How To Interpret Prophecy (3)

By: Pak Hendrik Wieland

Prophecy is not an end in itself — it supports a more important goal.

God's primary purpose in dealing with mankind is to reconcile us to him, to give us salvation through Christ – and prophecy serves that larger purpose.

It tells us something about what God is doing, and it may also tell us something about what we should be doing.

Prophecy should lead us toward God, so that we know him, have faith in him, and seek him through Jesus Christ.

Prophecy a Poetic language
It is especially important to understand the type of literature we are dealing with, and this is where many of the difficulties come in.

Prophecy is not always written in the same way as history is.

Prophecy is often poetic, and ancient poetry, like modern poetry, uses words in a metaphorical or symbolic sense more often than prose does.

Psalm 23 is a familiar example of poetic metaphors, with pastoral imagery.

The Lord is my shepherd; he leads me beside still waters; my cup runneth over.

These are metaphors drawn from different aspects of life.

Psalm 18 is another interesting illustration, even though it isn’t prophecy.

In fact, it is a good illustration precisely because it is not a prophecy.

We know what really happened. It tells us in Ps.18:1 that it is about "when the Lord delivered David from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul."

Saul tried to kill David, but David kept escaping.

The psalm begins in a familiar way: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."