It has been said that that government is most perfect which, while indeed governing, is least seen and felt; and when a government becomes obtrusive, the country is over-governed. Be that as it may, the idea certainly applies to Bible interpretation. The less "interpreting" one can do, and the simpler and less obtrusive his principles of interpretation are, the nearer truth he is likely to come. And no part of God's word has been so cruelly over-interpreted as the prophecies. Teachers who in every other portion of the word are clear, simple, consistent, become wildly erratic here; abandon all chart and compass; interpret by the jingle of the words rather than by sense and context; fix arbitrary meanings on terms, and make of the text often only a pretext for their own theories and notions. This, more than aught else, has brought the prophecies of God's word into disrepute. If the greater part of the commentaries and works on prophetic subjects and books (even including some [219] familiar writings on the book of Revelation) were burned, it would be a gain, for there would be less confusion and preconception.

      The mischief of those books lies in their positive tone more than their teaching. It is not wrong, if a man think he sees something in the word, to set it forth for the consideration of the brethren, provided he sets it forth for what it is worth. But the disgusting habit of speaking very positively and dogmatically and knowingly where perhaps the writer is himself most uncertain, those rhetorical tricks and claptrap--that ingenious employing of such terms as "no doubt," when there is all manner of doubt; "certainly," when there is no certainty; "evidently," when all evidence is lacking; or putting into the shape of a rhetorical question some statement which he would not dare to make outright--this is too near falsehood to be countenanced. If a man has a dream, let him tell a dream. If he is guessing, let him say so. If he is giving his opinion, let him do as Paul, and draw a sharp line between that and what God really says. The world is full of works on prophecy which leave the impression that the authors knew all about it, and which are for this reason of less than no value. For if they had written modestly and pointed out their own ignorance here and there, the difficulty they saw in this and that idea, the books might have served as stepping-stones to juster conceptions; as it is, it only tends to mislead guileless readers.

      It is not now my purpose to lend support to any of the schemes, theories, or schools of interpretation of prophecy, much less to set up any of my own; but to get at certain principles which may lead us to a right understanding of this difficult, but very precious part of God's word. [220]

      1. The first necessity is the study of the text. It does not matter at first whether or not you understand the bearing of one sentence of it. In fact, it is best to brush out of the mind all previous notions of what these things might mean, for a false idea can lightly defraud you of the true. Get the text. Get the statements the prophet makes into your head. See what he really does say. Never mind the application of it; just see that you get first the obvious import of the language, or even simply the words. They are God's words and will presently become a blessing to you. So did the eunuch (Acts 8) study Isaiah, not knowing of whom the prophet spake and not understanding. But when through Philip he got light, the light broke in all at once, and his previous study of Isaiah became a blessing to him. Note how, in the introduction of the Apocalypse, God pronounces a blessing on them that read, hear, and keep (not in the first place on those who comprehend) the words of the prophecy. The understanding of it comes in due time. Read, hear and keep now.

      2. Do not take it for granted, on the other hand, that you can not understand; for that paralyzes the mind. God intended that we should understand, or else he would not have urged the prophetic word on our attention as he did. There are, indeed, prophecies hidden here and there, involved and inexplicably entangled in an irrelevant context, and which could not have been understood until after their fulfillment they were pointed out. (For example, Hos. 11:1, and Matt. 2:15; 2 Sam. 7:13, 14, and Heb. 1:5, with Matt. 16:18.) But these need not trouble us. There were outright prophecies which men were expected to understand, which they could and did understand, and for the belief of which they were held [221] responsible. (Matt. 2:4-6; John 5:46; Luke 24:25.) There are such prophecies now also, and they alone need engage our attention. Do not be deterred by the failures others have made in dealing with prophecy. It is no sign that you will fail. It were better even to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all. But with faithful study and adherence to true principles, we shall not fail.

      1. The first presumption, always, is that God said what he meant and meant what he said, literally, just as it stands. So, except for some definite and compelling reason to the contrary, the literal meaning of a prophetic passage must ever have precedence.

      This is a fundamental principle in all Bible interpretation; and when it comes to the interpretation of prophecy we can not lay too much stress on it. The prophecies that have been fulfilled, for example, of the bondage of Israel in Egypt (Gen. 15:13-16) or of their dispersion and tribulations, as also the prophecies of Christ's first advent and passion, have been fulfilled with literal exactness. This is the key to the whole situation. True, we meet here and there in the New Testament what seems a spiritual application (for all the Bible is open to spiritual application or allusive quotation); but that does not invalidate the real, literal meaning of the prophecy any more than, for instance, Paul's allegory of Hagar and Sarah (Gal. 4) destroys the literal historical truth of that narrative. Adhere to this fundamental principle and you have the clue that will lead you into the meaning of the Scriptures. But if, for instance, every time you see the word "Zion" or "Jerusalem" in the prophets you read "church" instead; if every time you see "Jacob" or "Israel" you call it "the Christians," then there is an end to all sane interpretation; [222] everything then must be spiritualized to match; and when men start to spiritualizing there is no end of vagaries. I do not blame those who have dropped into that view of it for thinking the prophecies very dark and impossible to get at. No wonder! But if the plain, literal interpretation (as will probably be the case) overthrows our views and theories, or contravenes what we suppose to be the purport of some other scriptures, do not regard that as sufficient reason for rejecting it. Let us hold our own ideas subject to God's word, not vice versa.

      2. Prophecy, as other parts of God's word, and all language, may contain figurative speech. We are not at liberty to call this or that "figurative," except for evident reason. The text and context must prove the figurativeness of the speech.

      3. Symbols occur in prophecy, especially in Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Revelation, oftener than in other parts of the word, and can not be interpreted except as God himself gives us the meaning. All guesswork is vain. It is vain also to resort, as some have done, to the symbolism of ancient heathen peoples and cults for interpretation of Bible symbols. To most, if not all, his symbols God has given us the key; but if you can not find God's key, let the matter stand as it is.

      4. Many prophecies have double, triple, or even manifold and recurrent fulfillments, the first being usually typical and incomplete. If any prophecy has been fulfilled, but not wholly and completely as the word demands, then rest assured God will yet completely fulfill it and redeem every word of his, however strange it may seem.

      One item more deserves attention. Prophecy has often been conditional. (See Jer. 18:7-10.) Jonah cried: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed." But Nineveh was not destroyed--not then. It is worthy of notice, however, that ultimately every such prophecy was [223] fulfilled, though the mercy of God and man's repentance delayed the matter for a time; and that these fluctuations do not affect the validity of the predictions and plans of God in the end.

      Let us now carefully examine these principles; and if they are true and unquestionable, let us adhere to them throughout. I do not now advocate any particular idea of what the prophecies teach, but would suggest that the truth can be found in the way indicated here. May God open this wonderful treasure house to us to our greater blessing and efficiency in his work.

      October 28, 1909.

[TAG 219-224]