January 28, 2019January 28, 2019 by Dr. Roy Lucas

SIX CONSIDERATIONS AN INTERPRETER NEEDS TO MAKE …

Like it or not, if you read, you are an interpreter.

The context of the sentences and paragraphs guide the interpretation you make. For example, the word, “bolt.” What picture pops into your mind?

Left to itself, you might imagine at least 3 ideas. But used in the context of a sentence, the meaning is clear.

“The mechanic tightened the bolt.”

“The lightning bolt struck the plane.”

“The dog bolted out the door when it heard the bath water running.”

SIX CONSIDERATIONS CAN GUIDE OUR INTERPRETATION OF A BIBLICAL PASSAGE:

CONSIDERATION 1: YOUR PREUNDERSTANDINGS

Preunderstandings contain the ideas we may impose on the text before we study the text serious. We may be aware of some preunderstandings, but not others. Every encounter the reader experiences with the text adds to this preunderstanding: Sunday School lessons, sermons, Bible studies and a myriad of other possible experiences.
Admittedly, some experiences involved true understandings of the text, while others may not be true.

Kevin Vanhoozer warns about assuming our preunderstandings are always true as he calls it pride. This kind of pride “encourages us to think that we got the correct meaning before we have made the appropriate effort to recover it. Pride does not listen. It knows. Click to Tweet ”[i]

Preunderstandings often spring from theological agendas. Assuming that you know what the passage means because you have studied it in detail is dangerous. Familiarity may breed contempt for a passage already studied. Truths may be overlooked. Additional warnings need to be uttered in relationship to a culture that believes it knows what Jesus would do.

Preunderstandings stand at the cusp of changing every time a passage is examined. The goal is to improve one’s comprehension each time the text is studied.

CONSIDERATION 2: YOUR BASIC CONVICTIONS

Without question basic convictions remain important to the interpreter. Unlike preunderstandings, these beliefs will not change each time we read a passage. Basic convictions are not tied to one passage but are gleaned from the entire Bible. The student could list several of these non-negotiables which are connected to beliefs towards the Bible. J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays offer these for our consideration:

1.The Bible is the Word of God. Although God worked through people to produce it, it is nonetheless inspired by the Holy Spirit and is God’s Word to us.

2.The Bible is trustworthy and true.

3.God has entered into human history; thus, the supernatural (miracles, etc) does occur.

4.The Bible is not contradictory; it is unified, yet diverse. Nevertheless, God is bigger than we are, and he is not always east to comprehend. Thus, the Bible also has tension and mystery to it.[ii]

CONSIDERATION 3: YOUR AIM IN INTERPREATION

The aim of the interpreter rests on finding the intended meaning of the text. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart rightly state, “the most important ingredient the interpreter brings to the task is enlightened common sense. The test of good interpretation is that it makes good sense of the text. Correct interpretation, therefore, brings relief to the mind as well as a prick or prod to the heart.” [iii]

The interpreter needs to remember that discovering a “new” or “unique” meaning which no one else ever saw is not the goal of interpretation. This may border on pride where the interpreter attempts to find what all other interpreters throughout history failed to discover. Indeed, the interpretation may be unique to the one who sees or hears it for the first time, but it not an new and improved meaning.

CONSIDERATION 4: YOUR TRANSLATION

Have your read the preface to your favorite and trusted translation? Why not? Many readers fail to understand that their favorite Bible translation is, in reality, someone else’s interpretation of the original languages. The reader needs to understand the complexity of translations. There is no one word in the original language which can be translated in every context as the same word. Even the Greek word, kai, or “and” can mean, “and, also, indeed, and but” as well as many others, depending on the context.

“A Bible translation, or version, is a scholarly attempt to render the stories and thoughts of a people from ancient cultures who spoke ancient languages into a modern language that is spoken by people who live in very different, contemporary cultures.”[iv]

Have you asked yourself, “Is my translation a literal translation or is it a dynamic translation? That is, “Did my translators seek to stay as close to the literal word order of the Hebrew and Greek texts or did they seek to do an idea for idea translation?” James Moffatt, a Bible translator said, “A real translation is an interpretation.” [v]

CONSIDERATION 5: THE GENRE OF YOUR LITERATURE BEING STUDIED

The interpreter must be aware of the literary types found in the Bible based on formal and technical criteria apart from the author of the text, provenance, and subject matter. Texts are placed in categories based on literary conventions called, genre.

