Therefore, I reiterate the three rules of Hermeneutics: a literal interpretation (unless a non-literal one is clearly called for); an historical, grammatical & contextual usage to understand the environment & language of that writing; & of course, using Scripture in other places within the Bible to help interpret the portion we're reading. Outside of this defined & confined meaning of 'biblical hermeneutics', we might open ourselves to erroneous understanding & teaching. If we believe that the Holy Spirit assists us in our understanding, then He would not disregard proper interpretative conventions, rather make that Scripture meaningful to us as well as applicable to our lives.
Then going back to our 'Lake of Fire' example, 'Fire' may be the common word that is seen, in say in 1 Kings 18:19-40 & in Revelation 20:14,15, but the whole context is very different between the two. Where 'fire' consumed the sacrifice on the altar in the one, & then in the other, 'fire' doesn't consume, but is eternal & tormenting (even as Jesus spoke of this in Mark 9:43-48). If we don't apply these rules, we can then make the Revelation account anything we want it to mean (or support our belief); such as being a fire of purification (purgatory), or only a spiritual (not actual) fire to demonstrate God's hatred of sin, but the soul be saved. If any of these (& other) interpretations are used, we in the first instance violate the proper understanding of the given Word & secondly, apply our own principles which ultimately makes the Word meaningless & worthless. The Holy Word is to be rigorously guarded from anything that would lead the reader to distraction & departure of the Truth.
Agreed, Chris. We need to understand what the text is actually saying/meaning/revealing in its plain meaning. Allegorizing every words, phrases, or verses as y9ou said is not only erroneous exegetics but also dangerous in that it leads to ideas, beliefs, and representations of God's Holy Word that were never intended and sometimes contrary to Scripture.
2. A second crucial rule of biblical hermeneutics is that passages must be interpreted historically, grammatically, and contextually. Interpreting a passage historically means we must first seek to understand the culture, background, and situation that prompted the writing. For example, in order to understand Jonah's flight, in Jonah 1:1-3, we should learn of the history of the Assyrians as it related to Israel.
Interpreting a passage grammatically requires one to follow the rules of grammar and recognize the nuances of Hebrew and Greek. For example, when Paul writes of "the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" in Titus 2:13, the rules of grammar state that God and Savior are parallel terms and they are both in apposition to Jesus Christ; in other words, Paul clearly calls Jesus "our great God" & not identifying the two Persons separately in the Deity. Interpreting a passage contextually involves considering the context of a verse or passage when trying to determine the meaning. The context includes the verses immediately preceding and following it, the chapter, the book, and indeed the entire Bible. For example, many puzzling statements in Ecclesiastes become clearer when kept in context; the book of Ecclesiastes is written from the earthly perspective 'under the sun' ( Ecclesiastes 1:3). In fact, the phrase 'under the sun' is repeated many times in this book, establishing the context for all that is "vanity" in this world.
3. A third rule of biblical hermeneutics is that Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture (& this you believe & stated clearly). For this reason, we always compare Scripture with Scripture when trying to determine the meaning of a passage. For example, Isaiah's condemnation of Judah's desire to seek Egypt's help and their reliance on a strong cavalry ( Isaiah 31:1) was motivated, in part, by God's explicit command that His people not go to Egypt to seek horses ( Deuteronomy 17:16).
Thanks for asking that good question David0920 concerning our understanding & use of correct biblical hermeneutics.
Biblical hermeneutics then, is the study of the principles and methods of correctly interpreting the text of the Bible. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we see this instruction to properly read & understand the Bible & this is the sole purpose of biblical hermeneutics.
1. The most important rule of biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally. We are to understand the Bible in its normal or plain meaning, UNLESS the passage is obviously intended to be symbolic or if figures of speech are used (as you shared about several accounts in The Revelation). The Bible says what it means and means what it says. For e.g., when Jesus spoke of having fed "the five thousand" ( Mark 8:19), the law of hermeneutics says we should understand five thousand literally: there was a crowd of hungry people that numbered five thousand who were fed with real bread and fish by a miracle-working Savior. Any attempt to "spiritualize" the number or to deny a literal miracle is to do injustice to the text and ignore the purpose of language, which is to communicate. Of course, there are lessons to be learned from that event, lessons which you mentioned, but before we arrive at those personal lessons & applications, we must ensure we actually understand what the Bible is saying & not replace words with other words, e.g. the fish or people to mean something else that God wants to tell us.
