(Continued: Chapter I-How to Interpret Prophecy)

In explaining the presence and the activities of the Holy Spirit, Peter declares that these spiritual phenomena were foretold by Joel the Prophet in the passage just quoted. He made a statement which is the crux of the entire situation: "These are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel." Note the words, "This [the coming of the Holy Spirit] is that which hath been spoken through the Prophet Joel." What they were witnessing, declares the Apostle, was mentioned by Joel. He did not say that Joel's prophecy was completely fulfilled on that occasion, but his statement "This is that" is correct. The converse of this proposition, however, is not true. For example, all people who live in Los Angeles live in California, but all who live in California do not live in Los Angeles. What occurred on the day of Pentecost was a partial, limited, and incomplete fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.

This prediction falls in the third type of prophecy, which is the literal fulfillment plus an application. Since the occurrences on the day of Pentecost were a partial fulfillment, we may expect the complete fulfillment to be brought about at the time of which Joel speaks; namely, the period just before the great and terrible day of Jehovah, the Great Tribulation.

Having explained from the prophetic Word the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter proceeds to show that Christ's Resurrection was in fulfillment of Psalm 16:8-11.

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; 23 him being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David saith concerning him,

I beheld the Lord always before my face;
For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades,
Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou madest known unto me the ways of life:
Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance (Acts 2:22-28).

Although God showed His approval of Jesus of Nazareth by mighty miracles, certain of the leaders of Israel demanded that He be put to death. His Crucifixion was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Though it was in the plan of God for Christ to suffer and die for the sins of the world, those who demanded His death were guilty of this heinous crime.

Having been executed and buried, the Messiah arose from the dead, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel (II Tim. 1:10). After His Ascension to heaven, He sat down on the right hand of God where He makes intercession for all who come to God by Him.

The next prophecy to be examined is Acts 4:24-26. The Apostles Peter and John were thrown into prison over night because of their preaching the Resurrection from the dead through Christ. When they were brought before the high court the next morning, they were threatened with punishment if they continued to preach Christ, and then they were released. They went immediately to the place where the disciples were gathered together and reported what the chief priests and elders had said and done to them.

24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say,

Why did the Gentiles rage,
And the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array,
And the rulers were gathered together,
Against the Lord, and against his Anointed (Acts 4:24-26).

This prophecy is taken from Psalm 2. An examination of this passage shows that it is a prediction of an international atheistic, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, politico-religious convention. It is an international convention because the kings of the earth and the rulers are the delegates; it is atheistic because it is against God; it is anti-Semitic because it is against Jehovah, who reveals Himself as the God of Israel; it is anti-Christian because it is opposed to the Messiah, God's Anointed; it is a political convention because the delegates are simply politicians; finally, it is a religious convention because they meet for the express purpose of outlawing the religion of the Jews and the religion of the Christians.

It is clear from the context that the disciples, in their praying, applied Psalm 2:1-3 to the action that was taken against the Lord Jesus by "Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel" (Act 4:27). According to this statement, there were two petty Roman officials who took action against Christ. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, likewise tried and condemned Him, but by no stretch of the imagination can those taking action against Jesus be thought of as comprising an international convention. Nor could what they did against Him in any wise be interpreted as the action that will be taken against God and the Messiah by this international congress as foretold by the Psalmist. Nevertheless, the spirit-guided disciples applied the original prophecy to the illegal trial, mock condemnation, and criminal execution of Jesus.

When one considers all the factors entering into this case, he sees that this prophecy falls into the classification of a literal fulfillment plus an application to another situation. The action taken against Jesus by His enemies was a partial fulfillment of the prophecy.

The prophecy in its setting (Psalm 2:1-3) envisages an international convention which takes counsel "against Jehovah, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us." This forthcoming international congress, in its spiritual blindness, will be bold enough to think that it can count God and His Messiah out of all human affairs and bury them along with the pagan superstitions of primitive times. The prophecy of this Psalm will probably be fulfilled in the middle of the Tribulation. In this connection let us bear in mind that the plans of man will utterly fail, but the counsel of God will stand fast.

