This lesson covers the figurative meanings of the vine, wine, and wineskins mentioned in the Bible. The vine represents the pastor/teacher and the chosen people. The wine symbolizes the word of God – the old wine refers to the previous revelation (like the Law of Moses at Jesus’ first coming), while the new wine is the newly revealed word for the current era.

Wineskins represent the containers to hold the wine, which are the hearts of people. Jesus warned against putting new wine into old wineskins, as the new revelation cannot be properly contained in minds still clinging to the old traditions. At each new revelation, there is a transition from the old wineskins (those stuck in the old ways) to new wineskins (those accepting the new truth).

The lesson also warns against the “maddening wine” or false teachings that intoxicate people and prevent them from discerning the true new revelation when it comes. This poisonous wine came from the Pharisees at Jesus’ first coming, and will come from a symbolic “prostitute” at the second coming, making all nations spiritually drunk. The solution is to receive only the pure revealed word, not tainted by human commentaries or traditions.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

Secrets of Heaven: Figurative New Wine and New Wineskins

In the previous lesson, we explored the figurative flesh and blood of the Lamb, part two.

This lesson will serve as a relatively continuation of that, as we’ll be examining the figurative wine. And what’s crucial about the wine, let me emphasize at the outset, we’re not discussing literally consuming actual wine, okay? I’m certain, and this arises every time, some students inquire, and so, is it permissible to drink or abstain from drinking, correct?

So, this is typically how I respond in that regard, right, but what we’re discussing is not related to literally drinking wine but is more connected to the spiritual wine. However, we’ll address the question about drinking literally, and this is just a wise suggestion that we receive from King Solomon.

It is not appropriate for kings, who are leaders of the people, to indulge in drinking. The reason is that when someone is intoxicated, it compromises their decision-making ability. It becomes much easier for someone to commit sins when they are under the influence of alcohol.

Therefore, it is strongly suggested to limit your alcohol consumption to avoid making mistakes that can adversely affect others. As stated in verse 5, a king might deprive people of their freedoms due to a lack of sound judgment. There is an interesting aspect to this as well.

This principle is also mentioned for spiritual leaders in the book of 1 Peter.

You know, you are a royal priesthood, those who have been called, like spiritual kings or leaders. As you are learning the revealed word today, you are stepping into that role as ones who have received that new word, which others may not have yet received. 

It will be your job, as those receiving the new word, to help others receive that same word by re-understanding the mindset. 

Okay, with that question addressed, let’s actually talk about figurative wine, which is very different than literal wine.

Figurative New Wine and New Wineskins

Today, we will understand what a “wineskin” is. Our aim is to become new wineskins and avoid “maddening wine,” which is crucial.

How can we transform into new wineskins? And how can we steer clear of maddening wine? These are the questions we will explore.

Main Reference

In the Book of Revelation, particularly Chapter 6, numerous significant events are unfolding. Certain special types of angels, possessing great authority, are mentioned; we’ll explore these angels in detail shortly. However, one of these angels issues a command, stating, “Do not damage the oil and the wine.”

It is crucial to comprehend the significance of the oil and the wine that the angel instructed not to harm in the Book of Revelation. Today, we shall delve into the symbolism of the wine, and in our next lesson, we will examine the oil. For now, let us focus our attention on the wine.

Let us now endeavor to understand the logical process behind the creation of wine.

Figurative Vine

1. Physical characteristics of Vine and Wine

Wine follows a specific process. It originates from grapes that undergo fermentation. Grapes, in turn, grow on vines. And where are vines typically cultivated? In the ground. However, when you have a collection of vines in a cultivated area, it is called a vineyard.

 

1. So, the process of wine production begins with a vineyard. Within the vineyard, vines grow. These vines produce the fruit called grapes. And when these grapes undergo fermentation, they yield wine.

In essence, the vineyard is the starting point. Vines grow in the vineyard, and these vines bear grapes. Finally, the grapes are fermented to produce wine.

 

2. Wineskins are just containers for wine, the Old Testament containers for wine. However, you should be thinking about all containers. This makes sense because we’ve studied containers in the past. What is a container? What is a spiritual container, bowl, or vessel? What is a figurative bowl or container?

A person’s heart is supposed to be a container.

