Paul admonished Timothy concerning study:
Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15).
And from a little child you have known the scriptures, which are able to make you wise to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished for all good works. (2 Tim 3:15-17).
If we agree that the scripture is the word of God, here there is a command from God to study the scripture. The one who studies is called a workman, meaning it is something that we work at. It is not just a casual look. We must work to rightly divide the word of truth, which means to interpret it correctly. We are not just to assume our interpretation.
Some have said, “Well the first disciples were just uneducated fishermen”. Paul studied under Gamaliel, the greatest of the scholars of his time. Paul counted his achievements as “dung” compared to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, but his study was used by God. Paul wrote down most of the doctrines for the church. He did this by the revelation of the Holy Spirit and he also knew the scripture more than any apostle.
This does not mean that the word of God is shut up to only a select few. It means that all of us should study and especially those who preach the word. It does not mean that God cannot speak to His children unless we understand the scripture fully. God moves through His Spirit, His love and faith that are in us, according to the priesthood of all believers. Nevertheless, He still commands us to study.
Luther was not given his first church until after he earned his doctorate and in his day they were not easy to obtain. He had to master most areas of theology as well as the biblical languages. People often discount this, as though it is of no use, saying that only faith benefited Luther. Luther did not say this. Faith made Christ his Lord, but his knowledge of the scripture was essential to his calling in Christ.
The early Puritans and Dissenters in the 17th Century, though also men of the Spirit, were scholars of the word of God. Our societies today are still greatly indebted to their achievements in all fields. Studying for the ministry in Jonathan Edwards’ day in colonial America was equally as comprehensive. His students were people of the Spirit, who did not treat the study of theology rashly.
Ministers of the gospel were once the most educated people in town. Today we are often less educated than those in other professions and among the least educated in the history of the church. This lack of education has resulted in a lack of knowledge in the pulpits and has harmed lives. Would we allow an uneducated doctor to operate on us? How much more important is the soul?
A look at church history would quickly reassure us of our lack of education. Take, for example, the Roman Catholic documented response to the Council of Chalcedon in 451AD, regarding the nature of Jesus Christ. (This is available via a Google search on the Internet.)
The knowledge, expertise and Spirit of Christ in this document are challenging. The Catholics at this time had had a mini-reformation afforded them by Augustine and despite the persecution and heresy, the early church had the fastest mission expansion in history. They were not inept in power, knowledge or missionary impact.
In our modern era things changed around the end of the Second Great Awakening in America, in the middle of the 19th Century. A move to ecumenicalism and to what were considered more practical matters in ministry meant the study of theology took a back seat. This has brought a decline in gospel education in our day.
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Shifts in Evangelical Views
The 19th Century saw many influences which helped form the background to modern Pentecostalism. These influences were seen particularly in American and British revivalism, from which the modern Pentecostal movement came.
The motto of the Four Square Pentecostal Church, founded by Aimee Semple McPherson, depicts the main themes that came out of the 19th Century: Christ the Saviour, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer and soon coming King. It also shows some of the changes in Christian thought over the period.
This motto expressed the developing themes of subsequence or second blessing, made popular through the Methodist revivals; Restorationism, made popular through Edward Irving and John Alexander Dowie; and pre-millennialism, made more popular by Dispensationalism. We will discuss these below.
Here we introduce just a few of the main factors that bear on Evangelical and Pentecostal movements today:
1. Wesleyanism
John and Charles Wesley were gifts from God. Their ministry was a great blessing to the church and many nations. Charles passed on inspiring gospel truths through his hymns. John had many influences in his background. He started in a High Anglican holiness group, which tried to earn salvation through works.
He claims to have been born again after meeting with Moravian Pietist Christians who told him about faith in Christ. He was also influenced by the Reformed Puritans of England. There was a mixture of teachings in his ministry.
John advocated a second blessing experience which he said promoted sanctification. We call this the doctrine of subsequence, meaning a work of sanctification in the believer after being saved. This was not seen as just a progressive work, but a subsequent instantaneous miracle. In many people’s minds this blessing came about when the believer adhered to religious requirements.
