Rule - Divine meaning
Divine meaning
Since God’s word is established forever [1], a metaphor/shadow means the same thing everywhere is it used. If a donkey is a metaphor of a prophet, everywhere there is a donkey, it is a metaphor of a prophet. This rule alone makes the metaphors humanly impossible to fabricate as it requires the interlocking of a double entendre found in all the scriptures. This keeps us in awe.
The use of free-for-all allegory in other works has been properly criticized because allegorical or metaphoric meanings produced in this manner have no way to be verified; how do you know it is true? This rule of "Divine meaning" dis-allows free-for-all allegory by setting an impossible standard for the use of allegory; every donkey is a prophet, every garment is a work, etc., such that every scripture participates in a hidden picture of Christ. Such a phenomenon is impossible for men to produce and therefore when we observe it occurring, we can have confidence that it is God’s intended meaning.
Consequence of lack of Divine meaning:
The resulting interpretation is likely to be free-for-all allegory and eisegesis.