Post by eutychus on Dec 23, 2009 15:00:30 GMT
hi all and good day...
i thought i would post this and get thoughts...
Pardes ~ Paradise
A Journey into the 4 Levels of Biblical Understanding
by Eighth Day Assembly
What is Pardes? Pardes [H6508] is a Hebrew word used in the Bible that means a forest, orchard, or park, and is referred to as Paradise. It corresponds with the Greek word paradeisos [G3857], which also means a park, Eden, or Paradise.
In Hebrew, Pardes is spelled, PRDS which is also an acronym for the Hebrew words Pshat, Remez, Derasha, Sod. Each word represents a different level of understanding the scriptures. Each level of understanding becomes deeper as revealed in the iceberg picture (upper right).
The journey into Pardes also represents our journey into deeper levels of intimacy with God our Father. It represents our journey into the relationship we once had in the Garden of Eden, hence the word Pardes ~ Paradise. (When finished here, please see our article on 4 Entered the Garden - a story from the Jewish Talmud on the dangers of the journey into Pardes.)
The four levels of Biblical understanding are:
P [Pshat] - literal, simple - BREADTH
R [Remez] - parable, allegory - LENGTH
D [Derasha] - seek, search - DEPTH
S [Sod] - inner, mystical - HEIGHT
DIMENSIONS
Jewish mysticism teaches us that the four levels of Biblical understanding are actually dimensions of meaning or interpretation. These dimensions as seen in the New Testament are the measurements of BREADTH, LENGTH, DEPTH, and HEIGHT, as revealed in Ephesians 3:18........
Ephesians 3:17-19
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
In verse 18, the word comprehend [G2638/ G2596/ G2983] means to find, obtain, or perceive "down" in opposition, position or intensity. It's to seek, search out, look at, and obtain what is beneath the surface of the scriptures, as in the iceberg.
The apostle Paul was encouraging every one of us to come to know by seeking out for our own possession, what is the breadth, length, depth, and height. He was encouraging us to take the journey into Pardes!
We see these four dimensions being used by Jesus Christ during his Ministry. In Pshat (literal), it's interesting that he never used this level to teach the masses. He only expressed literal interpretation of the scriptures when addressing the Pharisees. In Remez (parable, allegory), this is the level he used to begin teaching the masses. In Derasha (seek, search), from among the masses, he chose his 12 apostles to reveal to them the deeper understanding of the parable or allegory. In Sod (inner mystical), he chose 3 from among his apostles, and revealed to them the inner mystical truth of himself on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Likewise, to this day, the Holy Spirit is teaching us and leading us in the same manner!
members.cox.net/8thday/4levels.html
peace and love
euty
i thought i would post this and get thoughts...
Pardes ~ Paradise
A Journey into the 4 Levels of Biblical Understanding
by Eighth Day Assembly
What is Pardes? Pardes [H6508] is a Hebrew word used in the Bible that means a forest, orchard, or park, and is referred to as Paradise. It corresponds with the Greek word paradeisos [G3857], which also means a park, Eden, or Paradise.
In Hebrew, Pardes is spelled, PRDS which is also an acronym for the Hebrew words Pshat, Remez, Derasha, Sod. Each word represents a different level of understanding the scriptures. Each level of understanding becomes deeper as revealed in the iceberg picture (upper right).
The journey into Pardes also represents our journey into deeper levels of intimacy with God our Father. It represents our journey into the relationship we once had in the Garden of Eden, hence the word Pardes ~ Paradise. (When finished here, please see our article on 4 Entered the Garden - a story from the Jewish Talmud on the dangers of the journey into Pardes.)
The four levels of Biblical understanding are:
P [Pshat] - literal, simple - BREADTH
R [Remez] - parable, allegory - LENGTH
D [Derasha] - seek, search - DEPTH
S [Sod] - inner, mystical - HEIGHT
DIMENSIONS
Jewish mysticism teaches us that the four levels of Biblical understanding are actually dimensions of meaning or interpretation. These dimensions as seen in the New Testament are the measurements of BREADTH, LENGTH, DEPTH, and HEIGHT, as revealed in Ephesians 3:18........
Ephesians 3:17-19
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
In verse 18, the word comprehend [G2638/ G2596/ G2983] means to find, obtain, or perceive "down" in opposition, position or intensity. It's to seek, search out, look at, and obtain what is beneath the surface of the scriptures, as in the iceberg.
The apostle Paul was encouraging every one of us to come to know by seeking out for our own possession, what is the breadth, length, depth, and height. He was encouraging us to take the journey into Pardes!
We see these four dimensions being used by Jesus Christ during his Ministry. In Pshat (literal), it's interesting that he never used this level to teach the masses. He only expressed literal interpretation of the scriptures when addressing the Pharisees. In Remez (parable, allegory), this is the level he used to begin teaching the masses. In Derasha (seek, search), from among the masses, he chose his 12 apostles to reveal to them the deeper understanding of the parable or allegory. In Sod (inner mystical), he chose 3 from among his apostles, and revealed to them the inner mystical truth of himself on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Likewise, to this day, the Holy Spirit is teaching us and leading us in the same manner!
members.cox.net/8thday/4levels.html
peace and love
euty