Exegesis and The Seven Last Plagues.

Continuing the Seven Last Plagues Study--

I'm reading through this study and not for the first time either, but several times and I have to say that it truly isn't a flowing, easy to comprehend study. This is meat, not milk and not meant for anyone looking to study without truly studying. Being given milk to drink is easy, but being given tough, chewy meat is something that takes a lot more skill. Babies don't start out with meat, they'd choke to death, and spiritual babies don't start out with spiritual meat either. If you're looking for a simple answer to the seven last plagues I could give you this--

The first plague is awful sores upon people who have the mark of the beast and worship the beasts image.

The second plague is the sea becoming dead man's blood and every living soul dies in the sea of blood.

The third plague is the fountains and waters turning to blood and this is for those who have killed saints and prophets of God.

The fourth plague is the sun scorching those who blaspheme God, not giving God the glory that is His.

The fifth plague is darkness and pain so great they gnaw on their own tongues and this on those who are at the seat of the beast.

The sixth plague is over the river Euphrates- drying up the water of the river to prepare the way for kings coming out of the east. There will also be spirits like frog coming from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and false prophet. Spirits working miracle going to the kings of the earth and the whole world to gather them up for the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The seventh plague is put in the air, and creates voices, and thunder, and lightening, earthquakes. This plagues causes islands and mountains to disappear. Hail also will fall, huge hail.

So there you have it- the seven last plagues, now you can drink up that milk I just gave you and ask no questions, seek no further understanding. You can sum things up just like movies on television -

Plague 1- sores

Plague 2 - bloody sea

Plague 3- bloody fountains and rivers

Plague 4- burning sun

Plague 5- darkness and pain

Plague 6- river drying up

Plague 7- thunder, lightning, earthquake and hail.

But what do you know about those plagues? Do you really want to believe that you aren't supposed to know more about them? They are crouched in symbolism, in prophetic language and you can study deeply and you may find some answers, but you may find more questions. The study we're doing is a deeper study and it requires the desire to delve deeply into facts where you may have to go all over the Bible in order to piece things together. We are told this--

2Ti_2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Rightly DIVIDING the world of truth.

Luk_24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Here, Jesus starts at the book of Moses and goes through all the books of the prophets and picks out all the scriptures that were about Him. Jesus did not simply go to one book and say - "Here is all you need to know of me."  Jesus expounded unto them ALL the scriptures about Himself! Such an amazing example from our Savior Himself. We need to study and often that means going to several books of the Bible, not just a single one.

Today I was told that everyone has their own interpretation of the Bible, basically that no one has the whole truth of the Bible as God intended, just everyone with lots of different truths taken in the ways they want to see them. Is this true? God said this--

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

No private interpretation.  The Bible isn't something that we interpret privately. You take the entire Bible and LET it speak for itself! You let the Bible give you the meaning, you don't insert your own ideas. You let undeniable history that is set in factual accounts confirm prophecies.

This is truth-1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 

Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. 

How can ANY of us be taught, if there are teachers with hundreds, thousands of different teachings for a single concept? If I went to one teacher and they told me the history of a war, and then another comes and tells me the history of the same war only totally differently, and yet another and another all of them with facts skewed to suit their own desires, am I getting the truth? No, I'd have no way of knowing the truth unless perhaps a majority ruled what was true, and even then how could I know?

God's word DOES not contradict itself. God's prophecies are not privately interpreted. The book of Daniel was SHUT up until the time of the end.  And suddenly in the 1800's various men around the world were able to comprehend the prophecy in connection with history's fulfillments. The book was OPENED. Yet, I'm supposed to believe that NO ONE has the truth? That it's every man for himself and whatever he wants to believe? How madly confusing that would be. God did not mean for His truth to be like the Tower of Babel- the place where He confounded mankind's languages separating people into those who would comprehend each other, but otherwise there was total confusion among the people. His word is not total confusing and it's not something to shrug off as if it doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we believe in Jesus. God's word, Jesus' word tells us to STUDY, we are told to WATCH and pray. We are given prophecies by JESUS Himself to what end if NO ONE is supposed to comprehend the truth of them, the reality of them? Jesus says this--

Luk 21:28  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

What things? The things HE'S prophesized! So if we can't know what we are looking to come to pass because there are several (hundred) different interpretations, then how can we look up, lift our heads knowing our redemption is nigh? How?

We need to use exegesis not eisegesis-

While exegesis is the process of drawing out the meaning from a text in accordance with the context and discoverable meaning of its author, eisegesis occurs when a reader imposes his or her interpretation into and onto the text.

We need to let the Bible speak for itself! Not put our own interpretations on it and if people think that it is all about people putting their own interpretations on things, then they will NEVER have truth, how can they?

Satan is the master of confusion and those who wish to remain blind, will. God allows people to be blind when they don’t want truth. No one can force another person to desire truth, to desire the light of God's word. We can only pray that they are willing to escape from the darkness into the light of God's truth before it's too late.  If I'm wrong, and my particular truth condemns me, I'll have no one to blame but myself for refusing light. Often I say, who's to say I'm right? I can only pray I'm in the truth in Christ.

