is similar with the story of Jonah and the whale: "As Jonah was three days in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)

The temple in Jerusalem, which was the scene of many stories in the Old Testament, was also a symbol of Jesus. (John 2:19-22)

In his letters to the early Christian congregations, Paul also encourages us to go beyond the literal meaning of the Old Testament. He asks us to obey the spirit of the law, not just the letter. "He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter." (Romans 2:29)

"We should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6)

"The letter kills, but the spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Paul often pointed to deeper meanings in the Old Testament. For example, he took Adam as a symbol of Christ, (Romans 5:14) and his marriage with Eve as a symbol of Christ's marriage with the Church. (Ephesians 5:31, 32)

The Tabernacle of Israel with its furnishings and all the rituals and sacrifices performed in it pictured Jesus' work of salvation. These earthly things were the "copy and shadow of heavenly things...symbolic for the present time." (Hebrews 8:5, 9:9, Colossians 2:16, 17) The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar and their sons is also an allegory, in which Hagar's son represented the Lord's covenant with the Jews and Sarah's son symbolized the New Covenant in Christ. (Galatians 4:22-31)

The apostle Peter saw the story of Noah and the Flood as an antitype of baptism and regeneration. (1 Peter 3:20-21)

The Exodus story tells how the children of Israel escaped from Egypt, trekked through the wilderness for forty years, and finally made their home in the promised land. Many have seen this as symbolic of our spiritual journey out of slavery to sin, through trials and temptations and into heaven. But does the Bible itself suggest that this is a parable, or a story with an inner meaning? In fact, it does. Psalm 78 opens with the words, "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old." (Psalms 78:1).

The "parable" that follows is the story of the plagues on Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, bringing water from the rock, receiving manna from heaven, and other stories of the Exodus. Thus the whole story of Exodus is a parable.

The prophet Hosea wrote, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son." (Hosea 11:1)

Clearly, the "child" here is Israel as a young nation, and being called out of Egypt refers to the Exodus. But on a deeper level, it refers to Christ Himself — it is prophetic of what would happen in Jesus' life. (Matthew 2:15)

We can see from this that many of the stories of the Old Testament are symbolic of Christ and His work of salvation. But what about the stories that are not directly explained in the New Testament? Do they also have inner meanings? Many people have seen a parallel between Joseph, the son of Israel, and Jesus. The Bible itself never says specifically that the story of Joseph has an inner meaning relating to Christ. But here's a list that illustrates how Joseph was a symbol of Christ, even though this symbolism could not have been seen before Christ's coming.

Joseph and Jesus Compared:

- Joseph was a shepherd; Jesus was our Shepherd

- Joseph was a beloved son; Jesus was a beloved Son

- Joseph was stripped of his tunic; Jesus was stripped of His tunic

- Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver by Judah; Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver by Judas

- Joseph was abandoned by his brothers; Jesus was abandoned by His disciples

- Joseph was falsely accused of crime; Jesus was falsely accused of crime

- Joseph was imprisoned with two criminals, one of whom would be released; Jesus was crucified with two criminals, one of whom would be saved

- Joseph was became ruler of all the land; Jesus became King of heaven

- Joseph provided food to hungry people; Jesus provided food to hungry people

- Joseph was reunited with his brothers, who bowed down to him; Jesus was reunited with His disciples, who worshipped Him

- Joseph was reunited with his father; Jesus was reunited with the Father in Him

May we look for a deeper meaning even in places which the Bible does not specifically explain? We have already seen that Christ fulfilled many prophecies that were symbolically hidden in Old Testament stories. Does every part of the Law and Prophets contain prophecies of Jesus life? Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." If Jesus fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law and Prophets, then every jot and tittle must contain prophecies of His life, either symbolically hidden or clearly stated.

So far we have focused on the Old Testament. What about the New Testament? Does it also contain inner meanings? Jesus constantly spoke in parables: "Without a parable He did not speak to them." (Matthew 13:34)

He told us that He would eventually reveal to us the inner meaning of His words.

"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.... These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language but I will tell you plainly about the Father." (John 16:12, 25)

What about the Book of Revelation? Many things in this book seem obviously to be symbolic. For example, this book speaks of Four Horsemen, one on a white horse, one on a red one, one on a black one, and one called Death on a pale horse. Most people can see that these are not literal horses, but symbols of something else, such as war, famine and plague. (Revelation 6:1-8)

Most people realize that the holy city New Jerusalem is a symbol of heaven or of a new era on earth, and not a literal city a thousand miles high coming out of the clouds.

If the Book of Revelation is at all like the prophecies of the Old Testament, it must contain many prophecies hidden in symbolism that become clear only after the prophesied events have taken place.

The Bible is God's revelation of Himself. As a Divine Revelation, the Bible contains infinite truth. In order to see that truth more fully, we must look for the deeper meanings to which the Bible itself points us. If we do this, the Lord will "open our eyes to see wonderful things from His law" so that we can more and more clearly see the Lord Himself revealed in "every jot and tittle."

Author: Rev. John Odhner. Used by permission.