In many hypercharismatic and New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) circles today, the Bible is hardly read in context. Instead, it is mined for hidden symbols, prophetic codes, and mysteries that the original authors never intended. This allegorical approach to Scripture may sound spiritual, but it often detaches the text from its original context and meaning. Thus, opening the door to false teachings.
While the church throughout history has employed allegory to illuminate spiritual truths, what we see in the NAR and broader hypercharismatic movement today is something entirely different. It is not a Christ-centered search for deeper biblical truth, but a man-centered method of justifying beliefs and rituals that cannot be supported by Scripture alone.
It is for this reason, that I decided to write this article exploring how the misuse of allegorical interpretation has become a tool for error in these movements. We will consider how they often twist Scripture to serve sensational teachings, why this approach is dangerous, and how believers can return to a faithful reading of God’s Word.
What Is Allegorical Interpretation?
Allegorical interpretation is a method of reading Scripture where one sets aside the plain, literal meaning of the text in favor of a symbolic or spiritual one. Instead of asking, “What did the original author intend to communicate?” allegorical interpretation asks, “What hidden, deeper meaning can I find beneath the surface?”
For example, one might read the account of Noah’s ark not just as a historical event, but also as a symbol of salvation, with the flood symbolizing judgment and the ark representing Christ as God’s provision for escape. Used carefully and within the bounds of Scripture, allegory can offer edifying insights. Even the Apostle Paul uses allegory in Galatians 4 when he compares Hagar and Sarah to the two covenants.
In church history, early theologians like Origen and Augustine sometimes used allegory to uncover spiritual applications in biblical texts, especially in the Old Testament [1]. However, even would acknowledge that such interpretations has to remain consistent with the broader message of Scripture. The problem, therefore, arises when allegory becomes detached from the original context, meaning, and intent of the passage.
In the hypercharismatic and NAR movements, allegorical interpretation is rarely cautious or anchored in sound doctrine. It’s frequently subjective and used to validate new revelations, sensational teachings, prophetic words, or spiritual formulas that have no basis in Scripture. Scripture, then becomes a blank canvas onto which leaders project spiritualized meanings that serve their agendas.
For example, a leader might claim that a biblical character’s journey is a prophetic pattern for accessing “new realms of anointing.” These interpretations often ignore the original context, distort the passage’s true meaning, and elevate personal insight above Scripture.
By using allegory in this way, these movements treat the Bible less like God’s revealed Word and more like a mystical codebook. Something that only the spiritually elite can unlock to the point where the original context is lost, and the preacher becomes the sole authority on what the passage “really means.”
This undermines the clarity and sufficiency of Scripture and leaves followers dependent on the interpretations of supposed prophets and apostles, rather than on the clear teaching of God’s Word. Hence, opening the door for all kinds of doctrinal error and manipulation.
A Word of Caution: Not All Allegory Is Bad
It’s important to clarify, again, that not all allegorical interpretation is wrong. The Bible itself contains figurative language and metaphors. However, a key principle in sound biblical interpretation is to read the text literally, unless the context clearly calls for a figurative or symbolic reading. We should only interpret a passage allegorically when the Bible itself demands it—such as in parables, prophetic imagery, or typology that points to Christ’s life, ministry, and work. Unless we have strong textual reason to do otherwise, we must stay anchored in the plain and obvious meaning of the passage. This ensures that our interpretation remains faithful to the original intent of the text, rather than driven by imagination or spiritual speculation.
How the NAR and Hypercharismatics Misuse Allegory
The NAR and broader hypercharismatic movement often uses allegorical interpretation to legitimize unbiblical teachings under the banner of “prophetic” revelation.
Take, for example, the story of David and Goliath. Instead of teaching it as an event that points to God’s power to deliver His people, they reduce it to a tool for declaring triumph over “giants” like poverty, singleness, enemies, or difficult bosses.
Goliath becomes a metaphor for “your obstacle,” and David is recast as a model for “your victory”. With some preachers going even as far as instructing followers to bring a stone to church as a prophetic act to “slay their Goliath.”
The crossing of the Jordan River suffers a similar fate. They strip this text of its context and make it to support the language of destiny, favor, and promotion. Rahther than recognizing it as the moment when God fulfills His covenant promise, they reinterpret it as a symbol of stepping into your ‘next level,’ ‘divine assignment,’ or ‘season of elevation.'”
Numerology in the Pulpit
Another widespread practice is the misuse of numbers where preachers assign mystical significance to them. For example, since the number seven in Hebrew signals a “season of completion,” some claim that the seventh day, month, or year will automatically usher in divine fulfillment or breakthrough. They tell believers to expect debt cancellation, healed relationships, or career advancement. Not because the Bible teaches this, but because a number is presumed to carry prophetic power.
Similarly, since the Bible associates number forty with periods of testing or preparation in the Bible. It is reinterpreted to mean that someone’s “wilderness season” is coming to an end. Rather than focusing on what the number represents in its original context (such as Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness or Jesus’ 40 days of fasting), it becomes a formula for predicting when God will move in someone’s situation.
By assigning symbolic meanings to numbers, hypercharismatic preachers create a superstitious approach to Scripture. Contrary to anchoring believers in the clear promises of God, they lead them to chase prophetic patterns and numeric codes that offer little more than spiritual hype.
