messages concerning
the laws of interpretation
message
3:
THE PROPHETIC POINT OF VIEW
*
All prophecies and predictive psalms must be examined carefully in order
to determine the date when they are to be fulfilled. If this is not done,
strange and foreign interpretations will be placed upon the Word of God. |
Installment 1
THE
SCRIPTURES give us a composite picture of things in the material world,
past, present, and future. This is not to be a surprise to anyone who
realizes that the Eternal God, the Creator of the universe, has -
figuratively speaking - the blueprint of all the ages through which the
physical universe passes. Since God is interested in His children and
wishes them to cooperate with Him in the fullest way possible, naturally
He has revealed to them secrets concerning the past, facts and principles
in the present, and the future glories which are to be theirs throughout
the ages of eternity.
Of the thirty-nine Books of the Old Testament sixteen of these are devoted
to prophecy - prophecy in the correct meaning of the term. The prophets
interpreted history as well as pointed out the future. They explained the
future and pointed out the past course of history, for the enlightenment
of the people of God.
The word in the original Hebrew meaning a prophet simply indicates a
spokesman for God. If he was looking back into the past, he was
interpreting for the edification of his hearers and readers the facts of
the history. Often times the prophet looked at the present and, realizing
that the past, present, and future are linked together by the law of
causation, pointed out the salient, outstanding facts of the present and
then delineated the future and interpreted its significance for us. In
view of this broad meaning of prophecy we are not surprised to learn that,
in the Hebrew Bible, such books as Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings are
correctly designated the "Former Prophets." Those, however, which we call
Prophets, namely, Isaiah through Malachi, are called the "Latter
Prophets."
In keeping with the significance of the terms, prophet and prophecy, we
realize that the man who has delved into the Word of God, which records
the past history of the universe and of the race, and who gives us the
correct philosophy of history, is indeed a prophet - though he is
uninspired and cannot lay claim to the infallible inspiration of the Holy
Spirit as were the prophets of the Old and the New Testament. The teacher
of God's Word who has, by diligent search and by the illumination of the
Spirit of God been able to discover the great fundamental principles of
God's moral government, and who is able to see and to discern in the
present situation the application of said principles and of the trend of
the present time is likewise, in the true sense of the term, a prophet.
Also those men who study the Word of God and take it at its face value,
believing that God said what He meant and meant what He said, and who,
following the golden rule of interpretation* tell us exactly what the
prophets said with reference to the things out ahead of us are likewise
prophets in the correct sense. They are this in that they have discovered
the mind of God as revealed in the Scriptures and are able to see, in the
light of the continuity of events, the working of the invisible hand of
the Almighty as He directs everything toward a great, glorious, and grand
consummation, when He will head up all things in the dispensation of "the
fullness of times" in Christ, namely, in the great Millennial Age.
As we learn in Hebrews 1:1f, God spoke to the fathers in different
measures and in different manners. According to Numbers 12:7,8 He spoke to
Moses face to face. In this intimate manner He did not speak to any of the
other prophets after Moses. He spoke to them in dreams and in visions. At
the same time, when God gave a revelation to His spokesman, often the
Spirit simply inspired the thought and led the divine spokesman to choose
or select the proper words and phraseology that would best convey the idea
to his auditors or readers. We therefore read throughout the Word that
"the word of the Lord came unto ..." In other words, God sent a spiritual
communication to the prophets and they, as ambassadors for Him spoke forth
the message, using the exact words and terminology that were given to them
by inspiration. The Holy Spirit, as we learn from I Corinthians, chapter
2, gave not only the thought but the words by which those thoughts were
expressed. In view of this fact, there is no wonder that the Apostle Paul
spoke of the Scriptures as having been inspired by the Lord:
16. Every scripture inspired of God is also
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction which is in righteousness: 17. that the man of God may
be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.