The Hebrew Old Testament major genres include historical narratives, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom literature. The Greek New Testament genres can be classified as gospel, epistle and apocalyptic. Each of these may include sub-categories. For example, narrative may touch upon parable, fable, short story, and saga.

CONSIDERATION 6: THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE PASSAGE

The interpreter should explore the historical context behind the passage. This differs from book to book. Research the time and culture of the author as well as his intended readers. What geographical, topographical, religious, economic, and political situation did the author and readers live? How might those areas touch upon the intended meaning of the author? The intended purpose should be sought as well, if possible to discover.

Related to the historical context is the literary context. The interpreter recognizes that words make sense in sentences. But more than that, they make sense in relationship to the sentences and paragraphs before and after them. “The most important contextual question you will ever ask – and it must be asked – is, “What is the point?” The goal is to trace the author’s train of thought.”[vi]

If the interpreter considers these six facets of interpretation with each text under study, he or she will be further down the road to a clearer understanding of that passage.

Can you add other considerations I did not mention? Leave a comment with your ideas and a once sentence summary of what you mean by your consideration.

[i] Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Jr. Is There a Meaning in This Text? The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 462.

[ii] J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, Grasping God’s Word, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 145.

[iii] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, (Grand Rapdis: Zondervan, 2003), 18.

[iv] Michael J. Gorman. Elements of Biblical Exegesis, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 40.

[v] Ibid., 35.

[vi] Fee, How to Read, 27.

December 23, 2018December 22, 2018 by Dr. Roy Lucas

A NEW GOLD RUSH – WHO WILL STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

A NEW GOLD RUSH – WHO WILL STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

Awake from his nap, Jason peered over his rusty, battle scared metal coffee mug. Jason watched the six hundred gold miners feverishly dig pot holes into the sandy and gravel bed of the creek. Each miner searching for easy gold. It is September 1851. Jason sat on his log chair on the edge of the shoreline in the bend of an old creek near Balarat, Australia. He had heard that the old miners deemed this spot, “Golden Point.”

Jason reflected over the holes he personally had dug. Most of his holes seldom reached a depth of more than three feet before hard clay was encountered. How frustrated Jason felt as contemplated moving to another area to dig yet another three-foot hole in search of that elusive gold. His meager tools consisted of a pan, a cradle and a puddling trough. Most of his miner friends as well as himself barely scratched out a mere half an ounce of gold a day – if they were blessed.

Jason, like hundreds of other miners before him, abandoned claim after claim here at Golden Point. Every direction Jason’s eyes scanned, pot holes stretched across the horizon. He pondered on the thought, This hard clay NEVER produces gold. To reach the hard clay was to reach the end of the search for easy gold in this location.

Rumors had flooded the camp the evening before and most of the miners broke camp heading for richer fields. More and more claims lay abandoned until the old bend in the creek. Jason thought it looked like a cemetery where someone forget to fill in the graves.

Jason was startled from his day dream by his older brother, John. “Dig deeper! Today, we must dig deeper! We have to dig deeper than anyone else ever has! I believe the best gold lays at the bottom of this stubborn clay.”

These hopeful admonitions of John’s broke the early morning stillness. The Cavanagh brothers vowed over the last evenings late supper of warmed beans that they would dig deep for gold. As far as they knew, no other miners before them had been bold enough to dig through the hard clay. John and Jason theorized that century’s old rich gold lay below in an old creek bed.

The brothers selected an abandoned claim and began to dig the hard clay. The Cavanagh brothers dug with abandon. Inch by inch the brothers dug, only to find another inch of hard clay. The brothers dug through blisters and through blood. Jason wondered if all this effort would pay off or if the other miners would be correct? Would there be no end to the hard clay?

Jason and John admitted they had dug the first day without a hint of reward. The second day, the brothers determined to keep digging as more miners left the Golden Point area for those richer finds upstream. Some miners laughed and mocked the Cavanagh brothers for their persistence in digging the hard clay so deep.