10 Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought;
He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations (Ps. 33:10,11).

The next prophetic passage calling for attention is found in Acts 7:49,50:

49 The heaven is my throne,
And the earth the footstool of my feet:
What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord:
Or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did hot my hand make all these things?

In addressing the Sanhedrin, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, traces the history of Israel from the call of Abraham to the days of Solomon. He calls attention to the fact that Israel worshiped idols during the wilderness wanderings, although they had with them the tabernacle of testimony erected at Sinai. King David wanted to build a habitation for God. The Lord would not allow him to do so, but permitted Solomon to build the Temple. In this connection Stephen calls attention to the fact that God does not dwell in material buildings made with the hands of men. To prove this proposition, he quotes from Isaiah 66:1ff. When one studies this passage, he sees that the Prophet was given a vision of Israel's building a Temple for the worship of God. At the time that Isaiah saw this vision, Solomon's Temple in its magnificence was still standing in Jerusalem. In view of these facts, it is quite obvious that Isaiah was given a vision of Israel's building a Temple for God in the future. This passage, therefore, presupposes the destruction of Solomon's Temple which was destroyed by the Babylonians at the time of the Exile. At the end of the Babylonian captivity the Temple, on a much smaller scale, was erected by Zerubbabel. This Temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. From that day until now Israel has been without a Temple and its sacrificial services.

An examination of the context of Isaiah's prediction regarding the rebuilding of the Temple shows that the Prophet was carried forward in vision by the Spirit of God to the time of the end and saw Israel building the Temple and worshiping thereat. Several other passages presuppose the reconstruction of the Temple. In the light of all the facts it is clear that the prophecy regarding the rebuilding of the Temple is to be taken literally.

The next passage to be considered is a quotation from Isaiah, chapter 53, found in Acts 8:32,33. The eunuch, treasurer of Ethiopia, who had been to Jerusalem to worship, was returning home and was reading from Isaiah the Prophet. At that time Philip the evangelist was conducting a revival in Samaria. The Lord spoke to Philip, commanding him to stop the campaign in order that he might bring a message of salvation to the Ethiopian. The eunuch was traveling on the highway from Jerusalem to Gaza. Philip was on the road from Samaria going southwestward. This road ran into the Jerusalem-Gaza highway. God times all events in order to bring the maximum good to those who are seeking after Him and after truth. "And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). Both men came to the fork of the road at the same time. The eunuch was reading Isaiah the Prophet: 32 Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this,

He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb,
So he openeth not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away:
His generation who shall declare?
For his life is taken from the earth (Acts 8:32,33).

These men came together at the psychological moment, for the eunuch was reading the very passage which served as a text for Philip to proclaim Christ to him. Thus God had prepared the heart of the eunuch for the gospel message by causing him to read this glorious servant passage. The good seed of the gospel message, proclaimed by Philip, fell into soil that had been prepared for it, and it brought forth abundantly.

This quotation from Acts, taken originally from Isaiah, chapter 53, which the eunuch was reading, foretells the attitude that the Messiah of Israel, the Servant of this passage, would manifest—the attitude of humility and nonresistance.

7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? (Isa. 53:7,8).

When this passage is read in the light of the gospel accounts, it is clear that the prediction was fulfilled literally.

Now let us turn to the Apostle Paul's address in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, the account of which is found in Acts, chapter 13. In this message the speaker briefly sketches the history of Israel from the time of the Exodus to his day. Then he announces to the audience that God has, according to promise, "brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." Instead of accepting Him as their Messiah, they rejected Him.

27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead: 31 and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers, 33 that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David (Acts 13:27-34).

Seeing evidence of dissatisfaction and opposition on the part of certain ones in the audience, the Apostle warned them of the seriousness of the situation, saying, "40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken in the prophets: 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you" (Act 13:40,41).

