special literary forms prophecy, poetry

SPECIAL LITERARY FORMSPROPHECY, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, AND TYPES

SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS PROPHECY, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, AND TYPES

• Prophecy• The interpretation of prophecy is a highly complex subject, not so much

because of disagreement regarding proper interpretive principles but because of differences of opinion over how to apply those principles. • In Scripture “a prophet is a spokesman for God who declares God’s will to the

people.” • Within the Old Testament are several categories of prophets. • The Former Prophets function within the historical writings of Joshua, Judges,

the books of Samuel, and the books of Kings and include such figures as Elijah and Elisha.• The remaining prophets for whom respective biblical writings are named are

called Latter Prophets and are additionally split into two categories: major and minor. The terms major and minor do not evaluate the importance of the various prophets but rather indicate the relative length of the prophetic writing.


• Prophets as Foretellers• Old Testament prophets predicted various judgments and blessings,

and their predictions concerned events in the future. • Example: Jeremiah spoke God’s message of destruction to Jerusalem

(Jer. 6), the city was still standing.• Predictive prophecy can serve a number of important functions. • It can bring glory to God by testifying to his wisdom and sovereignty

over the future. • It can grant assurance and comfort to oppressed believers. • It can motivate its hearers to stronger faith and deeper holiness (John

14:29; 2 Peter 3:11).


• The fulfillment of predictive prophecies involves three different time frames• prophet’s near future. Most often the prophetic word was fulfilled within

the nation of Israel. But from our perspective, many of these predicted events are now past events. The prophetic fulfillment has already occurred. Jeremiah’s prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem was fulfilled at the hands of the Babylonian army in 586 BC. For today’s interpreters, then, much of the interaction with prophetic texts involves looking backward rather than forward to identify the prophetic fulfillment. • The second time period of prophetic fulfillment is the messianic period. • Finally, other prophecy is eschatological and will be fulfilled in the end

times.


• Prophets as Forthtellers• Although today we typically use the word prophecy to speak of

foretelling future events, this is only one aspect of biblical prophecy. In Scripture foretelling was usually in the service of forthtelling. The pattern frequently was “in light of what the Lord is going to do [foretelling], we should be living godly lives [forthtelling].”

SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS PROPHECY, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, AND TYPESIssues in the Interpretation of ProphecyThe majority of evangelical scholars concur that the interpretation of prophecy starts with the procedures we have labeled as historical-cultural, contextual, lexical-syntactical, and theological analyses. Hermeneutical principles: Lexical-syntactical analysis would proceed as with other genres, with the recognition that prophecy tends to use words more frequently in symbolic, figurative, and analogical senses than do other genres. Theological analysis would ascertain how the prophecies fit into other parallel information in Scripture.Deeper sense: Is there an additional, deeper meaning in a prophetic text, a meaning intended by God but not necessarily by the human author? Some scholars say “yes”. Some say “no” and some say “may be but not to the fullest”. Example: Did Isaiah understand the prophecy of virgin birth.

SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS PROPHECY, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, AND TYPES• Literal versus symbolic interpretation: how much of prophecy is to be

interpreted literally and how much symbolically or analogically. Are Babylon, beast literal or symbolic.• The differences between literalists and symbolists are relative rather than

absolute, involving questions of how much and which parts of prophecy should be interpreted symbolically rather than literally.• In certain parts of prophecy some interpreters prefer an analogical

approach, a sort of via media between the strictly literal and the strictly symbolic. In this approach, statements are interpreted literally but then translated into their modern-day equivalents.


• G. B. Caird suggests six indicators to help identify when an author does not intend his words to be taken literally: • (1) the author makes an explicit statement to that end• (2) a literal interpretation is impossible• (3) a low degree of correspondence exists• (4) the imagery is highly developed, • (5) the author piles up multiple images • (6) the author uses original imagery• The context and the historical uses of the words are the best general guides

in making decisions concerning their use within a specific passage.


• Universality: whether a symbol means the same thing each time it is used. Some earlier writers tended to ascribe universal symbolic significance to certain numbers, colors, or items; for example, oil was always a symbol of the Holy Spirit, leaven always a symbol of evil. Probably the majority of contemporary evangelical scholars reject the notion of universal symbols but do accept the idea that there is a regularity in the symbolism of some biblical authors. • Conditionality: A fifth issue is how to distinguish between conditional and

unconditional prophecy. Conditional prophecy presents a scenario that may or may not ensue depending on the response of the people, while unconditional prophecy looks only to the faithful character of God as the basis for its realization.


