Ezekiel’s Cry: The Misuse and Abuse of Figurative Interpretation – KAU#183 Pt 2

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PART II:
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-EZEKIEL’S CRY: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF FIGURATIVE INTERPRETATION
-The Bible Teaches the System of Literal Interpretation
-The Biblical Principles of Literal, Prophetic Interpretation
-Interpreting Symbols in Literal Interpretation
-Conclusion
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EZEKIEL’S CRY: THE MISUSE AND ABUSE OF FIGURATIVE INTERPRETATION

Ezekiel 20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak PARABLES?

2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto FABLES.

The word “fables” means “fiction.” It is one thing to enjoy holy, profitable allegory, such as in “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” It is another thing to stubbornly turn from the truth and believe make-believe! There are numerous ways that this is occurring in these last days. Some examples include adding apocryphal or non-canonical books to the Bible, embracing the Book of Mormon, replacing inspired Scriptural principles with the fictitious ramblings of atheists disguised as science, etc. Another application of this prophecy in 2 Timothy 4 would be the modern, unhealthy practice of indulging in novels and fantasy in an intemperate fashion, while neglecting inspired Scripture, doctrinal books, and life-changing biographies. However, there is another way that many Christians are abusing fiction. It is through the wrong use of figurative interpretation.

The tendency among a majority of modern interpreters of the Bible is to spiritualize everything away from its most simple, common meaning. To them, nothing is literal today. Everything is an allegory. We are to believe that Hell-fire is figurative, the Kingdom of God is symbolic, the Bible is figurative, etc. Nothing is tangible and practical. This enables people to embrace ear-tickling doctrines and escape responsibility. This is nothing new. Philo and Origen adopted the practice of extreme allegorical interpretation in the first few centuries of the Christian era. How often I have heard, “Oh that is JUST a parable,” as if the warnings in parables are not literal, or as if the revealed INTERPRETATION of a parable is parabolic still! The cry of the prophet Ezekiel therefore applies to much of modern Christianity. Many are heaping to themselves smooth-talking teachers in order to escape the fear of God, accountability, and doctrinal commands:

Ezekiel 20:48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.
49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

Bible prophecy is not limited to dragons, beasts and earthquakes. It includes anything and everything that God says He will do in the future. Therefore, the Judgment Seat of Christ, rewards, accountability, or in short, God’s promises and warnings, are all a part of Bible prophecy. If our system or manner of interpretation is wrong in regard to prophecy, it will be wrong in regard to interpretation in general. If the “thousand years” in Revelation 20 are allegorical, why not Hell or the commands for women to submit? This is not as large a jump as one might imagine. Anyone who has done much street witnessing knows that a common justification for sin is, “The Bible is not supposed to be interpreted LITERALLY.”

For example, the Theosophists were heavily involved in 19th century feminism (Besant, etc.). To these feminists, the Bible was filled with nothing but epigrams, enigmas, symbols and allegory. They rebelliously “explained away” all Bible commands that are against their agenda by teaching that they are only misunderstood “allegories.” The Unitarians and liberals used the same technique. It is used today by cults, liberals and infidels of every stripe and color. Therefore, denying the system of literal interpretation has serious ramifications and consequences. We must therefore be a witness against this rebellious interpretation of Scripture. But we must not continue to wait for the numerous twigs and branches to spring forth. We must cut down this system at its root. This is why the figurative interpretation of Bible prophecy must be reproved. It leads to the figurative interpretation of all of God’s commandments!

The Bible Teaches the System of Literal Interpretation

What is often called “literal interpretation,” is derived from noticing how Scripture interprets its own prophecies. Notice the following prophecy:

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after SEVENTY YEARS be accomplished at BABYLON I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

In this prophecy, “seventy” meant seventy, “years” meant years, and “Babylon” meant Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:21)! Also, the numerous fulfillments of Old testament prophecy noted by the Holy Ghost in the Gospels also reveal to us that prophecies are meant to be understood literally. Notice just a couple of these:

Micah 5:2 But thou, BETHLEHEM Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Matthew 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In BETHLEHEM of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

In the above prophecy “Bethlehem” meant Bethlehem! It was not a symbol or a figure.

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding UPON AS ASS, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Matthew 21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find AN ASS tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

In the above prophecy, “riding” meant riding, “ass” meant ass, and “colt” meant colt!