This quotation is taken from Habakkuk 1:5. Seeing the wickedness of the Chosen People, the Prophet complains to the Lord regarding this situation. To him it appeared that God is indifferent to the prevalence of violence and sin among His people. In reply, the Lord, speaking through the Prophet, calls upon the surrounding nations to observe political developments in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. At that time the old Babylonian kingdom that had been buried under the dust of centuries was coming to life through the activity of Nabopolassar and Nebuchadnezzar. By Habakkuk's time the neo-Babylonian Empire was marching forward from victory to victory, conquest after conquest.

In the rise of Babylon to a commanding position among the nations of the world, God was behind the scenes, figuratively speaking, directing all activities. The Lord, therefore, through Habakkuk, says to the nations, "I am working a work in your days, which ye will not believe though it be told you." Old Babylon never would have arisen from her grave of the past by her own power. It was God who brought her back upon the stage of historical events and used her as a rod in chastening His disobedient, sinful people, Israel. Babylon's reappearance upon the stage of nations was, therefore, the work of God.

Knowing the ignorance, superstition, and doubtings of the heathen nations and their blindness regarding God in His relation to human affairs, Habakkuk reveals the attitude which they would take toward His message. In a dramatic manner, he makes known their attitude by commanding them, saying, "Behold ye among the nations, and look, and wonder marvelously ..." According to this statement, they would look at the work of God in human affairs—the rise of Babylon to a position of world power—in wonderment, being unable to understand the simplest facts and basic truths of human life and relations. Being blinded by Satan, they would not believe any explanation concerning God's working in human affairs, regardless of how logical and conclusive.

God is the Creator and lone Sovereign of the universe, who works all things according to the counsel of His will (I Chron. 29:10-12; Eph. 1:11). He rules and overrules the free choices and actions of men. According to Habakkuk, God works in the political realm.

God works in other spheres also—in the spiritual realm—as the Apostle Paul shows by his quoting Habakkuk 1:5 and applying the principle stated therein to his audience. Some of these, bound by tradition, superstition, and ignorance, withstood the message of truth delivered by the Apostle, who cautioned them concerning the danger into which they were about to plunge. He gave this warning in the language of Habakkuk 1:5: "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you" (Acts 13:41). The Apostle does not quote the verse verbatim but rather paraphrases it, emphasizing the spiritual implication—that those who despise and reject the Messiah will perish.

According to Paul's use and interpretation of Habakkuk 1:5, God works in the spiritual realm as well as in the material. After all, spiritual matters are of far greater importance than material, physical matters. In both instances, however, God is working for all lovers of Himself and of truth.

In view of these facts presented, it is clear that this prophecy was interpreted literally by the inspired Apostle.

The next prophecy to be examined in this study is a quotation from Amos, chapter 9, which appears in Acts, chapter 15. In this passage an account of the first church conference is recorded. Certain Judaizing teachers, members of the Jerusalem church, were insistent that the formula for salvation is Christ plus circumcision and keeping the law of Moses. These misinformed and misguided teachers went as far as Antioch in Syria, propagating their peculiar views and causing much trouble—not only in Antioch, but in other places a little later. The Antioch Church sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders in regard to this matter. After a great deal of discussion on the subject, Peter made a short but important speech:

7 And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them,
Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they (Acts 15:7-11).

As all can see, the Apostle Peter in a few words showed that God now is accepting both Jews and Gentiles who come to the Lord Jesus by faith. "But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they" (v. 11).

After Peter had made his speech, Paul and Barnabas gave a report of their first missionary tour (v. 12).

James, the writer of the Epistle bearing his name and half brother of the Lord Jesus, summarized the contents of Peter's speech and showed how this program fits into the prophetic picture, saying, "Brethren, hearken unto me:

14 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

16 After these things I will return,
And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen;
And I will build again the ruins thereof,
And I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men may seek after the Lord,
And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,
18 Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old (Acts 15:13b-18).

By the proclamation of the gospel God is now, during the present dispensation, visiting the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, and is taking out a people for His name, the Church. But James declared that God is first visiting the Gentiles. He is visiting them first—first before what? Before Jehovah returns and builds again the tabernacle of David, before He re-establishes the Davidic throne and restores the kingdom to Israel. "And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem" (Micah 4:8). When the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, "Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority" (Acts 1:6,7).