• Single versus multiple meaning: prophetic passages have single or multiple meanings. Advocates of the multiple-meaning position use a variety of terms to describe their position, such as “double meaning,” “double reference,” “manifold fulfillment,” or “multiple sense.”


In place of the concept of multiple meanings, Payne substitutes the concepts of prophetic telescoping, progressive prediction, and developmental fulfillment• Prophetic statements occasionally telescope all three time periods. Prophetic

telescoping is best described with a comparison to the perception of a mountain range. When one views a mountain range from a distance, the peaks appear to be quite near to one another. However, on closer examination it becomes evident that wide valleys and many miles separate the individual peaks. When the prophets looked toward the future, they also saw things that appeared to them to be side by side, yet as the time of fulfillment approaches, significant gaps become visible. Thus “biblical prophecy may leap from one prominent peak to another, without notice of the valley between, which may involve no inconsiderable lapse in chronology.” The telescoping that sometimes occurred when prophets blended the first and second advents of Christ is an example of this phenomenon.


• Progressive prediction refers to the fact that although each prophetic passage has a single intended fulfillment, often a series of passages exhibit a pattern of chronological progress in the prophetic enactment. Thus passage A may tell us about certain events, passage B about the events immediately following them, and passage C about the culminating events of the series. The combination of these various passages forms a whole that can be identified as progressive prediction.


• A third concept of prophetic meaning, developmental fulfillment, refers to the realization of a generalized, comprehensive prophecy in several progressive stages. This is also referred to as sequentially fulfilled prophecy. An example is the Genesis 3:15 prophecy, which speaks in general terms of the bruising of Satan’s head. The progressive stages in the fulfillment of this prophecy begin with Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension (John 12:31–32; Rev. 12:5, 10), continue in the church (Rom. 16:20), and end with Satan’s imprisonment in the abyss (Rev. 20:3) and the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).


• Apocalyptic Literature• a word derived from the Greek apokalypsis (found in Rev. 1:1), which

means “uncovering” or “revelation.” Apocalyptic literature’s primary focus is the revelation of what has been hidden, particularly with regard to the end times.


• . Leon Morris identifies some of these features:1. The writer tends to choose a great man of the past (e.g., Enoch or Moses) and make him the hero of the book.2. This hero often takes a journey, accompanied by a celestial guide who shows him interesting sights and comments on them.3. Information is often communicated through visions.4. The visions often make use of strange, even enigmatic symbolism.5. The visions are often pessimistic with regard to the possibility that human intervention will ameliorate the present situation.6. The vision usually ends with God’s bringing the present state of affairs to a cataclysmic end and establishing a better situation.7. The apocalyptic writer often uses a pseudonym, claiming to write in the name of his chosen hero.8. The writer often takes past history and rewrites it as if it were prophecy.9. The focus of apocalyptic is on comforting and sustaining the “righteous remnant.”


• George Ladd sees the development of apocalyptic as the result of three main factors. • The first is “the emergence of a ‘Righteous Remnant,’ ” a minority

group, usually without substantial political power, who view themselves as remaining faithful to God while surrounded by those who are not. • A second is “the problem of evil.” As early as the book of Job, the

concept that God rewards the just and punishes evildoers had been recorded. How then could the righteous remnant reconcile the fact that they were oppressed by those much more wicked than themselves? • Third, “the cessation of prophecy” (recorded in the non-canonical 2

Baruch 85:3) created a spiritual vacuum: the righteous remnant longed for a word from God, but none was forthcoming. The apocalyptists attempted to bring a word of comfort and reassurance from God to the people of their day.


• Similarities between prophetic (foretelling) and apocalyptic literature:a. Both are concerned with the future.b. Both frequently employ figurative and symbolic language.c. Both emphasize the unseen world lying behind the action of the visible world.d. Both emphasize the future redemption of the faithful believer.

