How to Interpret Prophetic Passages: Four Different Views with Important Consequences
How to Interpret Prophetic Passages:
Four Different Views with Important
Consequences
Sermon Tape # 53,
Sunday December 3, 2000
(see suggested reading list & related sermons
at:
http://www.soulcare.org/articles_bible_exposition.htm )
Four Different Perspectives: (Preterist,
Historicist, Mythacist, Futurist)
(I believe the evidence best supports
the futurist view.)
** Keep in mind the fact that what
each of these views believe about the prophecies in the Revelation, also applies
to the parallel prophecies found in the rest of Scripture (Isaiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Zechariah, Matthew 24; etc.).
I. Preterists:
Believe all or most of Revelation was fulfilled in the past.
Past
(Revelation is interpreted as literal history, but of the past not the
future.)
II. Historicists:
Believe Revelation is a general overview of church history.
Present (Revelation is interpreted symbolically, regardless of the
context)
III. Mythacists: Believe
Revelation is just a spiritual picture of good vs. evil.
No Time (This view is a generic variation of the historical view.)
IV. Futurists:
Believe Revelation 4-22 will be fulfilled in the future.
Future (Literally, except as the context demands a symbolic
understanding.)
* The futurist simply uses the normal method of interpretation used for all human language.
This chronograph of the four views is an adaptation of one developed by Dr. Tommy Ice. It helps to visually see how each view interprets the Revelation and parallel prophecies according to time.
A more detailed examination of the four views:
I. Preterists:
Believe all or most of Revelation was fulfilled in the past.
Past
(Revelation is interpreted as literal history, but of the past not the
future.)
The preterists believe that all or most of the events of the Revelation were fulfilled in the past, and refer to the first century persecutions of either Nero or Domitian. They believe the book was written before AD 70 and the destruction of the Jewish temple by the Romans, and that its purpose was to encourage Christians. Some are "full preterist", who believe that all of the Revelation was fulfilled in the past, and others are "partial preterist".
This view requires some great leaps of assumption to fit various prophetic statements into the past. Note what Jesus says about the time following the "abomination of desolation" spoken of by Daniel, when the Anti-Christ will proclaim self-deification. Matthew 24:21-22 "'For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened."'
Jesus said this time would be the worst persecution of Jews ever to occur, yet the holocausts of both Hitler and Stalin surpassed that of Nero and Domitian both in quantity as well as quality of suffering. Also, never in human history has man been capable of destroying "all flesh", until today with the presence of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction. If preterism is true, then the plain and simple statements of Jesus were wrong. Few modern preterists would say that Jesus erred, so they must claim that Jesus did not mean what He so clearly said.
The preterists also often fail to recognize the many "double fulfillments" common to prophetic passages, in which one prophecy describes two events separated by vast time spans. Preterist agree that double fulfillments exist. For example, they accept that when Jesus stood and read the scroll of Isaiah before the religious leaders of His day (Luke 4:17-21), He only read half of Isaiah's sentence, because His first advent as the suffering servant would only fulfill that first half of the prophetic statement. The second half would be fulfilled at His second coming in power and glory to rule over the earth, so Jesus stopped mid-sentence. The book of the Revelation reveals the culmination of many similar double prophecies in its portrayal of the final days.
II. Historicists:
Believe Revelation is a general overview of church history.
Present (Revelation is interpreted symbolically, regardless of the
context)
This theory and method of interpretation assumes the Revelation (and related prophecies elsewhere in the Bible) are being fulfilled during the present church age, from apostolic days to the end. Yet the very name of the book and its claimed purpose present it as an unveiling, not a hiding or obscuring of truths.
The subjective method of interpretation used by historicists opens the door to an unlimited number of possible meanings for the "symbols" found in the same prophetic passages. For example, the very same passages could be interpreted to be the rise of Islam or the rise of the Roman Catholic church. Such a subjective process is not an unveiling, but in practical reality a form of guaranteed confusing of the Body of Christ.
Historicists believe Revelation was written primarily to edify, exhort, and encourage Christians, not Jews. Most do not see national Israel as a future focus of God's plan to reveal His glory to the World.
III. Mythacists:
Believe Revelation is merely a spiritual picture of good vs. evil.
No Time (This view is a generic variation of the historical view.)
This theory is often called the "Spiritualist", "Historical-Spiritualist" or "Idealist" perspective, and assumes that Revelation and parallel prophecies are referring to no real time chronology. It's a variation of the "Historical" theory. I think of this view as the "Mythacist" perspective, because it unwittingly reduces the Revelation to a vague and mystical allegory that merely portrays an ageless battle between what is holy and what is unholy. As a result, the Revelation is presented as a mere myth, not an unveiling of future events as the book actually claims. For example, some holding to this view believe that the two beasts in the Revelation symbolically refer to imperial and provincial Rome, rather than individuals. Daniel 2 and 2 The 2 and other parallel passages clearly and consistently present these "beasts" as individuals who will head the first and final, global dictatorship.
Mythacists believe Revelation was written primarily to edify, exhort, and encourage Christians, not Jews. Most do not see national Israel as a future focus of God's plan to reveal His glory to the World.
IV. Futurists:
Believe Revelation 4-22 will be fulfilled in the future.
