Interpreting Prophecy Inductively

 

 

Prophecy is difficult to interpret, I would agree. After years of seeking to understand it, the end result is that my interpretation differs from the mainstream by a large degree. How did I get to that point? Am I a heretic? No, I pursued understanding by inductively allowing the text to interpret itself, and allowing unfolding history to confirm it. Let me explain myself to help you understand.

First of all, what is inductive study. It is an investigative method of studying Scripture that allows the Bible to speak for itself. Sometimes it is very difficult to set aside preconceived notions and the baggage of what you have previously been taught. The inductive method makes observations on a passage of Scripture, reading it over and over. Eventually, you can begin to draw conclusions, determining the meaning of the text.

How did I engage the inductive study method to interpret prophecy? I can give you three principles that I followed. Mind you, I am looking in the rear view mirror. I did not have these methods in mind to start out. Early on, starting with seminary, I read all the standard books on eschatology. They all parroted one another, almost verbatim. And their presumptive, underlying foundation clearly stretched and contorted the intention of the Biblical writers. So, rule number one was this: put all those books in a big box and store them away, out in the garage.

The second principle was this: take the time and make it a discipline to “sit and think”. If you are not going to get your understanding and interpretation from other people’s books and podcasts, then where are you going to get it? From the Biblical text itself. You read it, and then you read it again, and then you sit and think. Maybe for an hour, maybe off and on for a week, maybe for several years. Here’s another way to view this principle: Know what you believe, but hold it lightly. My wife hates that axiom, but I love it. She thinks it sounds like a license for heresy. I think it provides an avenue for the Holy Spirit to shed light on Biblical interpretation. Don’t tell me you are a student of prophetic interpretation (or Biblical interpretation in general) if you are drinking water from a putrid cistern, rather than hiking up the mountain to drink living water flowing from a spring.

The third principle is this: history interprets prophecy. The interpretation you arrive at must align with unfolding history. History will not only confirm your interpretation, but sometimes it will bring light to an ambiguous prophetic vision that has eluded interpretation until that very moment in history. A case in point is the beast of Revelation. It depicts America as the final world ruling nation of the end times. Another example is the seven trumpets. They are warnings that have been sounding since World War 1, not judgments relegated to the fictitious seven-year Tribulation.

It is so frustrating hearing people say, “I look at the Scripture inductively and I see it quite differently than you do.” It’s frustrating because I know full well that they get all their interpretation from other preachers and books, not from the Bible --  the Bible alone -- like they suppose.

And there you have it, my tried-and-true methods for interpreting prophecy inductively. Give it a try for yourself.