Twisting Hebrew for “Deeper Revelation”
Closely tied to this is the misuse of Hebrew (and occasionally Greek) words to prop up allegorical or mystical teachings. In many NAR and hypercharismatic gatherings, a preacher might say a Hebrew word “actually means” something far deeper or symbolic. And then go ahead to build an entire doctrine or prophetic word around that claim. Because most in the congregation have never studied biblical languages, these claims go unquestioned.
For example, someone might say, “In Hebrew, the word ‘Bethlehem’ means ‘house of bread,’ which means God is saying He’s bringing you into a season of fresh provision.” Or they may take a Hebrew verb, reinterpret it beyond its lexical meaning, and assign it significance it simply doesn’t have in context.
This gives the impression of scholarly depth. But it’s often a Trojan horse, used to smuggle in unbiblical ideas disguised as deeper insight. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with studying Hebrew or Greek. On the contrary, understanding the original languages can deepen and enrich biblical interpretation when done carefully and faithfully. But when biblical words are weaponized to support already determined revelations, the result is not deeper understanding but theological manipulation.
Why This Is Dangerous
At first glance, the kind of allegorical interpretation practiced in NAR and hypercharismatic circles may seem harmless, even inspirational. After all, who wouldn’t want to believe that almost every Bible story contains a secret message? Especially about their breakthrough or promotion? But beneath the surface, this approach to Scripture is deeply dangerous for several reasons.
1. It Undermines the Authority of Scripture
When preachers allegorize texts to suit their own agendas, the Bible is no longer the final authority—the interpreter becomes the authority. New revelations, dreams, and prophetic impressions begin to dictate meaning, while the original context of the passage is ignored. This is the very opposite of what Scripture calls us to do. Rather than submitting ourselves to the Word, we reshape the Word to fit what we want to hear.
2. It Opens the Door to Doctrinal Error
Once you can make a passage mean anything, you can make it support anything, no matter how unbiblical. This is how the NAR promotes teachings such as:
- Levels of anointing
- Taking over territories
- Apostolic succession outside of Scripture
- Guaranteed miracles, prosperity, and prophetic “activations”
None of these doctrines come from the Bible itself. They are read into Scripture through layers of symbolic meaning that serve the preacher’s message, not God’s.
3. It Distracts from the Gospel
Allegorical abuse turns the Bible into a prophetic horoscope. It’s no longer about God’s redemptive plan through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. It’s about your dreams, your elevation, your next season. This shift in focus leads people away from the saving message of the Gospel and into a works-based spirituality driven by unbiblical practices and rituals and not repentance and faith.
4. It Breeds Spiritual Elitism and Manipulation
In these circles, only the “spiritually mature” or “prophetic” leaders can allegedly unlock the deeper meanings of Scripture. This creates a culture of dependency where believers no longer study Scripture for themselves, but wait for revelations from their prophet or apostle. This has given way to much of the spiritual manipulation that we see in these circles today. As leaders use supposed hidden meanings to control people, demand loyalty, or promise blessings in exchange for giving, service, or unquestioning submission.
5. It Produces False Expectations and Disillusionment
When you tell people that the Bible guarantees promotion, healing, wealth, or spiritual power, based on allegorical interpretations, they begin to expect those things. But when reality doesn’t match the promise, they may question God, blame themselves for “lacking faith,” or even walk away from the faith altogether. Misusing the Bible creates a shaky foundation that cannot withstand the trials of life.
Related: A Christian Perspective: What Does the Bible Say About Suffering?
A Call to Faithful Interpretation
Scripture is not a riddle we must crack or a code we need to decode. It is God’s clear and sufficient Word that can be understood, believed, and obeyed by every believer. God did not give us His Word for only a select few to uncover hidden, deeper meanings. When we treat the Bible as if its true message is buried beneath layers of mystery, we open the door to subjective interpretations that shift based on our desires.
But Scripture carries the same meaning for us today as it did for its original audience. And when we abandon that plain, intended meaning in favor of symbolic interpretations that cater to our ambitions and dreams, we risk walking away from the very truth that leads to salvation.
The apostle Paul warned that “the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). Is that not what we see today? Teachers who tell people what they want to hear while twisting Scripture to support it?
The apostle Peter also wrote: “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20–21). The Bible does not belong to us to use however we wish. It is God’s Word, and we must tremble at it (Isaiah 66:2).
If you are caught up in a movement that spiritualizes everything, that turns every text into a prophetic message about you, let me gently say this: God’s Word is so much better than that. It is not about unlocking secret codes to your next level—it is about revealing the glory of Christ, the depth of our need for salvation, and the wonder of God’s grace. It is not meant to keep you chasing new revelations—it is meant to anchor your soul in eternal truth.
You don’t need a special prophet to decode the Bible for you. If you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit. You can open the Word, study it faithfully, and see Jesus on every page. So return to the Word. Read it carefully. Study it prayerfully. Test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And trust that God’s truth is enough—even if it doesn’t promise the miracles and breakthroughs others are chasing.
Because the greatest treasure the Bible offers isn’t promotion, power, or prosperity. It’s Christ Himself.
If you want to deepen your Bible study by learning how to correctly interpret the Bible, feel free to look through our Bible Study archives. There, you will find useful articles to help you on your journey.
Foot notes
- John Millam, Coming to Grips with the Early Church Fathers’ Perspective on Genesis, Part 2 (of 5), September 15, 2011, https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/coming-to-grips-with-the-early-church-fathers-perspective-on-genesis-part-2-of-5#:~:text=The%20early%20church%20saw%20the,prefiguring%20the%20cross%20of%20Christ.