Certainly, these examples alone should cause advocates of “figurative interpretation” to abandon ship. Yet, sadly, the Bible predicts that the majority of people will turn aside in the last days and embrace fables (fiction) instead of sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:4). When literal truths are replaced by the figurative fancies of men, the interpretations become “fabulous.” Yet, literal interpretation, while at first it might appear incredible, is always vindicated by time! Robert Govett’s commentary on the Book of Revelation (“The Revelation of St. John Literal and Future”) in 1843 is an example. His interpretations of various prophecies are no longer incredible. Israel has been restored as a nation, there is talk of rebuilding the temple, and Babylon is currently being rebuilt!

This does not mean that those who embrace the system of literal interpretation will be entirely free from the danger of error. Many people at the time of Christ (influenced by the Pharisees and scribes) interpreted the Scriptures literally. Yet, they erred by not fully investigating the life of Jesus:

John 7:41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
43 So there was a division among the people because of him.
52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

It was obviously pride that caused these people to refrain from further research into the matter. Although people may still err with literal interpretation, it is nevertheless the correct system. Our Lord Himself, though He rebuked the hypocrisy, inconsistencies, and added traditions among the Pharisees, nevertheless approved of their literal interpretation over the figurative system of the Sadducees (Matthew 23:1-3). There is much misunderstanding concerning “literal interpretation.” It is therefore necessary to list the following principles. While it may not be totally complete, it will nevertheless serve as a guide in explaining literal interpretation, and helping people to understand the Bible’s prophecies.

The Biblical Principles of Literal Prophetic Interpretation

1. Often prophecies have only ONE LITERAL fulfillment, with no other figurative or literal applications. We may glean devotional applications from any prophecy or Scripture. But this should not be confused with a fulfillment of prophecy. Sometimes there is only one literal fulfillment of a prophecy.

2. Often prophecies have TWO LITERAL fulfillments: one near and contemporary, and the other in the far future. In this type of prophecy, sometimes some details literally find fulfillment in the near future, or the far future, but not in both. Yet, the general prophecy is nevertheless fulfilled literally in both events. An example of this is found in the prophecy of the destruction of the Jewish temple in Mathew 24. It did have a partial LITERAL fulfillment in 70 A.D. Yet, many details remain to be LITERALLY fulfilled. There will therefore be a future literal fulfillment. Current events are setting the stage for this final fulfillment. Another example (that has already been fully fulfilled literally in BOTH parts) is found in Isaiah 7:

Isaiah 7:4 And say unto him [Ahaz], Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.
7 Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
22 And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

This had a partial, literal fulfillment in Isaiah 8:3-4. A literal woman (not a woman representing a city, etc.) brought forth a son:

Isaiah 8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

However, it also had a FINAL LITERAL fulfillment concerning the words “virgin” and “Immanuel” in Matthew 1:22-23. A true, literal virgin brought forth the Messiah! Neither fulfillment (near or future) was symbolic. However, some details only applied to the final literal fulfillment, and not to the near fulfillment. Notice another example of this type of duo-literal prophecy:

2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

This prophecy was literally fulfilled in the near future by Solomon. It will be fulfilled in the Millennium by Jesus, who was born of the seed of David. Some details of the prophecy (verse 14) do not apply to Jesus since He was sinless. Yet, both Solomon and Jesus are of the seed of David and did or will build the temple. But it will only be through Christ that His kingdom and throne are established for ever. It is my belief that this type of duo-literal prophecy has been greatly neglected by interpreters, especially in the Book of Daniel.

3. Sometimes prophecies have at least THREE fulfillments. They have a literal fulfillment in the near future, a figurative fulfillment in the far future, and a final literal fulfillment (exhausting all details) in the far future. An example of this is found in the destruction of Babylon in Isaiah 13, etc. It had a near LITERAL fulfillment. It will have a future figurative fulfillment in Rome (Revelation 17). And it will again have a final, future LITERAL fulfillment (Revelation 18, etc.).