According to James, God takes out of the Gentiles a people for His name first, before He restores the former dominion to Israel. With this program the words of the prophets are in perfect agreement. Then James quoted from Amos as one of the prophets teaching this position (Amos 9:11,12). This program outlined by James is in perfect alignment with that found in Amos. When one examines Amos 9:7-15, he sees that verse 7 speaks of God's overruling providence, guiding and directing the movements and affairs of various nations. According to verse 8, God's eyes were against the sinful kingdom of Israel to destroy it. This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the overthrow of the commonwealth of Israel in A.D. 70. According to verse 9, when God overthrows the kingdom of Israel, He sifts as grain those surviving that catastrophe among the nations of earth. According to verse 10, "All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not overtake nor meet us." This verse foretells the purging of all sinners of a certain type from Israel by the Lord, who has them slain with the sword. When this verse is studied in the light of related passages, one sees that this prophecy refers to the purging of Israel by the Lord in the Tribulation.

"In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old" (Amos 9:11). According to this promise, in what day will God raise up the tabernacle of David? There is but one answer; namely, the day that He purges all sinners from Israel. As we know from related passages, the Lord purges Israel at the end of the Tribulation. At that time the Lord Himself will come and take the world situation in hand. When He comes in fulfillment of many predictions, He "will return," according to Amos, to raise up the tabernacle of David.

A glance at Amos 9:11 and Acts 15:16 shows that James does not quote Amos literally, but he gives the correct sense. Amos uses the phrase "in that day," which was a normal, natural expression in the development of the thought of the context. On the other hand, James uses the phrase "after these things." After what things? After the completion of the program of calling out of the Gentiles a people for God's name. What will God do? He said, "I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen ..."

What is the significance of the expression "return"? It signifies that God the Messiah has been here once, has gone away, and will return at the appointed time. What will He do when He returns, according to this verse? He will restore Israel and the Davidic kingdom. Is God interested in Israel alone? Not according to this prophecy. He will return and set up the Davidic kingdom "that the residue of men may seek after the Lord" (v. 17a). God is interested in men as men because each one has an immortal soul and must spend eternity somewhere. It is the will of God that none should perish, but that all should come unto repentance (II Pet. 3:9).

An examination of the prophecy from Amos, chapter 9, in the light of its original setting, shows that James interpreted it literally, and that his interpretation is in perfect alignment with the prediction of Amos.

The last passage quoted from the Old Testament to be examined in this study of prophecy is Acts 28:26,27. Upon arriving in Rome, Paul called the leaders of the Jews to confer with them. At this time he stated the facts concerning himself and his being in Rome and appointed a day for them to meet with him again for further conference. When they met the second time, Paul expounded the Scriptures from morning till evening, testifying the kingdom of God and persuading them concerning the Lord Jesus. The group was divided—some believing and some disbelieving. The meeting broke up "after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the prophet unto your fathers, 26 saying,

Go thou unto this people, and say,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
27 For this people's heart is waxed gross,
And their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed;
Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And should turn again,
And I should heal them (Acts 28:25b-27).

This quotation is from Isaiah 6:9;10. Isaiah, chapter 6, records his call and commission to the prophetic ministry. The idiom in the original Hebrew translated "By hearing ye shall hear ... and seeing ye shall see ..." emphasizes the thought of repetition. Isaiah was to keep delivering his messages regardless of circumstances and thus give his audience the opportunity of thoroughly hearing and seeing the truth which was being preached to them. The same idiom appears in Genesis 2:17 in the clause "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." A better and more accurate translation of the original is "for in the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die." The day that Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, the force or power, here called death, descended upon him and began its deadly work, and continued to gnaw at his vitals, bringing about his ultimate death at the end of 930 years. Thus Isaiah was to keep continually preaching the message. The result, however, upon the individual depended entirely upon his attitude toward God and truth. Knowing the attitude of the people in general of that day toward truth and righteousness, the Lord, by this special idiom, foretold that those who had ample opportunity to hear and receive the truth would not receive it because they had steeled their hearts against it. Unfortunately, many people in all ages have made their hearts adamant by hearing and seeing the truth, but not receiving it. The Apostle Paul quoted this passage from Isaiah and applied it to those in his audience who disbelieved the message. Thus he interpreted Isaiah's prophecy literally.

