It is helpful to recall that symbols in prophetic literature convey literal truths, and it is these truths that are meant to be revealed whilst not getting lost in the symbolism. To spiritualize or allegorize overtly is to deny the purpose of prophecy, specifically the book of Revelation whereas the purpose is to reveal a former mystery, not further mystify it.
...This entry will expand the previous, Interpretive Logic, from which I quote: "Antecedent mention is a key to correct interpretation in that throughout Scripture one will find words and phrases previously and repetitively mentioned. In reference to this it is nigh unto impossible to gain a comprehensive grasp of the book of Revelation whilst ignorant of all previous Scripture. Indeed, there is both chronological and foundational logic concerning Revelation's placement at the end of the Biblical canon [it is illogical to turn first to the end of an unread book wherein confusion manifests as ignorance of the complete narrative is realized]. Likewise, there is tremendous significance to Genesis being not only the book of origins, but the foundation to the entirety of Scripture, including prophecy. The language of Genesis assumes basic knowledge on the part of the reader, who is expected to responsibly utilize God-given intellect, reason, and logic...
..."Through Moses, the Lord God revealed to humanity the intricacies of Creation in a very plain, ordered, scientific, and logical manner; a fact easily accepted when the book of Genesis is taken literally... Divorced from faith in taking God's Word as His Word indeed, one who relies on only human intellect to comprehend Creation will fail in their conclusions, stumbling over fanciful theories, endless reevaluation, and divisive dogmatism in violation of Rev. 22:18-19. Likewise, those who refuse to believe what is written as it is written and have fallen to human reason and overt spiritualization have also failed to comprehend the book of Revelation. Therefore, if one strips the Creation of its literality, then one undermines the literality of the entire Word of God, whitewashing prophetic Truth in the process and thus denying oneself of any sincere and unbiased approach toward Spirit-led revelation, for no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation and never came by the will of man, but from the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21)."
...The book of Revelation reveals exactly Who Jesus is, what He has accomplished, and what He will bring to fruition, yet needless trepidation often manifests at the mere mention of "the Revelation." The reason behind the legions of assorted emotions and/or differing views concerning this revelatory book is primarily due to minimal widespread understanding of prophetic literature as well as minimal time spent in personal prayerful study of this magnificent book. The prophetic literary style prevalent in Revelation hearkens back to Old Testament prophetic literature found in books such as Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Zechariah, Joel, and others. Without a working knowledge of the makeup of prophetic literature (as found in the Old Testament) and how it is used, one cannot hope to comprehend the deeper revelation to be found in the book of Revelation. Effective personal discipline toward constant study (2 Tim. 2:15) is well rewarded with a continuous and systematic revelation of Truth as Christ opens our understanding that we might comprehend the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).
...2 Timothy 2:16 admonishes us to "shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." This passage is a warning to shy away from the act of simply taking someone's word for absolute truth concerning God's Word. Unfortunately, many people (even Christians) are 'kept in the dark' when it comes to subjects and topics involving the book of Revelation (or prophecy in general), all because 'someone else' said that there is no need to study the book (or prophecy) for whatever reason. When one relies solely on the information passed along by pastors, professors, teachers, friends, television, radio, commentaries, etc., rather than learning directly from the Holy Writ and the Holy Spirit, one can become complacent and unknowingly expose themselves to (and possibly adopt) a false or compromised doctrinal belief. One must spend maximum time with God in prayer and in His Word in order to properly discern His Truth from the chatter of human intellect and world influence.
...Admittedly, much of Bible prophecy and specifically the book of Revelation is intimidating when one first approaches it and is confronted with the oft times peculiar language, including symbols, metaphors, historical reflections, types and shadows of things/events to come, double meanings, etc. It can be daunting and difficult to determine what is to be taken as literal, spiritual, metephorical, and/or any combination of the aforesaid, thus quantifying the necessity of a real and tangible relationship with Jesus Christ Who enlightens our spirit by His Own.
...There are instances, however, when passages cannot be understood fully in the literal sense by the surface text alone due to symbolic referencing or other prophetic literary devices. In such instances Scripture interprets itself through prior and/or later passages relative to the passage of study; thus cross-referencing is a vital aspect in studying eschatology (study of the last days), for it is such referencing that illuminates the literal truths conveyed by the symbolic.
