Outlines of Prophetic Study.
By Bonar
How are we to study prophecy? First of all, let us study the chronology of the subject. I do not mean to say that this can be done entirely apart from, and previous to, some amount of attention to the details; but still our first object should be to give most careful heed to the chronological parts, and to make our study of details bear upon this especially. In studying prophecy, just as in studying history, we can make but inconsiderable progress without chronology, or, at least, without some chronological method to keep us from confusion and entanglement. Many a foolish prophetic interpretation might have been avoided had this been attended to. We may, perhaps, be able to strike out some ingenious and correct interpretations of particular passages or visions, and be able to say that such and such events are, some time or other, to fall out in the future, or have fallen out in the past history of our earth, but how, or when, or in what order, we can with difficulty contrive even to guess. We read of a variety of events which future times are to witness; of the coming of the Son of man, the destruction of the apostate nations, the downfall of Antichrist, the first resurrection, the kingdom of the saints; and perhaps we have a tolerably correct idea of them as included events. But without some sort of chronology, or system of arrangement, we can have no more. If we would construct our prophetic map with correctness, we must first sketch our outline, and lay down our latitudes and longitudes. Our telescope must be adjusted to its proper focus before we can expect to have a distinct and regular view of the scene to which it is directed. The chronology of prophecy ought, then, to have a prominent place in our prophetic inquiries. In proportion to the correctness of our views on this point will be our success in dealing with the details of the subject. Many, we are aware, deny this; they look upon individual prophecies as dark, and upon their chronology as darker still; and hence they cannot conceive of that which is dark being illustrated by that which is darker. They seem to regard most prophecies, especially those which involve chronology, as little better than well-constructed riddles, affording a fair field for ingenious exposition and amusing arithmetical conjectures. They can see little in them but vague, unclassified statements, capable of any meaning or order, according to the ingenuity or caprice of the expositor, and are disposed to think that the best that can be said of them is, that they were not intended to be understood or arranged. They read the Scriptures, but it is with no expectation of thoroughly understanding them, and are content to pick up here and there a few bright gems, all the rest remaining confused and shadowy. But there is more system in the Bible than these suppose; not in one part of it only, but in all,—historical, doctrinal, prophetical. It is by no means difficult to trace throughout them the existence of a plan most regular and well constructed. It may astonish some to be told this; and to be told, moreover, that it would be difficult for a series of prophecies to be given in symbolical language more plain and systematic than those which the Spirit of God has conveyed to the church in the books of Daniel, the "man greatly beloved," and John, the "beloved disciple." Any careful reader will see that the prophecies they contain are strictly chronological: and that in two respects; both because they preserve a regular order and succession of events in all their details, and because, by many hints thrown in here and there, they give us data for fixing the general period within which the specified events are to occur, and for determining their commencement, duration and close. This is one of the advantages we possess in studying the visions of Daniel and John. We have merely to interpret what is already arranged. In other prophecies, as those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, there is little order of succession observed. Events are not detailed so regularly one after the other, nor are their several parts always knit together. We have to search about for links by which to fasten them to each other, so that they may be fully classified and arranged; but in Daniel and John much of this is already done. In return for this advantage which the chronological possess over the detached or irregular prophecies, there is a disadvantage, if we may call it so, connected with the former from which the latter are free; and this is, that the former are generally conveyed in symbolical language, while the language of the latter is more literal, and approaching, in many places, the style of history. In Daniel, for instance, we have the vision of the great image, in which we have concise views of four great monarchies which were successively to appear on the earth, from the times of the prophet to the setting up of the kingdom of the Son of man. In this we have nothing to arrange, for this is already done by the prophet himself; we have simply to interpret; but then there is a difficulty compensating for this, for the language is symbolical. I do not say that in this particular vision there is much to perplex, for so much of it has been fulfilled that most of the difficulties have been cleared away; I give it merely as an instance of the greater difficulties which, previous to its fulfilment, would have attended it from the nature of its language. Let us look into the predictions themselves. In the second chapter of Daniel occurs the first of them. It is the vision of a majestic image. Its head is of gold, and denotes the Babylonian empire, of which Nebuchadnezzar was the head, whose throne was in "the golden city." Then there are the breast and arms, which were of silver, inferior to the first, the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. Then there are the belly and thighs of brass, a kingdom still inferior to the two former, the Macedonian. Then there are the legs of iron, and the feet of mingled iron and clay; this is the Roman empire, strong as iron, breaking all things in pieces that stood up against it. Such was that empire in its early days, in its Pagan state, at the first coming of Christ. It had not passed into the condition of the "feet and toes" of mingled clay and iron; that is, it was not then subdivided into ten kingdoms, and these entirely diverse and incongruous in their nature. For centuries after the first coming of Christ it remained undivided in its strength. When the subdivision began I do not now discuss. It is sufficient to say that there was no vestige of it for two or three centuries, at least. And this is demonstration that the falling of the stone upon it could not be the first coming of Christ; for that coming was not for destruction at all; and, moreover, the empire had not then attained its divided state, so that the stone could fall upon its feet and crush its clay-iron toes. Beyond all doubt, then, "the stone that smote the image upon its feet, breaking them in pieces, and then becoming a great mountain, filling the whole earth," must refer to some event connected with the second coming of Christ, as it is written, "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed." This is the termination of the "times of the Gentiles," which began with the reign of Nebuchadnezzar; and such is a skeleton of the world's history from that day till the coming of Christ, and the setting up of the better kingdom. It is an unbroken period of Gentile dominion and Jewish oppression till the day of the Son of man. It is obvious, then, that the millennium or kingdom must be after the advent, and not before it. There is no room for a thousand years' blessedness between the destruction of the Roman empire and the coming of the Lord, inasmuch as that empire is to be destroyed by the Lord at his coming.147 Take another chronological prophecy, that of the seven trumpets in the Apocalypse. I do not here interpret; I merely sketch. The period occupied by these trumpets is not nearly so long as that of the former vision to which I have been referring. They take up a mere section of history, the commencement of which I do not undertake to determine. The first trumpet sounds, and fiery hail descends, mingled with blood. The second trumpet sounds, and the great mountain of fire is cast into the sea. The third angel sounds, and the great star falls from heaven, turning the waters into wormwood. The fourth angel sounds, and the sun, moon and stars are smitten so that the third part of them is darkened. The fifth angel sounds, and the bottomless pit is opened, and the locusts arise out of it to lay waste the earth. The sixth angel sounds, and the four angels bound in Euphrates are loosed for slaughter. The seventh trumpet sounds, and the kingdoms of the earth become Christ's kingdom, and their many crowns are placed upon his head. This is the time of judgment, the time of resurrection, the time of recompense to the saints, as it is written, Rev. xi, 17: "We give thee thanks,
Lord God Almighty!
