Start and
stop
How can we tell
when one story ends and another
begins? One story ends and
another begins when the next
event chronologically occurs
before the previous event. For
example, suppose you are reading
about the sixth seals in
Revelation 6. As you read verses
12-17, the sixth seal is
described. This seal describes
the second advent of Jesus and
the sixth seal ends with verse
17. After you finish reading
verse 17, the next verse begins
talking about the four angels
holding back the four winds. See
Revelation 7:1. Since the four
angels hold back the four winds before
the second coming of Jesus, the
beginning of a new story is
detected. (It just so
happens in this case that a
chapter break also occurs at the
end of the six seals story.)
Remember though, a story does not
begin because a new chapter ends
or begins. A new story only
begins when the next event
chronologically occurs before the
previous event. This simple
process never fails.
Here is another
essential point: The elements of
each story happen in the order in
which they are given. This means
that each story progresses from
its beginning point to its ending
point just as it was written. On
a few occasions, the order of a
story is momentarily broken so
that important details can be
given to the reader. However,
these momentary breaks do not
affect the obvious sequence of
the story.
Rules of
interpretation
Rules of
interpretation are inseparable
from the study of prophecy for
conclusions are directly
connected to the methods used
during interpretation. If we
interpret prophecy using faulty
rules, we end up with faulty
conclusions. It’s that
simple.
Since rules of
interpretation are not written
down in the Bible, they must come
from careful research and
observation. The unknown
cannot be determined without
valid rules. This is true of
every science.
This is critical:
Man does not make up the rules of
interpretation; rather, man can
only discover the presence of
rules. Rules are detected when we
find consistent behavior within
prophetic elements. Once
consistency is recognized, we can
then state the rule. In other
words, if we observe certain
things to always be true, only
then do we identify the presence
of a rule.
Consider this
example. Sir Isaac Newton
researched the effects of
gravity. He studied the behavior
of gravity using different
experiments. After observing that
gravity behaved in certain
consistent ways, he wrote down a
formula expressing how it works.
In other words, Sir Isaac Newton
did not make up the rules
governing gravity. God did that.
But, Sir Isaac Newton was able to
state the rules of gravity in
such a way that the effect of
gravity could be accurately
calculated and understood by
others.
The study of
apocalyptic prophecy is very
similar to the study of gravity.
We reason from the known to the
unknown. Before we start to
interpret those parts of prophecy
that are unknown, we have to
discover the rules by which
fulfillments occurred in the
past. By carefully observing the
behavior of apocalyptic
prophecies that have been
fulfilled, we can discover rules
by which they work. After we
understand the rules at work, we
can then begin to solve those
portions of apocalyptic prophecy
that are unfulfilled by using
rules of interpretation that are
always consistent.
One more point.
There is a world of difference
between prophetic truth and
prophetic faith. Prophetic truth
refers to those prophecies or
those portions of prophecy that
qualify as fulfillments. Prophetic
faith, on the other hand, refers
to those prophecies that are yet
to be fulfilled. Since no one can
prove something that hasn’t
happened, our prophetic faith
should be carefully built upon
the truth that comes from solid
principles of interpretation.
What is
prophetic fulfillment?
So, how can we
know if a prophecy has been
fulfilled? A fulfillment is a
full-filling of the prophecy. In
other words, a fulfillment occurs
when all the specifications of a
prophecy are met. Every detail of
the prophecy must be satisfied
before a fulfillment can be
declared. This also means that
the chronological order of the
prophecy must be satisfied. For
example, some people may claim
that the fourth trumpet of
Revelation 8 has already been
fulfilled. If their claim were
true, they not only have to
demonstrate that all the details
of the fourth trumpet have been
fulfilled they also have to
demonstrate that the fulfillment
of the first three trumpets has
occurred in their order.
Personal
observations
I have observed
the presence of four rules of
interpretation for apocalyptic
prophecy. Keep in mind, there are
different types of prophecy and
each type has its own rules of
interpretation.
- Each
apocalyptic story is
identified by the
presence of a beginning
point and ending point in
time. Further, events
within each story are
given in chronological
order.
- A prophecy
or prophetic element is
not fulfilled until all
specifications of the
prophecy are met. This
includes the chronology
of the sequence.
- Students
cannot make up their own
interpretations of
symbols. If some portion
of a prophecy is declared
symbolic, the Bible must
clearly interpret the
meaning of the symbol
with applicable
scripture.
- The use of
the Jubilee Calendar
offers a simple solution
to the problem of which
prophecies are day/year
and which are not. After
the expiration of the
Jubilee calendar, all
prophetic time period are
to be interpreted as
literal time.
Supremacy
of apocalyptic prophecy
All other
prophecies of the Bible are
subordinate to apocalyptic
sequencing. This means that
apocalyptic prophecy determines
the chronological placement of
non-apocalyptic prophecies. For
example, Amos, Ezekiel, Joel,
Obadiah and many New Testament
prophets believed that the great
and awful day of the Lord was
“near” and plainly said
so. There’s no question that
what they saw in the vision led
them to conclude that the
“Great Day of the Lord”
was at hand. In Revelation, John
indicates that the fulfillment of
the things he saw was near or
soon. The problem is that the
ancient prophets did not
understand how their visions fit
into the larger chronology of
God’s plan.
No one prophet was
shown everything that God
intends to bring about. No
disciple of Jesus expected that
time would last almost 2,000
years. Paul sums up the process
of prophetic revelations saying,
“In the past God spoke to
our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in
various ways…. For we know
in part and we prophesy in
part.” Hebrews 1:1, 1
Corinthians 13:9. Each time God
spoke to a prophet about the end
of time, more detail was
provided. But, without the
vehicle of apocalyptic
structures, prophecies about the
“Great Day of the Lord”
cannot be chronologically placed
nor can their content be full
appreciated.
The point of all
this is that apocalyptic prophecy
serves as the backbone of
God’s chronology. Because
this backbone has not been
correctly understood in times
past, people across the centuries
have declared prophecies to be
fulfilled, when in reality
fulfillment did not occur.
Remember, fulfillment requires
two affirming actions: first, all
specifications of the prophecy
must be met; and secondly, the
event must happen in its
chronological order. If this
little system of checks and
balances is ignored, the result
will be prophetic confusion.
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