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Interpreting OT Prophecies

Matthew summarizes the message of John, the harbinger of Christ, with these words:

(Matt 3:1-2) Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

After John was arrested by Herod and Jesus withdrew into Galilee He “began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” (Matt 4:17) In Mark's record a bit more information is given:

(Mark 1:14-15) Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.

Later, as Jesus sent forth the twelve on their limited commission He told them: “And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” (Matt 10:7)

In each of these instances the message was “the kingdom ... is at hand,” or more literally “the kingdom ... has come near.” How near had it come? According to Jesus (Mark 9:1) it was so near that it would come during the lifetime of some who heard Him speak.

(Mark 9:1) And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Prompted by this message certain Pharisees asked the Lord: (Luke 17:20a) “... as to when the kingdom of God was coming.” In response Jesus said: (vss. 20b-21) “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” As H. Leo Boles observed...

... the progress of the kingdom could not be determined by visible marks like that of an earthly kingdom; its approach could not be observed by the senses, or its progress watched by its outward manifestations. This spiritual kingdom is not to be judged by outward show, political and military triumphs, or the glory of an external and conquering kingdom. This kingdom is not of such a nature that they could, with the fleshly senses, locate it either here or there. (Commentary on Luke, 333-334)

This was not the first time Jesus taught that His kingdom would be unlike any other; in His conversation with Nicodemus He said that it would a spiritual kingdom; one that one that born into – not through a physical birth, but a spiritual birth – “of the water and Spirit” (John 3:3ff). When Pilate questioned Jesus about the nature of His kingdom, He once again taught that it was a spiritual kingdom, as opposed to one “of this world.”

(John 18:36) ... “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

After His resurrection the apostles asked the Lord: (Acts 1:6) “... is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" From this two things are clear: 1) The apostles believed the Messianic kingdom would be an earthly kingdom and 2) The kingdom of Christ had yet to be established. It would, in fact, not be established until Jesus was crowned – made – king. That this happened before the close of the apostolic age is clear from a number of things written not only in the gospels, but in the epistles. For example, concerning the Messiah, the Psalmist prophesied: (110:1) “The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.'” In Hebrews 12:2 we are told in no uncertain terms that Jesus has taken his seat “at the right hand of the throne of God.” This prophecy of Psa 110:1 has been fulfilled! Also in Hebrews, the prophet says: (2:9) “we see ... Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor.” Christ has been crowned! Furthermore, He “must reign” (sitting at the Father's right hand) “until He has put all His enemies under His feet” and the “last enemy that will be abolished is death.” (1 Cor 15:25-26). Those who have obeyed the gospel – who have been born again “of the water and Spirit” – have been (Col 1:13) “delivered ... from the domain of darkness, and transferred ... to [His] kingdom....”

The kingdom that was “at hand” during the ministries of John and Jesus, became a reality after Jesus ascended to take His seat at the right hand of God. Those who obey the gospel are transferred from the kingdom of Satan (John 12:31; 14:30; Eph 2:1-2) into the kingdom of the Son of God. But since this is so, why do many religious people still teach that the kingdom of the Messiah has never come – that it is still future? A major reason is because they believe prophecies must be literally fulfilled; they reject what they call the spiritualization of prophecy. We are told that unless prophecies are literally fulfilled one has the right to ask: Why did God give men such a misleading Book? Is there anything He has ever said that can be depended upon (cf., James D. Bales, Prophecy and Premillennialism, p. 16). But in saying this they overlook the fact that God Himself says that when He spoke it was not always in the same way, but in “many ways” (Heb 1:1).

God has not spoken in one manner but in modes varying with the message, the messenger, and those to whom the word is sent. Sometimes God spoke by an institution (the priesthood, the sacrifices), sometimes by parable, sometimes in a psalm, sometimes in an act of righteous indignation. Sometimes the message took the form of law or prophecy, of history or poetry. Sometimes it was given in in signs; at other times it was given in plain language. Thus because all prophecies were not spoken alike they cannot be interpreted alike! So the Bible student should expect to find that some prophecies have a literal fulfillment while others are fulfilled in a figurative or symbolic fashion. But in either case, they are both fulfilled.