...Another vital practice to be mindful of whilst interpreting prophecy is that of time and place. Upon observing what is happening, one must discern when it is happening and where it is happening. Examine Rev. 5:7-10. After taking the scroll from the right hand of His Father, Jesus prepares to open it, but must first break the seven seals, an act that begins the systematic Judgment of Israel, unbelievers, and the earth. Mark the observation that Christ is in heaven as He initiates the Judgment that befalls the earth; hence, there is a direct correlation between the two distinct places in that heavily symbolic but literal acts in heaven unleash steadily increasing judgment on the earth that is itself heavily symbolic and literal.
...Thus, we can now answer What is happening?: The Judgment of Israel, unbelievers, and the earth. When is it happening?: In the future time of said Judgment after Christ takes the scroll and begins breaking the seven seals. Where is it happening?: Christ is in heaven initiating Judgment to occur on the earth. Prayerfully approaching study and interpretation of Scripture in a plain, ordered, scientific, and logical manner will bring less confusion and greater satisfaction to the student of the Word and disciple of Christ. Moreover, upon exposure to the Truth in the Revelation of Jesus Christ (and indeed the entire Word of God) it is of utmost import that one be disciplined in practicing exegesis as opposed to eisegesis. These Greek terms express the proper and improper way to undertake Scriptural interpretation; Exegesis means "reading from," to be understood as reading from God's Word as it is written, i.e. what is God saying? Eisegesis means "reading into," to be understood as reading into God's Word what one may wish God to mean so that a particular man-devised theory and/or theology can be thus "proven," i.e. humanity tells God what He means regardless of what He is saying.
...Whitewashing prophecy with the allegorical, mystical, and overtly historical brushes leads to more confusion and questions than is necessary. It cannot be stressed enough that the literal understanding of even the most difficult passages leads to greater understanding and a more thorough appreciation of both the Word of God and its Author.
6 comments:
some thoughts:
could you clarify what you mean by a scientific/logical approach to Scripture? is highly figurative language (both in Gen and Rev) meant to be analyzed within Post-Enlightenment scientific parameters? even within the NT's use of the OT, the interpretive method is not always grammatical-historical (or scientific; literal) exegesis.
i also find it hard to believe that 2 Tim is warning against listening to preachers/teachers (for preaching in Paul's mind is not "godless or irreverent chatter." in understand the overall point that Scripture is ultimate, and only understood through prayer and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, but i may read in (or eisegete if you will) to your comments a certain bias against commentaries, sermons, scholarly work, and many, many years of interpretation done throughout church history. none of which generically fits into the heading of "godless chatter" (even if not completely sound).
i would also like a demonstration of a "literal" reading of a portion of revelation. hopefully that will come through in your commentary (which you are yet to give).
would love some feedback. see you soon.
In response:
*A scientific/logical approach to Scripture entails practical employment of observation and analysis, i.e. reading (from) God's Word and understanding what is said by the text in light of the immediate context and subsequently the entirety of His Word. Analysis of such does not invite eisegesis, rather it invites continued study of and familiarity with the Word as it is written so as to increase initimacy with Christ and proper application of His Truth to one's life. This method is not to be considered as a mere means of developing one's theology, but as meaningful fellowship with our Creator. Thus many are lacking spiritual depth for their efforts toward studying theology rather than experiencing God.
*Post-Enlightenment, Socratic logic, or any other "historically isolated" scientific method as defined and/or developed by humanity is not at all an issue when approaching the Holy Writ through foundational logic and rational thought (see my previous article on such). Highly figurative language is not difficult to interpret when one understands prophetic language and its use of symbols to convey literal truths. Of course, this demands an experiential intimacy with the entirety of God's Word. Further, when one achieves prophetic comprehension one sees that amidst any figurative and symbolic language there is indeed always the result of literal exegesis. Employing a strictly allegorical/metaphorical approach defies foundational logic simply by its ambiguity and at times arbitrary bias. The first paragraph of the article in discussion speaks plainly enough, as does the previous article Interpretive Logic.