Some make the mistake of trying to read between the lines of Scripture to come up with esoteric meanings (i.e. only a special few are blessed to understand it), that are not really found in the text, as if every passage has a hidden spiritual truth that we should seek to decipher & then connect the dots. Biblical hermeneutics keeps us faithful to the intended meaning of Scripture and prohibits our allegorizing Bible verses that ought to be understood literally.
Is this a timeline for the tribulation period, the harvest (rapture), and the wrath of God? Start reading the book of Revelation, start in Ch.12, read 12,13, and 14. These chapters are describing the tribulation period. Near the end of Ch.14 we see the Son of man come on a cloud to harvest the earth. (THE HARVEST, this is the rapture) The last 3 verses in Ch.14 show us the great winepress of the wrath of God. THEN in Rev. Ch.15:2 we see a picture of a sea of glass in heaven with "them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God", v.3 they sing the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb. So they had gotten the victory (over the beast), meaning they were on the earth ((DURING GREAT TRIBULATION.)) Verse 2 is a picture of those who were caught up to meet our Lord in the clouds, those from the harvest. The last verse in that chapter is Rev.Ch.15:8, it tells us "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled". (The rapture, the harvest has already happened and no one could enter the temple UNTIL the seven vials of the wrath of God are poured out.) The next Chapter, Rev.16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. The wrath of God comes AFTER we are caught up to meet our Lord in the clouds, and no one can enter the temple during that time, (NO ONE CAN BE SAVED during the wrath of God) Rev.7:9,14 tell us a great multitude that no man could number will be saved out of great tribulation, they are two different time periods. ((Please)) check the context of these verses carefully with what is written BEFORE any reply saying its not accurate, we all should be learning from each other. We are running out of time fast!
Thank you Chris for your reply. I read your pages 2 times, I don't see anything to prove a return of Jesus in the clouds to gather together His church, or True Believers (before) the tribulation. Chris IF you knew that the time period of the great tribulation, and the wrath of God were completely different time periods. Would that change (anything) about your belief in, or how you see a pre-tribulation rapture? My belief is not just post-trib. Its post-trib, and pre-wrath. Jesus comes in the clouds to gather together His elect, the church after the tribulation (Mt.24:29-31) That same day the wrath of God is poured out on all non-believers left on the earth (Jn.3:36) I keep going back to Mt,24:29-31, these verses are almost in perfect alignment with 1.Thes.4:14-17. And then we have Rev.14:14-16, (which I don't think has even been mentioned yet) verse 14 says "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle". verse 15 says "for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe". Jesus comes in the clouds to gather together His elect, or His church one time only. That will start the wrath of God. If you read to the end of the Mt.Ch.24:48-51 it tells us what those left on the earth will deal with after the return of Christ. v.51 says "And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (This would be the wrath of God, would it not?) If you read to the end of Rev.Ch.14 just after the Son of man (Jesus Christ) comes on a white cloud, for the harvest of the earth is ripe". (Wouldn't this harvest be when we are caught up to meet him in the air, in the clouds?) Rev.14:18-20 Just after the Son of man will harvest the earth, v.19 says "and cast it into the great winepress of THE WRATH OF GOD. (wrath comes After His return here also) Mt.24:29, "Immediately after" Thank you Chris
Hello Eula. I can't recall anything as specific as your question being answered in the Bible; but the following Scriptures relate to giving honor & care to parents, family & others near to you.
I say amen to that! Submitting ourselves to Gods humbling process is what we are to do.
1 Peter 5:6 says Humble yourselves therefore, and here's a translation change:
Instead of humble yourselves, I understand it to be "be humbled." I see it as Passive Voice in the Greek text.
I don't humble myself. That would be considered pride if I were doing the humbling. So we are to be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God.
So we are to submit to Gods humbling process under His mighty hand. As He keeps trying to push us down every time we pop up in whatever area of life we're popping up in, because we have a tendency in our self-sufficiency to try and do things our way instead of surrendering to Christ, but we are to submit to His humbling process under His mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time:
In 1 Peter 5:7, there's a Modal Participle explaining what it means to be humbled under the mighty hand of God:
We are told to cast all our care upon him; for He is concerned for us. It's when we become self sufficient in our circumstances that Gods brings us low in order to cause us to trust Him and cast all of our cares on Him. That's how we are humbled, and it is God doing the humbling!
