Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with a moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today, I would like to challenge you to think through the issue of how do we interpret biblical prophecy? How do we interpret biblical prophecy? Now, that may seem a little obvious to most people.

Well, you read it, and then you tell us what it means, right? Well, there's a little more to it than that. And I'm afraid that is a very important issue in the life of the church today that many, many people have neglected, and they assume that because they read it and interpret it in the way and the style that they've been taught, that that's the way it is. When in reality, there are very specific rules for interpreting what we call apocalyptic. Yes, that literature in the Bible, the letters, prophecies that are laid out by the biblical writers, all fit a particular style of writing.

And every style of writing, which is called genre, every style of writing or genre has its own particular rules by which to interpret that literature. And we went over those a little bit last week, so I won't tell you, go over those again and repeat them. But there are particular rules for interpreting apocalyptic, and many of those are ignored by today's interpreters. And this has been increasingly frustrating for me as a Bible student, as a pastor, and as somebody who has studied apocalyptic literature for years now. There are many in our world who consider themselves to be experts at interpreting Bible prophecy.

They've maybe downloaded a few videos off the internet, and they've graduated from what I call YouTube University. And perhaps they've downloaded some very exciting and the graphics are getting better and better with these videos, aren't they? Perhaps they've downloaded a few videos on the Great Tribulation. Boy, that lends itself so well to graphics, doesn't it? To YouTube videos with dragons and antichrists and seven-year tribulations with all of the outcomes that that entails.

So there are many experts out there who have graduated from YouTube University, and I call them apocalypse astrologers because they have a whole stack of then Bible text tarot cards. Bible text tarot cards. And they will do a reading for you on Bible prophecy at the drop of a hat. And they will sound oh so expert and oh so smooth in their presentations, and they'll turn over perhaps a card, a Bible text tarot card with rapture. Oh, that's always a popular one.

The rapture is in your future, and you can have a Bible text tarot card reading done on your life maybe they turn over another card with the temple. Oh, that's a very popular one too. A little bit more obscure perhaps, because indeed Israel will soon rebuild the temple, what's called the Tribulation Temple. That's the Tribulation Temple Bible text tarot card. And on and on we could go.

Where you have a prophetic reading done for you by this graduate of YouTube University, this apocalypse astrologer. Well, I'm being a little facetious here because I've seen this for years and years and years now, ever since 1976 when I first read Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth. And these apocalypse interpreters, these apocalypse astrologers, have been doing these kinds of Bible text tarot readings now for decades and decades and decades. And still, the church goes on, though. And this is my point, is that the church continues to build.

The church continues then to take dominion over the world that Christ has claimed since his resurrection and ascension into heaven. And the gates of hell, we are promised, will not stand against us. That's a very aggressive and offensive in terms of offense and defense. We are meant to be offensive in our taking of ground for the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom. And the literature, a prophecy, assures us this.

Consequently, we say that indeed there will be a time of glory and peace and salvation and renovation of the earth prior to Christ's return. That makes us post-millennialists. That is the millennium, that time of peace and grace and salvation and prosperity will happen before Christ's return. And Christ will accomplish this through his church. And so we call ourselves post-millennialists.

And we are having a midweek Bible study, New Geneva, Orthodox Presbyterian Church is having a midweek Bible study in which we are studying this particular position of post-millennialism. And we're doing that at Leo's Place in Idaho Falls at 7 p.m. on Thursday nights. And we invite you to join us and to hear perhaps this perspective. We've also been comparing and contrasting with a variety of other views. And we've been looking at the different rules for interpreting apocalyptic literature, for interpreting biblical prophecy.

And there are rules for doing this. And we went over the first three last week, and we'll go through the other seven here today as well. And I'll quickly go over the first three we covered last week. Number one, apocalyptic by its very nature reveals spiritual realities through the text. Spiritual realities.

The text was not meant to be interpreted literally. Apocalyptic by its very nature spiritualizes the text. We saw this in some detail last week. So don't let your Bible teachers tell you that you need to interpret prophecy literally. That's exactly the wrong method.

Number two, apocalyptic mostly uses numbers symbolically, not literally. Once again, highly symbolic literature is apocalyptic. And so even the numbers then are generally used symbolically. And we went over that in some detail too. And I refer you to our last week's message on this topic for further explanation of that.

Number three, apocalyptic uses vivid, imaginative, and sometimes bizarre metaphors to portray contemporary, that is near and soon to be fulfilled, historical realities, not far-off future events. Yes, the audience to whom the Apostle John was writing in Revelation, for example, was that first century audience, not the audience in 2001, 2002, no, no, 2023, no. It was written first and foremost to them. It doesn't mean that we can't apply it. It doesn't mean that there isn't a rich trove of meaning there for us.

It's just that that first meaning, that first audience was John's contemporaries. Okay, number four then. And we come now to rule number four for interpreting apocalyptic, and that is apocalyptic or Bible prophecy uses the tool of recapitulation in order to return to or revisit previous themes that have been articulated to further expand those themes and develop them. Number four, apocalyptic uses the tool of recapitulation. That's maybe a new word for many of you, but indeed it means you go back to a previous theme and you expand upon it and you flourish it and grow it maybe a little bit more than you did at first.

