The Interpretation of Prophecy
THERE are certain principles which should ever be kept in mind in the exposition, explanation, explication, or unfoldment of prophecy. Ignoring these and men are bound to make mistakes. Following them in the devoted spirit of humble discipleship and one can not go far astray. This does not mean that he shall see everything at once or perhaps ever, but when he does not he will be willing to wait God's time. We will not attempt to consider all the principles involved, but will briefly consider some of the more important. 1. The exposition of the prophecy must agree with other scriptures. This is clearly indicated in the following: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private [margin, "special"] interpretation. For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20, 21. This text does not mean as Roman Catholics teach, that no one man can of himself learn what the Scriptures teach, but that he must learn it from some authoritative church. The nature of the interpretation is in question, not the person who explains it. This is the thought: Neither individual nor church has the right or authority to put a special or private interpretation upon any one prophecy apart from others. If each prophetic book of the Bible had been given by some man, if it were simply his opinion or the expression of knowledge that he had gained, private or special interpretation would be permissible. Each prophecy would be independent of all other prophecies, Daniel of Revelation, Revelation of Zechariah, all of Ezekiel, etc. But this God prohibits. All were given not by men but by the Holy Spirit through men. The one Spirit moved all the men, revealing through one certain things, through another some of those same things and others as well, and so on, that each and all might aid in the understanding of all. Daniel is not to be interpreted apart from Jeremiah or Paul or Ezekiel. The Spirit of God, for instance, in Eze. 4:6 has given us the inspired rule for the interpretation of the great prophetic periods of Daniel and John, "Each day for a year." And this is perfectly consistent; when a short-lived beast is used to symbolize a long existing empire, it is only consistent that a short period of time should be taken to represent a longer period. 2. Prophecy should be consistent with itself. When a certain term is used by the Spirit in prophecy to mean a certain thing, it ought still to bear that meaning, unless the prophecy itself indicates otherwise. For example, when the symbol of a "dragon" is used in a prophecy, as it is in Revelation 12, and the meaning of that symbol is clearly defined, as it is in verse 9, it is utterly inconsistent to say that the dragon in one place means the devil and nothing else, and in another place in the same prophecy means another power. Of course, the devil has his agents, and to his agents might the term apply, but only as his agents. In Revelation 16 we have a prophecy of the seven last plagues in which is filled up, or completed, the wrath of God. It is not reasonable to say that some of these plagues are fulfilled by divine power, while one or more of the others are of an altogether different fulfilment. To so discriminate in nature and time where God has not discriminated is private interpretation. We have no authority to interject special interpretation into any prophecy. We may not see its outcome if we follow right principles; if not we can wait; for— "God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain." 3. The object of prophecy must be kept in mind. That object includes the progressive steps in the fulfilment of God's promise of the Seed of the woman, the triumph of eternal right, the progress, trials, persecutions, and triumphs of God's people, the everlasting kingdom of the Messiah. It is the light of God's children in and through the darkness of this world to the Homeland. Everything else is made to bend to these objects. Years, centuries, ages before, God has predicted these things. "When the fullness of time" comes for their fulfilment, God in His providence causes them to be written in the fulfilling events. Thus He ever gives to His children a twofold witness of His Deity and His love and care. 4. Within the scope of the prophetic field come those powers, nations, dynasties, kingdoms, empires, peoples, that have to do with the progress or retarding of God's work in the earth, or who by their laws or rule affect the people of God. For this reason some great nations are not specifically mentioned, while some inferior powers are repeatedly referred to. We must not demand that a certain prominent power must have place in the prophecy, because to us or to the world it seems important, or has ambition to do great things. It may be of very little importance in God's great overlook of empire. China is one of the greatest and oldest of civilizations, and includes within her bounds a fourth of the world's population; yet is she but once named specifically, and then to declare that saved ones will come forth from her darkness. God does not give prophecy to satisfy human curiosity or to fulfil human expectations. 5. Not the time when the prophecy is given should be studied alone. Paramount to this is the time for which it is given. And this is almost always for "the last days." Just as the devil will bring all his deceptions of the ages to bear upon the children of men in the last great struggle, so God will focus upon that time the concentrated light of all the prophecies of the past. Even so it was in a measure when our Lord first came. It will be the word of prophecy made doubly sure in connection with His second coming. In the light of this principle can we best understand the declaration of the angel in Rev. 14:7, "The hour of His judgment is come," not in John's day, but when other prophecies show that the judgment is pending. So also the "is" of Rev. 17:10, "Five are fallen, the one is, the other is not yet come," does not apply to the time when the vision was given, but to the time when that part will be specifically fulfilled—the last days. This is emphatically true of some of Daniel's prophecies. See Dan. 2:28; 8:19; 10:14; 12:4, 9. We could not therefore hope for the full understanding of these great predictions till the prophecy was fulfilled "in the time of the end," in "the latter days." Regard for these principles will greatly help in the understanding of the prophetic Word. With this must be a prayerful heart and a paramount desire that we may know God's will in order to do it. Upon such is pronounced God's blessing. Rev. 1:3.