Month: May 2017

How To Safeguard Yourself From Giving The Wrong Interpretation Of A Particular Verse Or Verses.

biblical-intepretation

Eisegesis-Putting your own or bias interpretation into the text of Scripture, making it say what you want it to say.

Exegesis-Extracting the plain meaning of any verse in Scripture without any preconceived notion. Allowing Scripture to give you it’s own meaning through context and other Scripture references.

Remember these rules to safeguard yourself from any errors in Biblical interpretation, which these are rules that I instituted for myself. Before you even open up the Bible always pray by asking the Lord to give you understanding through the Holy Spirit. All wisdom comes from God alone and is given to those who ask.

James 1:5

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.

1. Define a word in its context since words have more than one meaning, how the author is describing that word and you will get the correct meaning of it.

2. The meaning of a verse always gets defined in its context either in the verse above or the verse below it and also it’s very important to read the whole chapter in reference to the verse to get the full scope of the verse you are trying to understand.

3. Use other references in scripture (scripture interprets scripture) in connection with the theme that you are studying which will give you more clarity and define symbols that are used in some of the verses.

If you always keep these 3 points in mind you will be safe in not giving your own interpretation but you will relate the message of the Bible plainly and understandable.

Biblical Q&A Form: A Question On Revelation 6:6. Why Is The Olive Oil And Wine Not Harmed?

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A Christian asks:

Re “not harming the olive oil and the wine”–a friend has told me this has reference to Christians, but she was not able to discuss completely as she has also just heard it recently from a preacher and it’s a new concept for both of us. Would you know anything about this? ‘Would appreciate if you could explain–only if you have the time, please! Many thanks. ‘Appreciate very much your posts.

Thank you for your question, I hope my answer(s) help.

The person’s question is in regards to Revelation 6:6 which says, 6 Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”

In verse 6 it doesn’t allude to the wine and olive oil as being completely symbolic but is used as a play on words (having a double meaning) to describe the hyperinflation that it’s going to rise to a day’s earning and something that Jesus is going to accomplish. The wine and olive oil will be off limits and not be touched.

The reason that God doesn’t harm the literal wine and olive oil is that it represents healing according to the parable of Jesus that’s found in Luke 10:33-34 which says, 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Even though the Lord was bringing judgment upon the earth He will heal it afterward when He comes to reign for 1000 years and bring true peace (Isaiah 11:5-10; Isaiah 65:17-25)

The conclusion would be that the wine and olive oil is literal but also has a meaning behind it which it is used for healing a wound. After the Lord wounds those on the earth for rejecting Him through His judgments, He will bandage it and heal it through reigning on earth with righteousness and wiping out for those 1000 years the influence of Satan on earth (Revelation 20:1-3).

 

 

Verse By Verse Through Revelation (6:6-10)

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6 Then I heard something like a voice among the four living creatures say, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius—but do not harm the olive oil and the wine.”

The Seraphim declared that in the time of the third seal there will be a great famine because the destruction that takes place on the earth (wars, plagues, and drought) will affect food growth and production (Matthew 24:7).

A denarius was a silver coin and it was a day’s wage (Matthew 20:1-2).

Food will be very expensive in the end times for the lack of it and those who will suffer the worst will be the poor and middle class.

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

The Lord opens the fourth seal and the Seraphim tells John to come and see the next judgment that takes place.

8 And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. The horseman on it was named Death, and Hades was following after him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The phrase “a pale green horse” resembles the color that a dead body gets after a person has been dead for 24 hours.

A fourth of the earth’s population (25%) will experience death (1.8 billion people will perish), which includes animals as well. To reach such high casualties would most likely include a nuclear exchange (Zechariah 14:12) in a very big war (Ezekiel 38-39) by multiple countries. Plus, the high prices of food that almost no one can afford will cause people to die of starvation along with plagues that we will get into the further we get into the chapter that talks about the remaining seals.

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the people slaughtered because of God’s word and the testimony they had.

The fifth seal reveals the saints who died in the great tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14) by the hands of the Antichrist and the false prophet for refusing to worship him and the image of the Antichrist. Their heads were cut off (Revelation 20:4) who did not denounce their testimony in Jesus Christ or the Word of God but died because they were Christians who loved the Lord more than their lives.

10 They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

The believers were in the presence of the Lord, which after the death of a believer he/she will immediately go to be with Jesus according to 2 Corinthians 5:8 which says, “8 and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”

The believers cried out to Jesus for justice because they were put to death but were innocent, they did not commit any crime deserving death. They were asking the Lord God when Lord will you avenge us?

The “verse by verse through Revelation” series was made into a book. If you are interested in having a hardcopy or in an ebook format click: Bookstore