4. Often prophecies have a FIGURATIVE fulfillment in the near future, and a LITERAL fulfillment in the far future. One example of this is found in the prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah in Malachi 4:5. John the Baptist was a secondary, spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy (Luke 1:17, Matthew 17:12). However, Jesus stated (after John was beheaded) that Elijah would still come in the future (Matthew 17:1). Notice another example of this type of prophecy:

Matthew 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a GREAT LIGHT: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the FIGURATIVE light that Jesus Christ (as the light of the world) brought to these people whose understanding was darkened through sin (Ephesians 4:18). Yet, there will be a literal fulfillment at the Second Coming and the resurrection, when Jesus will shine with LITERAL light (Revelation 1:16, etc.) and rule the nations of the earth, throughout the Millennium and eternity (Revelation 21:23).

Out of all the prophecies of the Old Testament that the Bible specifically STATES were fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus (for example see Matthew 1:22-23, 2:4-5, 15, 8:16-17, 21:2-5, 27:9, 35, John 13:18, 19:28, 36), Matthew 4:16 is the only one with even a slight figurative fulfillment! The virgin conceiving, the son out of Egypt, the healing of infirmities, the Messiah riding upon an ass, the parting of the Messiah’s garments and casting of lots, the thirty pieces of silver, etc. All of these had a LITERAL fulfillment! The prophecy in Matthew 4:16 is one of the only prophecies with a figurative fulfillment, and there is no proof that it will not ALSO contain a final, literal fulfillment at the end of the age.

Interpreting Symbols in Literal Interpretation

Many prophecies indeed often utilize symbols (“women” representing “cities” in Revelation chapters 12, 17, 21, etc.). But the interpretation of these symbols will always be literal. Here is where many go wrong! The revealed interpretation of a parable or vision cannot be symbolic! Furthermore, many things in prophecies which would at first “seem” (Proverbs 14:12) to be obviously symbolic, are later interpreted by the Holy Ghost to be literal (see the many examples in the Gospels). This teaches us that much caution should be used before interpreting things in prophecies as symbols. There should be a contextual reason to take something as a symbol (such as an interpretation of the symbol provided by an angel). Also, if it is ABSURD to take something in a prophecy as literal, then we may see it as a symbol. (The Roman Catholics, in their masses, may pretend that they take the words of Jesus literally when He said the bread was His body. Yet, this is only while the bread has not been chewed, swallowed, digested and purged!) However, even here caution must be exercised. Isaac Newton was sure it would be absurd to think that all men around the world could literally see the dead bodies of the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 lying in the streets of Jerusalem. Yet, with the invention of satellite television it is no longer absurd! Therefore, as advocates of literal interpretation, we admit the use of symbols and figurative language. We decry the abuse and misuse of symbolism:

“The Literalist (so called) is not one who denies that figurative language, that symbols, are used in prophecy, nor does he deny that great spiritual truths are set forth therein; his position is, simply, that the prophecies are to be normally interpreted (i.e. according to the received laws of language) as any other utterances are interpreted – that which is manifestly literal being regarded as literal, and that which is manifestly figurative being so regarded…. The terms properly expressive of the schools are normal and mystical.”
-E.R. Craven (1824-1908)

In the Gospels, the prophecies said to be LITERALLY fulfilled by the Holy Ghost far out-number any figurative fulfillments. Furthermore, figurative, partial fulfillments, when they can be proven to exist, do not prohibit a future, literal fulfillment. Based on this evidence, the prophetic principle discovered by hundreds of prophetic interpreters in history, if anything, is not stated strong enough:

“In all interpretations of Scripture the literal sense is to be preserved and chosen, unless there is evident cause to the contrary.”
-Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667)

“Literal wherever possible.”
-Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

“Literal unless absurd.”
-Robert Govett (1813-1901)

“‘If the literal sense of a passage gives simple common sense, seek no other sense. Take each word in its original, common, simple sense, unless plain facts from the context demand another sense.’ Neglect of this law leads to uncertainty, confusion, and arbitrariness. But if this law be observed and rightly applied God’s Word unfolds itself as a harmonious and connected whole.”
-Erich Sauer (1898-1959)

Conclusion

1. The first step is to always attempt to hold everything as literal. If it seems absurd, is it still absurd when God’s POWER and time is added to the equation (Matthew 12:24)?

2. If there are obvious contextual reasons to interpret something in a prophecy as a symbol, we must look in the book where the prophecy is found for the interpretation of the symbol, and then take that interpretation literally.

3. If the interpretation is not found in the same book, we must look in another book of the Bible. But we are never permitted to invent our own private interpretation.