Thanks again GiGi for that extra valuable information. And particularly useful for any young person or soon-to-be Mother reading this thread, to know 'natural is truly the best for Momma & Bubba'.
The Bible defines humility as "the fear of the Lord" ( Proverbs 22:4 ) Its etymological root is in the Latin word "humus" meaning "of the earth".To be humble is to be face down in the dirt,submitting to the authority of another,without personal pride. This is the Christian's proper position before the Lord.
Thank you GiGi. It did cross my mind as I gave my answer to Carol, that because folk lived for a longer period of time (though certainly not as long as those in the pre-Flood era), that Moses might have been nursed till the ages you've given & remained with his Mother for that extra time. Since I wasn't sure of that, I just used our present-day data. And if Moses was of that age, then of course, he would have been able to grasp much better about his heritage & family line/connections. So, thanks for the clarification & I hope Carol will take your response as the more probable outcome."
In your comment you said: either the natural death of our body and our inner man (that enter man is Christ) then in the presence of the Lord ...... 2 Corinthians 5:8
That is the RAPTURE, the natural GONE, and made ONE with Christ.
1 Timothy 6:16 .... Christ ONLY hath IMMORTALITY, dwelling in the light ....
1 Corinthians 15:54 ... this mortal shall put on IMMORTALITY ...death is swallowed up in victory ....
Isaiah 27:12 ....ye shall be GATHERED (by the angels: Matthew 24:31) ONE BY ONE, O ye house of Israel.
Jude 1:20 But ye (you are the body of Christ), BELOVED, building up yourselves (in the truth of God's words) on your most HOLY FAITH (you were resurrected with CHRIST, your the body of Christ, it's HIS HOLY FAITH IN YOU, his body, praying in the HOLY GHOST (your mouth is the mouth of GOD, it's his words that come out of your mouth.
Christ said OF MYSELF, I can do nothing, the words you hear are my Father's words, the works you see are my Father's works, Christ is the body of his Father, we are the body of Christ, the words that come out of our mouth are the words of Christ, the works we do are not our works, but the works of Christ.
Man's teaching have destroyed the truth of the gospel.
That they may be ONE as we are ONE
Ephesians 4:4 ..... ONE BODY (that contains the LIFE of God) ......ONE SPIRIT (the LIFE of the body) ...
Ephesians 4:6 .....ONE GOD .....Father of ALL ......
You have to have your carnal mind destroyed by God's words and have the mind of Christ replace your carnal mind.
When you pray in the HOLY GHOST, you pray in the NAME OF JESUS (your his wife, you were MADE ONE by his resurrection, he has given you HIS NAME, he is the LIFE IN YOU, it's his word, nis prrayer
Psalms 12:4 Who (those not understanding) have said, with our tongue shall we prevail: our lips are our own: who is lord over us.
There are two possible scenarios that are guaranteed to be the end of sanctification for us; either the natural death of the body and our inner man then being present with the Lord ( 2 Cor. 5:8) or being raised up in glory at the rapture (Phillipians 3:21).
As I have brought up in earlier messages; it isn't enough to say that Christ is the center of our lives; He IS our life.
Of course; we have the world; the flesh and the Devil to overcome. ( James 3:15). it is hard; if not impossible to have a clear division or demarcation as to which of these influences is affecting us; no doubt all three need to be dealt with to truly live a Spirit filled life of Holiness. Besetting sins are necessary to overcome; according to the principles of 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is what is behind the sins; the inherent weaknesses in ourselves which tends to be the source we need to examine as well. Some of us have fears; obsessions of various kinds; or personality issues that repeatedly get us into trouble. If we are saved then we need to be mindful that Satan's minions are using the world to draw us in; and sins usually begin in the mind. ( Romans 1:21).
There is a need for deliverance for those who are oppressed; and that often doesn't happen until someone is ready to be open about sins and the legal access the enemy has to them. If there isn't any transparency there then of course we risk the warning that seven more demons can come into us ( Luke 11:26). I would add that we need to know who we should and should NOT ask to pray in that regard. Those who have besetting sins or lifestyles of sin are people to avoid; lest whatever is attached to them takes a hold on us. I am firmly convinced that ANY Spirit filled believer is capable of a deliverance ministry; and often people are set free when a congregation in general has a healthy fear of the Lord.
