Chapter 6 – The Hebrew Exegesis (interpretation)
Over the centuries interpretations of the Bible have been the main culprit in leading to confusion and multiple religious groups, 30,000 and counting. God’s word clearly states, “He is not the author of confusion, (1 Cor. 14:33), but of peace, as in all churches of the saints”. This denotes an unparalleled harmony of God’s word that should exist. However, this is not what is portrayed in our world today.
In truly understanding Scripture one needs the assistance from the Author of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit,
“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth”… (John 16:13)
We must pray daily for this blessing, this necessary assistance. This guiding is not an instant knowledge but a process, a growing up in grace, a maturing in Christian character, quite parallel to principles in physical growth. Just as in the physical realm; a
measure of logic and common sense must be applied, so to in our study of God’s word.
Definitions of the words themselves must be ascertained with historical and cultural considerations taken into account. This will provide greater insight into the context of the verses and chapters considered, plus add clarity towards the whole book, leading to harmony of the entire Scriptures.
There are sections of Scripture that seem easily understood while others more difficult, these could be defined into two groups; one is direct truth and the other inference. Inference is a consideration with its basis rooted in established truth, for example, Scripture presence the age of the earth as relatively young, although it does not give a specific age. As we examine ancestral lines recorded in Scripture, the genealogy of evidence provided leaves us with little doubt that the sin laden earth is currently about 6,000 years old; we can simply add up the generations.
As we consider a Jewish book (the bible) written during the 2nd dispensation of time, (Jewish dispensation) and for the Jewish people initially,
(the 1st 250,000 converts to Christianity were Jewish), it would be appropriate that we consider more fully the Hebrew exegesis (interpretation) of that book, since the Bible is, in reality, basically a Hebrew compilation.
Due to the prejudice of first century apologist, many lost sight of Scripture’s Hebrew roots. Historical thinking motivated scholars to distance themselves from the failure of the Jews, thus throwing out the baby with the bath-water so-to-speak. By taking this position, what was handed down to succeeding generations was a distortion of original truths that had been established by God and recorded through inspiration, some call this aspect the, “Revisionist Gospel”.
The Bible itself establishes several divisions; the Pentateuch which refers to the number five and includes the 1st five books of the Bible; (many believe written by the historian Moses – with the exception of Deu. 34 written by Joshua); twelve books of poetic structure; twenty-one books of apostolic epistles; with eighteen books written by Prophets. Then we have the four Messianic Gospels; plus six books of church history. All of this division is not problematic when considering the main aspect of Hebrew exegesis, multiple applications pointing towards the ultimate fulfillments and of course truly authored by the Holy Spirit. (1 Pe. 1:21)
If this concept is kept in focus, several literary distinctions fail to present any problems, nor do various prophetic interpretations throughout history. What has been lost sight of over time is the ultimate goal or fulfillments (revealed in the Revelation of Jesus Christ), which displays the Hebrew exegesis at its best; an example is sighted in Matthew 24 when Jesus is talking with the disciples overlooking the temple mount from the Mount of Olives. He begins His discourse by using what is right around the immediate area as an object lesson (that being the Temple itself), but then moves the conversation eventually to the ultimate fulfillment; the destruction of the world at the end of time.
It is true that the Temple would also be destroyed in 70 AD as He predicted, but the Temple’s destruction was an application pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of the world’s destruction at the end of the age (Is 24:1-3), “when the world is broken down and laid waste”. The destruction of the Temple was an application pointing to the ultimate fulfillment, and there have been other applications pointing to such as well. By utilizing these principles of interpretation greater harmony would exist within God’s church. The present reality though is we end up with some clinging to the applications; believing them to be the fulfillments and others disregarding most of then, throwing them into a non-descript future.
Currently, there are at least one-half dozen prominent “accepted” methods of interpretation (Exegesis) of the book of Revelation alone, this creates confusion and discord. Utilizing the Hebrew Exegesis allows us to keep the ultimate fulfillments in focus and not get distracted by “possible accurate” historical applications. The enemy of God loves to keep us looking back and not pressing forward to the high calling of God. (Phil. 3:14)
The danger in looking back is not that those applications are incorrect or in error, history has an important role to play. The danger is that when looking back we fail to see the ultimate fulfillments right in front of us, it promotes a Laodicean condition. Some could be tempted to cling to the past believing the applications to be the ultimate fulfillments, this creates a danger. Personally I don’t believe this would eliminate a person from God’s kingdom; however, I also believe that God will not be able to use such an individual that is unprepared for those future events foretold, and in the finishing of His end-time work. Hopefully, you can now see why all of these things together are so significant.