~ II Timothy 3:16,17 ~ |
Peter also spoke thus;
19. And we have the word of prophecy made
more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp
shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the daystar arise
in your hearts: 20. knowing this first, that no prophecy of
scripture is of private interpretation. 21. For no prophecy ever
came by the will of man; but man spake from God, being moved by the
Holy Spirit. ~ II Peter 1:19-21 ~ |
When the Word of the Lord thus came to any of His
messengers, they, accordingly as they were inspired, dealt with the past,
the present, and the future - according to the needs of the ones to whom
the message came. For instance, Moses, the great lawgiver, was led by the
Spirit of God to give the historical account of the beginnings of the
heavens and the earth and the great catastrophe that reduced the earth to
a condition of desolation and wasteness. He likewise traced the history of
the Patriarchs and finally came, in his discourse upon history, to the
time of God's delivering His Chosen People from Egyptian bondage. When
Israel was at Sinai, God delivered to her His Law. Moses applied the law
to the life of the people to whom he was ministering. Interspersed in the
historical and legal sections of the writings of Moses are some of the
brightest jewels of prophetic utterance to be found anywhere in the Divine
Revelation. When we come to the New Testament and consider the Four
Records of the Gospels, we see that the inspired Evangelists wrote
accounts of our Lord's life, giving samples of His teaching and of His
works. Here likewise are interspersed in this material prophetic
utterances in which our Lord, figuratively speaking, raised the curtain
and gave us a glimpse into the future of the world and of the eternal
state of bliss and felicity with God and the redeemed forever and ever.
On certain occasions, when the word of the Lord came to various prophets,
God made graphic the message by presenting it in connection with some
vision. Thus the spiritual eyes of the prophets were opened and there were
presented to their startled gaze scenes of the spiritual world and also of
things that had occurred in the past and things that were yet to come to
pass. One of the earliest names given to these divine messengers was
"seer." The word seer meant one who was granted a spiritual vision of
truth and one who delivered in words chosen by the Spirit that which had
been presented to his spiritual vision. From the history of the use of
this word and from the fact that it was supplanted by the later word,
prophet (a spokesman for God), we are logical in concluding that probably
in the earlier stages of Israel's history visions were frequently granted
to these ambassadors of the court of heaven. As the years passed by, there
was not the need of the presentation in such graphic manner of these
messages from God.
Toward the close of the monarchy, after the nation had gotten on the
toboggan and was coasting with lightning speed toward destruction, the
vision was again employed by the Lord in stirring up His people and
warning them of the dangers into which they were headed and the glories
that await the servants of God. In the writings of Ezekiel we see many
visions. This prophet was in vision transported from his place among the
captives in Babylon to Jerusalem itself and was shown the actual
conditions that were to be found in Jerusalem and in Palestine. Thus in
very clear, vivid, graphic language, Ezekiel portrayed the real situation
back in the homeland to his fellow-captives. In keeping with this thought,
Daniel, younger contemporary of Ezekiel, likewise was granted various
visions. This type of revelation is called apocalyptic. There is no book
in the Scriptures that prepares one for the understanding of the course of
history from the Babylonian captivity unto the establishment of the
kingdom of glory here upon earth as does the Book of Daniel. In chapter 2
appears the vision of the metallic image which symbolizes the four
different world kingdoms to whom God would give global dominion. In
chapter 7 the same four world empires are presented, but under different
symbolism. The fourth of this series of kingdoms is followed by the fifth,
namely, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and
Saviour and Redeemer of the world. When the captives who wished to serve
God returned under Zerubbabel, the governor of the house of Israel, and
Joshua, the high priest, from Babylon to the Holy Land, God raised up two
prophets - Haggai, an old man, and Zechariah, a young man - who stirred
the returned exiles out of their lethargy and caused them to throw
themselves wholeheartedly into the service of God. Haggai spoke the words
of the Lord, giving evidence of having some privileges of vision; but
Zechariah, the younger contemporary, was granted visions and he portrayed
in the most vivid and graphic manner the future when Israel will return to
God, Jerusalem shall become the capital of the world, and Israel, cleansed
and purified, shall become the channel of world blessing. The Apostle
John, in the Book of Revelation, likewise was led by the spirit to present
his message just as he had received it in vision.
Let us remember that, though the revelation was given in the form of
visions, these communications described spiritual realities. It is for us,
therefore, to ascertain by hard study and by trustful praying the import
of the message whether given in plain words or in the form of a
descriptive vision. Let our prayer be,
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold Wondrous
things out of thy law (Psalm 119:18).