Let us remember as Ephesians 2:6 states we are seated in heavenly places. This world is not our home.
(To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,) I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
Thats what so beautiful about this New Covenant in his blood which is about a New Creature the H.G. That Child of Promise....That is gona lead us into all truth....God don't want man to teach us...Lest we end up with a zillion different doctrines....He wants the H.G. to teach us...Which is our new high Priest....That has to be born in us...As that which is born of the spirit is spirit is the H.G. the anointing that Child of Promise....
.....1 st John 2 :27....You need no man teach you the anointing you have received from him will teach you all things....Thats y he wants to pour out His spirit on all flesh....That we might all be taught of God as in John 6 :45....Not by man but by God ...Not i that lives but Christ that lives with in me...ok lemme run
I hope this Lord's Day finds you well. I appreciate your responses. I am not trying to evade answering your questions and will try address the two passages you reference as best I can in a separate post. But I will say upfront that I do not understand everything that God is teaching in either of these passages.
I do believe that the 1 Kings 18 passage you reference is an absolutely accurate account of the historical events that took place at that time. I also believe that God is teaching some moral and spiritual lessons that are directly evident from the historical event itself. But I am also certain that God has chosen to include this event in the Bible and has chosen precise words and phrases teaching some aspect of the Gospel, i.e. something about God's Judgment and Salvation Program. The latter is more difficult to understand and is where "comparing scripture with scripture" is essential in coming to truth because there is only one True Gospel and what ever conclusions we come to must agree with everything else that Bible has to say about the Gospel.
As far as Revelation 20 is concerned, that is much more difficult on all levels. The Book of Revelation is replete with types and figures and also is not necessarily chronological as we go from passage to passage. Not every passage is describing an event LITERALLY as it will occur. For example, we read of Christ coming on a white horse with a sword protruding from His mouth. Christ will not be returning on a literal white horse which I believe represents to power and purity of Christ Himself, and the sword is a reference to the Word of God which IS Christ Himself.
But I would like to turn the tables on you a bit, if I may, by asking you to describe the "Hermeneutic" that you believe we should be using as we interpret the Bible, along with some scriptures that address that view. I have tried to do exactly that for the Hermeneutic that I believe the Bible teaches in my previous posts.
Hello, Eyobed. I saw where you inquired which verse in John 11 is the one disputed over. I believe it could be the shortest verse in scripture or verse 35, "Jesus wept.". There has been some deliberation over time as to why He wept. Hope that answers your question. Have a good day and keep in the Word!
When he said I'll let you see my back parts, some of us need to see God back parts, I see God back parts sick laying in the hospital bed, the miracle that he working with my life right now, thank you God for letting me see your back parts, and know that your Holy Spirit is with me! I'm going to rest in You and trust you through it all in Jesus name, and it is so!
Hello Carol. I believe that Moses learned that he was a Hebrew, being born from among the Israelites. As you know, he was only a babe, found in the bulrushes by Pharaoh's daughter, but was then, by the guidance of God, loaned back to his (Moses') mother to care for him. Then in Exodus 2:10 we read, "And the child grew, and she (Moses' Mother) brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water."
So the babe Moses was weaned by his natural Mother, who, like her husband, were from the tribe of Levi. As Moses came to an age when he was old enough for solid food (approx 6 months of age, or his Mother might have kept him for as long as she could, as a Mother would with her precious son), she might have whispered to him in simple terms of who he was & to whom he belonged. And as he grew in Pharoah's household, he would have learned further of his background & events leading to his position in the Egyptian royal family. But when Moses saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew man, he automatically took the Hebrew's side. This shows how Moses still held onto his strong connection to God's people & resisted his Egyptian ties & religion.
d. the revelation of the anti-Christ is restrained ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul's reason for writing this was because the Church was greatly troubled that the Day of the Lord (Christ) had begun. Paul said that that day wouldn't commence until Jesus came for them & raptured them ("our gathering together unto him": v1). The 'restrainer' is the Holy Spirit in God's people, then when He is removed, God's people are removed, for the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell us & work in & through us & for the Gospel's propagation ( John 16:7,8,13).
e. a comparison between an imminent Rapture & Rapture at the Second Coming:
1. Translation of all believers ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) --- No translation at all ( Revelation 19:6-21).
2. Raptured saints return to Heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:1-3) --- Raptured saints return to Earth ( 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:14).
