Rules for Interpreting Prophecy

Fordham explains that the second important principle in understanding prophecy, is understanding the rules for interpreting prophecy. This is important in order to remain consistent.

One of the repeated themes in the writings of our critics is the double-standard they employ when interpreting Bible prophecy when compared to interpreting prophecies put out by prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Judging the Bible by the standard they hold us to results in the Bible being declared false! Here is an example of what I mean.

In 2 Kings 20:1-7 we read of a prophecy, which if we applied the standards our critics apply to us, would make Isaiah, the prophet of prophets, a false prophet. Fordham desribes the story this way:

Here the prophet Isaiah visited Hezekiah, who was "sick unto death," and said to him, "Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live." Hezekiah, in prayer, reminded the Lord of all of his good works. The Lord, then, responded mercifully to his plea. He changed his mind and instructed Isaiah to go back to Hezekiah and tell him that his prayers had been heard; the Lord would heal him and he would live for fifteen more years. Was Isaiah any less a prophet of God because the Lord told him something would happen, and it didn't, for whatever reason?

Michael T. Griffith put together a list of rules for interpreting prophecy that, when applied to the Bible, makes all Biblical prophecies true. That is a standard our critics can not disagree with. However we insist that the same tests be applied to LDS prophecies and prophets before declaring them false. Here is his list of rules for interpreting prophecy:

1. Almost all prophecy is conditional to one degree or another, even if this is not stated in the prophecy itself.
2. In many cases human actions and choices can alter, postpone, or prevent the fulfillment of prophecy.
3. A prophecy is not always telling us what will happen, but what could happen under certain circumstances.
4. A prophet can misunderstand the timetable for a prophecy's fulfillment.
5. A prophet can be mistaken about certain details of a prophecy but correct with regard to its central message.
6. A prophecy can apply to more than one occurrence or time period, i.e., it can have dual application.
7. A prophecy's fulfillment can be intended to take place in the spirit world or during the millennium, even if this is not stated in the prophecy itself.
8. The fulfillment of prophecy can go unobserved and/or unrecorded.
9. A prophecy can contain rhetorical overstatements. For example, a prophecy might read that "every single house" in a certain town will be "leveled to the ground," when what is really meant is that the town will suffer heavy destruction.
10. Such terms and expressions as "soon," "quickly," "in a little while," "shortly," etc., are often given from the Lord's perspective of time--so that "soon," for example, might turn out to be a very long time by our reckoning.
11. The text of a prophecy can undergo alteration to the point that it no longer reflects the original intent of the prophecy.

Fordham writes that "most critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints judge Joseph Smith's prophecies with a standard that is just as damaging to Biblical prophecies, thereby showing a double standard of interpretation. They seem willing to allow any possible explanation and exception for Biblical prophecies, but none for those of Joseph Smith. Critics don't seem to realize that the standards they use to judge Joseph Smith can also be used to attack the Biblical prophets and Jesus Christ. "

If we follow Griffith's list above, the truth of the Bible can remain unassailed, and the same will be true for the Latter-day Saint prophets and prophecies. Given the fact that the source for both is the same, it is not surprising!