 

3. Drunk people often claim they aren’t drunk.

I don’t have much experience with the drinking culture of being drunk, and it’s not something I’ve pondered before, nor do I intend to. However, I have been around many people who drink quite often. During my college days—a strange time—I met individuals who had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol. You would hear them say crazy things: “I’m fine. I can drive home. I’m fine; I can do this. I’m fine; I can do that. I’m not that drunk. What do you mean?” And you would think, “Oh, they’re about to collapse.” But they often don’t realize or claim that they are drunk. Guess what, the same thing happens spiritually.

So, we’re going to ensure that we maintain a sober mind spiritually in the right way. Keep these physical characteristics in mind.

2. Spiritual (True) Meaning of Vine

Jesus said, “I am the True Vine, and my Father is the gardener,” highlighting his unique position. He proclaimed himself to be the true vine.

Vines produce grapes from their branches. Therefore, when Jesus declared, “I am the true vine,” it was necessary for him to specify that he is the “true” one. Why? Because a falsehood also exists. If something is not true, then it is false, right? Thus, Jesus needed to clarify that he is the True Vine, distinguishing himself from false vines that also exist.

Keep this in mind: Jesus was a pastor, a teacher, a rabbi of the word. The primary meaning of “vine,” therefore, is a pastor, which aligns well with our discussion on ignited trees—same meaning. The Vine represents a pastor, and later in verse 5, Jesus said, “And you are my disciples.”

In other words, “You, my disciples, are the branches connected to me, and it is your job to go out and bear fruit,” which is what branches do—they grow fruit on them. And fruit represents evangelists or bringing others to be connected to Jesus, as the disciples were. Does this logic make sense to everyone?

The Vine represents a pastor. But the Vine also has another meaning. Let’s explore this meaning now. We’ll turn to the book of Isaiah.

A Song of God’s Vineyard.

Is the song good? No, it’s not good. This is a lament of God about His house, the House of Israel, who have now—what? They did not produce good grapes. So, let’s think about it like this: God, who is our Shepherd that we shall not want, has given everything to the vineyard. Like a farmer carefully cultivating the land, making sure there’s plenty of water and ensuring ample sunlight falls on it. A farmer does all that work with the hope that the fruit, the trees, or the vines, the plants will produce a crop, produce fruit that the farmer can then use. 

But what God is saying is, “My Vineyard is only producing bad grapes.”

So, things are not going well with His vineyard. God’s Vineyard, as it says in verse 7, is the House of Israel, and the vines within that Vineyard are the men of Judah, or you can call them the Chosen People. 

So, the second meaning of vines is the chosen.

What are these vines producing? And at the end of verse 2, what did God say they were producing?

Bad fruit or bad grapes. So, what does it mean that they were producing bad fruit or bad grapes?

Jesus is making an important point about false prophets or false teachers. The distinguishing factor to discern whether someone is true or false is their fruit. 

How do you determine that? What is the process? 

Logistically, if you’re trying to determine if someone is a false prophet, you must first listen.

Then, check with the Scriptures to discern, as mentioned in Acts 17:11 or Job 34:3-4. One must listen, which is what Jesus was saying, and then determine or check the Scriptures, and test the spirits, as stated in 1 John 4:1.

These are verses we looked at the beginning of the class, so hopefully, we’re familiar with them. 

So, how do you determine the bad fruit or what is the bad fruit that God said these people were producing? It was their words, actions, and the people they were producing.

As Jesus said in Matthew 23:15, “You go over land and sea. But all you end up doing is making people twice as much a son of hell as you are.” So you’re making them just like you, and you are already a false vine, a bad vine like the prophecy in Isaiah 5.

This prophecy became true at the time of Jesus’ first coming, which is why He had to say, “I am the True Vine.” You understand why? Because there were many false vines around producing bad grapes, false vines at the time of His first coming, or we can say, wild vines.

We’ll get to that in just a moment. So, like we looked at the physical characteristics, from the vineyard to the vines, vines to grapes, grapes to wine.

Figurative Wine

Isaiah 55 mentions a lot of critical things that God is saying through the prophet Isaiah. Let’s break it down piece by piece, starting with verse one, Isaiah 55:1, which says, “Come, all you who are thirsty. Come to the waters. And you who have no money, come, buy and eat.” How would you buy something without any money? This may not make literal sense, but it holds spiritual significance, which is the point.

God says to the thirsty, “Come and buy.” What does it mean to buy spiritually? The passage explains it. 

