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How To Interpret Prophecy John 14.28-29 Introduction:
There are over 900 direct quotes in the Old Testament in the New Testament. Why?
To secure confirmation of some New Testament statement by an authority respected
by Jews, Christians, and God fearing Gentiles. Yet it
is the interpretation of scripture and prophecy in particular that causes some
to believe in Premillennialism and other to reject it; some to accept the AD 70
doctrine and others to deny it. An
important question is how to properly interpret prophecy? I)
Prophecy and Its Importance A)
Prophet – one sent by God 1.
To spring forth or to bubble forth. 2.
They came to reveal the will or mind of God. B)
In Moses we see two parts of a prophet 1.
The revealing of God’s word (The Law of Moses on 2.
The foretell what would happen.
a. Foretells the coming of Jesus in Deuteronomy
18
b. Foretells what would happen to 3.
The purpose of the prophecy was to reveal and confirm the prophet being sent
from God.
a. A true prophet would never
be wrong, Deuteronomy 18.21-22
b. A false prophet would not be able to correctly foretell, therefore,
the message they proclaim would likewise be false, 2 Chronicles
18.21.
c. It is on this
basis we accept the writings of the prophets in the Bible
and reject all others.
i. Reject the prophecies of Ellen G. White (Seventh Day
Adventist) predicted the world would end in 1843, 1844, 1845,
1851.
ii. Jehovah Witnesses – Charles T. Russell and later Judge
Rutherford as they likewise made false prophecies concerning
the end of the world.
iii. Joseph Smith with LDS falsely prophesied when he would die
and other events. II)
Types of Prophecies A)
Literal 1.
Mean to be taken literally. 2.
Examples: 1 Kings 13.1-5 look at 2 Kings
23.15,16. Isaiah 39.3-6 B)
Figurative (spiritualized, symbols, and anti-types are used) Numbers 12.6 1.
The suffering savior in Isaiah 53 is
explained in Acts 8.32-35
a. Isaiah does
not name Jesus but simply an un-named servant of
God.
b. Only in the New Testament do we come to understand its
connection to Jesus. Matthew 8.17 2.
a. In
Hosea this is a historical statement about God bringing
b. In Matthew
2.15 the writer applies this to God’s Son as Joseph
takes Jesus to 3.
Being children of Abraham, Romans 4.11,
16 4.
The church as spiritual C)
Three types of prophecies 1.
Those that are directly linked to Christ.
a. Daniel 2.44 speaks of the coming of Jesus
b. Isaiah 7.14 speaks of the virgin birth.
c. Psalm 16.8-10 speaks of the resurrection of Christ. 2.
Double prophecies with 2 points of fulfillment; one in the Old Testament and the
2nd in the New Testament.
a. One from David ruling on David’s throne, 2
Samuel 7.12-16; Acts 2.30
b. Jeremiah 31.15 speaks of the death of babies due to the
destruction of 3.
Commands, institutions that were types and symbols; Passover lamb that was
Jesus; Tabernacle of David referring to the church. III)
How To Interpret Prophecies A)
Harmonize prophecy with basic Bible truths. 1.
The Kingdom being spiritual in nature with it being established in that
generation. John 18.36 with Mark 9.1. 2.
Jesus’ death being foretold with His actual death. Psalm 22 with His
crucifixion. B)
Let the known explain the unknown. 1.
The virgin birth in Isaiah 7.14 is
explained in Matthew 1 and Luke 1. 2.
Genesis 25.23 with the birth of Jacob
and Esau. From Esau came C)
Let the plain explain the difficult. Ezekiel, Revelation 1.
Joel 2.28-32 is impossible to
understand without Acts 2.17-21. 2.
Matthew 25.38ff can be explained
using other passages. D)
Compare prophecies concerning the same event. 1.
For instance, Matthew 24; Mark 13 and
Luke 21 all speak of the destruction of 2.
Daniel 2.44, Isaiah 2.2-3, Isaiah 2.2-3
Joel 2.28-32 all speak of the establishment of the church. E)
Look at the text itself 1.
What does the inspired writer or speaker says?
a. This is what was written by the prophet Joel,
Acts 2.16.
b. Matthew 27.35 is a direct quote from Psalm 22.18.
c. John 19.36 is in reference to Exodus
12.46 2.
What is the time element?
a. Kingdom being established in that generation, Mark
9.1.
b. Destruction of
c. Coming of Christ, Matthew 25.36
sometime in the future, v. 42. IV)
False Interpretations A)
Premillennialism requires most prophecies to be taken literally although
figurative in nature. Ezekiel 44.9 or Romans 2.28-29 1.
Ignores the land prophecy all ready being fulfilled. 2.
Requires Christ to come back and rule on David’s throne in B)
AD 70 doctrine 1.
Says Jesus returned at the destruction of 2.
Contradicts 1 Corinthians 15.24ff death
will be conquered all will be raised from the grave. 3.
At Jesus’ return all the world will be destroyed,
2 Peter 3.11ff. Conclusion:
Jesus fulfillment of prophecy is part of the evidence we have of Him being the
Son of God, John 20.30-31. His death,
burial, and resurrection is another proof we have.
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