47 - THE NATURE OF PROPHECY
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2 Peter 1:20
INTRODUCTION
People seem to be more interested in the subject of Bible prophecy than ever before. Many gospel films are being produced on the subject of the second coming of Christ. The shelves of Christian bookstores are constantly being filled with titles on prophetic themes. Most ministers know that when they announce a prophecy topic for their message, many people will come out of curiosity.
People are interested in prophecy because they want to hear things they have never studied before. Also, people are concerned about their future and, since they have confidence in the Bible, they want to know what the Bible says about it. And beyond these reasons, there seems to be an "apocalyptic spirit" in the world. People feel that the time of the end is near. Perhaps this "anticipation of Armageddon" is heightened by the threat of atomic warfare or other circumstances that could end civilization, such as the prospect of polluting ourselves to death or populating ourselves out of existence or the breakdown of civilization as we’ know it. With any of these possibilities, the study of prophecy seems to be an answer to the natural curiosity people have about the future.
Actually, a large percentage of the Bible was prophetic when it was originally written. Of course, much has been fulfilled, but there is still much to be fulfilled. Many of the prophetic Scriptures have been ignored for many years, but Christians today are taking a deeper interest in them. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPHECY
Actually, prophets were men raised up of God, especially in time of backsliding and apostasy, to call Israel back to God. Prophets were primarily preachers and statesmen who spoke on behalf of God. They gave a revelation from God that included both intellectual content and emotional persuasion, with a view of convicting the heart of Israel. Often the messages included offers of hope and encouragement. The message of the prophets had a twofold thrust. Sometimes they spoke to a local circumstance. At other times their message had also long-range implications (Isaiah 7:1-11; Joel 2:28-32). Eventually, the message of the prophets became books in the Bible, so we can now study their words and attempt to determine what they were saying about the future. The message of the prophets in the Old Testament generally dealt with Israel, the covenant people of God. The messages dealt primarily with Israel’s sin and failure and warned that God was going to judge them accordingly. Also, their message predicted a glorious future for Israel after God punished them. As we see how God has fulfilled his Word in the past, it helps us place greater confidence in the promises of God for today. Many personal lessons can be applied to our lives from prophecy, for all Scripture, whether prophetic or historical, contains principles that can be applied to the lives of believers in every age.
Fulfilled prophecy. The fact that God will keep his word is an undisputed fact to the serious student of prophecy. Many contemporary prophets and prophetesses are often wrong in their .predictions. They could never be compared to the Old Testament prophets, who could never be wrong. The divinely ordained punishment of the false prophet was death by stoning (Deuteronomy 18:20). With that in mind, to speak on behalf of God was a solemn responsibility.
God honored his word by doing what he promised. Today, we can pass through the ruins of cities God promised to destroy, or live in cities God promised to restore. Much prophecy remains to be fulfilled, but the fact that much has been fulfilled gives us great confidence. The Word of God will continue to be honored by the God of his word.
Revelation. We must study prophecy because it is included in "all Scripture" that God inspired and revealed to us (2 Timothy 3:16; Deuteronomy 28:29; Hebrews 1:1). Some have refused to study prophecy because it is difficult or because Christians disagree over various interpretations in the Book of Revelation. But if God thought it was important to give prophecy to us, then we are obligated to study it thoroughly (2 Timothy 2:15). All Scripture, including prophecy, will teach us the nature and personality of God. Those who have never studied the Book of Revelation cannot fully comprehend what it means that God is still on the throne in the midst of our personal trials. A study of Daniel reminds us that God is dealing sovereignly with the nations and great civilizations of the world. To ignore such a large percent of the Bible because it is difficult to understand, is to voluntarily reject much of what God has revealed to us about himself and his plan for our lives.
Personal applications. Bible doctrine was never taught by the apostles and prophets without personal application. Sometimes, these applications referred to the affairs of the nation, but they also applied to people. Hope, comfort, peace, soulwinning, holy living, and other areas of interest are taught in prophetic Scriptures.
Dangers. As important as the study of Bible prophecy is, the student of the Scriptures must be cautious not to fall into certain common traPsa Some have gone off on a tangent by always seeking new truth. Others have become proud or exploitative with their newfound knowledge of prophetic THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST’S RETURN
1. Holy living Titus 2:11-15. Purity 1 John 3:3 3. Love 1 Corinthians 13:9-13. Peace John 14:15. Comfort 1 Thessalonians 4:18 6. Hope 1 John 3:3 7. Witnessing Acts 1:7-8 truth. Others who want to grow in their understanding of prophecy have a tendency to speak on areas where the Bible is silent. Some Bible scholars have made the mistake of fixing dates and identifying the Antichrist, which have all been proven wrong. Sometimes minor differences of opinion in this area of Bible prophecy have become a major source of irritation, leading to breaks in Christian fellowship. An additional danger of prophetic studies is that some are so consumed with future events that they exclude the central focus of Scripture, Christ. The divinely inspired title of the final book of the New Testament, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 1:1), is a good guideline to all prophecy; ultimately it concerns him.
