First Premises
(Part I)

Any study must begin with ground rules. In science, they are known as materials and methods. In exegesis, they are called a hermeneutic. These rules must be constructed logically, and within the bounds of the plain teaching of scripture.

We must above all be careful to avoid circular reasoning. We cannot allow a desired conclusion to establish a rule of interpretation. This would allow any desired conclusion to be reached. We have to accept logical conclusions, not start with preferred answers and try to support them by bending the source material. If we are careful in this effort, we can establish a framework for understanding which will properly allow the glory of God to shine through our work, and firmly fix our faith on the certainty of victory.

The first question to answer is whether the study of prophecy is valuable. After all, if it is a trivial sidelight, there are other pursuits more worthy of our time. One author has estimated that 27% of the Bible is prophetic. To leave out this much of God's word seems unwise.

Prophecy is truly the consummation of the rest of the Bible. Without prophecy, all of the exhortations to act in any prescribed manner become meaningless. Why do something if you have no goal in sight? Prophecy shows us the ultimate victory which we seek. It is the purpose of the Word. Even God says it's important!

19 "From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. John 13:19

29"And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe. John 14:29

Put another way, what Jesus is saying is that the primary purpose of prophecy is to reveal God, not necessarily to tell the future. We must expand on this thought. Prophecy serves as a pillar of our faith. When prophecy has been fulfilled, it shows that God is God. It then allows us to look forward to the promise of prophecy which is as yet unfulfilled. As we see the current fulfilling of prophecy, we are able to see the workings of our adversary, the devil. This will give us additional tools to avoid his traps. In this we have the ultimate moral purpose of prophecy. An interpretation of prophecy which ignores this purpose is one we should reject. Prophecy is given as a means to strengthen our faith and our vision. We are temporal beings engaged in a spiritual struggle.

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12

Even so, this battle is fought on a physical stage, for the hearts of physical beings. As a result, prophecy is necessarily a physically framed panorama of the spiritual war. Prophecies give temporal beings temporal signposts in the spiritual drama. All prophecy is intended as a means of exposing this great controversy. Any interpretation which ignores this in any substantial way is wrong, both morally and in fact.

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry,

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look. 1 Pet 1:10,12

4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Rom 15:4

Prophecy is understandable.

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim 3:16-17

Prophecy is part of Scripture. To be profitable for teaching, it must be understandable. Complex, arcane explanations are neither necessary nor desirable. God's word is not mysterious, nor is it obscure. This does not say that the meaning of everything is obvious. In fact, the Word has such depths that it can never be exhausted. We will never graduate from the University of the Word until the Second Coming.

Everything in God's word is accessible with study. Indeed, this is what we are commanded to do.

15"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15 (KJV)

It should be clear that not all points of prophecy can be fully understood now. Daniel was unable to comprehend all he was shown.

27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it. Dan 8:27

Daniel's problem was that some things would occur so far in the future that he could not understand them. He would be unable to confirm his understanding of his visions by the sweep of history. We are in the same situation on some prophecies. On many others, we now have historical corroboration.

If we do not understand a prophecy, we need to study the Bible for amplifying information, and history for confirmation. If the answer is not yet clear, it may be that sufficient history has not occurred to allow understanding. Since we are living in the time of the end, this should not happen very often. At this point, I should make it clear that the Bible is its own interpreter.

19 And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,
21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Pet 1:19-21

We exist in a temporal world, but the battle is spiritual, and so is the victory. Apocalyptic prophecy is devoted to the spiritual battle. That is why we must look to our spiritual guidebook to understand spiritual things.

Historical elements exist in apocalyptic prophecy for the purpose of amplifying the Word. Because the battle has temporal elements, and we understand things temporally, God has included them to give us an comprehensible framework for the message. It should be clear that it is not God's primary purpose to give use "pre-written history". It is His purpose to show us the victory. A bit of pre-written history comes with the message.

We should look for a literal fulfillment of any prophecy unless there is inspired evidence that it should be non-literal. The Bible is the Word of God. His Word is final. If the Bible says that a certain thing will happen, to try to twist that into something else is to deny that the Bible is God's Word. Certain prophecies are clearly literal.

11'And this whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years." Jer 25:11

Israel went into Babylonian captivity for 70 years.

