Jesus was well versed in the Hebrew method of exegesis, the PaRDeS, the four levels of interpretation — literal (peshat), typological (remez), metaphorical (derash), and revelatory (sod). The metaphorical level was called the “kingdom level,” in which the metaphors could facilitate one’s understanding of God’s kingdom in everyday life. The metaphorical mode of interpretation (the derash) is likely the layer of meaning that Jesus alluded to when he “explained” the parables to his inner circle. The revelatory level (sod) is most likely the level on which “he opened their minds so they could
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