Let’s revisit verse 2: “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” This echoes much of what Jesus said. And what does He say? “Listen, listen to me and eat what is good.”

Ah, now we understand. 

To buy means to listen. 

It makes sense. When someone says something questionable, we might say, “I don’t buy it.” We already use this logic in our common vernacular. “I don’t buy it” or “I buy that” means “I don’t accept that” or “I accept that.” God used this logic first. So, what does it mean to buy? It means to listen. He’s saying, “Come listen, without cost, and acquire the food I am giving you.”

In verse three, “Give ear and come to me. Listen that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Amen. 

What is He saying? “Come and buy what? Come and buy water, wine, and milk,” which spiritually represent spiritual food. And we know what spiritual food is, right? We’ve covered figurative food. Spiritual food is the Word.

“Come and listen to the Word.” And how should we listen to the Word? Freely, without cost.

This is how the Word should always be delivered. “Freely you have received; freely give.” So, if someone has to pay money to listen to the Word, is that a true word? It should be given freely. 

“Come listen to the Word and receive it.” Why? Because it will give life, for the Word is like spiritual food, as Deuteronomy 8:3 and Deuteronomy 32:2 state: “My teachings fall like rain and my words descend like dew.” Let’s explore further how wine is referred to as the Word.

What is it that comes out from this mountain? Well, first, a special event takes place on this mountain. A banquet occurs on this mountain, and what does God say about this banquet?

At this banquet, the finest wine from this mountain will be served.

Wine that technically tastes better is wine that has aged well, right? A wine gets better with age, apparently. That’s how it works, I guess. So, yes, wine gets better with age, so that aged wine is considered finer wine. And it comes out of this mountain. 

We know, of course, that this is a parable. 

So, where is the mountain from which this aged wine is coming, and what does it mean that fine wine is coming from this mountain? 

In order to understand this, we need to look at the context of time so that we can truly comprehend the difference between that fine wine that was promised by God and the wine that has always been around, the wine that people are accustomed to. 

Where is the wine stored?

Vine is a Pastor, and also, vines are the chosen people. The wine represents the word. 

So then, where should the wine be stored? Where should it be placed? It should be placed in a proper wineskin.

3. Figurative Wineskin

A wineskin is a type of container, so let me illustrate what a wineskin looks like. The key difference is its shape; it’s typically made from an animal skin and wrapped in leather. It resembles a small liquid container, with a form similar to this: [illustration of a wineskin-like shape].

This is what a wineskin looked like historically.

Now, let’s understand how Jesus used this parable to describe how one should contain the word and what needs to happen to someone in order to be able to contain the word.

Let’s examine the analogy that Jesus presented here: New wine plus old wineskin equals burst. An old wineskin cannot contain the new wine. What is the proper equation? New wine plus new wineskin equals good.

Why? 

4. Old Wine versus New Wine at First and Second Coming

First Coming Era

Old Wine

When you’re looking at the old wine, consider this: When the word is newly given, it is just wine. However, over time, it becomes old wine. And it is specifically old when a new wine is given; then there’s a distinction between old and new wine. So, if we’re at the time of Jesus’ first coming, what was the word that people were accustomed to drinking? At the time when Jesus departed, what was the word that people were receiving, or the things that they were supposed to keep?

Whose word were the people following?

The law of Moses.

At the time of Jesus’ first coming, the law of Moses was the word that people were used to having. “This is what I keep; this is what I follow. Who is this new person telling us to do new things?”

Does this make sense?

There are two important points to consider: a distinction between two different eras, because Jesus signified the beginning of a new era. Until Jesus arrived, the people were following the law of Moses.

However, when Jesus appeared, things changed, and now, people were meant to receive grace and peace. Nevertheless, people did not adhere to Jesus’s grace and peace initially. It was very hard for them at first. The reason for this was because all of the people were like old wineskins.

Old Wineskins

So, who were the old wineskins? Let’s particularly think about those who had the job of delivering that word. They were the priests of the Old Testament, priests of the Old Testament law, and their job was to deliver what they had received from Moses. However, what they did not do a good job of realizing was when their job would come to an end. Then it was their job to pass the reign. They did not realize that this was something they had to do. So, they held on to their authority. When the true king appeared, they were unwilling to release the people to him.