Other prophecies are clearly non-literal. In Daniel 7, Daniel had the vision of the four beasts. Later in the chapter, it was revealed to him that the beasts represented kingdoms. Obviously, the beasts are symbolic, but the kingdoms are very literal.

It is not always clear on first reading just how a given prophecy should be understood. In such cases we must study to understand the intent of the prophet. His literary style will be helpful. Finally, his use of figurative language must be considered. Also, particularly in Revelation, the use of quotations from other Biblical sources needs to be understood. Only when all of this is done will a true understanding of the intent of a passage be clear.

If a prophecy clearly matches the historical record, it has been fulfilled. Prophecies may have dual (or multiple) fulfillment, but scriptural evidence should suggest the initial fulfillment and later consummation. This is a topic of considerable debate among scholars. Many topics in the Bible lend themselves to illustration of multiple ideas in that they illustrate principles with multiple applications.

The theme of captivity, deliverance, and restoration, typified by the Egyptian captivity and the Exodus is repeated literally in the Babylonian captivity. It occurred again in the Maccabean period with the oppression of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The Jews hoped for another manifestation during the Roman period. In the New Testament, the apostles preached the same theme of captivity, deliverance, and restoration, but of a spiritual nature. The book of Revelation takes this to its ultimate end, updating and expanding the Old Testament prophecies.

When we propose a multiple fulfillment, there must be inspired supporting evidence. Perhaps the best known example is God's promise to Abraham.

2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. " Gen 12:2-3

5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." Gen 15:5

It is clear that Abraham's literal descendants, the Jews, are of sufficient number to satisfy this prophecy. Yet, it also has a spiritual fulfillment, as Paul says.

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Gal 3:29

Dual (multiple) fulfillments ordinarily take the form of (a) fulfillment(s) and (b) consummation. Perhaps the best example pertinent to our study is the prophecy of the Messiah in Daniel 9:24-25.

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place.
25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Dan 9:24-25

This prophecy is clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He "(brought) in everlasting righteousness" with the cross. This was a legal, or forensic fulfillment. By Christ's death, He satisfied the requirements of the law. But, since we are still here in a sinful world, this is not the complete fulfillment. Because of this, this first fulfillment is known as "realized" or "inaugurated" eschatology. ("Eschatology" is the study of end time things.)

But this prophecy has a more complete fulfillment at the Second Coming. When Jesus returns, he will bring with Him the ultimate end of all sin. There will be no more great controversy. We will live forever in righteousness. This fulfillment is the final "consummation". Many prophecies in the apocalyptic literature fall into this pattern. However, we should not blindly declare that every prophecy has such fulfillments. We should be careful to seek out scriptural evidence.

A dual interpretation without inspired indication of duality is to read into the Word something that wasn't written there. We should learn all what God said, but reject what he didn't say. (e.g. Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:22-23, Joel 2:11-12, 23-27, 28-32/Acts 2:16, 19-20) In the absence of inspired evidence of duality, to wait for a second fulfillment is not logical or necessary. God's prophecies will be fulfilled, then they are finished. Anything else is to read into God's Word something which was not written in it.

Perhaps the simplest way to show this idea is to look at a famous story of Babe Ruth. In one game, with two strikes on him, he pointed to the stands with his bat as if to say "I'm going to hit one there." When he then hit the home run exactly where he pointed, his prophecy was fulfilled. It was not necessary to wait for the next game for fulfillment. A second way to look at this point is this: If a plain meaning of text satisfies prophecy in the light of the historical record and the Holy Word, an obscure meaning is wrong. God left the Bible for all men!

Finally, if one portion of the Bible confirms the completion of a prophecy, it has been fulfilled.

******* Caveat

Many interpreters get involved with sermonizing about multiple fulfillments of prophecy when the inspired Word does not include references which would properly direct the reader to expect multiple fulfillments. While sermonizing may very well be appropriate from the pulpit, it is not appropriate in exegesis. Our purpose is to determine what is in the Word, and to reject that which is not. The fact that one can stretch prophecy to find multiple parallels, some remarkably similar, is a reflection of the fact that human behavior follows repeating patterns, both in individuals and nations.