SPECIAL LITERARY FORMS PROPHECY, APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE, AND TYPES• There are a number of differences as well, including the following:1. The initial presentation of prophecy was usually in spoken form and was written at a later time. The initial presentation of apocalyptic literature was usually in writing.2. Prophetic utterances most often are separate, brief oracles. Apocalyptic literature is often longer, more continuous; cycles of material may be repeated a second or third time in parallel form.3. Apocalyptic literature tends to contain more symbolism, especially of animals and other living forms.4. Apocalyptic literature places a greater stress on dualism (angels and the Messiah versus Satan and the antichrist) than does prophecy.5. Apocalyptic literature primarily comforts and encourages the righteous remnant. Prophecy often castigates the nominally religious.6. Apocalyptic literature is generally pessimistic about the effectiveness of human intervention in changing the present. Prophecy focuses on the importance of human change.7. Apocalyptic literature was usually written pseudonymously. Prophecy was usually written or spoken in the name of its author.


• These distinctions are matters of degree and emphasis rather than absolute differences. Exceptions can be cited to each of them; however, most conservative Bible scholars would agree with the distinctions• Apocalyptic sections do occur within the canonical books, most

notably in Daniel (chaps. 7–12) and in Revelation. There are also apocalyptic passages in Joel, Amos, and Zechariah. In the New Testament, Jesus’ Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24–25 and parallels) contains apocalyptic elements.


• variety of positions theologians hold with regard to the end times.• Premillennialism is the theory that Christ will return before the millennium (pre-millennium).

He will descend to earth and set up a literal one-thousand-year earthly kingdom with its headquarters in Jerusalem.

• Postmillennialism is the view that through evangelism, the world eventually will be reached for Christ. There will be a period in which the world will experience joy and peace because of its obedience to God. Christ will return to earth at the end of the millennium (post-millennium).This view lost popularity during the first half of the twentieth century.

• Amillennialism is conceptually a form of postmillennialism. The millennium in this theory is symbolic and refers to the time between Christ’s first and second coming, not to a literal one-thousand-year period. During this time Christ rules symbolically in human hearts. Christ’s second coming will mark the end of the period. Some amillennialists believe that Christ will never have an earthly rule, even symbolically. For them the millennium refers to Christ’s celestial rule in eternity.

• the majority of evangelical Christians today identify themselves as either premillennialists or amillennialists.


• The English word type is related Greek word typos.• The basic ideas expressed by typos and its synonyms are the concepts

of resemblance, likeness, and similarity. • David Baker provides a solid general definition identifying a type as “a

biblical event, person or institution which serves as an example or pattern for other events, persons or institutions.” A typological relationship exists between an initial event that through divine inspiration foreshadows a corresponding event occurring at a later time in salvation history.


• Example: John 3:14–15, where Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Jesus points out two corresponding resemblances: (1) the lifting up of the serpent and of himself, and (2) life for those who respond to the object lifted up.


• Typology is based on the assumption that there is a pattern in God’s work throughout salvation history. God prefigured his redemptive work in the Old Testament and fulfilled it in the New; in the Old Testament are shadows of things to be more fully revealed in the New. The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, for example, demonstrated to Old Testament believers the necessity of atonement for their sins; these ceremonies pointed forward to the perfect atonement to be made in Christ. The prefigurement is called the type; the corresponding figure is called the antitype.


• Types are similar to symbols and can even be considered a special kind of symbol. However, there are two differentiating characteristics. • First, symbols serve as signs of something they represent without

necessarily being similar in any respect, whereas types resemble in one or more ways the things they prefigure. For example, bread and wine are symbols of Christ’s body and blood; the seven golden lampstands (Rev. 1:20) are symbols of the churches in Asia. • Second, types point forward in time, whereas symbols may not. A type

always historically precedes its antitype, whereas a symbol may precede, exist concurrently with, or come after the thing it symbolizes.• Typology is also to be distinguished from allegorism


• Characteristics of a Type• Three primary characteristics of types can be identified. • First, “there must be some notable point of resemblance or analogy”

between the type and its antitype. Adam and Christ• Second, “there must be evidence that the type was appointed by God to

represent the thing typified.” There is some disagreement among scholars regarding how explicit God’s declaration must be.• Third, a type “must prefigure something in the future.” Antitypes in the

New Testament present truth more fully realized than in the Old Testament.• Jesus used persons in the Old Testament as types of himself (David,

Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jonah) or of John the Baptist (Elijah); he refers to Old Testament institutions as types of himself and his work (the priesthood and the covenant);


• In summary, then, for a figure to be a type there must be (1) a notable resemblance or analogy between the type and its

antitype, (2) evidence that the type was appointed by God to represent the

thing typified, and (3) a future corresponding antitype.

special literary forms prophecy, poetry

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