by A Paduan 12 Replies latest watchtower bible
And being aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."
"And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven."
And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
Do they have one ?
I meant about the number of baskets -
Nope, nada, no explanation. I didn't even know there was any particular meaning attached to that until I began attending an adult Sunday school at a Unitarian church.
Unfortunately I've forgotten what was said about it. If you care to explain it, I'd like to hear.
GentlyFeral
The author is cluing in the discerning reader that the stories have symbolic meaning. Gemetria was a popular technique of story telling using embedded geometry and numerology. The numbers seven and twelve figure large in gemetria as they have astrological significance. David Fidler is an expert of the early Xtian use of Gemetria, he decoded the mark story about feeding 5000 in his book Jesus Christ Sun of God. The process is in steps of dividing a square using geometry the net result is 888, the early Xtian numerical name of Jesus. The other text is probably too corrupted to be able to decode, the ending with 7 baskets likely had similar intent, if in fact it is not a distortion of the other that was retained by the author of Mark as he copied it from his sources. "Do you not yet get the meaning?" then simply is the author's cue that this is symbolic allegory not history.
I have just read that passage several times and all I see is that Jesus is explaining to the grumbling disciples, that if they truly believe and have faith in him, then they will never hunger. He provides two profound examples to support his argument. Although he does not directly refer to faith, it appears to be the lesson to me.
There may well be a hidden numerical reference buried within. There often is.
If you divide "7" into "4", you get "0.5714285". Drop the "0" and take the "7" numbers and add them together. That brings you to "32". Path 32? Ask an occultist what that means - speculative, maybe.
And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
Well what do you expect when you talk to people in a cryptic way? He is supposed to be telling them critical life-saving information... but he's using puzzles and other BS.
Could you imagine a Dr. telling a patent what to do by relating a cryptic story?