*******

It is very easy to read into prophecies the idea that, like the ten commandments, they are written by God's finger on tables of stone. Such a stance would be foolhardy, even when reading apocalyptic prophecy. In the Old Testament (OT) numerous prophecies were made in the form of "you are wicked and the Lord will destroy you unless you repent". The principle of conditionality in these cases is clearly stated.

7 "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it;
8 if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.
9 "Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it;
10 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. "Jer 18:7-10

It is not always possible to determine if a prophecy is conditional based just on the text of the prophecy. It may be necessary to examine the entire Biblical record in order to determine the conditional character. While apocalyptic prophecies are written in a style which makes it "clear" that they are unconditional, this is not necessarily the case. We must see how other Biblical writers understand them to gain a clear understanding of their (un)conditionality.

Two examples make this point clear. God told Jonah to tell the inhabitants of Nineveh that they would be destroyed in forty days. (Jonah 3:4) No "if's" were contained in the message. Yet, when the people repented, God "relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them". (Jonah 3:10)

God's covenant with Abraham shows this again. When God first gave the covenant to Abraham, it sounded unconditional.

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. " Gen 12:1-3

The next time God mentions the covenant, it clearly has a conditional element.

1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.
2 "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you,... Gen 17:1-2a

Scripture shows us the whole story. We may not find all of it in the first place we look. We need to be careful to include the relevant material from all through the Bible when assembling our understanding. Using a single text as proof, when others stand in opposition, is to present falsehood as truth. This "proof-text" method is to be condemned. Using it, one can "prove" nearly any idea. Using the whole Word, we can gain a proper understanding. No other approach can be accepted.

As we proceed through prophecy, we will seek to identify the historical events which anchor the story. Very clearly, if a set of events is presented as matching a prophecy, but in fact does not match, we must look elsewhere for a fulfillment. It is not necessary to have full confirmation of every point, but you cannot have any point in substantial conflict. No prophetic interpretation can stand in the face of historical contradiction. However, it may be impossible to confirm a point.

25"So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress." Dan 9:25

There is no Biblical or historical data confirming the 49 year period for rebuilding Jerusalem. All available records are silent. This does not deny the fulfillment of the prophecy. We are merely unable to confirm that point of it.

There are also numerous historical events and personages which appear to fulfill part of a given prophecy. It would be surprising if there weren't. However, there will be only one which will match on all points. True fulfillment requires a complete match (at least no substantive contradiction). Contradiction is grounds for rejection.

One example will make this clear. We will discuss the career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in connection with chapter 8. The bulk of interpreters insist that he is the little horn character. God laid out specifications for the little horn. Antiochus fails to satisfy those particulars. If Antiochus is the little horn, then God got it wrong! Since this clearly is an unacceptable conclusion, Antiochus must not be the little horn, even though the Jews of the time thought he was!

This brings up a related point. Different scholars have proposed different fulfillments of several prophecies. Intellectual honesty requires that these alternate interpretations be examined. They must be compared to the available records. They must then be evaluated by honest methods to be correct or incorrect, and reasons given for acceptance or rejection. A new point comes from this discussion.

The "Historical-Critical" school of prophetic interpretation denies that Daniel was written when the text of the book claims. Numerous odd conclusions come from this claim. The very nature of the claim requires the student to examine his faith. Is the Bible the inspired Word of God? If the "Historical-Critical" school is correct, it cannot be, since Daniel would then be full of lies, and God does not lie.

2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, Titus 1:2

I require no other proof that the "Historical-Critical" school is wrong. It is indeed convenient that there is a wealth of historical and archeological evidence in support of the truth of Daniel.

As we proceed through our study, we will find that all Biblical references to a given prophecy will be in agreement.

16"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; "2 Tim 3:16

If all scripture is given by God, and God does not lie, then all statements regarding a given topic must be in agreement. Later texts amplify and reinterpret earlier texts and create a more complete picture. Various OT prophecies of a literal restoration of Jerusalem are transformed from the expectations of literal Israel into a picture of the ultimate hope for spiritual Israel. In each case, the newer material adds to the picture, and does not contradict.

