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The Interpretation of Prophecy Part One Chapter 5

Fairbairn now embarks upon an analysis of the style and diction of prophecy, presenting his researches under five headings. First he explores negatively the character of prophetic style and diction, what it is not, by way of refutation. Next he discusses positively what it is, and finally he examines three distinctives of style and diction: poetical elevation, figurative representation and the presentation of events in relation to one another, rather than as linked to definite historical periods.

Prophecy is not normally written in the style of an historical narrative, being simply recorded beforehand. This error of taking prophecy merely as history anticipated has been often repeated. One result has been a steady decrease in the number of prophecies perceived to have been fulfilled, according to these literalist interpreters, who find themselves compelled by their methods to postpone the historical fulfillments to the eschaton, or else affirm that real predictions are not actually present in the text. Fairbairn aptly displays the manifest folly of this principle by applying it to specific prophetic texts. By its application, some descendant of Eve must literally crush the head of some offspring of the serpent; all mountains must be physically leveled prior to the Lord’s advent; etc. He also shows that basic prophetic typology to be untenable under this view, e.g. Ezekiel 34.24 in which, apparently, a resurrected David must rule over God’s people, rather than his antitype, our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the specific applications of prophecy in the New Testament cannot all support this view, and its consistent application would render many things absurd, and set Scripture at odds with Scripture.

Positively viewed, prophecy is normally the record of visions or dreams revealed to the mind of the prophet (Numbers 12.6). In the ecstatic state the prophet remains fully conscious and in control of his own faculties as he is carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1.21). The supernatural messages revealed are always set forth in terms of the natural world, so as to be comprehensible to the prophet and those to whom he speaks. The Holy Spirit does not trample or violate the particular personalities and gifts of the respective prophets, but rather uses them, which accounts in part for the diversities of styles in the prophetic corpus, notwithstanding the same divine author. A key principle for the interpretation of the prophetic writings is that the things done and said in visions and dreams take place within the context of that ecstatic state, and usually not in the physical-temporal realm. There are exceptions to this general principle, which are evident by explicit indications that the reported words and deeds literally occurred, as in the case of Jeremiah 28, in which he wore the yoke upon his neck.

The first of the three distinctives in the style and diction of the prophetic writings is poetry. Prophecy is not confined to the poetical mode, and employs whatever kind of expression best suits the accomplishment of its divinely intended purpose. Nevertheless this almost always includes the poetic element, since this serves to make the message memorable and striking. As the prophet reports the extraordinary things he sees and hears, he quite understandably expresses them using elevated words and forms.

The second distinctive of the prophetic genre is figurative representation, which is a necessary component of any prophecy imparted in the normative mode of ecstatic vision. The impressions given to the prophet are conveyed by means of figures, since this is the only way they can be understood. God reveals the unknown in terms of what is known to the end that His revelations may be comprehended, else they would simply be beyond human ken. An important corrective corollary of this is that from our vantage point in time, we must understand that the images of the future, e.g. helicopters, were not thrown backward upon the mind of the prophet, but rather the reverse: it was the images of the past and present in the prophet’s mind which were projected into the future. Hence we have Ezekiel’s ideal temple as the foretelling of God’s glorious church, the regeneration of the Holy Spirit portrayed as corporeal sprinkling with water (Ezekiel 36.25) et al.

The figures employed in prophetic writings are drawn chiefly from two sources: the natural world, and the history of God’s dealings with His people, e.g. the Exodus. In the former the figures taken from nature are used with respect to their common familiar aspects, which are comprehensible to anyone familiar with God’s creation. As a rule, these figures from nature are uniformly applied in the prophetic vision, i.e. without shifting their connotations back and forth between the figurative and the literal. In many cases the prophet’s subjective state of mind as he beholds the visions come strongly into play in the language used to express them, e.g. Jeremiah 4.23-24 in describing the fall of Jerusalem.

With figures drawn from redemptive history, the events cited remind the hearers of God’s faithful actions in the past as a referent and thence point forward to the fuller development and unfolding of His redemptive purposes in the future. The use of these figures thus also demonstrates the organic union of all of God’s actions: past, present and future, in the grand scheme of His plan of salvation.

The third peculiarity of the prophetic style is the presentation of prophetic scenes as present to the mind’s view, in which the foretold events stand only in relation to one another, and are not explicitly connected to specific historical periods, nor are the spans of time elapsed within the scene made evident. This is in keeping with the previously discussed nature of the prophetic genre, viz. that it is not simply history written beforehand. For examples we have Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning the downfall of Babylon, Daniel’s visions of the rise and fall of world kingdoms which culminates in the final establishment of the Kingdom of God, and many others which could be adduced.

Hence from the Scripture we derive this principle: that it is generally in accord with God’s will in prophecy to leave the specific times of fulfillment indefinite. Messianic prophecies are proclaimed for the “latter days” or some similar term, with no more specificity. Prophecy is given both to reveal and to conceal. Promises for the future are given to strengthen faith and to engender hope, but they are clothed in figures, and normally set forth without definite dates, lest the spiritual progress of God’s people be hindered. Thus false fulfillments are foiled, but in such a way that the actual fulfillments will be manifest to God’s people who have been waiting in hope. Our Lord, who had the Spirit without measure, plainly states that “concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13.32) and “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1.7). Interpretations of John’s Revelation or other apocalyptic which claims to derive this information betrays its own vanity, and the fruit of such methods also testifies against them. God’s purposes in this concealment are merciful; knowing our weak and mortal frame, and what best serves our growth in faith, hope and love.