It is unscriptural to believe that all the prophecies must be interpreted literally for the scriptures teach that God did not always speak in the same way! He spoke in “many ways”! Therefore...

  1. No one has the right to except all prophecies to be literally fulfilled any more than no one has the right to expect all prophecies to be fulfilled in a symbolic way.

  2. No one should deny a certain manner of interpretation by reasoning as if there were only one manner to interpret the prophecies.

  3. No one should accuse another of not believing God’s word when he maintains that a prophecy may be figurative.

J. D. Bales tells of a time when he was asked if Jesus said what He meant, and if He meant what He said, when He said 'this is my body.' His response was that Jesus said also that He was the door. He then asked the questioner if he had ever walked through Jesus. The reply was: 'Anybody ought to know that expression is figurative.' In other words, he granted that sometimes figurative language is used. Jesus said what He meant, when He said 'I am the door,' and He meant what He said. But He did not have to express Himself literally in order to say what He meant. (28) Since figurative language is sometimes used by the Lord, one cannot automatically rule out the possibility that this is my body was a figurative description of the bread. And indeed it was figurative. Had it been otherwise then it would not only be detected as flesh by the physical senses, but Paul could not have said that we eat bread (1 Cor 11:26, 27, 28). (Bales, 28)

When one maintains that a prophecy of scripture may be figurative, he is not doubting God's word, but raising the question: In what manner was this particular prophecy spoken? “Although God's word is true (John 17:17; Rom 3:4), it is not true that God expressed Himself only in a literal manner ... When we listen to what God has said in the Bible we learn that although He always meant what He said, He did not always say it in the same manner.” (Bales, 29)

God Spoke in Types & Shadows

When God spoke in OT times through the prophets He spoke words of comfort, of encouragement, of instruction; and at other times He spoke words of rebuke and of judgment. When God so willed, the prophet not only spoke to his own generation, but to future generations. At times God spoke through the ordinances and institutions commanded under the Law. In his letter to the Colossians Paul, speaking about the various dietary laws and holy days, says that they were “a shadow of what is to come” (Col 2:17). In the letter to the Hebrews (8:4-5) the Spirit speaks of the tabernacle and the gifts offered under the law in the same way – they were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” Later (10:1) the whole Law is spoken of as “a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things.”

As a shadow the law offers “but a faint outline, a mere adumbration of the good things of the Kingdom of Christ.” (Robert Milligan, Epistle to the Hebrews, . p. 267). Shadows can't tell us much. In fact, they may not make much sense at all until we actually see the substance or form that they represent. The form (Heb 10:1) is that which cast the shadow. In the Gospel we have the form and the substance (Col 2:17); “but in the Law we have nothing more than a mere unsubstantial shadow.” (Milligan, 267).

Here is the significance of this information: In the interpretation of the Old Testament writings, including the Messianic prophesies, Bible believers should not study these writings as if they were still living in the shadows – as if they do not have inspired guidance in the New Testament writings. Instead, they should study them in the light of what Jesus did and taught in His earthly ministry and through what he continued to do and teach after His ascension through the apostles. Those who do not take this advice are foolish and leaving themselves open to many foolish and unscriptural interpretations of Old Testament passages.

The mystery was proclaimed in OT times by the prophets in the Spirit, but not “as it has now been revealed to [the] ... holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Eph 3:5). The OT prophets revealed, for example, that salvation was in store for the Gentiles (cf., Isa 11:10; 49:5-7) but they did not know the details. With regard to this Peter wrote...

(1 Peter 1:10-12) As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, {11} seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. {12} It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look.

An example of what Peter spoke of is found in Daniel 12 where the prophets sees a vision and wonders what it meant. In response the messenger of God said

(Daniel 12:9) And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.

At the risk of being repeating myself let me again state NT saints ought not to study Old Testament prophecy as if they had no inspired guidance in the New Testament on the subject of the prophecy.

To Be Continued



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