3. Any moment, in readiness, without signs ( 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-9; Revelation 3:11, 22:7,12,20) --- many signs given of the Great Tribulation which leads into Jesus' coming (so a readiness cannot be expected, as the seven year's count down begins with the anti-Christ).
A Pre-Tribulation Rapture position keeps the Church ready & watching for her Lord's Coming. Any other position can give her the tendency to apathy & carelessness. The Church is told to be watchful, in spite of ridicule, "where is the promise of his coming" ( 2 Peter 3:4). But Christ's coming is held back until the full number are saved (v9) - and then Jesus will come to take His Church Home.
Yes Jimbob, I would be happy to & will try to be succinct. Though I should mention that the meaning of the Great Tribulation, or Day of the Lord, needs to be clarified first. I understand, as you do, that the time of the outpouring of God's Wrath upon the World can be understood as the Great Tribulation, but I see the final week (7 years) of Daniel's seventy weeks, 490 years: Daniel 9:24-27, as the final seven years - years that will change the World's existence & future forever. And by the way, you believe in a post-trib rapture & I understand that as being before God's Wrath poured out. I view this position to be one of mid-trib for the reason I've shared above, but that's not the point here.
Now my Scriptures for a pre-trib (or, pre-Day of the Lord) rapture:
a. the Church is a mystery ( Ephesians 1:1-13), by which believing Jew & Gentile are united into one Body ( Ephesians 2:11-22). Therefore, the Church's translation is not mentioned in the OT that deals with Christ's Second Coming after the Tribulation, & why the Church is promised deliverance before the time of God's Wrath ( 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
b. the 70th week in Daniel, is the preparation of Israel's restoration & regeneration ( Deuteronomy 4:29-30; Jeremiah 30:4-11; Ezekiel 20:22-44; Ezekiel 22:13-22).
c. the Tribulation (including anti-Christ's reign) is not for the Church, but for those who are in the world ( Revelation 3:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8,12,14; 17:2,8). The Church is never seen here & will not participate in Israel's time of trouble.
Therefore, I reiterate the three rules of Hermeneutics: a literal interpretation (unless a non-literal one is clearly called for); an historical, grammatical & contextual usage to understand the environment & language of that writing; & of course, using Scripture in other places within the Bible to help interpret the portion we're reading. Outside of this defined & confined meaning of 'biblical hermeneutics', we might open ourselves to erroneous understanding & teaching. If we believe that the Holy Spirit assists us in our understanding, then He would not disregard proper interpretative conventions, rather make that Scripture meaningful to us as well as applicable to our lives.
Then going back to our 'Lake of Fire' example, 'Fire' may be the common word that is seen, in say in 1 Kings 18:19-40 & in Revelation 20:14,15, but the whole context is very different between the two. Where 'fire' consumed the sacrifice on the altar in the one, & then in the other, 'fire' doesn't consume, but is eternal & tormenting (even as Jesus spoke of this in Mark 9:43-48). If we don't apply these rules, we can then make the Revelation account anything we want it to mean (or support our belief); such as being a fire of purification (purgatory), or only a spiritual (not actual) fire to demonstrate God's hatred of sin, but the soul be saved. If any of these (& other) interpretations are used, we in the first instance violate the proper understanding of the given Word & secondly, apply our own principles which ultimately makes the Word meaningless & worthless. The Holy Word is to be rigorously guarded from anything that would lead the reader to distraction & departure of the Truth.
2. A second crucial rule of biblical hermeneutics is that passages must be interpreted historically, grammatically, and contextually. Interpreting a passage historically means we must first seek to understand the culture, background, and situation that prompted the writing. For example, in order to understand Jonah's flight, in Jonah 1:1-3, we should learn of the history of the Assyrians as it related to Israel.
Interpreting a passage grammatically requires one to follow the rules of grammar and recognize the nuances of Hebrew and Greek. For example, when Paul writes of "the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" in Titus 2:13, the rules of grammar state that God and Savior are parallel terms and they are both in apposition to Jesus Christ; in other words, Paul clearly calls Jesus "our great God" & not identifying the two Persons separately in the Deity. Interpreting a passage contextually involves considering the context of a verse or passage when trying to determine the meaning. The context includes the verses immediately preceding and following it, the chapter, the book, and indeed the entire Bible. For example, many puzzling statements in Ecclesiastes become clearer when kept in context; the book of Ecclesiastes is written from the earthly perspective 'under the sun' ( Ecclesiastes 1:3). In fact, the phrase 'under the sun' is repeated many times in this book, establishing the context for all that is "vanity" in this world.