Yes, I've gone off on my own extreme tangent here, but it needed to be said. In our study of the seven last plagues there is a lot to comprehend, so much that unless you are willing to study it you may sip the milk of a babe and pray you aren't meant to eat the meat God has out there to be eaten. The meat needs to be chewed and chewed and chewed thoroughly, not popped in your mouth and swallowed like above where I gave a simple numbered list on what the plagues are. That's what they are, but why are they what they are, how does it relate to us and others, why is there so much prophetic symbolism if we aren't supposed to chew and chew on this spiritual meat?

More tomorrow….

But first… (Elder Grotheer used Exegesis in all his Bible Studies, in all His thought papers. He wasn't a lay person with limited Biblical knowledge but a Bible Scholar who went to school to learn Biblical knowledge, and spent his entire adult life in the pursuit of truth. He had to give up cherished beliefs of an organization, a church he'd poured his heart and soul into. Was he perfect, not by a long shot, none of us are. Satan works harder than ever to attack those defending the truth using every single weakness they possess to damage them visibly and invisibly. He sinned, we all sinned, and continue to sin and we are all in need of forgiveness. Our sins don't mean our truth is any less the truth, but Satan would have it seem that way. Elder Grotheer sought truth as he fought his spiritual war, I seek truth as I fight my spiritual war, and YOU whoever you may be, are seeking truth as you fight your spiritual war. In our search for truth let us lay aside all our preconceived ideas and only search out truth. God guiding us always through the Holy Spirit!

'First, what is Biblical Exegesis anyway!?!? From <http://library.bu.edu/libraryresearchsth/writingexegesis>

Good question! Most simply put, exegesis is an exposition or an explanation of a text. You are assigned to present a critical interpretation of a passage from Scripture. The root of the word is from the Greek exēgeisthai to explain (via Merriam-Webster). Exegesis involves a process of examination by which one comes to understand a particular passage of the text. A passage from the Bible that captures a full event or narrative is called a pericope. Your professor’s specific instructions and your own research interests will of course dictate what pericope you choose to perform exegesis on or the specific materials needed for your work. You can always ask a librarian to assist you in finding the perfect resource, too!

First, you will want to explore the context of the passage. This involves imagining yourself as part of the story. What is the date? What is going on in history? What are the societal forces at work?

Second, you will dive into the text. Explore the word choice, grammar, and perceived intent of the author, and engage with others who have written on the subject before you.

Finally, analyze the text theologically. What do you believe is the point of the pericope you analyzed, and how do you apply it to your daily life?

After you have chosen a pericope from scripture (or one has been assigned to you by your Professor), the first goal is to explore the context of the passage. Read the text using several translations of the Bible, while noting variations (some of our selection is below, but do note we have many bible translations in many languages, including Greek and Hebrew), and scan your chosen passage for any hint of date, time, historical events, social roles of characters, key phrases, and important theological concepts (for example, in the story of Jesus's birth in the Gospel of Luke, Luke 2:2 mentions the census when "Quirinius was governor of Syria"). Think of all the interesting historical and cultural things of note here! Who was Quirinius? What was the Jewish people's reaction to the census? How did this exhibit the place of the Jewish people in that society? How does Luke use the Census to make a point in his story? How does this timeline of Jesus's birth compare to the other Gospels?

Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias are great ways to explore context.

Listed below is a couple of great bible dictionary and encyclopedia resources available at the School of Theology Library. Look around these call numbers for similar titles, and use bibliographies in what you find to extend your search! The School of Theology Library also has access to BibleWorks and Accordance, computer programs that are great for comparing translations, learning about the geography of areas in the bible, exploring and learning the original languages, and more!

Finally, search our library's online catalog. Biblical commentaries are usually listed under the subject heading "Bible. Criticism, interpretation, etc." It is usually better to search for the entire book your passage is from ("Bible Criticism Interpretation Luke" for the above example).

After exploring the context of the text, next up is to go line by line, verse by verse, through your pericope, exploring its terms, idioms, and structures. Read the passage as deliberately as possible, and highlight things that stand out to you, whether it be use of words, repetition, argument, or the like. Have dictionaries near by and consult them to discover the original meaning (for example, the meaning of New Testament Greek may have a slight nuance that is missing in English). Make note of words and start to formulate what you think the text is saying.

The School of Theology Library has many resources to consult during this process, including Interlinear Bibles (bibles that show the original language with an English translation below), concordances (an index that shows you where particular words show up in the Bible), and Commentaries.

Information on available Biblical Commentaries can be found on the left hand side of this guide. Remember, along with Interlinear Bibles and Concordances, we have access to BibleWorks and Accordance software inside the library!

Note, when searching the ATLA Religion Database, you can search by scripture citation as well, for find the perfect resource within the database for your paper!

The final step in writing exegesis is to sum up your findings of what the text is trying to say, and offer modern-day application.

Consult biblical commentaries like the ones on the left and books in our catalog to see what other scholars have said about your chosen pericope. Delve into essays by once again consulting journal articles and essays, like those in the ATLA Religion Database. Consult bibliographies in the dictionary and encyclopedia articles you consult. Search subject headings of books you find useful, or search the area around that call number in our open stacks.