*The warning of 2 Tim. would indeed include any preachers, teachers, etc. who were "false," intentional or not, as we are instructed by Paul himself to "test all things, and not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 Thess 5:21; 1 John 4:1). Many "false prophets" still today seduce through the incertitude of eisegesis, thereby discouraging many from personal study of Scripture.
~Even Paul's great intellectual, academic, theological, and philosophical background demanded a level of "spiritual reality" and maturity that was not achieved until after his conversion. Being struck blind (representing spiritual blindness) his "former knowledge" was worthless as He suddenly had to rely on the Spirit. Galatians 1:10-17 offers a model for all believers to exemplify as Paul did: Upon Paul's conversion he did not immediately consult with others, including the other apostles, thereby seeking acceptance and/or further shaping of his theology. Rather, he went "away to Arabia" for nearly three years of solitude (v18) whereupon he likely received direct commission from Christ to serve, as well as direct insight concerning the nature and reality of God and the Gospel, thus preparing him for his mission.
*Reading into my comments a "certain bias against commentaries, sermons, scholarly work, [etc.]" proves the problem of eisegesis in that I never stated or alluded to such. My comment specified the unwise reliance solely upon commentaries, etc. as opposed to learning directly from the Holy Writ and the Holy Spirit. I truly appreciate the aforementioned avenues of exhortation, though only after rigorous and continual immersion of myself in the Holy Writ alone and in prayer am I able to "rightly divide" and discern the Truth amidst human reason and world influence (2 Tim. 2:15). In sum I will say that eisegesis reveals the human tendency to "add unto" that with which one disagrees or fails to grasp so as to rationalize (i.e. soften or explain away) a hard truth to avoid the conviction that would provoke reevalutation of and perhaps change of one's hermeneutics and theology.
*As to the elusive Revelation commentary, it is forthcoming as I am "away in Arabia" receiving further insight through study, prayer, and reflection. And since this response has grown rather lengthy, I will offer the demonstration of a "literal" reading from Revelation in the next entry.
Again, I reference the first paragraph of the article under discussion pertaining to the idea that symbols in prophetic literature convey literal truths. One should not get lost in the symbolism since the purpose of prophecy is to reveal former mysteries, not further mystify them. What follows is an excerpt from my Revelation commentary detailing the Fifth Trumpet/First Woe judgment of demon locusts (Rev. 9:1-12).
*The "star" that falls to the earth is clearly a figurative reference indicating what is literal since it is then referenced as "him" when given the key to the bottomless pit, and "he" when opening the same. "Star" is often used as a symbol for angels (Rev. 1:20; Job 38:7) and Rev. 20:1 indicates an angel coming down from heaven with the "key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand," with which he binds Satan after the Second Advent. The "star" of 9:1 and angel of 20:1 are likely the same being, one of God's own heavenly agents, not a fallen angel.
Rev. 9:11 reveals the name and fact of a king ruling over the demon locusts that are released from the pit. This king's name is given in both Hebrew and Greek so as to instruct both the Jew and the Greek of his identity. Some interpreters insist that this king, whose names mean "Destroyer," is either Satan himself and/or the angel to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit. This is refuted by the fact that Satan is never equated with the name Destroyer in the Bible and that, following the contextual flow, the king over the demon locusts is referred to as an "angel of the bottomless pit," and is not loosed from the pit until the angel with the key opens the pit. Further, it would not be in keeping with God's Sovereignty to entrust to Satan or any fallen angel the key and authority with which to yield such command and allowance as He ordains. Indeed, God's heavenly agents that remained loyal are thus utilized toward carrying out His divine will.
Rev. 9 boasts the most frequent use of the comparative articles "like" and "as" than anywhere else in Scripture. Recall that such uses signify similarity rather than identity when conveying literal/actual events. In light of this, upon reading the text surrounding the fifth trumpet judgment one is reminded of the eighth plague of Egypt wherein locusts likewise appeared. Upon allowing these "locusts" to be loosed onto the earth, the prophetic words of Joel 1:15-2:11 are finally realized as the Day of the Lord (Seventieth Week of Daniel) has come at last. They will not harm the greenery of the earth as it had already been judged in Rev. 8:7, nor will they harm those who have the seal of God on their foreheads. This will include the 144,000 of 7:4 but may or may not include those who come to know Christ during the Week, as it is not specified. It is specified, however, that those not having the seal of God will be targeted for severely painful judgment to last for five months, the same length of time that natural locusts would appear over the land (May-September). The act of God's supernatural protection of "the sealed" parallels the act of God's supernatural protection of Israel in Goshen during the Egyptian plagues.
