Defending Literal Interpretation of Prophecy: An Analysis
Introduction
God makes it abundantly clear throughout His Word that He intended His Word to be interpreted literally. One great controversy among Christians is that of Biblical interpretation, specifically the interpretation of prophecy. Because the Bible is the Christian’s guidebook, it is imperative that every Christian desire to understand what the Bible is truly saying. It is dangerous to just assume that God said some things in His Word for it mean something else. When God had the writers of Scripture pen His Words, He said what He meant and He meant what He said. Much of the Bible, Old and New Testament, is prophetical. While much of this prophecy has been fulfilled in the past by Christ’s time on the earth, there is still recorded unfulfilled prophecy. The question arises as to how one should study the unfulfilled prophecies of the Bible. John records the very vivid images of the end times as seen in the book of Revelation, while Isaiah describes the great fall of Babylon. The best way to understand what will be going on in the future, is to understand what happened in the past. I intend to defend the literal interpretation of prophecy by explaining what literal interpretation is, why one should literally interpret, and how one should interpret future prophecy.
What is Literal Interpretation?
Definition, Description, and Clarification of Literal Interpretation
The definition of interpret is “to explain the meaning of or to present in understandable terms. ” The definition for literally is “in a way that uses the ordinary or primary meaning of a term or expression. ” The basic definition of literal interpretation is “to present the primary meaning of terms in an understandable way. ” To understand what the Bible is saying, it is necessary to understand the grammar and the true historical culture of Biblical times. Without a proper understanding of biblical grammar and culture, one will struggle to access the true meaning of some of the more challenging areas of Scripture, such as prophecy.
To describe what literal interpretation is, one must understand how sentences, words, or phrases are being used. Many words have multiple meanings, but when a word is used in a particular context, it should only carry one intentional meaning. God intended His Word to be profitable for every Christian to use (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As Paul Tan states, “To ‘understand’ a speaker or writer, one must assume that the speaker or writer is using words normally and without multiple meanings. This is what the literal method of interpretation assumes of God in Scriptural revelation. It believes the Bible to be revelation, not riddle. ” For the Bible to be profitable, it would have had to be written to be understood.
In the hope of clearing any ridicule of the method of literal interpretation, one must clarify what is commonly misunderstood about this method. Before placing literal interpretation over figurative interpretation, one must realize that substantial writings use both literal and figurative language. Jesus figuratively described Himself as being the “Light of the world”(John 8:12). This figurative language is used throughout God’s Word, but figurative meaning must not be mistaken as literal, especially while interpreting God’s prophecies.
Opponents of Literal Interpretation
The worst thing one could do when trying to interpret God’s Word is misunderstand the truth God intended to be understood and applied. Many believe that God hid many hidden truths and mysteries throughout His Word; those believing the Word to hide mysteries of God, are non-literal interpreters. Grant Jeffery describes what these non-literalists have done by stating, “Modern philosophers and liberal theologians have contemptuously rejected the literal truth of the Bible. In its place, they have attempted to create a new ‘Christian’ religion that would be unrecognizable to the early Church or to the hundreds of millions who have experienced faith in Jesus Christ, as revealed in Scripture over the last two thousand years. ” This modern, non-literal approach to Scripture is irreverently assuming that God does not mean what He has literally stated.
Why Should One Interpret Prophecy Literally?
Scriptural Authority of Literal Interpretation
Throughout Scripture there are found many instances in which literal interpretation is clarified as the best way to interpret Scripture. In John 14:1-2, Jesus is telling His disciples what lies ahead for them in heaven, and uses the phrase, “If it were not so, I would have told you. ” Later in Scripture, Peter refers to prophecy as, “sure word of prophecy” (II Peter 1:19). In the Old Testament, Moses plainly stated in Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and our children forever. ” These New and Old Testament authors knew how God intended Scripture to be read and understood. For one to say what he means when speaking to another is the basic rule of human communication; otherwise, humans could not comprehend and communicate properly. The apostle Paul is a great example of a literal interpreter as he stated, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me” (Acts 27:35). God communicated His Word to humans to be properly comprehended in our human minds; to think otherwise directly goes against what God has established in Scripture.