Future
(Literally, except as the context demands a symbolic
understanding.)
* The futurists simply use the normal
method of interpretation accepted for all human language.
Therefore, the statements are seen to be literal, unless the context forces a symbolic interpretation. Even then, the symbols represent real events, real people, and real nations in the real world, plainly laid out in real time frames of real chronological order.
This normal method of interpretation is able to take the many prophecy puzzle pieces from throughout the Bible and put them together in a coherent and obvious chronological order. The result is a beautiful picture of His-story. It is the story of our awesome and sovereign God, who proves His authorship of His Word by proclaiming the future and then bringing it to pass (Isaiah 41-48).
Futurists believe Revelation and other last days prophecies across Scripture are written to convict, guide, and encourage primarily Israeli Jews during the tribulation, who will believe in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and the World. They recognize that many Gentiles during the Tribulation will also come to believe that Jesus is Messiah. Futurists, therefore, see a clear distinction between national, ethnic Israel, and the Church which is the Bride and Body of Christ.
Important doctrinal consequences depending on the view:
* Is the Church a replacement for national Israel, or are they distinct?
Please see the sermon notes for Gen 15, for a detailed outline of the evidence.
http://www.soulcare.org/Genesis15v1-21.htm
* Should we submit to secular government or try to dominate it?
Please see the following articles:
Rule of Law: The Cure for America's Election Confusion, and for Its Many Dysfunctional Pseudo-Churches
© God's Way Home: Humble Hypotasso (The Way of The Son 1 Cor 15:27-28)
Safety Under God's Hand of Authority: The Backbone of all Relationships
The Luciferic Lie: Global trends toward a pyramid of centralized power. The making of a new, international "Tower of Babel", apart from God and His authority.
Why Government Can't Save You: An Alternative to Political Activism, by Dr. John MacArthur. This important book will challenge you to choose a truly biblical response as the world turns increasingly toward global governance and universal spirituality. Beware of the fleshly tendency to demand our rights, rant and rail at lost sinners, instead of presenting the humble, heart of holy love that is the character of Christ.
* Is Christ's return premillennial,
postmillennial, or amillennial? (Many variations)
Amillennialists:
Believe that there is no literal 1,000 year millennium. (Jay E. Adams, G. C. Berkouwer, Louis Berkhof, William Hendricksen, Anthony A. Hoekema, Abraham Kuyper, Bruce Waltke, Edward J. Young.)Postmillennialists:
Most believe that there is no literal 1,000 year millennium. Postmillennialists also believe that Christian influence on the world will gradually make it better and better, with Christ finally returning to a Christianized world. (Athanasius, Augustine, Greg L. Bahnsen, John Calvin, Rober Lewis Dabney, John Jefferson Davis, Jonathan Edwards, Eusebius, Kenneth Gentry, A. A. Hodge, Charles Hodge, J. Gresham Machen, Iain H. Murray, John Murray, Gary North, John Owen, R. J. Rushdoony, W. G. T. Shedd, R. C. Sproul, Augustus Strong, B. B. Warfield.)Futurists: (Two Kinds - Historical Premillennialists & Dispensational Premillennialists)
Historical Premillennialists:
- Rapture and second coming simultaneous; Christ returns to reign on earth.
- Resurrection of believers at the beginning of the Millennium. Resurrection of unbelievers at the end of it.
- Judgment at the second coming, judgment at the end of the tribulation.
- Postrib view: Church goes through the future tribulation.
- Millennium is both present and future. Christ is reigning in heaven. Millennium is not necessarily 1,000 years.
- Some distinctions between Israel and the Church. Israel will have a future, national role, but the Church is now spiritual Israel.(W. J. Erdman, M. J. Erickson, Frederic Godet, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, George Eldon Ladd, Papias, Tertullian, R. A. Torrey.)
Dispensational Premillennialists:
- Second coming in two phases: Rapture for the church; physical return at least seven years later.
- Distinction in resurrection: Church at the rapture, OT/Trib saints at second coming, unbelievers at the end of the millennium.
- Distinction in judgments: Believers' work at the rapture, Jews/Gentiles at the end of the tribulation, unbelievers at the end of the millennium.
- Pretrib view: Church is raptured before the future tribulation.
- At the second coming, Christ inaugurates a literal, physical 1,000 year millennial reign on the earth.(Gleason Archer, Donald G. Barnhouse, Paul Benware, Lewis Sperry Chafer, J. N. Darby, M. R. DeHaan, Charles Feinberg, Norman Geisler, Harry A. Ironside, Walter Kaiser, Hal Lindsey, John MacArthur, Jr., Chuck Missler, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, John F. Walvoord.)
* Will the Church be raptured before, during, or after the Tribulation?
Pretribulation Rapture: The belief that the church will be removed before the time of "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer 30:7; 1 The 4, etc.), because that time is primarily for "Jacob", not the Bride of Christ.
Midtrib Rapture: The belief that the church will go through the first half of the seven year Tribulation, but will be raptured before the "Great Tribulation" (the last 3.5 years).
Posttrib Rapture: The belief that the church will go through all of the seven year Tribulation.
Return to articles from "The Bible: One Bite at a Time" -
Biblical Prophecy: A Jigsaw Puzzle with Pieces Throughout the Bible