A SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLE
OF INTERPRETATION
8
Interpretation by Type
A. -- But surely this method is limited to the Old Testament?
B. -- It is in the Old Testament that the foundation is laid. The New Testament builds upon it and accepts it, and so
must we. God has revealed the general principles of the great purposes of the ages in the history of His people
Israel. We cannot interpret `all Israel' in one way and `all men' in another, without forsaking a divine principle.
What Abraham is to Israel, Adam is to man, and you will remember that descent from Abraham was not sufficient to
constitute one a child of promise, but that the true seed were called `in Isaac'. Therefore we must be prepared to
find that descent from Adam likewise is not sufficient to establish one as a child of promise, but one must have been
chosen `in Christ', which limitation is indicated in the line that comes down from Adam to Seth, not from Adam to
Cain. Israel are the age-people, and shadow forth the age purpose.
Israel the typical Nation
A. -- What is your warrant for calling Israel the age-people?
B. -- Isaiah 44:7 (A.V.) reads `the ancient people'. The original is am-olam. Happily we are quite agreed that the
interpretation of the Hebrew olam and the Greek aion should be `age', and not `ever', `eternal' and the like. You
will see that this age-people are called the Lord's `witnesses' in the next verse. The theme of the chapter and
Israel's witness is that of idolatry, but we have not gone far enough to consider the bearing of idolatry upon the
purpose of the ages yet.
A. -- I call to mind other passages which link Israel on to the age purpose, such as, the `everlasting covenant',
Canaan as an `everlasting possession', `eternal redemption', `eternal inheritance', and other similar statements
where olam or aion are used.
Israel and the Age Purpose
B. -- Take for example the millennial kingdom which is the goal of Israel as the age-people. The blessings which
are there limited to `all My holy mountain' foreshadow the wider blessings of a new creation. Then again the
Divine name Jehovah is specially connected with Israel and the ages:
`Jehovah, the God of your fathers -- this is My Name
FOR THE AGE,
and this is My memorial unto all
generations' (Exod. 3:15 author's translation).
The am-olam, the age-people, find in Jehovah the El-olam, the God of the age (Gen. 21:33). Largely because of
their typical character, the story of that one nation occupies the bulk of the Scriptures. The book that opens with the
record of creation closes with the story of one man and his twelve sons (Genesis). The record of creation occupies
34 verses, the story of the tabernacle twelve chapters.
Example of the typical Principle
A. -- I should like you to give some definite example of the way in which the history of this people interprets the
purpose of the ages.
B. -- We will read together the following Scriptures, viz., Genesis 15:5-16; Galatians 3:15-18; and Ephesians 1:3-14.
(The reader is requested to read these passages).
A. -- (After reading Gen. 15 and Gal. 3).
These two passages do not refer to the same thing. In one the bondage of Egypt is in question, and in the other
the giving of the law at Sinai.
B. -- True, but you will readily observe the close parallel between them if you notice three features: