Principles of interpretation

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved and tested by trial, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing, accurately dividing, rightly handling, and skillfully teaching the word of truth [1]. The Greek word from this verse translated “rightly dividing” in the King James Version is “orthotomeō.” It means to cut straight, to cut straight ways, to proceed on straight paths, hold a straight course, equivalent to doing right, to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly [2]. When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. Therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise [3].

One of the best examples of the principle of taking the Bible literally is Bible prophecy. Prophecy is God’s roadmap to show us where history is going. The Bible’s predictions claim literal and specific fulfillments that verify that such prophecies are indeed from God. Where God intends for us to interpret symbolically, he makes it obvious. One of the reasons the book of Revelation is difficult for some people to understand, for example, is that they try to spiritualize the symbols in the book. However, many Old Testament prophecies have already been fulfilled, such as God turning water into blood [6]. Therefore, it should not be difficult to imagine that future prophetic events can and will be…