1. The word of the Lord. Chapters 38; 39 constitute a continuous prophecy. The whole passage has been the subject of much speculation. Many interpretations have from time to time been proposed. To evaluate these adequately it is necessary to be familiar with the basic purposes, methods, and scope of prophecy.
The problem is to find a means of adequately differentiating between that which has a local, immediate application and that which has an application more remote, perhaps in the Christian age, or at the end of time. Bible students who apply certain prophecies to the Christian age note frequently that these prophecies have interspersed among them references of obviously local and immediate application. They sought to explain this apparent blending of the immediate with the future on the premise that the prophet, while giving a message to the people of his day, took occasional prophetic excursions and projected his prophecies into the distant future. Although this premise appears to offer a partial solution to the problem, it provides no criteria for adequate differentiation between that which is immediate and that which is distantly future.
The answer to this problem of differentiation lies in the formulation of a principle, the method of which is exhibited in the Bible itself and is further substantiated in the Spirit of prophecy. It will be seen that this principle provides a safe method of discriminating between that which the Holy Spirit, in inspiration, intended to be of immediate import and that which has also a more distant application. The principle may be stated as follows:
Prophecies respecting a future glory of Israel and Jerusalem were primarily conditional on obedience (see Jer. 18:7-10; PK 704). They would have met a literal fulfillment in the centuries following had Israel fully accepted God’s purposes concerning them. The failure of Israel made impossible the fulfillment of these prophecies in their prophecies in their original intent. However, this does not necessarily imply that these prophecies have no further significance. Paul supplies the answer in these words, “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6). Hence, these promises have a degree of application to spiritual Israel. But to what extent? This must be left to inspiration to determine. Thus we have, in the and in the writings of the Spirit of prophecy, numerous quotations from the writers showing how these ancient forecasts, which should have met glorious fulfillment in the literal seed, will ultimately be accomplished in the spiritual seed.
It is immediately apparent, however, that not all the details of the original prophecy could meet their fulfillment precisely, with conditions and environment now so different. In fact, it is a safe rule of exegesis to make only such applications as subsequent revelation specifies, as well as to note the limitations it imposes. What exceeds this boundary is at best but speculation, and thus should never be the basis for a dogma or the premise on which a whole structure of theological reasoning is reared.
The distinctly local mold in which these ancient prophecies were cast is explained on the basis that God originally intended these predictions to be fulfilled in the pattern indicated. Furthermore, what have been designated as excursions into the distant future largely detached from the general discussion, are seen also to be presented in the framework of God’s earlier purposes. Now, however, with these earlier purposes unrealized, later inspired writers disclose the unfolding of these forecasts in the setting of the Christian church (see 25-38).
In the light of this principle it may be observed that 38; 39 of Ezekiel would have met a literal fulfillment after the Jews returned from exile if they had accepted the conditions offered by the prophets. Because they persistently refused, the condition of prosperity here pictured was never realized. Consequently the combination of heathen nations could not come down upon a people dwelling in the prosperity indicated.
Will the prophecy have an application in the future? On the basis of the principle here enunciated, such an application can be established with certainty only by a subsequent revelation. There is only one direct reference to the imagery of this prophecy, that of Rev. 20:8. Here John tells us how this prophecy, which, under certain conditions, would have been literally fulfilled in an earlier day, will have a degree of fulfillment in the final struggle against God on the part of the vast hosts of the wicked, called “Gog and Magog.” The Spirit of prophecy gives no direct exposition of this chapter. Indirectly, of course, there may be seen a parallel between this struggle and the final struggle against the Israel of God when “the nations shall unite in making void God’s law” (5T 524) and the wicked fully unite “with Satan in his warfare against God” (GC 656). “As he [Satan] influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God” (9T 231; 465). This agelong controversy will ultimately be terminated by the destruction of Satan and his hosts (termed Gog and Magog, Rev. 20:8) at the end of the millennium. But by this time the conflict has reached worldwide proportions, and can no longer be confined to as narrow a sphere as is indicated in Eze. 38; 39, when it consisted of a military struggle against a politically restored Jewish state (see 6T 18, 19, 395).
Any exposition that goes beyond the bounds of the and the Spirit of prophecy interpretation is without a “Thus saith the Lord.” It must not be assumed, of course, that there can be no further knowledge without additional revelation. But this much is certain, that apart from the specific confirmation of inspiration there exists a high probability of error in any such exposition, especially with regard to unfulfilled prophecy, as is evident from the whole history of prophetic interpretation.