How To Interpret Prophecy (7)

By: Pak Hendrik Wieland

Since we have to look at the picture before we look at the details?

The details are simply artistic license used to support the picture of peace, which is the context of Micah 4:3-4.

The details are like those in a photo of happy people.

The photo can be representative of happiness, but we don't expect every detail to be representative.

Sitting at home may illustrate peace and abundance, but those details are not required for peace and abundance.

As another example, Isaiah 40:3-4 says that the mountains will be brought low and uneven ground will be made level.

Literally, this would mean that there will be no hills. However, Luke 3:4-6 implies that this prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist.

Luke understood it figuratively, in a very non-literal way. He was not talking about mountains and roads at all.

Due to the way New Testament writers present Messianic prophecies, some readers may think there has been a "literal'' fulfillment.

But a comparison of Old Testament context and New Testament fulfillment sometimes shows a major shift in meaning.

In fact, it may be that the original verse in the Old Testament wasn’t a prophecy at all – it was just fulfilled, or given greater meaning, in the life and ministry of Christ.

Joel 2:28-29 predicted God's Spirit on "all flesh'' and dreams and visions, but Peter said that this was fulfilled on Pentecost, when there weren’t any dreams and visions (Acts 2:16-17).

Nevertheless, Peter said that Pentecost was a fulfillment of the prophecy. He did not press the details very far, and neither should we.

Their understanding of fulfillment is different from the concept many people today have.

Let’s look at an example from the book of Revelation: Does Christ have a literal sword in his mouth (Revelation 19:15), or does it metaphorically mean words of war?