There are biblical principles which help us accurately interpret scripture.  The fundamental biblical principal is the following.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by this name this man stands here before you in good health.  He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.  And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven, that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:8-12  NASB

Jesus Christ is the Savior of humanity.  He was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead to a throne in heaven in order to enable a gift of salvation from God Almighty to humanity.  Believing, in fact knowing, that Jesus is the Savior of humanity is necessary to understand God Almighty’s plan of salvation and restoration for humanity.

Another biblical principle involves numbers appearing in the Bible.  In addition to numbers present for their numeric value, one can associate the third item in a particular list with the number 3 or the fifth appearance of an entity in a verse or chapter with the number 5.  Numbers in the Bible have symbolic meaning, and the numbers 3, 7, 10, and 12 are of great significant in the Bible.  The number 3 represents divine completion as suggested by the Holy Trinity.  Seven, the most sacred number to the ancient Hebrews, represents human completion.  Ten represents law and regulation as suggested by the Ten Commandments.  Twelve represents administration or government as suggested by the twelve tribes of Israel and Jesus’ twelve apostles.

Another reason that numbers arise in the Bible is because the ancient Hebrew culture used the same set of symbols for their alphabet and for their numbers.  The ancient Greek culture did the same thing, though with a different set of characters.  This means that every word in the original text of the bible becomes a number when the symbols used in the word are interpreted as numeric values.  A common and useful way to derive a numeric value from a Hebrew or Greek word is to add the values associated with the individual characters of the word.  This is especially interesting when the word is a name of someone or something.  The symbolic meaning of numeric values derived from a verse by any of these means can facilitate understanding.

Numbers are just the tip of the iceberg with respect to Bible symbolism.  All manner of things have symbolic meaning in the Bible, and an internet search will produce long and detailed lists of symbolism in the Bible.  Here are a few examples of biblical symbolism.

Another important, fundamental principle is that Satan provides a counterfeit of much that has been and is being done by God Almighty.  For instance, with sin came the necessity of the death of one individual as atonement for others.  Jesus was the human sacrifice that atoned for the sins of all.  Satan has counterfeited this act of atonement with acts of human sacrifice in various cultures throughout history.  It will be instructive and insightful when other counterfeits from Satan are identified.

Here is a short, simple statement that contains another, fundamental, biblical principle.

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.  1Corinthians 15:46  NASB

This scripture is a powerful learning tool.  When we encounter an event in the natural realm, we may ask: Is there a spiritual sequel to this event?  If so, that which happens in the natural can provide insight into that which will happen in the spiritual.  The event in the natural is called a “type” for that which will follow in the spiritual.  To properly use this tool, one must connect a natural event with a proper, corresponding, spiritual event.

To help us understand this relationship of being a type, there is the example of a fire in a cave.  Rather than sitting facing the fire, imagine turning around and facing away from the fire.  Then you would see on the wall the shadows of those who are sitting around the fire with you.  You can now distinguish the movements of your companions by watching their shadows on the wall.  Though there may be some distortion, the shadows are still representative of what is occurring.  The people around the fire dictate what the shadows do, and the shadows display what the people around the fire do.  In this analogy, the shadow on the wall is the type for the person sitting by the fire.  By observing what occurs with the shadow, we may know what is occurring with the person.  Once we have correctly connected an event in the natural as a type for a spiritual event, then we may move back and forth between the natural and the spiritual and thereby gain understanding.

The first ten verses of Chapter 10 of 1Corinthians list some of the events that happened to the Israelites as they moved from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land.

And those things became types of us, for our not passionately desiring evil things, as also these did desire.  1Corinthians 10:6  Young’s Literal Translation

Or, in other words,

Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved.  1Corinthians 10:6 NASB

The entire list is summarized with this comment.

Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  1Corinthians 10:11  NASB

The idea of the events of the Old Testament serving as types for latter events is confirmed elsewhere.

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  Romans 15:4  NASB

Since events of the Old Testament were written for our instruction, we will study many of them as a “type” for later events.

One of the many ways in which God Almighty shows us His majesty is by creating instances of a person or entity that possesses physically, contradictory attributes.  For instance:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were is a furnace of blazing fire and were unharmed;
Jesus was both deity and human; and
Mary, the mother of Jesus, for a time was both a virgin and pregnant.

In each instance the two attributes associated with a person or entity are mutually exclusive, so an apparent contradiction is created.  Allowing God’s Spirit to guide one through scripture helps resolve these contradictions and provides insight for understanding God Almighty’s plan for the restitution of humanity.