Prophecy ANNIE M. KNOTT, CSD          There was perhaps never a time when prophecy was more eagerly looked into than at the present, and this is surely well, for we find in the first epistle to the Thessalonians this admonition: "Despise not prophesyings." It is however of the utmost importance that students of Christian Science should keep ever in view the true meaning of prophecy when distinguishing between the beliefs and utterances of mortal mind and the inspired declarations of those who gain their views of past, present, and future from the divine Mind. On page 593 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy thus defines the word prophet: "A spiritual seer; disappearance of material sense before the conscious facts of spiritual Truth." This at once recalls these words in the second epistle of Peter: "No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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."          The statement that there is no "private interpretation" of Scriptural prophecy has many times aroused a sense of antagonism on the part of those who felt that they were as capable as any others of interpreting prophecy; but from the Christian Science standpoint the above passage offers no difficulty at all, because it at once becomes clear that we must ourselves be inspired by divine Truth before we are able to interpret the inspired utterances of those who were thus illumined. Furthermore, the student of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, knows that in our efforts to understand the Bible, indeed to understand anything, — our own experiences or the conditions of humanity as a whole, — we must apply all we know of divine Principle. Moreover, we learn in Christian Science that the divine influence designated in Scripture as the Holy Ghost, or "the Spirit of truth," means the divine Science of God and man, and so all our efforts in the way of right interpretation must be governed by Principle and be followed along the lines of divine Science.          As we read the prophecy found in the Bible, or much that has been written by godly men throughout the Christian centuries, we are apt to feel greatly troubled because in many instances the dark clouds of mortal sense seem to shut out the light of Truth and Love. Our revered Leader recognizes this when she says respecting the Old Testament, "It would almost seem, from the preponderance of unreality in the entire narrative, as if reality did not predominate over unreality, the light over the dark, the straight line of Spirit over the mortal deviations and inverted images of the creator and His creation" (Science and Health, p. 502).          It therefore becomes very clear that in reading prophecy we must separate between the real and the unreal, knowing as we should that the unreal will vanish away in proportion as the light of understanding is turned upon the dark images of mortal sense. We should not forget, however, that the warnings given in Scripture must not be overlooked. Mortal mind would be glad to dream on in its belief of the pleasures of the senses, all based upon the delusion of life as separate from God, Spirit, and unlike the divine creation. This false dream must be broken; indeed it could not last in any case, having no Principle, hence no reality; but as the rays of divine Principle scatter the clouds, heavy with their dark pictures of sin and suffering, the reality which was "in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be," appears.          Jesus' disciples evidently thought that because of their Master's demonstrations over sin, disease, and death the whole of error would speedily vanish, but he proceeded to show them that there would be an aggravation of error as the slumberers were roused from their dreams of sense. He warned them against any clinging to materiality, and spoke of the great tribulation which would prevail in the final stirring up of error, but by way of assurance he said, "Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." He also said that the "gospel of the kingdom" must of necessity "be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations," before the end (of error) could come. Following his warnings as given in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, we come to his marvelous parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the last judgment, all of which we should diligently apply to ourselves, in order that we may become partakers of the blessings which come from the all-conquering Principle that he declared.          In Scriptural prophecy we have the warning, the way of escape, and the triumph of good pointed out, and so we come back to Peter's words which immediately precede the first passage quoted from him in this article: "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."   "Prophecy" by Annie M. Knott, CSD Christian Science Sentinel, September 29, 1917

 

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