With resistance like two tug of war teams pulling a rope in opposite directions, the clay put up a ferocious fight. But the hard clay continued to slowly yield its hard contents as John and Jason repeatedly dug and rested. First John would dig, then Jason dug. The process repeated itself so many times the brothers lost count.

As the sun began dropping behind the horizon on the second day, and after two back breaking days of digging the hard clay, the brother reached between 6 and 7 feet. The Cavanagh brothers dared not stop because of dark. Somehow, innately they knew they were about to hit pay dirt. They dug until their lights died.

Finally, exhausted, John and Jason forced themselves to try to sleep. Sleep proved to be elusive to Jason. His mind could not escape what he hoped to see on the third day. In the early light of dawn, the brothers surveyed their work and prayed this day would be the day gold would be theirs. Sore and fatigued the boys went back to excavating. Shortly, Jason stopped digging. He hit something. It was a gravel layer. He lowered his light into the hole so he could see better. He spied it. A large cache of gold. He yelled for John.

Jason and John Cavanagh victoriously walked into Geelong, Australia on September 20, 1851. The brothers both carried saddlebags filled with 30 pounds of gold. News spread as far as Adelaide and Hobart in a very short time. Every able-bodied man hurried to the Golden Point to dig through the hard clay. Jason and John were set for life. Digging the hard clay proved worth the effort and the ridicule.

How about today’s believer and the book of Revelation? What about you?

The gold of Revelation may be like digging in the hard clay, but the rich rewards await the faithful, diligent, and tenacious interpreter. Gold can be found in the most difficult places.

“Dig deeper! We must dig deeper! We must dig deeper than anyone else if we want to unearth the gold of God’s Book of Revelation!” (click to tweet)

The tools we need to dig the riches of God’s gold from Revelation include REMEMBERING the historical context and READING with purpose and awareness.

REMEMBER THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE REVELATION

THE EARLY CHURCH’S EXPERIENCE

Early Christians experienced a growing and intensifying persecution for their faith (Revelation 1:9). Specifically, the Ephesian church endured suffering and hardship (Revelation 2:3). Even the church at Smyrna stayed faithful through slander and adversity (Revelation 2: 9-10).

In the city of Pergamum, Antipas, a faithful believer died for his faith. The church with little strength, Philadelphia, stayed faithful to Christ and did not renounce His name (Revelation 3:8).

John, the Apostle, mentioned the faithful martyrs who were slain because of the Word of God and their testimonies in Revelation 6:9. Revelation rehearses the frequent deaths of the saints (Revelation 13; 16:5-6; 17:6; 18:24, 19:2 and 20:4).

THE ROMAN EMPEROR DOMITIAN’S RULE

The Roman Emperor Domitian (A D 81 – 96) appears to begin this persecution against Christians. Roman historians, Pliny, Tacitus and Suetonius describe Domitian as “savage, cruel, devious, sexually immoral, mad, and evil.”

Suetonius states that when his brother Titus fell seriously ill, Domitian ordered the attendants to leave him for dead before Titus breathed his last breath. Suetonius continues to paint a demented picture of Domitian as he says that he would stay in his room alone for hours and often would catch flies only to stab them with the needle-sharp pen.

Pliny the Younger, (ca AD 61-113) describes Domitian’s palace:

[It is the] the place where . . . that fearful monster built his defenses with untold terrors, where lurking in his den he licked up the blood of his murdered relatives or emerged to plot the massacre and destruction of his most distinguished subjects. Menaces and horror were the sentinels at his doors . . . always he sought darkness and mystery, and only emerged from the desert of his solitude to create another (Pan. 48.3-5).

Pliny continued to describe Domitian in his Panegyricus 33.4:

He (Domitian) was a madman, blind to the true meaning of his position, who used the arena for collecting charges of high treason, who felt himself slighted and scorned if we failed to pay homage to his gladiators, taking any criticism of them to himself and seeing insults to his own godhead and divinity; who deemed himself the equal of gods yet raised his gladiators to his equal.

Domitian demanded to be called dominus et deus noster (our lord and god). For a believer to refuse to say words of loyalty and allegiance to the emperor was equal to treason. This brings trouble. He built a huge temple dedicated to himself at Ephesus.

