Three important guidelines for proper interpretation are context, context and context. Without proper context any writing can be subject to the predisposition (attitude), determination (will), bias (prejudice) or whim (impulse) of the reader. The meaning of any text is what the writer originally intended it to mean and what that text was intended to convey to the reader. Preserving the original purpose of the text should be equated to knowing and understanding the text accurately; whether we agree with it or not. When the original meaning of the text is better understood it gives us the liberty to respond and interact with the text, a situation or an individual correctly.
** the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.
** the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.
** the interrelated conditions in which something exists or occurs : environment, setting
** the branch of knowledge (science) that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts.
** the branch of theology that deals with the principles and methodology of exegesis
**exposition, explanation; especially an explanation or critical interpretation of a text
In reference to interpreting the Bible, exegesis is the discipline to diligently pursue the intent and inspiration of the original writer. This stands in stark contrast to eisegesis which is the 'art' of (consciously or sub-consciously) massaging or manipulating the text to satisfy one's own agenda, personal preference or ignorance.
The proper application of context, hermeneutics and exegesis are very important if we want to understand the Bible correctly. The ancient-text of Scripture (the compilation of the Bible) are unique to the language, culture and time-period from which they originate. There are many historical elements that are inherent to the written text yet they are not always obvious to the reader. Also many subjects of the Bible have a deeper or a layered-meaning than what may be perceived at the surface. Ultimately, Scripture is intended to be absorbed by the sincere Believer. It was never intended to be an intellectual playground where 'straw-men' can be randomly maneuvered according to the pleasure or whim of the insincere, the misled or the skeptic.
Far more in the prophetic words of our Saviour, which so far surpass all the other words that have ever been spoken, it is the letter that killeth. No one, whether as the advocate or the enemy of our faith, can understand them, unless he enter beneath the letter into the spirit, and thus catch as he may something of the inspiration, the largeness of thought and affluence of life, which they are fitted to awaken and impart. The humble inquirer, entering thus into the heart of our Saviour's words that he may cherish their spirit and obey their commands, will come nearer to the essential truth which they are designed to teach, than the ablest scholar, who, without religious sympathies, or with a superstitious regard to the letter, seeks to analyze them by applying critically, sentence by sentence, the rules of the grammar and lexicon.
The proper application of types, shadows and prefigures are crucial to biblical-context. Without proper application it would be like attempting long-division without knowing subtraction and multiplication. Many of the events and writings previous to the advent of Messiah (Christ) were types, shadows and prefigures to the birth and expansion of the New Covenant. In a similar way many of the blessings of the New Covenant are types, shadows and prefigures to the ultimate promises awaiting us after we shed this mortal-shell.
A type (from the Greek word typos) is a person, event, or institution in the redemptive history of the Old Testament that prefigures a corresponding but greater reality in the New Testament. A type is thus a copy, a pattern, or a model that signifies an even greater reality. The greater reality to which a type points and in which it finds its fulfillment is referred to as an anti-type.
Types, shadows and prefigures are building-blocks that aid in the development of YHWH’s (God’s) plan and purpose for humanity. This step-by-step progression creates an environment that reveals the character and the will, and ultimately, the heart of our Heavenly-Father. The following two verses contain the essence of this idea, that He gradually draws us closer to His presence and purpose. Acts 17 verses 26 & 27: (26) From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, (27) so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.
A shadow casts a vague image of the real thing but in no way is it able to contain the substance of the real thing. Torah, our bodies and Creation are but symbols and ornaments that stimulate our human senses. They give awareness to a deeper sense of the spiritual reality that exist behind the physical universe. We should never allow ourselves to be satisfied or trapped by the limitations of the shadow, rather, to earnestly grope for the substance.
For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
(16) Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days (17) these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!
. . . applying the principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided accurately . . . the proper criterion.
It is important to note that types, shadows and prefigures are not the same as the traditional application of Dual-Prophecy.
Dual-prophecy is a very . . . involved . . . subject to address. There are plans to address this subject in the future on this website but for now here is a brief explanation.
The Bible is loaded with idioms and hyperbole. An idiom is a figure-of-speech that usually cannot be understood by a literal word-for-word translation from one language to another. Rather the meaning of the idiom must be explained in order to understand how the words of the idiom are being used. In English ‘to let the cat out of the bag’ means that a secret has been revealed, accidentally or intentionally. Usually when this idiom is used a literal cat doesn’t even enter one’s mind.
Yahoshua used an idiom to point out the blindness of hypocrisy. Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while you yourself don’t see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. The message is clear. You best be aware when the fault or sin in your own life is much greater than that of the person you are judging. Therefore get right in your own life before criticizing others. Again, a literal beam doesn’t even enter one’s mind with the use of this idiom.
