INTERPRETING THE PROPHETIC WRITINGS Lesson 11 for March 14, 2009

HOW TO INTERPRET THE PROPHETIC WRITINGS? Understanding the message the autor wanted to transmit to the original audience. Analyzing the time and place where the message was written. Studying the context in the Biblical text. Studying that topic in all the other prophetic writings. Applying the message spiritually. EXEGESIS HOMILETICS

THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE We must know what the original audience understood when they received the message.

Example How did the Laodiceans understood the message John wrote down in Revelation 3:14-21? MESSAGE INTERPRETATION In 60 AD, Laodicea was devastated by an earthquake, but Laodiceans rejected Neron’s help because they were very rich. You are rich… but you should buy gold. Laodicea was well-known for the black wool to make black garments that they exported. Buy white garmets. Laodicea was well-known for the Phrygian poder for the eyes and the medicine school. Buy eye salve.

TIME AND PLACE In order to properly understand a text, we should keep in mind the time and the circumstances that surrounded the original writer.

Does God condemn eating raisin cakes? “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.’ ” (Hosea 3:1) Example In the time of the last kings in the Northern Kingdom (Israel), the people offered raisin cakes to Baal to receive his blessings when they thought that god had moved away from them. So raisin cakes were synonymous with idolatry. The raisin cakes were not actually the problem, but idolatry was.

THE CONTEXT In order to understand a text, it must be read with its greater context, understanding what’s been written before and after that text.

Is that what Jesus meant? Example “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ ” (Matthew 19:21) According to that verse, we should sell everything we have and give it to the poor in order to be perfect. Is that what Jesus meant? If we read the context (Matthew 19:16-30), we’ll understand that Jesus told that to a young man who loved his riches more than God. Jesus was saying that we must love Him more than our possessions; that’s how we should understand this quote.

All passages must agree with the rest of the Bible on specific topics. THE WIDER CONTEXT All passages must agree with the rest of the Bible on specific topics.

Example “And when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 49:33) Some people use quotes like this one to state that we go to Heaven to meet our ancestors after we are dead. When we study the rest of the Bible about the state of the dead, we understand that we don’t go to Heaven just when we die. The expression “gathered to his people” is a Hebrew metaphor for dying (like we studied in last week’s lesson; see Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5-6)

APPLYING THE MESSAGE When preaching (homiletics), we may apply the text in a different way it was originally intended, unlike when studying doctrine or preparing a Bible study (exegesis).

Example Abraham The Father Isaac Jesus Eliezer The Holy Spirit Rebekah A preacher is preparing a sermón on the plan of Atonement. He may apply the history of Isaac and Rebekah like this: Abraham The Father Isaac Jesus Eliezer The Holy Spirit Rebekah The Church God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to the Earth to prepare a Church that will be carried to Heaven as Jesus Christ’s wife.

The same interpretation methods we use for the Bible must be used to Ellen G. White’s writings. In the next slides there are several principles from George R. Knight’s book Reading Ellen G. White. These principles can be used as a guide to understand the truths God has revealed through the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy’s writings.

Begin with a positive attitude. Every study must begin with prayer, asking for guidance and understanding. We must set preconceived ideas and every disbelief aside. Focus on the main topics. As Christians, we should keep our focus on the main topics in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy’s writings, instead of just studying secondary topics. Consider the communcation issues. When studying inspired writings, the historical and literary context must be considered. Depending on who was supposed to read the message, it may be meant to be understood in different ways.

Study all the information available about a topic. Read as many quotes on the topic. Our interpretation must be in harmony to all her writings. Avoid extreme interpretations. We must avoid extreme interpretations and understand the message in a balanced way when reading Ellen White. We must read the advice on any topic from all the possible perspectives. Study every quote within its literary context. It’s important to understand the literary structure of her writing when reading them.

Understand Ellen White’s concept on ideal and real. Ellen White differentiated God’s ideal plan from the reality of our situation which sometimes requires adapting that ideal. Therefore, it’s important to not take only her “strongest” quotes and try to impose them to everyone. Use common sense. She was worried about people taking an inflexible attitude on her writings and trying to follow them to the T forgetting the main principles in them.

Don’t let Counsels “prove” things they weren’t intended to do. The Bible and Ellen White’s writings were not meant to be God’s enciclopedia, full of scientific and historical data. They are meant to show our human condition and to point to the solution: salvation in Christ. Make sure Ellen White’s actually wrote that specific quote. The safest way to check the authenticity of any Ellen White’s quote is to ask for the reference. Then, check the reference to see if Ellen White actually wrote that quote and check if it was understood correctly.

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27