And that happens in Revelation, for example. In Revelation chapter six, verses one and two, we see this where John says, now I watched when the lamb opened one of the seven seals and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, come. And I looked and behold, a white horse and its rider had a bow and a crown was given to him and he came out conquering and to conquer. Yes, that is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ beginning then to take his kingdom as those seals are broken. Well, recapitulation says that theme is taken up and developed even further later in the work.

And that's precisely what happens in Revelation 19, beginning at verse 11, where we see, then I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse. The one sitting on it is called faithful and true and in righteousness, he judges and makes war. And then that of course goes on to develop the theme of Christ conquering over the forces of evil and taking dominion over his inheritance. Well, that theme is first laid out back in chapter six. The wording is almost the same.

Behold, right? A white horse in both chapter six and chapter 19. That's the essence of recapitulation. It isn't a straight line narrative as so many literalists have it. No, no, no, no, no.

In the very nature of prophetic literature, in the very nature of apocalyptic, this idea of recapitulation, where you go back, you circle back, if you will, and you revisit a theme you've laid down already and you expand it and develop it even more. So do not let your prophetic teachers tell you that Revelation is a straight line narrative. It's not. It has the feature of recapitulation, for example. Okay.

Rule number five for interpreting apocalyptic, for interpreting Bible prophecy. Number five, apocalyptic uses the technique of oscillation to move from between heaven and earth to show that God knows and controls what goes on, although it may not be apparent to us on earth at the time. The technique of oscillation in interpretation, that is, we go back and forth between heaven and earth. For example, in Revelation chapter four, verses one and two, where John says, after this, I looked and he's on the island of Patmos. At this juncture in chapter four, he's on the island of Patmos.

And what happens is, after this, I looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the spirit and behold, a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. A classic example of oscillation. And this will happen throughout the book of Revelation, where the prophet John and thus we, the audience, as a consequence, are taken between heaven and earth, back and forth we go.

But the purpose of this technique of oscillation is to let us know that God in heaven sees precisely what's going on in earth. In fact, he has ordained what transpires on earth, and he has ordained it first and foremost, priorly, because he has declared it in heaven to be so. And what he declares to be so in heaven will indeed take place on earth. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And the technique of oscillation in apocalyptic literature enables that for us.

And even as we see in Zechariah 4, example, another example of this idea of oscillation in Zechariah chapter four, the prophet Zechariah is taken into heaven. Verse one says, the angel who talked with me came again and woke me like a man who was awakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, what do you see? I said, I see and behold a lampstand, all of gold with a bowl on top of it. And he goes on to describe his vision.

But oscillation, the idea that one, a prophet perhaps is taken back and forth between earth and heaven. And we as an audience, consequently, get to see what's going on both in heaven and in earth. And that is a very great comfort for those being persecuted, for that first audience of John's, which was indeed being persecuted. So the technique of oscillation is very vital to apocalyptic. And don't let your teachers tell you otherwise.

Number six, rule number six, apocalyptic uses the device of an angelic guide to help us interpret what we see and hear as he guides the author through the vision. And we see this all the way through then Bible prophecy, where an angelic guide is indeed accompanying the prophet. We see it in Daniel chapter 12, for example, where Daniel says, then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others stood, that is two angels, one on this bank of the stream, and one on that bank of the stream. Of course, those angels then guide Daniel through the closing of that prophecy.

And then in Revelation chapter 21, the great climax of the book of Revelation, we see in verse nine, then came one of the seven angels who had been, who had had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues. And he spoke to me saying, come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb. And of course, that angel then guides him through that closing vision of the consummation of all things in Revelation chapter 21 and 22. So, an angelic guide helps us interpret what we see and hear in prophetic literature, in apocalyptic.

Rule number seven, the first audience, this is so important, dear listener, and it's neglected by so many modern teachers. The first audience of apocalyptic is that contemporary reader to whom the author wrote, whose culture and life circumstances he shares, not some far-off future reader with whom he does not share these things. That's a very important rule, being neglected and ignored by so many today. Isn't it? We see that time and time again by contemporary Revelation apocalypse astrologers with their interpretive tarot cards, if you will.

Yes. For example, all through Revelation, the Apostle John tells us that these things are soon to happen, that these things will transpire very soon. And of course, we see that they do time and time again. Written then to that first audience. In Ezekiel, for example, Ezekiel chapter 1, in the 30th year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Kabbalah, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

Indeed, he was writing to the exiles of Israel in the Kabbalah. And again, he says in chapter 3, I came to the exiles at Tel Aviv, who were dwelling by the Kabbalah canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. So his visions were first given to that first audience, not to some prophetic YouTube graduate 2,000 years later. No, that first audience was to him. And then we also see, for example, in the book of Zechariah, in the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Bechariah, son of Edu, saying, the Lord was very angry with their fathers.

Therefore, say to them, that is the fathers, thus declares the Lord of hosts, return to me. So that prophetic revelation, that prophetic literature, those prophecies were first given to the first audience, not to some apocalypse astrologer who can't wait to lay out his Bible text tarot cards for you. No. Number eight, rule number eight for interpreting apocalyptic literature, prophetic literature, apocalyptic often concludes with the end of all things and the commencing of the eternal state.