Christians suffered at the hands of Roman Emperor Domitian, partly due to a misunderstanding related to the practices of the Christian faith. Christians were misunderstood and vigorously rooted out. All a Christian needed to do was to worship the pagan gods and the imperial cult to be freed. Some Christians did just that.

Others refused to recant their faith in Jesus Christ. All a suspected Christian had to do to escape horrible treatment, and maybe, death, was to sprinkle a few sands of incense in the eternal flame burning in front of the statute of the emperor. Those who refused might be burned alive, killed by lions in the arena or crucified.

THE PURPOSE OF REVELATION AS HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Revelation presents those facing such futures with a brighter future and a realistic world view. Revelation stresses the need for believers to gain an eternal view of the world. It presents the reader with the opportunity to worship the true God with his host in heaven. It helps the reader see suffering as triumph in light of the future glories presented by the Lord of heaven.

Revelation is seen as comfort to Smyrna and Philadelphia who experience suffering now. It stands as a warning to the churches of Thyatira and Sardis, churches that are already dead. The judgments found in Revelation come as invitations for the world to repent.

SEVEN STEPS TO READING REVELATION WITH PURPOSE AND AWARENESS

Seek to set aside your preconceptions, presuppositions, and preunderstandings.

Preconceptions, presuppositions and preunderstandings color and possibly taint what we believe the biblical passage to mean. Often, the reader uses these without any awareness or evaluation of them. Always be willing to read the text afresh and recognize that your former understandings may need to be altered or deleted. Retain a teachable spirit and mind. Let the Word have supremacy in interpretation.

2. Strive to understand the passage as the first readers understood the passage.

Never is the goal to understand what the text means to you! John’s intended meaning is the goal of your study. Refuse to ignore those first Christians and the setting in which they lived. Begin with the question, “What did John, the apostle, intend for his first readers to understand?” While parts of the book do gaze into the future, remember that you, the interpreter, must see that future meant to Revelation’s first readers. How would they have understand Revelation’s message?

3. Resist the temptation to put everything into a tight chronological order.

Remember Revelation’s purpose is to transform the first reader’s worldview from one of the temporal world to God’s eternal rule. Thus, Revelation will not always fit tightly into a chronological line. Sometimes the picture maybe compared to a telescope. The first part allows for a certain object to be brought into focus. The second extension shows more detail than the first extension while the third extension provides greater detail than either the first of the second.

Read Revelation 6:12-17 and the sixth seal account. This seal culminates with the great day of judgment. When the seventh seal is opened (Revelation 11:15-19), the end of the world is in focus again with the judging of the nations. Additionally, the first bowl in Revelation 16:1-2 shows another set of judgments. Revelation 19-22 presents another detailed picture of end time judgments. Thus, more specific information is gained from each extension of the telescope.

4. Separate what is intended literally and what is intended symbolically

As always, John’s intended meaning is key. John uses pictorial or symbolic language to convey historical reality. This implies that pictorial language needs not be literal. The genre of symbolic language needs to follow that genre.

Would you literally expect to see a woman sitting on seven hills if you read Revelation 17:9? Why not? We take the symbol seriously, but not literally. First century believers naturally took it to refer to Rome.

5. Seek to correspond John’s definition of an image in one place with subsequent places.

Two clear examples include John’s reference to the son of Man in Revelation 1:17 which is Christ and in Revelation 1:20 the golden lampstands are the churches. The reader needs to note these clear definitions. When Revelation 11:3-4 refers to lampstands again, it seems natural to understand that as referring to a church as well.

A Word of caution – be aware that John uses precise definitions with some images and he is fluid with other images. Check out his usages of star in Revelation 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1 with 8:10-12 as well as 22:16.

6. Study the Old Testament with its corresponding historical context and symbols.

How can the modern reader ever figure out what the various symbols refer to if John did not provide the correct definition? Two answers are available for the reader. One has been covered earlier with the historical context. The second is the Old Testament.

While Revelation possesses NO DIRECT Old Testament quote, it does contain more Old Testament references that any other New Testament book. The Old Testament shows up in almost 70% of Revelations verses (Craig S. Keener, Revelation, NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 33. The four major Old Testament books are Psalms, Daniel, Isaiah and Ezekiel.