Which art, and wast, and art to come.
For thou hast taken to thee thy great power,
And hast reigned!
And the nations were angry,
And thy wrath is come,
And the time of the dead
That they should be judged." In all this there is a distinct succession of events in chronological order from the sounding of the first trumpet to the coming of the Lord, the resurrection and the kingdom. Where, then, is there room for a millennium before this? How could it be thrust in between the sounding of the last trumpet and the Lord's coming? Let us select a single specimen of discursive prophecies. They take up only sections or portions of history, and are to be regarded as episodes in the chronological prophecies. When we can ascertain their place in that chronology, or at least discover somewhat of their connection and order, they of course possess the advantages of both kinds of prophecy. The following is such. It is the twenty-fourth chapter of Isaiah. It refers to the last scenes of this present age which are immediately to precede the coming of the Lord, and describes the state of earth in those days of darkness, and tumult, and error. The first ten verses describe the desolation which is to overwhelm the earth because of iniquity. In the midst of this overflowing wickedness there is heard the voice of praise from a remnant in the distant isles, "Glory to the Righteous One." But this is drowned in the abounding iniquity, and the prophet thus proceeds: "The earth is utterly broken down,
The earth is clean dissolved,
The earth is moved exceedingly,
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard,
And shall be removed like a cottage;
For her iniquity lieth heavy upon her;
And she shall fall and rise no more." Such is the state of earth as here described, a state which corresponds to that predicted by Peter in the third chapter of his Second Epistle. The vision then proceeds: "And it shall come to pass in that day,
Jehovah shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high,
And the kings of the earth upon the earth." Here, then, is a two-fold vengeance foretold: first upon the host of the high ones that are on high; that is, the principalities and powers of darkness, the prince of the power of the air, and the spiritual wickednesses that are in the high places. Then comes the punishment of earth, its kings and its inhabitants, as elsewhere set forth in the second psalm: "They shall be gathered together,
As prisoners are gathered in the pit;
They shall be shut up in the prison,
And after many days shall they be visited." We recognize at once here the casting of the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire, as described in Rev. xix, and the binding of Satan, as given in chap. xx. Isaiah says, "After many days shall they be visited;" and John says, "When the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." But let us mark what takes place in the interval; that is, between their being cast into the pit and their being visited: "Then the moon shall be confounded,
And the sun ashamed,
When Jehovah of hosts shall reign
In mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
And before his ancients gloriously." For we know what signs are to be in the heaven and in the earth, in the sun and moon and stars, in that great and notable day. And then comes the song of Israel or of the church in the succeeding chapter, a song like that of Moses and Miriam after the destruction of Egypt and its chivalry, when they sank like lead in the mighty waters. And after this song of exultation over their enemy, they strike the festal note; a note in unison with that which they sing at the marriage-supper of the Lamb; a song of festival; a song of resurrection-joy and glory, in the presence of their God and King: "In this mountain
Shall Jehovah make for all people
A feast of fat things.
And in this mountain
Shall he destroy
The face of the covering cast over all people,
And the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory;
The Lord Jehovah shall wipe away tears
From off all faces;
And the rebuke of his people shall he take
From off all the earth;
For Jehovah hath spoken it." These specimens will furnish the reader with some idea of the true way in which prophecy should be studied. After constructing our prophetic chart—at least in so far as the general outlines are concerned—by means of the visions of Daniel, supplemented by those of John, we are then in the true position for viewing and understanding the isolated prophecies of Isaiah. We shall find how much Daniel helps us to interpret Isaiah, and again how much Isaiah assists us in understanding Daniel. They assist mutually in arranging each other. Had all prophecies been chronological, our difficulties in the way of interpretation would have been greater than they are. Had all been discursive, our difficulties in the way of arrangement would have been considerably multiplied.—Bonar.