Rev. 9:4-11 details the ability and appearance of the "locusts" from the bottomless pit. Their ability was outlined in the previous paragraph and despite their purpose of terror it is evident that their authority is subject to God's Sovereignty as He commands them (v4) and limits their terror (v5). The appearance of the demon locusts is beyond direct description, lending to John's heavy use of comparative articles and phrases, i.e. symbolism. There is a tendency to equate the imagery of the fifth and sixth (9:13-21) trumpets with modern tools and mechanics of war. This does not hold up due to excessive Scriptural proof against such, as follows: The supernatural but literal factor cannot be dismissed as the "locusts" are loosed from the bottomless pit by an angel at God's behest (v2) and have a fallen angel as king over them (v11). The pit itself is an actual place from which smoke pours forth and darkens the sun and air (v2). The parameters of torment are too precise for a large modern mechanized air or ground force under human command to uphold (v3-5). For men to seek death at the appearance and threat of such beings demands a more fearsome "enemy" than the too-familiar human methods of warcraft, and death itself will be kept from those seeking it. Apparently even suicide will be checked by supernatural means (v6), at least until the sixth trumpet judgment when the loosed demons are allowed to kill.
*The commentary goes on to prove who and what these demon locusts are, as well as detailing their origin and destiny. For your own research examine Genesis 6, 2 Peter 2:4-9, and Jude 6.
I pray this is of some assistance; Godspeed in your studies and communion with Him.
Here's something to think about: "Mortimer Adler wrote a great book on how to read great books, entitled 'How to Read a Book'. But this book must be worthless, for either the reader already knows how to read a book before reading 'How to Read a Book', or not. If he DOES already know this, Alder's book is superfluous to him; if not- that is, if he does not know how to read a book- then he will not be able to read 'How to Read a Book', for 'How to Read a Book' is a book." -Peter Kreeft
With all the theologies floating around, one might begin to long for the days of people like Paul, Finis Dake, CS Lewis, John Wesley, and Deitrich Bonheoffer. I know I long for those days. These men really had it... they stood confident with the Bible and the Holy Spirit.
Theology is defined as the study of God and His attributes. I wonder how many actual theologians will be birthed in our generation. I think that it will be very few that will leave an impact like the aforementioned ones have. I wonder what has made people think we have learned all we can possibly learn from the Bible. I wonder why we have people who read books ABOUT theology who think they are theologians. Isn't that sort of backwards? I guess all we really have are a lot of students of theologians as opposed to students of theology. I think your attitude towards theology is refreshing... inspiring.
I truly believe that if every Christian read the Bible alone and really prayed for clear revelation, we would not even hear of such nonsense as Calvinism or the Gap Theory. (to name a few) Why are there debates among Christians? There should not be. The Bible does not contridict itself so why do Bible believers contradict each other? We should not be confused. We should be confident.
Right on Jon.
I've been a lover of Biblical prophecy since 1969, that being two years before actually receiving the Gospel for myself.
Two coments: 1) I believe in the perfect non-contradiction of the Bible. I see it as fine poetry. If you take the time to learn something about the author, study the symbols, line up the parrallels, hear the beat etc. You will get the complete picture he is presenting. The difference between good and bad is if the author stays in charcter. God always stays in character! If some interpretation doesn't fit with the rest of the Bible then it isn't the right one.
2) I always felt the "a star fell from heaven" refered to an angel who would execute the judgement. I always took this from the scripture concerning Satan's fall, "when the morning stars all sang together", and "I tell you the truth, that I saw Satan fall like lightning"
And now finally a question for you. Do you find various that scriptures seem to have three layers to them, and do you see each layer eminating from the three persons of the trinity. I think simualtaneously speaking to the three parts of man - body,soul, and spirit?
Mark
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