Installment 2
IN the preceding article of this series we have seen the
real scriptural meaning of prophecy - that it refers to things past,
present, and future. We have seen, moreover, that some of the revelations
of God came in the manner indicated by the scriptural formula: "The word
of Jehovah came unto ..." We have also seen that, by vision, the
revelation was made more graphic in the case of many of the prophets. In
the present study we wish to note several cases of predictive prophecy in
order that we may learn just how to approach any utterance in regard to
the future.
In John, chapter 8, we have a discussion or debate which the Lord Jesus
had with the scribes and the Pharisees at Jerusalem, when He attended the
last Feast of Tabernacles during His personal ministry. It became quite
evident to all who were looking on that the leaders of Israel were bent
and determined in their vigorous opposition to Jesus. He, with His
penetrating divine vision, looked behind outward appearances and detected
the presence of the great enemy of both God and man that was moving them
on in their bitter opposition to Him. He therefore declared that His
opponents were children of their father, the devil, since he was stirring
them up and moving them to such unreasonable measures of opposition. In
their discussion, they claimed to be the children of Abraham, but Jesus
showed that they were not children of that venerable patriarch, though
they had been born of Jewish parentage.
They had the Abrahamic blood, but they did not have the Abrahamic spirit.
They had been blessed of the Lord, in that they were living at the very
time when the Messiah would come and with their physical eyes were looking
upon Him, yet they did not appreciate that fact, the reason being that
they did not know Him nor the Scriptures which were read every sabbath in
their synagogues. Even under the old covenant there was such a thing as
knowing God in a personal manner. This fact is seen in the following
quotation:
23. Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory
in his riches; 24 but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath
understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth
loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth; for in these
things I delight, saith Jehovah.
~ Jeremiah 9:23,24 ~ |
The Apostle Paul told the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia that their brethren
in Jerusalem fulfilled the Scriptures in condemning and crucifying the
Messiah simply because they did not know Him nor the Scriptures. These
facts show that, even though the spiritual blessings enjoyed by the Old
Testament saints were far less than those we possess today, yet they could
- and many of them did - know God and had spiritual discernment. But these
Jews with whom the Lord clashed on this occasion should have rejoiced that
they were living in Messianic Times, and that actually Messiah had
appeared and was in their midst for the purpose of working out
redemption's scheme. But no, instead of rejoicing in the great
unparalleled spiritual blessings which were granted to them, they were
actually, with all the force and power of their being, opposing the
Messiah who was the Son of God, and who entered the world by miraculous
conception and virgin birth.
In showing the Jews, with whom He was arguing, that, though they did have
Abrahamic blood, they did not have the Abrahamic spirit, Jesus declared to
them Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was
glad (John 8:56). What is the significance of the term,
Abraham rejoiced
to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad? In view of the trend of the
thought the facts of the context show that the day to which Jesus referred
was the very time when He was present with them, that is, the time of His
first coming. These opponents, though they were Jews - yet they were not
in the true sense because they did not know God and recognize His Messiah
- should have been rejoicing in the fact that they were living at that
time when God had graciously, in the person of Jesus Christ, left heaven
and had come to this earth in order to work out their redemption and that
of the world. The fact that they did not rejoice to see Him and His time -
to observe the miracles which He performed and to hear the words of grace
which proceeded from His lips - was proof positive that they were not real
Israelites in the correct and true sense of the term. In marked contrast
with them and their attitude, Jesus said Abraham, whom they claimed to be
their father, rejoiced to see His day, Christ's day - that time when He
appeared on earth the first time. Evidently from this language Abraham was
given a promise by the Lord that He would in vision see the day when
Messiah would appear upon earth in order to work out human redemption.
When this vision was shown to him he saw, doubtless crystal clear, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem the Man of Galilee, the Man of
sorrows, throughout His entire career. He saw the agonies of the Saviour
in the Garden; he saw Him suspended upon the cross as He suffered the
death-throes of one of the crudest methods of the execution of a criminal
possible; he saw Him lying cold in death in the tomb; he saw the spirit of
Jesus descending to Hades and making the announcement concerning the
completion of redemption's scheme. He saw His spirit come forth from Hades
and re-enter that body which was then glorified. He saw Him walking out of
the tomb, the conqueror over all the forces of satanic power, thus
bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel. Finally, after
the forty days, following the resurrection, He saw Him ascend to glory and
sit down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Thus Abraham in spirit
was carried forward from his day and time, which was approximately two
thousand years before Christ, to the time when the Babe of Bethlehem was
born. And he saw the entire life of our Lord and His glorious triumphant
conquest over Satan and the perfecting of the plan of redemption.