Beyond these dangers, there are other reasons why people end up with wrong views of prophecy. We need to make sure our motives and presuppositions are correct in prophecy. Sometimes, people have been wrong in their study of prophecy because they do not have all the data. The apostle Paul observed, "For we know in part, and we prophecy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9). Sometimes people have been mistaken because they only study prophecy to prove a point, which leads to pulling verses out of context to prove a theory rather than studying the context to find the truth. The presence of sin in the life of the student will hinder the study of the prophetic Scriptures, as it hinders the study of every part of the Bible.
SCHOOLS OF PROPHECY
If we want to create a stir in a gathering of Christians from different groups, we should present an interpretation of a prophecy as though it were the only one that is correct. There are at least three distinct "schools of prophecy" in Christianity, each labeled according to its view of the millennium.
Amillennial. This prophetic school of interpretation does not believe in a literal kingdom of peace and prosperity here on earth that will last 1,000 years. They believe that the Old Testament predictions of the kingdom were fulfilled in a nonliteral way, either in the present church age or the experience of the church in heaven. As a result, they tend to interpret prophetic Scriptures more figuratively than literally. Most amillennial Bible students do not recognize a distinction between Israel and the church but rather argue Israel was the church of the Old Testament and the church is the Israel of the New Testament.
Postmillennial. At the turn of the century, the most popular view of Bible prophecy was the postmillennial view. Theologians believed that the world from the time of Christ’s coming was getting better and better and assumed that a millennial kingdom would be established on earth as the world lived in peace. They interpreted the return of Christ as coming toward the end of this reign of peace. The existence of two major international conflicts in this century and scores of other smaller wars have shattered the hopes of most postmillennialists for a man-made peaceful world.
Premillennial. The view of prophecy, which has become increasingly popular in the last half of this century has been the premillennial position. Essentially it recognizes a distinction between Israel and the church (1 Corinthians 10:32), and accepts a literal interpretation of key passages such as Revelation 20:1-10 that call for 1,000 years of peace and prosperity. The premillennial position teaches that Christ will return to the earth and set up a literal kingdom as he promised. With the establishment of Israel as a political state in 1948 and the declaration of Jerusalem as her capital in 1980, this school of interpretation has been gaining credibility in recent years. Most of the popular films and books on Bible prophecy are premillennial, as are many Bible schools and missionary societies.
INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY
Literal interpretation. Many conservative Bible scholars will interpret the Scriptures literally until they come to a prophetic passage. Then they begin to interpret more allegorically, giving undue consideration to names, numbers, and the hidden meaning of symbols. These are important considerations as God will sometimes use these to teach us important truth, but we should not allow this emphasis to destroy the use of a consistent, literal interpretation of Bible prophecy. The literal method is an attempt to give the same meaning to a word as the author who wrote the passage. This means we do not try to "think up" an interpretation for the Book of Daniel, but to seek the author’s meaning of words and passages. By "literal interpretation" we mean the normal meaning of words or terms. Obviously, when Jesus is called a Lamb in the Bible, the writer does not mean Jesus had four legs and was covered in wool. Lamb in this case is a figure of speech and must be interpreted with the meaning that John the Baptist had in mind when he said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29). John the Baptist meant that Jesus was the fulfillment of the typical paschal lamb in the Passover supper. This literal approach is the most secure method of determining what God intended to say. It simply asks, "In the light of the historical context of this passage and the basic rules of grammar as we understand them, what was the writer saying?" But since all Scripture has dual authorship (God and man) we must seek the mind of both authors in interpreting Scripture.
Contextual interpretation. Symbols are an important part of the prophetic Scriptures but the Christian does not have to rely upon his imagination to interpret them. The Bible often tells us the meaning of a symbol within the context of the same passage. This is illustrated in the first chapter of Revelation. The symbols of stars and candlesticks are used but they are identified as the messengers of the church (Revelation 1:26). Sometimes a parallel passage may have the divine interpretation of a symbol we would otherwise not understand.
Double fulfillment. The Old Testament prophets spoke to a contemporary problem but the message had also a long-range prediction. When Isaiah predicted that Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:21, Matthew 1:23), he spoke to an immediate setting (Isaiah 7:1-14). The double fulfillment is also seen when Joel predicted, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28). This applies to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit both on the day of Pentecost and in the end times.
CONCLUSION The study of the prophetic Scriptures should be an important part of every Christian’s personal Bible study. Introducing the Book of Revelation, John wrote, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand" (Revelation 1:3). In light of the return of Christ, each of us needs to reevaluate our own lives with a view of living closer to God’s standard in our life-style. A study of the prophetic Scriptures is one of the best ways to accomplish this objective.
DAILY READINGS Monday: Revelation 1:1-8 Tuesday: Revelation 22:1-12 Wednesday: Daniel 12:1-13 Thursday: 2 Peter 1:12-21 Friday: 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 Saturday: 1 Timothy 2:1-15 Sunday: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13