Yes, the apocalyptic literature, the prophetic literature, one of its styles, one of its methods, one of its modes is to end their prophecies with the end of all things, end times, if you will. Even though the prophecy is addressed to contemporary audiences as a matter of style, as a matter of form, they often end with the end of all things. Daniel 12 is a classic example. The book of Daniel, the revelations of Daniel, were written to that first audience of exiles who were in Babylon about the future, about the near future, it was.

But as a pro forma, as a matter of style, he ends with Daniel chapter 12 with the end of all things, where he says, at that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charges for people. There shall be a time of trouble such as never been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above. And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. Okay. So apocalyptic literature often then ends and concludes with the end of all things. Revelation 21 and 22 are classic examples of that.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Indeed, revelation ends with the conclusion of all things. So rule number eight, apocalyptic often concludes, even though it hasn't dealt with it, perhaps through the rest of the prophecy, apocalyptic often concludes with the end of all things in the commencing of the eternal state.

Rule number nine, in interpreting apocalyptic, interpreting prophetic literature, which I dare say most of modern teachers neglect and ignore these 10 rules I've been going over with you. Well, rule number nine, apocalyptic has as one of its major motifs, the warfare between good and evil. That is the struggle of God and his faithful with Satan and his minions. Indeed, that battle is between good and evil. And it's a major theme throughout apocalyptic literature.

And we see that, for example, in Revelation chapter 12, verses 7 through 17, where we hear, now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent who was called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him.

Yes, dear listener, that's one of the major motifs then of apocalyptic literature is that there is warfare between good and evil and apocalyptic helps to account for that. Rule number nine. Okay. Rule number 10. And with this, we conclude rule number 10.

Apocalyptic has, as one of its major motifs, the everlasting and eventual dominion of God's kingdom over all of creation. Yes, as we saw in Revelation chapter 6, our Lord Jesus Christ, after his ascension, indeed goes out to conquer, to take charge of possession of his creation, of his inheritance. And he's been doing it for 2,000 years now because apocalyptic unfolds for us as one of its major motifs, the eventual dominion of God's kingdom over all creation. Zechariah 14, the conclusion of Zechariah tells us, for example, and the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day, the Lord will be one and his name one.

A great declaration, is that not, of God's eventual taking dominion of all of his creation? Daniel chapter 2 tells us the same thing with the great stone from heaven. In the days of those kings, Daniel 2 tells us, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end. And it shall stand forever, just as you saw, that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broken pieces, the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold.

A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure. Indeed, the day is already underway. And that is one of the major tenets of post-millennialism is that the day is already underway, where God is indeed conquering and establishing his kingdom. That stone, which is indeed God's kingdom, which a prophecy of Christ and his kingdom is already taking dominion over all of creation.

Revelation, the church sings in Revelation chapter 15. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Christ is now the King of the nations. He is ruling with a rod of iron, and he will smash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, as the psalm says.

And he's doing that right now, and he's been doing it for the last 2,000 years, dear listener. That is a major premise, then, of the post-millennialist. And I urge you to give ear to what we have to say, because for the last 2,000 years, the church has been flourishing and growing. There have been setbacks, but with every step backwards, there's two steps forward. And God is taking dominion over his creation.

Don't be myopic and only see today's headlines. Take the long view, because God has promised that he will take dominion over all of his creation before he returns, and he'll do it through his church. He won't do it. It's not as if man is going to do this. That's a criticism often put to us.

It's not that man is going to take dominion. No, God is taking dominion through his church. He's using us. And the church has flourished and grown 1.4 billion adherents in the world. It's gone from just a few handful of disciples scared in the upper room to a magnificent church claiming the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is continuing to take dominion and improve and grow and flourish.

Just one example from history, the poor Bishop Telemachus, who bravely stepped out of the stands into the gladiatorial games in order to stop the butchering and the murder and the bloodshed. He was struck down by one of the gladiators to the cheers of the crowds until they fell silent and realized what they had done, what they had been cheering. From the death of Telemachus, the emperor canceled the deadly gladiatorial games, and the world was a better place. Bit by bit, little by little, the church is taking dominion over all the world, and they will continue to with missions and with evangelism and with the blood of the saints.

It's the blood of the saints and the word of their testimony, John tells us in Revelation, that is indeed taking dominion of the world, and it will continue. And I just urge you to come and visit us at our midweek Bible study. We are doing this at Leo's Place on Thursday night at 7 p.m. Come and join us. It's been a great fellowship, a great time of laughter and enjoyment, as well as serious study. So bring your family, come individually if you want.

Leo's Place at 7 p.m. on Thursdays. We look forward to seeing you. And we also meet for Holy Worship, New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We meet for Holy Worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And you can call us for more information or more feedback, too.

Perhaps you want to give me a little feedback on this. Perhaps you disagree. That's okay. We can disagree agreeably. And call us at 208-523-0196. Call us for more information or feedback at 208-523-0196.