Yes, we have every reason to believe that Abraham not only saw Messiah at
His first coming and rejoiced in the redemption which He purchased for
mankind, but he saw Him when He will rend the heavens, descend to this
earth, mount the throne of David, lift the curse, and establish a reign of
righteousness from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of earth. We
are logical therefore in believing that Abraham, in vision, was thus
carried forward over the span of two thousand years of history to the
first coming of Christ, and that he likewise surveyed all Messiah's
redemptive career, including the Age of Grace and the great consummation
when He returns in glory and power to reign in righteousness for one
thousand years.
Isaiah lived and engaged in his ministry in the days of Uzziah, Jotham,
Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the latter half of the eighth century before the
Christian Era. In the year that King Uzziah died, the prophet was granted
a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ as He will sit in the great millennial
Temple and will reign over a peaceful world. This is seen in Isaiah 6:1-5:
1. In the year that king Uzziah died I
saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his
train filled the temple. 2. Above him stood the seraphim: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face and with twain he did
fly, 3. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy holy, is
Jehovah of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. 4. And the
foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried,
and the house was filled with smoke. 5. Then said I, Woe is me! for
I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the
midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King
Jehovah, of hosts. |
The prophet declares that he saw the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. The question immediately
arises, "What temple?" There have been several Temples, and there will yet
be two more. Solomon built the great Temple of Israel upon his accession
to the throne and power in Israel. This sacred edifice was destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar at the time of the Babylonian captivity. Seventy years
later, when the exiles who wished to serve God, went back to the land of
their fathers under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, they built
the Temple which is known in history as Zerubbabel's Temple. This
structure was insignificant in comparison with that which had been erected
by Solomon. When Herod the Great, by conniving and by political
maneuvering at Rome, obtained authority over Judaea, he had a mania for
building. He therefore, in 20 B.C. began to tear down the Temple at
Jerusalem piecemeal and began to rebuild it upon a more magnificent and
grander scale. The work which was thus begun in 20 B.C. was completed,
according to the very best accounts we have, around A.D. 64. But in A.D.
70, when Titus captured Jerusalem, this Temple was destroyed, the Jewish
nation was overwhelmed, and the survivors of that catastrophe were sold in
the slave marts of the world, into bondage. In the very time of the end,
according to prophetic prediction, the Jews will rebuild their Temple,
which will be standing during the time of the Tribulation. Isaiah the
prophet, chapter 66:1-5, foretold that it would be built. Psalm 74 sees
its being destroyed in the Tribulation. Jesus assumed its standing in the
middle of the Tribulation, as we see in Matthew 24:15ff. Paul likewise
assumed its existence in the middle of the Tribulation (II Thessalonians 2:1-12).
John in the Book of Revelation, chapter 11, likewise described it. But, as
just stated, this Jewish Temple, will be destroyed. But when Jesus comes
back to this earth, being invited by the penitent remnant of Israel to
return, He will rebuild the Temple and will sit upon His throne, wearing a
double crown, that of royalty and that of priesthood (Zechariah 6:9-15). This
Temple is the one which is described very fully in the last section of
Ezekiel, chapters 40-48.
Which of these Temples is the one that was shown to Isaiah in the passage
which we have under consideration? The third verse of this chapter gives
the keynote; And one [seraphim] cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy,
holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Let us
remember that these verses give us a vision, a vision of Jehovah in His
Temple. The prophet therefore sees Jehovah seated upon the throne. At that
time the earth is full of God's glory. This statement gives us the time
when this vision will be fulfilled, the era of the great millennial
kingdom.
Since we know that this is a vision of Christ in His glory, which position
is confirmed by John 12:41, we know that Isaiah was carried forward in
vision, from the latter part of the eighth century when he lived, across
the centuries to the glorious second coming of our Lord.