Even John the Baptist struggled with this a little bit. Interestingly, he still had disciples even after Jesus had come.

The law and the prophets were in effect until John. This means that John the Baptist represented the end of the old era, the Old Guard. Jesus was ushering in something new.

New Wine

Let’s now examine what Jesus introduced during His first coming.

At that time, Jesus brought the new wine, the new word that people were supposed to keep. What word did Jesus bring during His first coming? The word of life. And what are the details about that word of life? What was Jesus able to do? Prophecy and fulfillment. We’ll call it the revealed word or the opened word. Same meaning, everyone. Revealed or opened word.

And what was that Old Testament prophecy and fulfillment? That’s why everyone was like, “What is this?” in Mark 1:27. “A new teaching and with authority.” Yes, it was a new teaching. And Jesus was able to explain all the Old Testament scriptures concerning Himself, something that no one else could do.

So, if you were someone at that time, you had to make a decision. Not an easy one, but a necessary one. Do I continue with those who have always been teaching me the law? Or do I go with this new one who is bringing something new? Right, a hard decision, but one that had to be made. 

This is why Jesus said that the distinction between old wineskins and new wineskins was significant. Not everyone was willing to make that change.

Most people insisted on sticking with the old wine. So, who were the ones that were able to make that change?

New wineskins

Jesus and the twelve disciples were the new wineskins. When they heard the word that Jesus taught, they realized there was nowhere else for them to go, for Jesus had the words of eternal life, as mentioned in John 6:68. Simon Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

They had made the decision to become new wineskins and received that new word from Jesus, which meant they had to dump out all the old word to make room for the new word. They could not hold on to what they had always had because they realized these two things were not compatible.

The word they were receiving from the priests of the Old Testament law had two oddities to it, oddities that they didn’t really realize at first. But now, as Jesus was speaking, they were realizing, “Oh yeah, that’s actually kind of weird. Why do we do it like that? Why do they always insist on this? Oh, man’s traditions.” They didn’t realize it until Jesus said something. That was what was going through the minds of the disciples and those early Christians who decided to follow him. And they made that distinction.

Following this logic, let us now look at the second coming.

Second Coming Era

Remember, what defines something as new wine or old wine is time. The question is, how long has it been since Jesus spoke these words? It has been two thousand years.

Old Wine

So, what is the old wine for us today? It is the gospel at the time of the first coming. Now, our old wine is the Old Testament prophecy and its fulfillment. Because most people are currently drinking only the old wine, thinking they are drinking the best stuff, without considering what God and Jesus are doing today. 

However, this old wine has a really important role: to spread the gospel of the First Coming. Without it, no one would be expecting or even know that Christ said he has to come once more, as mentioned in Matthew 24:14.

This gospel of the First Coming will spread around the whole world, and then the end will come. This was critically important because without the old wine, we wouldn’t know about Christ in the first place – a very important task.

Old Wineskins

A new wine has emerged, and there are things we must do now, accordingly. Who are the old wineskins that only look at the old wine? What would you call those who deliver only the old wine today?

The pastors of today.

Here is the distinction I want us to understand and make until it is time for the new word to be taught. We have to ensure that people comprehend the old wine. That’s the job of someone who holds a leadership position, to teach this faithfully and correctly. But unfortunately, after years and years, and Satan’s subtle influences, this word that was once pure from Jesus begins to become slightly corrupted, a little bit distorted. And that’s the problem for those who need to discern when the new wine appears. Am I drinking pure, old wine, or am I drinking something that has become tainted? And we’ll discuss that in just a moment.

The pastors of today predominantly deliver only the first coming gospel.

New Wine

What is the new wine being referred to?

The new wine represents the newly revealed or newly opened word, the word that has been unveiled in our present time. It is the New Testament, the prophecies, and their fulfillment.

This new wine, this newly uncovered understanding of the word, is what people need to be imbibing and embracing today.

This is a very important point. What did Jesus say? ‘I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes, when my Father’s Kingdom becomes a reality here. When the things I promised begin to take place, that’s when the new wine will appear, and people will be able to drink it with me once again.’ Now, of course, I’m speaking spiritually. Let’s examine how Jesus expresses the same passage in Matthew 26:29.

When I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom, when it has returned, then we will be able to drink the new wine that I have promised. Now, the old wine, the pure old wine, and the new wine will work together to convey a complete story of what is happening. 