7. Separate the main idea from the surrounding details.

The basic strategy to understand Revelation is to begin with the big picture and work towards the details. This is just opposite the normal manner of biblical interpretation. Locate the major theological ideas of Revelation and write them in one succinct sentence. Keep the main point of the section in view always.

Now, if you had not understood the need for hard, persistent, and consistent work in understanding Revelation, you should now. Revelation will yield its rich gold when the interpreter persists through the hard clay. Remember the first century world context and the seven steps to reading Revelation.

What is your preferred manner to interpret Revelation and why?

November 3, 2018November 4, 2018 by Dr. Roy Lucas

CAN YOUR GOD SAY MORE THAN ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’?

THE JEWEL OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY

The ancient Greeks yearned for a single word from their gods. Fearing they may upset or displease their gods, some Greeks journeyed long distances and faced dangerous or rough terrain. Expending large sums of money for a simple, “yes” or “no ” from their god proved to be the experience of many Greeks.

The fickle nature of their gods might cause a god to hurl a lightning bolt from the sky or to turn the person into something like a tree. The Greeks thought, “How wonderful it would be to have a message from the gods.” Understanding that a few gods answered questions about life, some Greeks searched for oracles, that is, persons or places where the gods spoke to men.

The most important ancient oracle as Apollo’s at Delphi. The second most important was the oracle of Dodona. which worshiped the god, Zeus. This oracle held the unique distinction of being the oldest of all the oracles.

Greek tradition teaches that two black doves flew from Thebes and each place where the two doves landed, oracles were established.

Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, recorded the tradition that the two doves were two women sold into slavery. Both women were worshipers of Zeus and established places of worship, hence the oracles originated.

More specifically, the black dove landed in an oak tree and spoke that the sanctuary of Zeus was to be built at Dodona in northwestern Greece.

(Zeus, the god, with lightening in his hand).

Many Greeks sought advice from Zeus expecting an answer to their questions. Your questions had to be asked with the expected answer of yes or no.

The worshiper journeyed to Dodona and wrote the question on a tablet. Zeus answered through the rustling of leaves or doves which the priests or preistess interpreted and delivered the message to the worshiper: a “yes” or a “no.”

As you read about this fascinating practice of pagan worship, you can hopefully see how desperate humanity was and is to hear from a god. Men willingly expended large sums of money to just get to the oracle. Imagine how long the Greeks waited for a simple, yes or no.

Aren’t you thankful our God, the God of the Old and New Testament, who clearly revealed Himself and His will in his word? Our God has spoken and recorded for us his Word and his will! We merely need to read and study His revealed Word which goes beyond a mere “yes” or “no.”

How many believers is the study of prophecy almost as hit and miss as going to an oracle?

Let’s look at the jewel of prophecy this week.

INTRODUCTION TO THE JEWEL OF PROPHECY

When we speak of the prophetic books of the Old Testament, we note there are four “major” prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah-Lementations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Twelve prophets are termed, “minor” prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. We need to notice that “major” and “minor” have nothing to do with importance of the messages but focuses on the length of the books. The “major” prophets writings contain more content.

While it might be hard to fathom, the Old Testament prophets by themselves claim as many pages in the Bible as the New Testament by itself.

Thus, the study of the prophets ought to be diligently undertaken by a serious student of the Bible.

WARNING! – When measuring the difficulty of understanding a biblical genre, the prophetic writings move to center stage. Understanding biblical prophecy proves problematic because no similar genre exists in English literature. While the language of the prophet may seem bizarre and strange, there are principles to help guide us through this genre.

TAKE NOTE: only a small percentage of the major and minor prophetic works focuses on the future. Most of the prophetic materials illustrate the disobedience and judgment falling upon Judah and/or Israel.

In their book, Fee and Stuart write that “Less than 2% of the Old Testament is messianic. Less than 5% specifically describes the new covenant age. Less than 1% concerns events yet to come in our time.” (Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.” 3^rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).