Controversy Over the Study of Future Prophecy
It is common to hear some interpreters say that the best way to understand what future prophecies literally means is to wait till Jesus comes and the future prophecies unfold. The future will reveal many things, but God has already explained much of what will happen in future days. Even though God revealed future events, He desires His Word to be understood presently. God had the prophet Daniel record things that would happen to Israel in the latter days (Daniel 10:14). Along with His revelation of the future, God also made it clear that He desired His Word to be read and understood (Daniel 24:15). Instead of sitting and waiting for the future to unveil itself as some suppose is best, God desires that His Word be read, studied, and understood literally. God will bless those who read His word and believe it to mean what it literally says even though we cannot see exactly what will happen. Christ affirmed this promise of blessing to be true with His words to Thomas in John 20:29, where He said, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. ” Author Tim LaHaye, speaking of God, writes, “He wants us to know what the future holds. He wants us to know that He is fully in control, that Christ will rule the world someday, and that we have a wonderful eternity to look forward to. ” God never intended for believers to leave any passage containing future prophecy alone. For Christians, all Scripture is profitable.
How Should Future Prophecy Be Studied Today?
Historical Fulfillment of Prophecy
When dealing with Biblical prophecy, one cannot scientifically prove the outcome of future prophecy. The best way to understand future prophecy is to practically observe past prophecy and its fulfillment. Unsurprisingly, every prophecy in Scripture, which has been fulfilled, has been fulfilled literally. As a prime example of this literal fulfillment, one must study the first advent of Christ, during which He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies. The prophecy that Christ would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), was literally fulfilled as written in Matthew 1:20-23. Another literally fulfilled Old Testament prophecy is seen in Zechariah 11:12-13, “They weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver… and I took … and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. ” This prophecy records what would happen after Judas betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver as fulfilled in Matthew 27:3-5. Written almost 600 years before Jesus’ birth, Psalm 22:16-18 describes the scene of Jesus’ crucifixion. David wrote this Psalm without knowledge of the Roman-popularized method of crucifixion as capital punishment, as established around 200 B. C. This prophecy was indeed literally fulfilled as seen in Mark 15:24. Not only are there numerous literal fulfillments of Messianic prophecies, but there are also many prophecies regarding ancient lands, which were literally fulfilled. One of the greatest cities ever built and populated was that of Babylon. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah both prophesied about the imminent destruction of this once seemingly-indestructible kingdom (Isaiah 13:19-21; Jeremiah 51:26, 43). As of today, Babylon is a large desert with little to no population. These listed examples of fulfilled prophecy, along with many hundred more unlisted examples, all were literally fulfilled as the prophets stated. Author John Phillips best describes the study of historical prophecy to understand future prophecy by saying, “The prophecies that have been fulfilled lead us to the confident expectation that every prophecy still awaiting fulfillment will in due course come to pass exactly as written. ” The knowledge of past has indeed solidified the reality of the future.
God’s Desire for the Study of Future Prophecy
God blesses believers who read and study future prophecy. Revelation 1:3 states, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. ” Prophecy should be viewed just as importantly as any other form of God’s truths in His Word. In the library of the sixty-six books of the Bible, one-third of these books are prophetical.
Not only does God want to bless His children for their study of His Word, but He also wants to protect His own from ignorance of the future. The prophet Jude made it clear that false teachers would arise one day and Christians would then need to defend their faith (Jude 3-4). For instance, many modern teachers and preachers assume to know from some calculation they discovered in God’s Word exactly when Jesus intends to rapture believers into Heaven. While revealing future prophecy, Jesus clearly stated that no man would ever know when He would rapture His Children to Heaven (Matthew 24:36). Believers should study every instance of future prophecy as God desires that His children know the truth from false teaching.
Not only should one study to be safe, but one of the greatest reasons God desires believers to study future prophecy is for the hope that comes from knowing that God wins in the end. Author Tim LaHaye writes, “Humans can absorb many pressures in life, but lack of hope is not one of them. The world in which we live has no hope. ” Those who study future prophecy can have the confident hope in knowing that the omnipotent God has the future in control and they do not have to be afraid. Without studying future prophecy, Christians cannot know the peace that comes from knowing what the ultimate future holds and from knowing that God wins.
Conclusion
Summary
The literal interpretation of prophecy is imperative in studying God’s Word. We must know exactly what literal interpretation means, and why it is wrong to denounce literal interpretation. Scripture teaches that one should believe what God said, to mean what He said. Scripture has given hundreds of past fulfillments of prophecy that allow students of prophecy to know that God revealed prophecy to be literally interpreted. Many controversies have arisen over the importance of studying future prophecy, but God’s desire for believers to specifically study future prophecy is clearly seen.
Application
First, every believer should study Scripture in its literal form without adding or taking anything away. After understanding the importance of the literal interpretation of future prophecy, not one believer has a valid excuse to pretend that the meaning of some passage is different than what is plainly stated. God said what He said because He meant what He said.
After knowing how to study future prophecy, every believer should study thoroughly all that God has revealed for the future. One will find blessings from God, safety from lies, and peace from hope in studying what God promises will happen in the days to come.
