ETS Paper: Kingdom Hermeneutics and the Revelation

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the hermeneutical approaches of several key eschatological positions concerning the book of Revelation, and in particular, the various Kingdom views associated with each approach. Rather than give a summary statement of the three different millennial positions, the focus throughout will be to expose each position’s supporting hermeneutical base that provides the spring board to their differing eschatological views. This will be done with a view to comparing and contrasting each position’s hermeneutical method against the backdrop of a consistently literal, grammatical-historical interpretation which results with the eschatological view seeing the Kingdom of God as still awaiting a future and literal fulfillment—a position unique to the system known as Dispensational Premillennialism.

Against the back drop of Dispensationalism’s literal approach, the legitimacy of a consistent application of the literal, grammatical-historical hermeneutic will be demonstrated as the best hermeneutical methodology in regards to all things Scripture related including prophecy. Moreover, it will be shown that any abandonment of the literal interpretation of Scripture results in placing the interpreter as the arbiter over Scripture, rather than drawing out the author’s intended meaning of the sacred Text. In contrast to this approach, it will also be demonstrated that when the literal hermeneutic is consistently applied, the only legitimate result is the Premillennial-Dispensational understanding of eschatology to include its instance on the future and literal thousand year Kingdom found in Revelation 20. Thus, this papers ends with a promotion of Dispensational Premillennialism, and a plea for consistently applied literal, grammatical-historical hermeneutics.