THE JEWELS SURROUNDING THE PROPHET and PROPHECY

The Old Testament uses prophet and prophecy in a broad sense. On the basic level – the prophet was one sent by God with a message or prophecy – that is, a word from God, Himself. Thus, the agent or messenger is the prophet and his message is the prophecy.

INTERPRETATION GUIDELINES FOR THE JEWEL OF PROPHECY

DISCOVER THE BOOK’S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, DATE AND AUTHOR.*

Locate the intended recipient of the message.
Establish the date of the message.
Who is the prophet and what can be discovered about him from the book and other literature?
How were the original recipients to respond to the message?

DISCOVER THE LITERARY CONTEXT.

Most modern translations include paragraph markers which help set off the immediate passages before and after your passage.
Use the chapter headings and the subheadings to assist you with discovering the general subject of the paragraphs.
Using more than one translation may add to your general overview of the passage.
Where the translations differ, you will need to investigate why.

DISCOVER THE AUTHOR”S USE OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Prophecy is characterized by emotive statements involving judgment, suffering, anguish, pain, deep desires and festivity.
Prophecy often expresses itself with flowing images and larger-than-life language.
The interpreter may encounter this language set off in Hebrew poetic meter. This may be set off by large amounts of white space.
Remember if the writer desired his work to be interpreted literally, then we need to follow the literal interpretation. Likewise, if figurative understanding was intended by the author.
Be aware that the Hebrew language of the Old Testament is more figurative than most of us are used to reading.

DISCERN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONDITIONAL AND UNCONDITIONAL PROPHECY

Realize that prophecies may directly state God’s unchangeable purposes (Gen 12:1-3; Gal 3:15-18).
Understand that prophecies may contain conditional promises or warnings (Jonah 3:4).
Explore the nearby statements for context to be sure whether the unchangeable purpose of God or the conditional promises are intended.
Jeremiah 18:7-10 provides a sample of prophetic condition, with the idea of national judgment and blessing:

⁷At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it. ⁸However, if that nation about which I have made the announcement turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. ⁹At another time I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it. ¹⁰However, if it does what is evil in my sight by not listening to me, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it.

Realize that conditional prophecy shows the mysterious way of a sovereign, omnipotent and omniscient God who interacts with humanity.

DISCOVER WHAT THE INSPIRED AUTHOR INTENDED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE ORIGINAL AUDIENCE BEFORE TRANSFERRING THE MESSAGE TO OUR TIME.

Differentiate of specific and unrepeatable events from outlines of God’s dealing with humanity.
For example, God is not fickle, but repeated is explained to be faithful to Israel, even when they play the harlot.
Consider the church may fail in its obligation to speak the truth of the Gospel but Jesus promised to build His church and no one or nothing can prevent that from happening (Matt 16:18).

DISCOVER WHETHER THE PREDICTIONS ARE FULFILLED OR UNFULFILLED

Sometimes it is difficult to determine if the eschatological prophecy was fulfilled in the past or not.
In that situation turn to the New Testament and let it be the determining factor.
Expect New Testament writers to explain that an Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in novel ways as the passage finds its final meaning in Jesus and the Church.

SUGGESTED HELPS FOR THE JEWEL OF PROPHECY:

Archer, Gleason L . A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody

Press, 1994.

Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman. An Introduction to the Old Testament.

Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand

Rapids: Zondervan: Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Harrison, R. K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969,

reprint, Peabody, MA: Prince (Hendrickson), 1999.

Perterson, D. L. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction (Louisville: Westminster John

Knox, 2002.

Sanday D. B. Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the language of Biblical

Prophecy and Apocalyptic. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Westernmann, C. Basic Form of Prophetic Speech. Louisville: Westminster John Knox,

1991.

Check out previous blog posts:

Stringing Pearls From Poetry – can it be done?

Wanted: Diamond Miners – apply inside

There’s God in Them, There Biblical Narratives

Treasure Hunters Wanted –

If you find this information helpful, let me know how it helped. Thanks

TruthTravelers

Overcoming the distances of time, geography, language, culture and genres in biblical interpretation

Category / Biblical Prophecy

SIX CONSIDERATIONS AN INTERPRETER NEEDS TO MAKE …

Like it or not, if you read, you are an interpreter.