Growing In The Apostolic

Growing in the Prophetic
different than we envision when we first receive it. We are tempted to add
our conclusions to the Lord’s word to us, and the two become confused over
time. The life within a seed and a plant are essentially the same, but the
form of the seed must die for the form of the plant to be given birth (1 Cor.
15:36–38). So the “form” of a prophecy’s fulfillment can be very different
from the “form” of the expectation of its fulfillment we originally project,
and yet the essence of the revelation remains true. This is why it’s vital that
we do not look to prophecy alone for guidance. It can be a vital part of the
“machinery,” but it must not be made out to be the whole of the “machine.”
We also encourage people to “hold,” “sit on,” or “shelve” revelations that do
not have a clear interpretation.
If they are shared, they should be communicated with the qualification
that the interpretation is not yet clear. It is often wise to write them
down and share them with pastoral leaders or those recognized as gifted at
interpretation of obscure revelations, but generally they are not for public
consumption.
Interpreting Prophetic Scriptures
The interpretation of revelation is often contrary to the obvious. The scribes
and Pharisees were perfect examples of this in their approach to prophetic
scriptures. The tradition of the elders was more than a collection of their
customs; it was the theological interpretation of the Torah, the first five
books of the Old Testament. As centuries passed, those traditions were
written down in what became the Talmud.
To the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was a lawbreaker because He did not
keep the traditions of the elders. These religious leaders could no longer
distinguish between revelation (the Torah) and interpretation (the Talmud).
To them, the interpretations and applications were obvious and indisputable.
This tendency to mix up revelation and interpretation shows up in every
generation. The Pharisees misinterpreted the prophets’ true revelations about
the Messiah and thus missed the purpose of God for their generation by
rejecting Jesus.
One of the characteristics of prophetic revelation is that it is sometimes
parabolic or symbolic; thus, it is only fully understood after future events
have taken place. From the Old Testament perspective, it was not altogether
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