3. A third rule of biblical hermeneutics is that Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture (& this you believe & stated clearly). For this reason, we always compare Scripture with Scripture when trying to determine the meaning of a passage. For example, Isaiah's condemnation of Judah's desire to seek Egypt's help and their reliance on a strong cavalry ( Isaiah 31:1) was motivated, in part, by God's explicit command that His people not go to Egypt to seek horses ( Deuteronomy 17:16).
Thanks for asking that good question David0920 concerning our understanding & use of correct biblical hermeneutics.
Biblical hermeneutics then, is the study of the principles and methods of correctly interpreting the text of the Bible. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we see this instruction to properly read & understand the Bible & this is the sole purpose of biblical hermeneutics.
1. The most important rule of biblical hermeneutics is that the Bible should be interpreted literally. We are to understand the Bible in its normal or plain meaning, UNLESS the passage is obviously intended to be symbolic or if figures of speech are used (as you shared about several accounts in The Revelation). The Bible says what it means and means what it says. For e.g., when Jesus spoke of having fed "the five thousand" ( Mark 8:19), the law of hermeneutics says we should understand five thousand literally: there was a crowd of hungry people that numbered five thousand who were fed with real bread and fish by a miracle-working Savior. Any attempt to "spiritualize" the number or to deny a literal miracle is to do injustice to the text and ignore the purpose of language, which is to communicate. Of course, there are lessons to be learned from that event, lessons which you mentioned, but before we arrive at those personal lessons & applications, we must ensure we actually understand what the Bible is saying & not replace words with other words, e.g. the fish or people to mean something else that God wants to tell us.
Some make the mistake of trying to read between the lines of Scripture to come up with esoteric meanings (i.e. only a special few are blessed to understand it), that are not really found in the text, as if every passage has a hidden spiritual truth that we should seek to decipher & then connect the dots. Biblical hermeneutics keeps us faithful to the intended meaning of Scripture and prohibits our allegorizing Bible verses that ought to be understood literally.
Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 5:8.
I say amen to that! Submitting ourselves to Gods humbling process is what we are to do.
1 Peter 5:6 says Humble yourselves therefore, and here's a translation change:
Instead of humble yourselves, I understand it to be "be humbled." I see it as Passive Voice in the Greek text.
I don't humble myself. That would be considered pride if I were doing the humbling. So we are to be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God.
So we are to submit to Gods humbling process under His mighty hand. As He keeps trying to push us down every time we pop up in whatever area of life we're popping up in, because we have a tendency in our self-sufficiency to try and do things our way instead of surrendering to Christ, but we are to submit to His humbling process under His mighty hand, and He will exalt us in due time:
In 1 Peter 5:7, there's a Modal Participle explaining what it means to be humbled under the mighty hand of God:
We are told to cast all our care upon him; for He is concerned for us. It's when we become self sufficient in our circumstances that Gods brings us low in order to cause us to trust Him and cast all of our cares on Him. That's how we are humbled, and it is God doing the humbling!
This is true of many non-westernized cultures where formula, bottles, baby food are not used. Often a new baby will be
born about the time the child is weaned at the ages mentioned. Many times a mother will continue to nurse the older child until
he/she weans. This was common practice. Babies were spaced about 2 years apart if the mother had normal fertility and would
not have long periods of months of menstruating between pregnancies. This is healthier than how we do things today. God's
design is better than what we have "progressed to today. Babies and toddlers get the best food/nutrients from momma's milk
and other foods gradually become a part of the child's normal meals. With scarcity of food or variety not guaranteed, the longer
the child consumes mother's milk the more nutrition he/she receives and thus the child is more healthy. Also, mothers would
end up having far fewer cycles of fertility than women do now and thus their bodies would not have as much flux of hormone
changes across time, which is healthier for the mother, especially for the prevention of breast cancer.
I acquired this information when I was planning our first child as I studied the subject so I could make the best choices for my
kiddos and avoid some of the common issues that inhibit breastfeeding success in our culture. We are lucky to live in a culture
where food is readily available to both mom and babies, but in other cultures in our world, food scarcity and reliance on formula
often lead to malnutrition for both mom and baby as mom does not get enough nutrients to sustain her during pregnancy and
babies do not get enough nutrition because formula is often watered down with unsanitary water to make it last longer.
