Saturday, July 29, 2017

Some Guidelines to the Interpretation of Prophecy, Pt. 3

(Continuing excerpt from Victor Buksbazen on interpretation of prophecy.  Bibliographical information will appear at the end of the Aug. 5, 2017 post.)


8.     In dealing with predictive prophecy it is necessary to distinguish between the prophecies which have already been fulfilled in the past, and those which still await their consummation.
          Thus the predictions of the Egyptian bondage, the Assyrian invasion, the Babylonian captivity and subsequent return to the Holy Land were fulfilled.
          Other prophecies were fulfilled in part and await their final consummation in the future. To this second type of predictions belong many of the Messianic prophecies. When the prophets Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others first uttered them, these were still future events which were later fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah Jesus. However, their complete fulfillment awaits the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.
9.       We must bear in mind that the prophets were primarily God’s messengers to Israel, to teach, to rebuke, to console, to foretell His future plans for Israel. Where the prophet speaks concerning other nations, it is generally with regard to their relationship to Israel. In general it can be said that the Old Testament speaks chiefly to and about Israel, while the New Testament deals with the Church composed of Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ as their Lord and Saviour (Eph.2). The Church is a supranational spiritual entity. Israel is a national entity with a spiritual goal. It is therefore a mistake to confuse the Church with Israel as so many have done.
10.  The point of convergence of prophecies which were of a national character and those of a universal nature, is the person of the Messiah of Israel who is also the Saviour of all men. In His person the Kingdom of God and His salvation embraces all mankind. Within physical and national Israel there is a spiritual remnant, which is the true Israel, the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16). This is one of the central themes of Old Testament prophecy, and is continues in the New Testament. Out of this faithful remnant of Israel come Christ, His apostles and the New Testament Church, the ecclesia. To this Church belong both believing Jew and Gentile (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:47; Gal. 3:28; John 10:16, Acts 1:8, Eph. 2; Rom. 9:24).
11.  Because the God of Israel is also the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His Church, there are many spiritual similarities and parallels between Israel and the Church. Nevertheless historical “Israel” and “the Church” are two distinct entities which live their separate and distinct lives and should never be confused. The spiritual core of Israel, the faithful remnant is not the Church, but a part of it (Eph. 2:19-22). Conversely the Church is not Israel, nor “the New Israel” as erroneously taught for centuries by the Church of Rome and many contemporary Protestant theologians. The Church consists of believing Jews and Gentiles. The confusion of the Church with Israel has had baneful consequences for the Church and for Israel, and has caused grave misinterpretation of the Scriptures. For centuries it has colored Christian thinking about the Jews. It left the Jews with all the dire threats and predictions of judgment and desolation and exclusively misappropriated for the Church all the promises of divine redemption and mercy. There are enough distinctive and glorious promises given specifically to the Church of Christ without misapplying those which were given to Israel (Rom. 9:4, 5).

No comments: