Our Sabbath school lesson guide the first week of the quarter shared some valuable principles of reading and responding to biblical prophecy. These ten guiding principles were beautifully laid out in the “teacher’s comments” section. So, let me summarize them for you here, so all may reap the benefits of knowing them.
Our first consideration is how we read prophetic passages. It was brought out that we should read them…
- Candidly. That is, as if it were the first time we have encountered the prophecy, and we consequently have no idea how to understand it. Just throw out all preconceptions and read it as a totally new experience.
- Carefully. Read it slowly and several times. This will prevent us from getting a shallow, or even worse, a false interpretation of the prophecy.
- Esthetically. Be aware of the literary forms and structures of the text you are reading. And also, of the parallelisms that may apply. For example, the beasts, or kingdoms, in Daniel 7, 8 are similar to ones found in Revelation 13, 14.
- Contextually. We must consider the historical setting of the event. And also, its literary implications. For example, Daniel 7 was written in Aramaic which was a commonly-spoken form of Hebrew at the time, indicating its focus on earthly kingdoms. But Daniel 8 was written in Hebrew, the more formal language of Israel, and thus may have deep, spiritual implications for God’s people.
- Intertextually. This is simply letting the text interpret itself. Sometimes the meaning is within the passage, chapter, or book. This was a fundamental principle of Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, and also of Ellen White when she wrote, ”Scripture interprets Scripture, one passage being the key to other passages.” Evangelism, p. 581.
After these principles have been observed, let’s not forget how we respond to prophecies. A lot depends on our state of mind as we read them. We should read them…
- Spiritually. Since the Bible has been inspired by God, faith and prayer must be included in our search for meaningful interpretations. The apostle Paul affirmed this when he reminded us that spiritual things “are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
- Intelligently. Knowing and understanding God through His word is often mentioned in the Bible. It takes all our mental faculties to understand what we are reading.
- Corporately. The Bible has come to us from a community of dedicated followers of God. Although individual contributions aren’t ruled out, for the most part, God desires that we study His word together, being aware of the opinions of others. Sharing our experiences and perspectives with fellow believers enriches the spiritual meanings we can derive from a text.
- Existentially. The results of our prophetic Bible study, are meant to transform our existence. They are meant to change our lives for the better in substantive ways.
- Ethically. Without our moral compass, many Bible scholars have come away with abusive interpretations that allow for many unjust behaviors. Racist theories, antisemitism, and the mistreatment of women are a few beliefs that people have claimed come from the Bible. Let’s remember that God wants the Scriptures to instruct us in righteousness, not unrighteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Our sense of morality must remain intact as we study prophecy.
Remember to apply these ten principles, as you study God’s prophetic word.
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly and see more resources for its study, go to
Also see my commentary about the lesson here in Outlook, called “The Teacher’s Notes”.