Yes, God is absolutely able to deliver every believer from the power of death! Amen!
In your comment you said: either the natural death of our body and our inner man (that enter man is Christ) then in the presence of the Lord ...... 2 Corinthians 5:8
That is the RAPTURE, the natural GONE, and made ONE with Christ.
1 Timothy 6:16 .... Christ ONLY hath IMMORTALITY, dwelling in the light ....
1 Corinthians 15:54 ... this mortal shall put on IMMORTALITY ...death is swallowed up in victory ....
Isaiah 27:12 ....ye shall be GATHERED (by the angels: Matthew 24:31) ONE BY ONE, O ye house of Israel.
God Bless YOU!
Jude 1:20 But ye (you are the body of Christ), BELOVED, building up yourselves (in the truth of God's words) on your most HOLY FAITH (you were resurrected with CHRIST, your the body of Christ, it's HIS HOLY FAITH IN YOU, his body, praying in the HOLY GHOST (your mouth is the mouth of GOD, it's his words that come out of your mouth.
Christ said OF MYSELF, I can do nothing, the words you hear are my Father's words, the works you see are my Father's works, Christ is the body of his Father, we are the body of Christ, the words that come out of our mouth are the words of Christ, the works we do are not our works, but the works of Christ.
Man's teaching have destroyed the truth of the gospel.
That they may be ONE as we are ONE
Ephesians 4:4 ..... ONE BODY (that contains the LIFE of God) ......ONE SPIRIT (the LIFE of the body) ...
Ephesians 4:6 .....ONE GOD .....Father of ALL ......
You have to have your carnal mind destroyed by God's words and have the mind of Christ replace your carnal mind.
When you pray in the HOLY GHOST, you pray in the NAME OF JESUS (your his wife, you were MADE ONE by his resurrection, he has given you HIS NAME, he is the LIFE IN YOU, it's his word, nis prrayer
Psalms 12:4 Who (those not understanding) have said, with our tongue shall we prevail: our lips are our own: who is lord over us.
God Bless YOU!
As I have brought up in earlier messages; it isn't enough to say that Christ is the center of our lives; He IS our life.
Of course; we have the world; the flesh and the Devil to overcome. ( James 3:15). it is hard; if not impossible to have a clear division or demarcation as to which of these influences is affecting us; no doubt all three need to be dealt with to truly live a Spirit filled life of Holiness. Besetting sins are necessary to overcome; according to the principles of 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is what is behind the sins; the inherent weaknesses in ourselves which tends to be the source we need to examine as well. Some of us have fears; obsessions of various kinds; or personality issues that repeatedly get us into trouble. If we are saved then we need to be mindful that Satan's minions are using the world to draw us in; and sins usually begin in the mind. ( Romans 1:21).
There is a need for deliverance for those who are oppressed; and that often doesn't happen until someone is ready to be open about sins and the legal access the enemy has to them. If there isn't any transparency there then of course we risk the warning that seven more demons can come into us ( Luke 11:26). I would add that we need to know who we should and should NOT ask to pray in that regard. Those who have besetting sins or lifestyles of sin are people to avoid; lest whatever is attached to them takes a hold on us. I am firmly convinced that ANY Spirit filled believer is capable of a deliverance ministry; and often people are set free when a congregation in general has a healthy fear of the Lord.
Let us remember as Ephesians 2:6 states we are seated in heavenly places. This world is not our home.
Agape; RP
2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18They prevented me in the
.....1 st John 2 :27....You need no man teach you the anointing you have received from him will teach you all things....Thats y he wants to pour out His spirit on all flesh....That we might all be taught of God as in John 6 :45....Not by man but by God ...Not i that lives but Christ that lives with in me...ok lemme run
I hope this Lord's Day finds you well. I appreciate your responses. I am not trying to evade answering your questions and will try address the two passages you reference as best I can in a separate post. But I will say upfront that I do not understand everything that God is teaching in either of these passages.
I do believe that the 1 Kings 18 passage you reference is an absolutely accurate account of the historical events that took place at that time. I also believe that God is teaching some moral and spiritual lessons that are directly evident from the historical event itself. But I am also certain that God has chosen to include this event in the Bible and has chosen precise words and phrases teaching some aspect of the Gospel, i.e. something about God's Judgment and Salvation Program. The latter is more difficult to understand and is where "comparing scripture with scripture" is essential in coming to truth because there is only one True Gospel and what ever conclusions we come to must agree with everything else that Bible has to say about the Gospel.