In concluding this special phase of study, let us look at Jeremiah
4:23-26:
23. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was
waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld
the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to
and fro. 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds
of the heavens were fled. 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field
was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the
presence of Jehovah, and before his fierce anger. |
Jeremiah had a vision in which he saw the heavens as black as ink and the
earth reduced to a state of chaos, wreckage, and ruin. Was the prophet
carried backward in vision to the catastrophe recorded in Genesis 1:2, or
forward into the future? A very important question. When a person reads
verse 27 which follows our quotation immediately, he will see that
Jeremiah declared that this vision will be fulfilled yet in the future, in
the day of Jehovah - the time of the Tribulation. Thus it is clear from
these facts that Jeremiah was likewise carried forward in vision by the
Spirit and saw the wrecked earth. It is hoped that from this short study
the reader may be able to see the importance of ascertaining the proper
point of view from which to view the prophecies of the Scriptures. Unless
a person discovers this proper perspective, he cannot interpret prophecy
aright.
Installment 3
WE HAVE already seen in this series that the word
"prophecy" as used originally in the Scriptures was applied to the
narration of past events, present circumstances, and future out looks. In
other words, the prophets were inspired when they narrated past events,
and when they evaluated the present and revealed the future. The
inspiration of the Holy Spirit was just as essential for them when they
were recalling the past - as they did in the most accurate manner, which
proposition has been absolutely proved by archaeological discoveries - as
when they foretold the future.
The crowning proof of the inspiration of the messages of the prophets and
Apostles is seen in the fact that they alone properly diagnosed human
nature and described the infallible cure for the sickness of the soul of
man. Their prescription works! When the scriptural analyses of man's
condition and his needs are compared with the views and prescriptions that
are offered by ordinary men, the emptiness and the shallowness of such
human theories become apparent. The uncovering of the future by the
prophets, as seen from their point of view, has been proved, by the course
of history, to have been infallibly guided by the Spirit of God. We have
every reason, therefore, to place absolute and unqualified confidence in
every utterance of Moses, the prophets, and the Apostles.
We have also seen that, in order for anyone to understand predictive
prophecy properly, he must note well whatever time element may be given in
any specific prophecy before he can interpret correctly the prediction.
Sometimes checks are postdated. By a person's doing this, he is telling
the bank not to honor the check until that future day arrives. Thus it is
with the prophecies. They are good only when the time arrives that is
indicated by the chronological data that thus stamps them as to when they
are to be fulfilled. On this point let us study minutely two psalms.
Psalm 90
Psalm 90, written by Moses and possibly the oldest one in
the book, is indeed very illuminating. It sweeps forth from eternity in
the past through the ages that intervene between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis
1:2, and comes flashing to the time of the creation of Adam, then onward
to the day of Moses. The Eternal God, as set forth in verses 1 and 2,
existed from all eternity in the past. The last clause of verse 2,
Even
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God, properly
rendered and studied in the light of the context, should be translated
this way: Even
from age to age, thou wast God. The correctness of this interpretation is
seen when one realizes that in verse 2 the prophet is still looking back
toward the past and is speaking of a time prior to the creation of the
universe. As the Hebrew is translated in our English versions, all
eternity - before the creation of the universe, the time during which the
material cosmos is in existence, and ages of the ages of all future
eternity - is by this translation thrown back prior to the creation of the
universe. This position is of course an absurdity. In contrast to God's
having existed throughout all eternity, Moses refers to the longevity of
the human family prior to the Flood. A glimpse at Genesis, chapter 5,
shows that the antedeluvian patriarchs' lives approximated a thousand
years. But that civilization was wiped out by the Flood, a catastrophic
Judgment.
In verses 7-11 Moses comes to his own day and time, and speaks of God's
having dealt in wrath and indignation with His Chosen People, whose span
of life has been reduced to threescore years and ten,
Or even by reason
of strength fourscore years. The best commentary on God's dealings with
the generation of Moses is the Book of Numbers.
Thus having reviewed the judgment of the Flood disaster and of God's
strokes upon Israel in the wilderness wanderings, Moses is carried forward
in his thinking out to the time when the nation again sins against God. On
account of this rebellion the stroke of judgment falls. Clearly he saw the
situation and, identifying himself with his brethren, he prayed that the
Lord would lead the nation to "get us a heart of wisdom," that they might
evaluate their situation, see their mistake, and recognize that their only
hope is to pray for Jehovah, against whom they sin when He appears, to
return to them and bring deliverance. This is set forth in verses 12-17.
In this last section of this psalm it is quite evident that Moses was
carried in vision out beyond the time when Jehovah comes to His people.
