Often we get questions regarding the study of the original Shepherd’s Rod message and the establishment of the latter day kingdom that have a simple straightforward enough answer but then become clouded when some professed teachers of righteousness muddy the waters with their own private interpretations. As a case for illustration consider the question about how many years will the kingdom be established prior to Christ’s visible advent in the clouds of glory. Another way of thinking about it would ask how long of period does the Loud Cry take place? Well here is the straightforward answer.
“And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:” — Ezekiel 39:9
Of course one needs to read the proper context of the entire chapters along with prior chapters 36 and 37 to see that this is talking about the literal kingdom that will be established in the promised land (Palestine) in the latter days. So one would think with such a clear and explicit answer there would be no further need for discussion or debate. But unfortunately there are some amongst present truth believers who are not content to accept a “thus sayeth the Lord” and want to insist their own private opinions by suggesting that seven years is to long because Ellen White says the last day events will be in rapid succession so seven years must really be something like two or three years at most. This is a very dangerous and presumptuous position to take which demonstrates unbelief in God’s Word and ignorance about how we should rightly divide the Word of Truth.
In regard to Ezekiel chapter 39 verses 8-15, 22-29 Brother Houteff comments as follows.
“I do not know of any chapters in the Bible that are more explicit than these chapters of Ezekiel. They need no interpretation whatsoever. But in spite of it the Denomination ignores them as though they were not in the Bible. And even now, rather than teaching the soon fulfillment of these chapters, the setting up of the Kingdom, the ministers are doing all they can to confuse the laity and to enshroud the Scriptures in mystery! So there is evidence upon evidence that the angel of the church of the Laodiceans is blind, and yet knows it not.” — Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 4, p. 21
So inspiration tells us the these chapters in Ezekiel (36, 37, 39) are so plain that “they need no interpretation whatsoever”. So why do some not accept that “they that dwell in the cities of Israel” shall go forth and burn their weapons of destruction for seven years? Could it be that they do not understand the basic rules of Bible interpretation that were established as a foundation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church by William Miller? Or perhaps they think themselves as men who “are now so wise that what the Spirit can do for them, they themselves can do even better! (Timely Greetings, Vol. 2, No. 41:7) not realizing by so doing they expose themselves as antitypical prophets of Baal?
Think about the problems if one does not believe that the seven years in Eze. 39:7 are seven literal years. Does that also mean the the seven months in verse 12 that the house of Israel shall be buying Gog and all his multitude is not seven literal months, but something else?
“And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the [noses] of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call [it] The valley of Hamongog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.” — Ezekiel 39:11, 12
And what about the length of time for the outpouring of the seven last plagues? Is the “season and a time” (15 months) in Daniel 7:12 a literal 15 months or is it something else? If “season and a time” is not 15 literal months then how can we be sure of the integrity of the whole base of Adventist interpretation of the 1260 years of Dan. 7:25, Rev. 12:6, 13:5 spanning from 538 A.D. to 1798 A.D.? If we do not take the Bible as it reads then we head down a slippery slope that will end of perdition if we do not humble ourselves and take God’s Word as it reads.
Miller’s Rules of Bible Interpretation
All serious and well grounded students of present truth should know and understand the Adventist historical proof-text method of Bible interpretation which are based on William Millers Rules of Bible Interpretation. The complete rules and their examples are provided as a PDF at the link below. In this particular case Rules 8 and 11 are particularly applicable. Since Ezekiel 39:9 is so plain that it “needs no interpretation whatsoever” then we best take seven years to be seven years. Furthermore, numbers in the Bible are always literal although the object they are associated with may be symbolic. For example, the lamb in Rev. 5:6 has “seven eyes”. So does the lamb have seven eyes or perhaps six or nine? No, it is obvious the the number seven in this case is literal, but that the eyes are symbolic of complete spiritual vision (Ps. 139:7-12; Tract No. 15, p. 30).
RULE VIII:
Figures always have a figurative meaning, and are used much in prophecy to represent future things, times and events; such as mountains, meaning governments; beasts, meaning kingdoms, waters, meaning people, lamps, meaning Word of God, day, meaning year. Daniel 2:35,44; 7:8,17; Revelation 17:1,15; Psalms 119:105; Ezekiel 4:6
RULE XI.
How to know when a word is used figuratively. If it makes good sense as it stands, and does no violence to the simple laws of nature, then it must be understood literally, if not, figuratively. Revelation 12:1,2;17:3-7
Miller’s Rules for Bible Interpretation
So Chose This Day Whom You Will Believe and Follow
“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” — 2 Chronicles 20:20
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15
“While exalting the “sure word of prophecy” as a safe guide in times of peril, the apostle solemnly warned the church against the torch of false prophecy, which would be uplifted by “false teachers,” who would privily bring in “damnable heresies, even denying the Lord.” These false teachers, arising in the church and accounted true by many of their brethren in the faith, the apostle compared to “wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.” “The latter end is worse with them,” he declared, “than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” — Acts of the Apostles, p. 535.1
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” — Isaiah 2:22
Leave a Reply