I sent one of our elders at church my posts on eschatology for review. He was interested in what I had written and wanted to ask me about my hermeneutic. He pointed out that the different eschatological views all stem from the individual's hermeneutic. I had not really sat down and tried to put my hermeneutic into words yet. So here goes:

First of all, I believe the Bible is true and the inspired Word of God. I've written before regarding the proven historical prophecies of Scripture.

Second, there is a lot said about reading the Bible literally, or with the "plain sense." That sounds well enough, but what is often missed is the fact that the Bible contains many different genres of literature. There are poems, histories, prophecies, gospels, epistles (letters). You would not read Emily Dickinson with the same interpretation as you read your American History textbook. (At least I hope not). I do not approach the Psalms the same as I approach Romans.
So, I do not read everything in the Bible "literally." I do not believe that because of Psalm 23, the Lord is telling me to go lie down in a green pasture. (At least not unless He means it as discipline. I'm allergic to grass.) That's an easy one.
But I'm afraid that many people miss this simple principle when they read prophecy. Prophecy also has its own language and draws on rich Biblical themes. The Bible has its own system of symbolism. This symbolism of the Bible is not metaphysical, but an analogy. Consider the many types of Christ in the Old Testament. Moses was not a Christ, but he was a type (analogy) of Christ. Marriage is an analogy of the relationship between Christ and His Church.

So, here is my process of interpretation:
1) What genre am I reading? (usually very obvious)
2) What is the author trying to say?
3) How did his original audience understand this? (for 2 & 3, I like to check the history of the time, check the original Hebrew or Greek, check Bible customs, etc.) I try very hard not to impose 21st century ideas onto 1st century authors.
4) How does this fit with other Scripture? The Bible NEVER contradicts itself. If the New Testment mentions a "new heaven and new earth" look to see if the Old Testament also mentions it. What do they both say? Do they match up?

If you think a passage means one thing, but find it contradicts something said in another passage, go back and recheck your work. The Bible's not wrong. You've missed something in your observation or interpretation.

I also don't expect to understand everything perfectly the first time I study it. You may have to take something on faith (shocking, I know). I'm finding that when dealing with a difficult passage, my understanding of it will not improve until I do choose to accept it on faith. After I do that, it might be days, weeks, months or even years later that God will direct my research to the answer.