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interpretation', or as Moffatt has it, 'came by human impulse' (2 Pet. 1:20).
The Greek words are idias epiluseos, and generally speaking bear the
translation given in the Authorized Version. But Peter does not appear to be
dealing with how to interpret prophecy, but how prophecy came, for he
continues:
'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'.
If we retain the rendering, 'private interpretation', its first meaning
must be, that the prophecies found in the Scriptures are not the private
solutions of the prophets of the enigmas confronting them, and secondly, that
those of us who read and use those prophecies, must be on our guard, that no
one 'uses' any prophecy merely as a bolster to support some preconceived
theory, which alas has become the dreadful fate of many of these sublime
utterances. The completely impersonal character of prophecy is moreover
suggested by 1 Peter 1:10,11, where we learn that those prophets who spoke
beforehand of salvation, afterwards searched their own writings to discover
'what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify'.
One simple yet most valuable office of prophecy is to act as 'a light
that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn' (2 Pet. 1:19). Another is
that the 'spirit of prophecy' is 'the testimony of Jesus' (Rev. 19:10).
Within bounds we believe we are not far wrong when we say, that the door of
prophecy swings on two hinges (1) The Return of Christ and (2) The Return of
Israel.
Associated with these two great issues is the history and destiny of
two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem, and with these two cities, two kingdoms,
namely the kingdom of the Beast, and the kingdom of the Lord. Before
proceeding with our studies, the present moment seems to be the time to pause
and consider this term 'kingdom'. It has been maintained that our word
government comes nearest to expressing the word basileia. First of all let
us consider the classical usage of basileia as set out in Liddell and Scott,
where we shall discover the way in which the ordinary Greek used the term:
Basileia, a kingdom, dominion, hereditary monarchy opposed to turannis
and secondly a diadem.
Basileion, a kingly dwelling, palace.
The seat of empire, royal city,
the royal treasury, a tiara, diadem.
Basileios, kingly, royal.
Basileus, a king, prince, lord. Frequently with collateral sense of
captain or judge, later, an hereditary king, then the king's son,
prince or any one sharing in the government, and at Athens, the second
of the nine archons. After the Persian war the king of Persia was
called Basileus, so afterwards, the Roman Emperor.
Basileutos, under monarchical government.
Basileuo, to be king, to rule, to be made king, to rule over a people,
to be governed or administered, to be of the king's party.
Basilekos, royal, kingly, like a king, princely.