In this study we have examined the principal quotations from the prophets in the light of the context of each and have seen that all are to be interpreted literally. We have also discovered that there are four general types of prophecy: the purely literal, as Matthew 2:6; the literal plus a typical significance, as Matthew 2:15; the literal plus an application, as Matthew 2:18; and the literal plus the idea of a summary as Matthew 2:23.

Sometimes we hear it said that a passage is highly figurative. What is meant by this expression? Those using it usually mean that such a passage is most difficult to understand, that it is unintelligible. Figures of speech basically stand for realities; therefore one must understand the figure that is being used. Everyone knows that a simile, a metaphor, a personification, and the like stand for realities. In studying the prophets or any of the rest of the Scriptures, one must make allowances for figures of speech, as he does in any other literature, and interpret accordingly.

Although there are many fundamental principles¹ involved in the interpretation of prophecy, only three can here be mentioned.

Since the Scriptures are God-breathed and are very specific, there is only one way for a person to arrive at the purpose of the Holy Spirit in giving His message. God said what He meant and meant exactly what He said. In order to understand the Scriptures, one must know the use of languages: the grammar, the specific meaning of words, and the fundamental laws of speech—especially the principles which are characteristic of the Scriptures. Only the most important and fundamental rules of hermeneutics are stated here—the basic and, indeed, the all-inclusive one of which is The Golden Rule Of Interpretation.

Jesus gave the Golden Rule of conduct, "All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Matt. 7:12). This is a basic principle in one's relation to his fellow man. The Golden Rule Of Interpretation is just as fundamental in the field of the interpretation of language as our Lord's precept is in the realm of ethics and conduct.

Origen, a great Christian scholar, who lived during the latter part of the second and in the first part of the third century, came under the influence of Greek philosophy in the form of Neoplatonism. He adopted some of the so-called principles of this philosophical system and evolved what has become known as the allegorical method of interpreting the Scriptures. According to this theory, there is a spiritual meaning of the Bible in addition to that which is plain and obvious. Origen accepted the literal interpretation of the Word, but claimed that in addition to it there was this hidden, spiritual meaning. Everything to him was, therefore, allegorical. He read into the Scriptures this so-called spiritual meaning and built up a mystical system of theology. This method of interpreting the Word wrought havoc in the early church and started what is known as "spiritualizing the Scriptures." Its baneful effects have been felt throughout the centuries. The Christian world has never entirely freed itself from the tenacles of this heathen, subjective approach to God's holy, infallible Word.

The only antidote to this blighting method of handling the Bible is the principle called The Golden Rule Of Interpretation: When the plain, obvious sense of Scripture makes common sense, one is to seek no other sense. One is to stop there and is not to read subjectively into the record something that is foreign to the context. The Word of God is spiritual and does not need to be doctored in order to make it more so. If one man can read into a given context his own ideas and claim that such is the significance of the passage, another can do the same thing and can read into the record his conception of its meaning. Whenever one adopts the spiritualizing method, he opens the floodgates to every type of speculation, suggestion, and theory. One must not, therefore, go beyond the plain, literal meaning of the Scriptures unless the facts of the context indicate a deeper, hidden, or symbolic meaning. When, therefore, such evidence is lacking, one must positively accept the literal meaning of the text. On the other hand, if there is absolute proof that the language is, for instance, symbolic, then one is to interpret the given passage in the light of all the evidence, not only of the immediate connection, but in the light of that which is found in parallel cases—if there is such.


Footnote:

¹ For brief statements of the most fundamental principles of interpretation, see "Some Basic Laws of Interpretation" in The World's Greatest Library Graphically Illustrated, by David L. Cooper, from which the present material is taken.

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