The prophets constantly spoke of the time when Jehovah would come to His
people, and they would reject Him and thus sin against their own souls.
Recognizing this fact, and seeing that the solution of Israel's problem
lay in their repudiation of the national sin and praying to Jehovah, who
alone can solve their problems, to return, Moses thus leads his nation in
this penitential confession and prayer.
The face meaning of these verses must be accepted. The information
presupposed in this passage must be gathered from related ones. When I
recognize this fact, and when I look at such a passage as Isaiah 53:1-9, I
immediately recognize that this petition is the same one as that which is
set forth in Isaiah 53:1-9.
When a person thus runs the gamut of the ages that are surveyed in this
psalm, he recognizes the fact that Moses was viewing the great disasters
that have come, first to mankind in general in the days of Noah; secondly,
to the Hebrew people in the days of Moses; and thirdly, to the Jewish
people in this age when they, not having wisdom, reject Messiah at His
first coming. Moses - seeing that the time will come in the history of
Israel when the nation will, in genuine repentance, repudiate its national
sin and pray for Him to return and deliver them - introduces this petition
by the words, Return, O Jehovah; how long? Thus the latter part of Psalm
90 is dated at the time when convicted and penitent Israel will plead for
Jehovah to return. On this point the reader should carefully study Hosea
5:14-6:3. Psalm 95 Psalm 95 is a most important portion of the revelation of God. No one can
properly understand the Hebrew Epistle of the New Testament (possibly the
most profound portion of the entire Word of God) who does not properly
understand Psalm 95.
From a general knowledge of the Word we understand that Psalm 95 was
spoken by King David (Hebrews 3:7-11,15; 4:7). The historical background
of this psalm is to be located at the time of the giving of the law
(Exodus, chaps. 19-24). When the Lord spoke from the heights of Sinai the
Ten Commandments, the frightened hosts of Israel pleaded with Moses that
God would no more speak to them, but that He should deliver His messages
to the great leader and lawgiver, and that he in turn should relay them to
the children of Israel. The hosts of Israel made every kind of promise
that they would be obedient to the heavenly voice. Keeping this experience
in mind, the Lord promised that He would raise up to Israel a prophet
saying, I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them
all that I shall command him (Deuteronomy 18:16-19). Since Israel did not want
God to speak to her directly, the Almighty promised that He would raise up
a prophet, a spokesman for Himself, who would deliver His message to her.
David, who was inspired by the Spirit of God, and who knew this promise of
God's speaking to Israel through this future prophet, uttered the
prediction found in Psalm 95. David lived approximately five hundred years
after Moses made the original prediction. But he was carried out from his
day and time to the time when God would raise up this prophet who would
speak to her. This prediction, viewed in the light of the Gospel Records,
quite obviously referred to the first coming of our Lord, who made His
advent in the first century of the present era - a thousand years after
David uttered Psalm 95.
Being thus transported into the future in vision to the first century, the
king, as God's spokesman, viewed the situation in Palestine of the first
century and saw this prophet through whom the Lord would speak, as He
engages in His ministry. Thus David called to his brethren of a thousand
years hence to come and accept this one without hesitation and to render
the worship and the praise due to Him. He insisted on their doing this
because Jehovah is a great God, And a great King above all gods, who is
the Creator of the material universe, and who is the Shepherd of His
people Israel.
In the second half of the psalm (7b-11) David began his oracle with the
word, "To-day." What is the meaning of this term? Obviously it refers to
the time of Jehovah's coming to earth in fulfillment of Deuteronomy
18:15-18 and this present prediction. It therefore means the time when
Messiah comes to be with His people. When we read this in the light of
Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4, we know that this word, today, refers to the
time of our Lord's first appearance upon earth.
King David - in vision seeing Messiah at His first corning therefore
pleaded with the Jewish people of the time of our Lord not to harden their
hearts when they would hear God speaking in the person of Jesus Christ. It
is clear therefore, that the word "To-day," dates the prophecy and its
fulfillment at the time of Messiah's first coming. Knowing the proper
perspective, a person is in a position to interpret the psalm.
All prophecies and predictive psalms must be examined carefully in order
to determine the date when they are to be fulfilled. If this is not done,
strange and foreign interpretations will be placed upon the Word of God.
Footnote:
* "When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other
sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal
meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of
related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths indicates clearly
otherwise. * *
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