The Seven Keys to Understanding the Bible
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The Church of God has long been responsible for teaching seven keys to understanding the Bible. Although these keys are general overviews, they are indeed vital in being able to understand the Bible’s true doctrines.
The true gospel: The kingdom of God will be set up on this physical earth for a thousand years—the millennium—in the near future.
Salvation is creation: The process of salvation involves the development of godly character in those who are called and who overcome.
Duality: The method of duality runs through every phase of God’s plan, such as: the physical creation and the spiritual creation; the first Adam and the second Adam; the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In prophecy, duality indicates the “type” and the “anti-type.” This means the former fulfillment as opposed to the later, climactic, major fulfillment of prophecy.
God’s Holy Days: These are the seven annual Sabbaths that spell out the plan of salvation. God has commanded their observance forever. He forbids the observance of pagan holidays.
The truth about Israel: This involves the true identity of the lost tribes of Israel and their importance in the world today, including the identity of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh as inheritors of the birthright promises. It also includes knowing the identity and location of the other tribes of Israel. Without this knowledge, prophecy cannot be understood.
The Bible interprets its own symbols: Referenced earlier, man cannot understand the meaning of biblical symbols because he injects his own speculation. Let the Bible explain the meaning. Like parables, these symbols are often used to hide the meaning rather than to make them clearer.
God’s Sabbath: The seventh-day Sabbath is the test commandment that professing Christianity refuses to obey. This is the identifying sign of Israel and of God’s people.