Prophecies are frequently discontinuous. Just as history books "hit the high points", prophecies may skip over inconsequential details. If a prophecy were to include all of the details, where would "all" stop? Would we be left with stacks of books. Just as one biography of Thomas Jefferson in my library fills five volumes, we might have whole libraries. God's primary purpose is not to provide us with exhaustive pre-written history. His purpose is to show the ultimate victory, with enough detail to allow the faithful to have guideposts to anchor their faith. This moral purpose of prophecy must never be forgotten. Prophecies are "summaries".

1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. Dan 7:1

When we see various temporal elements in prophecy, we must be aware that they are there to give us a framework for the spiritual message. God does not give us prophecies to allow us to foretell the future.

7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; Acts 1:7

Prophecy must be understood in context. This cannot be overemphasized. Certain prophecies are written in figurative, and others in literal context. Prophecies were also written at particular times and places. Interpretation must be based on the language and society of the day it was written, amplified by our current knowledge of history.

This means that there will be times when it is necessary to delve deep into the original Hebrew or Greek text and explore its root and cultic meanings. This does not mean that one should "play games" to come up with a desired result, but rather to attempt to place oneself in the shoes of the author to better understand his intent by restoring the linguistic content lost in translation.

This sort of exploration of linguistic roots becomes more important when we realize that OT prophecies were written over 2,500 years ago. All languages change over time, so that the language spoken today has substantially changed from just a few years ago. Multiply this change by the long span of history and the problem becomes clear. A large amount of scholarly effort may be required to deduce the original meaning of just one key word.

God does not approximate! If a prophecy contains a defined time element, its fulfillment will satisfy the defined time element. By way of example, there is a prophecy in Daniel and Revelation (revealed a total of seven times) which defines a period of 1,260 days. Any proposed fulfillment must include a defined period of either 1,260 literal days or 1,260 years (on the year = day principle).

One argument against this is that God is speaking with "veiled precision". The idea enclosed within this is that the periods are "approximately exact". There is some merit in this idea. The 69 weeks of Dan 9:25, extending to the arrival of the Messiah, can be considered with varying degrees of exactness. Do we take an arrival date around the end of the 483^rd year as close enough, or does it have to be on the day the time expires, as some interpreters insist? Can we legitimately take it as being sufficiently accurate when the event occurs more than 68 1/2 "weeks" but less than 69 1/2 "weeks" along? To require that it match to the day puts impossible strains on the historical record. We simply do not have adequately accurate records for most of the events in question to verify them to the day. Further, to do so would be contrary to the way the Jews considered statements of time.

Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the crucifixion. Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon, lay in the tomb until Sunday morning, then rose. By western thinking, this is about 36 hours, or a day and a half. Yet Jesus said that he would be dead for three days.

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31

While the absolute time transpiring was substantially less than three complete days, it occupied portions of three days: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Therefore, by Jewish counting, including the first and last days, He was dead for three days. This way of counting is found throughout the Bible.

The "veiled precision" argument basically states that the time element is present primarily for its symbolic content. If this is true, then we should be able to determine it from scripture. If we do not find strong evidence for a primarily symbolic meaning, then we should assume that it is intended literally.

It is possible to propose time periods which have symbolic meaning only. These could be written in a way that uses ordinary descriptions of time, but when taken in context, are intended to make a symbolic point, rather than to refer to a particular period of time. But why would an all-powerful and all-knowing God say that a certain time should pass between events, then allow it not to take place? We should be able to see the symbolic intent in the context of the prophecy. If such a symbolic intent is not present, we should not try to create it by moving a period of time from the physical to the spiritual realm.

It is important to examine what time units are prescribed in the text. Daniel 9:24 uses "shabuwa" (7620) or "weeks" as its time unit. The NAS and KJV translate this as "weeks". The RSV calls it "weeks of years", and the Living Bible multiplies it out to simple years. The NAS and KJV are linguistically correct, while the Living Bible is also correct in its interpretive translation. On the other hand, Daniel 8:14 uses "'ereb boqer" (6153 1242) or "evenings/mornings". This is clearly a different description of time, and requires an understanding different from that in 9:24.

Finally, if we are faced with two interpretations of prophecy, unless the more complex one has compelling evidence for its correctness, the simpler one is correct. This is a rule of logic known as "Occam's Razor". While it has its origin in common sense, it seems reasonable to apply it here. Obviously, if there is scriptural evidence that the more complex answer is correct, then scripture is the final arbiter.