How To Interpret Prophecy (9)

By: Pak Hendrik Wieland

We should interpret the Bible by asking, What did the writer mean?

He may have intended a figurative meaning.

Of course, to understand the figure of speech or the metaphor, we must first understand what the words mean literally.

But we cannot arbitrarily reject all other possibilities.

Unfortunately, there is no simple formula to tell us which words are literal and which are symbolic, and even if we know the word is symbolic, there is no formula to tell us what the symbol means.

That is why Bible prophecy is interpreted in many different ways.

Although we'd like to have an answer for every Bible question, we should say "We don't know'' more often.

"Some of us think this way, and some of us think that way.

I understand how you got your view, and I might happen to disagree with it, but I cannot prove that my view is the only way of looking at it."

This is the approach our statement of beliefs takes on several issues.

Because of the ambiguities that are inherent in prophecy (probably by God’s design), differences of opinion will exist, even among converted Christians.

On such matters, we should not be dogmatic, and none of us should insist that the church teach our particular view.

On many debatable issues, the church need not teach any view; it is not essential to Christian discipleship or to our commission.

May you walk in the confidence that what God is going to do in your life today will make this day the blessed of days.

The best is yet to come. When God is on your side, no enemy can confound you nor defeat you.

Therefore, rejoice that you are the church triumphant.

Rejoice that you are His and that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life