Bear in mind, I am referring to pure old wine, but pure old wine is rare to find. It was definitely scarce during the first coming. In fact, so scarce that it was impossible to obtain because, over time, people had added to and subtracted from it. That is what transpired the first time.

New Wineskins

Who are the ones that received the new wineskins? Who are these people? I should not be looking at just a few of them. I do not know for certain, but perhaps I am looking at some new wineskins. No, we had better be new wineskins ourselves. Yes, we better be.

New Wineskins

We must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. We’re reading this from the perspective of the Apostle John, who was seeing in a vision an angel from heaven holding an open scroll in his hand. We’ve gone over this before, right?

The open scroll represents that which Jesus opens, that which God gave him, right? That same word is given to John in his job to give it to many peoples, nations, languages, and kings—the word that he receives. But guess what? The word that he receives is sweet in his mouth like honey.

However, when it hits his stomach, it turns sour. Why? Let’s think about it. When you look at the prophets of old, like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Jonah, how did they initially react when God came to them and told them to do something new? “What? You want me to do what?”

Moses too, right? “I don’t know if I’m up for this task, God. Because these people are something else. They might kill me.” Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah talk about how, for example, they were stunned for weeks. They just couldn’t move. They were overwhelmed by what God had asked them to do.

The same thing happened to John. If you realize what he had to do, what he had to deliver, he was overwhelmed. But no, he still had to do his job. So the John that comes at the time of the second coming will be built the same way that the Apostle John was.

Okay, so we’ve broken down old wine and new wine again. Old wine is not bad; it’s just old. But what happens when things are old? People tend to add and subtract to it; that’s the problem. So we need new wine to refresh things.

 

Reminder:

 

5. Wild Vines → Maddeining Wine

The third type of wine is the maddening wine, or wild vines that they produce.

The enemy discovers and the wild vines yield venomous, poisonous wine. This venomous and poisonous vine intoxicates people. When they become intoxicated, they lose the ability to discern right from wrong.

.

Keep Babylon in mind. Although this is from the book of Jeremiah, we know that God does not say anything by accident. The text mentions the wine that Babylon makes all nations drunk. It does not say some nations; it explicitly states that all nations have become drunk on this wine. 

So, how was this fulfilled at the time of the first coming? 

Who were the ones giving the maddening wine that made people drunk during that period?

First Coming

The Pharisees and the Sadducees provided a corrupt teaching that intoxicated the people’s minds. As stated in Matthew 23:33, “Serpents, you brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Their teachings were lies and false traditions. These falsehoods made the people, during the first coming, They were spiritually drunk, unable to discern the new truth that had appeared in their time. 

Remarkably, the same phenomenon is occurring during the time of the Second Coming. The people are being intoxicated by corrupt teachings, preventing them from recognizing the new truth that has manifested.

Second Coming

According to the book of Revelation, at the time of its fulfillment, a prostitute will emerge. 

This prostitute will intoxicate the kings and inhabitants of the earth with her maddening wine. Moreover, she will be a mother, which implies that she will give birth to more prostitutes who will, in turn, intoxicate more people. This intoxication will spread like wildfire during the time of the second coming. 

The question arises: What is the nature of this maddening wine that she disseminates throughout the world?

The merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries, and it made all nations drunk.

Here’s the thing: when we read the Bible, we sometimes do not see ourselves. But it says “all nations,” which means there are no exceptions. All nations. Every time, what are they drunk on? No one claims to be drunk willingly. Who would admit to that? It has to be revealed to people. All nations. And it says that the prostitute sits on many waters, which are explained as peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.

Or as Revelation 10:8-11 states: peoples, nations, languages, and kings. And we know what a spiritual king is, right? One who has the job of leading God’s people. All nations are drunk. So, what are they drinking? A big statement is coming up. Are you ready? What is it that many people drink, having made something wrong, and they become more confused than before? A little term called commentaries.

How many commentaries are there? Thousands and thousands. Limitless, all saying different things, making everyone drunker than before. And some are so bold as to put their commentaries into Bibles and call them Study Bibles. And now, someone is considering their opinion equal to the word of God.

I’m going to say this strongly: if you have a study Bible, toss it. Now is the time to toss it and just get yourself a pure Bible with nothing else in it. Just the word. It’s like seawater.

Memorization

 

Let’s Us Discern