Proved by

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES

of

PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION

By

LOUIS F. WERE 1945

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Knowing the principle will help master the details; but a study of the details is necessary to prove the existence of the principle.

Principles in Nature and Revelation are discovered after earnest, patient, tireless research. Constant contact brings to light the fact that things which at first seemed unrelated details are held or grouped together by governing principles.

As in the physical creation, so in the things of Holy Writ "by Him [Jesus] all things consist" or are held together. Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.

As we delve into fields of research in Nature and Revelation and discover the laws ordained by the Creator we say with Kepler: "Lord, we think Thy thoughts after Thee."

"O LORD . . . Thy thoughts are very deep." Ps. 92:5. Superficiality dishonours God and is the source of error.

It is sometimes harder to prove truth than to accept errors which are based on appearances. It is easier to say that the world is flat than to prove the rotundity of the globe. The child is deceived when he thinks the wharf moves away from the boat, or the station moves while the train he is on remains stationary. The appearance of things very often is misleading; this is also true of the interpretation of the prophecies of Scripture–hence so much confusion in the understanding of the writings of the prophets.

"Search the Scriptures." John 5:39.

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of Truth." 2 Tim. 2:15.

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRINCIPLES OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

"This book [Revelation] demands close, prayerful study, lest it be interpreted according to the ideas of men, and false construction be given to the sacred word of the Lord, which in its symbols and figures means so much to us. There is so much that we positively must understand in order that we may shape our course of action so that we shall not receive the plagues which are coming upon the world. In the Revelation the deep things of God are portrayed." (January 27th, 1900). Ellen G. White, Letter 16, 1900.

"St. Jerome says that the Apocalypse 'has as many mysteries as words.' And Henry More observes 'that there never was a book penned with that artifice as this of the Apocalypse, as if every word were weighed in a balance before it was set down.’ Those remarkable specimens of careful composition in its earlier chapters may have been designed to remind the reader, that every sentence of it is pregnant with meaning, and that in order to understand its Visions, the best method is to examine diligently every word of the Apocalypse." Bishop Wordsworth.

"The Revelation was not written without tears, neither without tears will it be understood." Benson.

CONTENTS.

Chapter

Foreword

1: How to Understand the Bible

2: The Importance of Principles, Revealed in Nature and Revelation

3: Bible Principles of Interpretation Arise Out of the Nature and Character of the Godhead

4: How God Teaches His People to See the Invisible

5: The Law of the Literal and the Spiritual: the Principle of "Acted Parables"

6: Examples from the Spirit of Prophecy of the Spiritual Interpretation of Scriptures

7: Old Testament Terminology Employed Spiritually in the New Testament: the Church is Now the "Nation" of Israel

8: The Spirit of Prophecy Employs the New Testament Principle that the Church is now "the Israel of God": the "Double" Application of the Things of Israel

9: The Book of Revelation–Christ's Message to Spiritual Israel

10: The Jews, Desiring a Literal Kingdom, Reject the King of a Spiritual Kingdom

11: The Sabbath–the "Sign" Between God and Spiritual Israel–is a Spiritual Institution

12: The Errors of Roman Catholicism are Based Upon a Literal Application of the Things of National Israel

13: Satan Deceives To-day as He Deceived the Jews

14: The Principle of the World-wide Symbolized by the Local

15: The Principle of the World-wide Symbolized by the Local Demonstrated in the Book of Revelation

16: The Laws of Repetition and Enlargement

17: The Third Angel's Message is Based Upon the Principle that "Double" Applications, when Applied to "Israel," are Spiritual as Well as World-wide

18: The Law of the World-wide Symbolized by the Local Demonstrated in the Master's Second Advent Sermon: a Guide in Understanding Daniel and the Revelation

19: The Principle of "Double" Applications Revealed in the Book of Daniel—Showing the Transition from the Local and Literal to the Spiritual and World-wide

20: The Significance of the "Firsts" and the "Lasts" of Scripture

21: The Law of the First and the Last Associated with the Law of Type and Antitype

22: The Law of the Significance of Bible Names

23: The Law of the Significance of Names in the Book of Revelation

24: The Significance of the Meaning of Names Mentioned in Connection with the Great Battle of "Armageddon"

25: The "Testimony of Jesus" Reveals the Interpretation of the Drying up of the Water of the Euphrates and the Coming of "the Kings from the Sun-rising" (Rev. 16:12)

26: The Principle Governing the Use of Unfulfilled Conditional Prophecies

27: Literal Interpretations Limit in Time and Place Important Scriptures Relating to the Third Angel's Message: Spiritual Interpretations are World-wide and Unlimited in Time—Until the Second Advent

28: "All Things are Yours" (1 Cor. 3:21, 22): Spiritual Interpretations of the Literal Past and of the Literal Future Apply to Spiritual Israel Now

29: The Triple Application of the Prophecies Pertaining to Israel: "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth." (2 Tim. 2:15)

30: Spiritual Lessons From the New Jerusalem: Further Proving the Bible Principle of the Spiritual Application Before, and the Literal Application After, the Millennium

31: The Teaching of a Literal Palestinian "Armageddon" Violates the Bible Principle that Things which apply Literally after the Millennium apply Spiritually before the Millennium

32: After the Millennium—The Consummation of Bible Prophecies

33: Armageddon—Before, and After the Millennium: The Spiritual Application before, the Literal Application after the Millennium

KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS.

*Early Edition

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"Progress does not consist in increasing truth, but in liberating it from its veils."-Tolstoy.

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