As far as Revelation 20 is concerned, that is much more difficult on all levels. The Book of Revelation is replete with types and figures and also is not necessarily chronological as we go from passage to passage. Not every passage is describing an event LITERALLY as it will occur. For example, we read of Christ coming on a white horse with a sword protruding from His mouth. Christ will not be returning on a literal white horse which I believe represents to power and purity of Christ Himself, and the sword is a reference to the Word of God which IS Christ Himself.
But I would like to turn the tables on you a bit, if I may, by asking you to describe the "Hermeneutic" that you believe we should be using as we interpret the Bible, along with some scriptures that address that view. I have tried to do exactly that for the Hermeneutic that I believe the Bible teaches in my previous posts.
So the babe Moses was weaned by his natural Mother, who, like her husband, were from the tribe of Levi. As Moses came to an age when he was old enough for solid food (approx 6 months of age, or his Mother might have kept him for as long as she could, as a Mother would with her precious son), she might have whispered to him in simple terms of who he was & to whom he belonged. And as he grew in Pharoah's household, he would have learned further of his background & events leading to his position in the Egyptian royal family. But when Moses saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew man, he automatically took the Hebrew's side. This shows how Moses still held onto his strong connection to God's people & resisted his Egyptian ties & religion.
d. the revelation of the anti-Christ is restrained ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Paul's reason for writing this was because the Church was greatly troubled that the Day of the Lord (Christ) had begun. Paul said that that day wouldn't commence until Jesus came for them & raptured them ("our gathering together unto him": v1). The 'restrainer' is the Holy Spirit in God's people, then when He is removed, God's people are removed, for the Holy Spirit was sent to indwell us & work in & through us & for the Gospel's propagation ( John 16:7,8,13).
e. a comparison between an imminent Rapture & Rapture at the Second Coming:
1. Translation of all believers ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) --- No translation at all ( Revelation 19:6-21).
2. Raptured saints return to Heaven ( 1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:1-3) --- Raptured saints return to Earth ( 1 Thessalonians 3:13; Revelation 19:14).
3. Any moment, in readiness, without signs ( 1 Corinthians 1:7; Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; James 5:7-9; Revelation 3:11, 22:7,12,20) --- many signs given of the Great Tribulation which leads into Jesus' coming (so a readiness cannot be expected, as the seven year's count down begins with the anti-Christ).
A Pre-Tribulation Rapture position keeps the Church ready & watching for her Lord's Coming. Any other position can give her the tendency to apathy & carelessness. The Church is told to be watchful, in spite of ridicule, "where is the promise of his coming" ( 2 Peter 3:4). But Christ's coming is held back until the full number are saved (v9) - and then Jesus will come to take His Church Home.
Yes Jimbob, I would be happy to & will try to be succinct. Though I should mention that the meaning of the Great Tribulation, or Day of the Lord, needs to be clarified first. I understand, as you do, that the time of the outpouring of God's Wrath upon the World can be understood as the Great Tribulation, but I see the final week (7 years) of Daniel's seventy weeks, 490 years: Daniel 9:24-27, as the final seven years - years that will change the World's existence & future forever. And by the way, you believe in a post-trib rapture & I understand that as being before God's Wrath poured out. I view this position to be one of mid-trib for the reason I've shared above, but that's not the point here.
Now my Scriptures for a pre-trib (or, pre-Day of the Lord) rapture:
a. the Church is a mystery ( Ephesians 1:1-13), by which believing Jew & Gentile are united into one Body ( Ephesians 2:11-22). Therefore, the Church's translation is not mentioned in the OT that deals with Christ's Second Coming after the Tribulation, & why the Church is promised deliverance before the time of God's Wrath ( 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).
b. the 70th week in Daniel, is the preparation of Israel's restoration & regeneration ( Deuteronomy 4:29-30; Jeremiah 30:4-11; Ezekiel 20:22-44; Ezekiel 22:13-22).
c. the Tribulation (including anti-Christ's reign) is not for the Church, but for those who are in the world ( Revelation 3:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8,12,14; 17:2,8). The Church is never seen here & will not participate in Israel's time of trouble.