On the other hand hyperbole (hyperbolic language) exaggerates or overstates the truth with no intention of being untruthful. The purpose of exaggerating is to grab someone’s attention in order to emphasize a point or bring awareness to something very important, dangerous or exciting. In English to state that ‘I have a million things to do’ or ‘my world is falling apart’ are not lies even though these exaggerations are not accurately describing the situation being addressed. Again, the mind never considers a ‘million’ to be a literal number nor are we concerned that ‘the world is literally falling apart’.
As easily as the English mind understands these English examples of idioms and hyperbole so did the original writers and readers of the ‘Bible’ understand the idioms and hyperbole of their day. But . . . our 21st-century English mind does not always realize or discern the idioms and hyperbole of the Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew language of two to four thousand years ago; specifically, some of the idioms and hyperbole of the Bible. Various doctrines have been touted, many books have been written and even universities have been established (in part) based on the misunderstanding of (idioms and) hyperbole that have been used in the Bible.
Some of the prophets used hyperbole to describe serious and tumultuous events that they (the writer) had been given insight or revelation about. Apocalyptic language concerning the irrevocable destruction of the heavens (stars, moon, sun) and the earth (fire, ultimate destruction) is often used to pronounce judgment (often by a foreign army) on a disobedient or evil nation and people; usually resulting in economic, political and /or leadership upheaval. One example of this is in Isaiah chapter 34.
2 For the Lord is angry at all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will annihilate them and slaughter them.
3 Their slain will be left unburied, their corpses will stink; the hills will soak up their blood.
4 All the stars in the sky will fade away, the sky will roll up like a scroll; all its stars will wither, like a leaf withers and falls from a vine or a fig withers and falls from a tree.
5 He says, “Indeed, my sword has slaughtered heavenly powers. Look, it now descends on Edom, on the people I will annihilate in judgment.” (Isaiah 34:2-5)
The sky will roll up like a scroll is similar to, yet more graphic than, the English expression that ‘my world is falling apart’. By reading the whole of chapter 34 it is very clear that the Lord is angry at all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will annihilate them and slaughter them. The hyperbole is used to emphasize the devastation that YHWH will deliver to the unrighteous. Again, just as the English mind never considers that ‘the world is literally falling apart’ with the English hyperbole so the Aramaic/Hebrew mind doesn’t anticipate the sky will roll up like a scroll and all its stars will wither with the Aramaic/Hebrew hyperbole. This is a very common style of writing in the Bible; poetic, hyperbolic, apocalyptic language.
In a very broad sense, especially when attempting to honor biblical precedence, the application of dual-prophecy (duality of prophecy) is definitely in harmony with the biblical application of types, shadows and prefigure. The purpose of types and shadows are to give awareness to and build-up to the anti-type; that is, to reach the purpose or goal that is inherent to the anti-type (as described above). The introduction of duality, if not carefully applied, can unintentionally split or divide the prophetic aspect (the type) into separate prophecies. This is violent to the text and actually diminishes from the substance of the prophecy by giving false attention to the finger (the prophecy) rather than the significance of the anti-type (what the finger is pointing to).
Now, the brief explanation of dual-prophecy.
Following is an example of the misapplication of the dual or duality of prophecy.
In general the reader usually understands that Isaiah is referring to an historical event that is more than likely contemporary to or relatively close to Isaiah’s time period. Yet the hyperbolic language that the sky will roll up like a scroll and all its stars will wither is taken literally. Well, these catastrophic events obviously didn't happen. Since ‘the Bible is never wrong’ the reasoning is that this apocalyptic aspect of the prophecy must be literally fulfilled sometime in the future. The text is now captive to whatever the reader needs to do with it in order to make this theory legitimate in their mind. This is when Isaiah 34 and many other hyperbolic prophecies are often 'ordained as' or referred to as 'dual-prophecies'. At this point the 'destiny' of these prophecies are put on hold. As these many 'dual-prophecies' accumulate they will ultimately be unleashed sometime in the future in order to fulfill the ‘second-portion’ of their prophecy. Although this type of 'logic' is often applied to Scripture, this is a very unnatural (violent) approach to the text.
This is a simplified description of dual-prophecy that is only the tip-of-the-iceberg (prophecies are icebergs?). There are various aspects of dual-prophecy (that are not always categorized as dual-prophecy) that have been inter-woven throughout the biblical landscape of prophecy and other various biblical subjects.
The ‘adding to’ and ‘taking away’ from the original biblical text that is required to implement this ‘doctrine’ is devastating and violent to the text. Dual-prophecy and the offshoots that are a result of this type of illogic is actually an enormous undertaking to unravel. Simple solution: denounce the ‘art’ of eisegesis and stick-to proper biblical exegesis! (definitions above).
LAST EDIT: 15:40 / 18 March 2022
ORIGINAL POST: 30 September 2019
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