19th Century Methodist and Baptist revivalism in America and Britain emphasised different forms of this teaching in meetings and publications. They may not have all agreed to the Methodist model, but held to similar revivalist concepts to promote Christian sanctification and growth. Charles Finney, Phoebe Palmer, Dwight Moody and the English Keswick movement all emphasised Wesleyan type themes of Christian Perfectionism.
2. Humanism
Modern humanism stems from the Renaissance (14th – 17th Century), which refers to a period of re-birth of knowledge in European history. People freeing themselves from Papal authority and church dogma emphasised the importance of the individual. In secular communities humanists were generally also atheists. In church communities, humanists such as Philip Melanchthon, Erasmus, Huldrych Zwingli and Jacobus Arminius and the Pietists, emphasised compassion for all individuals.
Arminius (1560-1609) noted that cold Reformed churches cared little for humanity, while he respected Calvin’s publication, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, as “second only to the Bible”. Wesley later entered the Arminian dispute, but he was also careful in the matter. Wesley claimed that the new birth was a sovereign creative act of God, not man’s decision, but emphasised the human role in seeking God for salvation and sanctification.
The major change with regard to modern Christian humanism came through Charles Finney (1792-1875). One must go back to early publications to appreciate this. He claimed that new birth was a human decision made from a person’s own will and did not require a change of nature and that it was not a miracle of God. This period caused the biggest shift in church theology and practice since the Reformation and brought in a form of Arminianism that would be unrecognizable by John Wesley.
3. Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism has impacted a huge number of modern Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Many may not be aware of what the term means, but would nevertheless be Dispensationalist in several beliefs they hold. Dispensationalism is a way of interpreting scripture that relates particularly to end-times teaching.
Early Dispensationalism was founded by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), who was an elder in a very legalistic and Cessationist church denomination in England. Edward Irving also promoted some Dispensationalist ideas at the same time.
Later Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) popularized the teachings in his reference Bible. We will look at Dispensationalism more later on. It denies historic Covenant Theology and scripture, which shows that no man has been justified by any means other than by the faith of the Messiah (Rom 4:1-16, Gal 3:18), whether before or after the cross.
Before the cross believers in Israel were justified by a free gift, which they acknowledged by the offering of blood. We are justified the same way, which we acknowledge by the Holy Sprit who is within us. They were under the law, not for justification, but to keep them as a guardian as they awaited the promise, the gift of the Spirit. The law offered righteousness by works, but all fell short of that.
Dispensationalism holds that man is justified by various means in changing dispensations that God imposes. The view is that after the church age, God will return to justification by the law when, it is claimed, Jesus will reign in Jerusalem on earth. Dispensationalism has the following outcomes:
(a) It sees the evil in the world as an indication of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
(b) It views the evil somewhat fatalistically, claiming there is little the church can do about it.
(c) It sees the church’s task as to withdraw from society and await the rapture into heaven.
(d) It claims a special role for the nation of Israel in our day, meaning that God has two separate covenant people including the church and Israel.
(e) It claims the Law of Moses will be reinstituted in Jerusalem after the Second Coming of Christ, resulting is an antichrist position on the atonement.
Though early Dispensationalists were Cessationists, some Evangelicals and Pentecostals found the teaching attractive because it related to our Restorationist ideas, the belief that God is restoring the gifts of the Spirit in the last-days for a final world harvest before the Second Coming of Christ. Dispensationalism is also attractive because it relates to our Piestist background of withdrawal from the world.
4. Animism
Animism relates to native or natural religion, occultism, or witchcraft religions, found in all cultures of the world. The pagans of the Celtic tribes in the UK were called Druids. In some parts of Africa these practices are referred to as Ju Ju. Animism holds to certain views about truth, the spirit world and holiness that are formed out of experience.
Initially, missionary work in nations around the world did not entertain these views, but as the modern world moves closer towards multi-culturalism the views are embraced more freely and today are having a big influence on Christian belief worldwide.
5. Post Modernism
Post Modernism means after the modern scientific era. It considers the scientific age as objective and impersonal, while the Post Modern age today is viewed as subjective, experiential and relational. There is a denial of absolute truth and a concern for relationships, experience and emotion, which fill the need in people that materialism cannot satisfy.
Churches that hold doctrinally sound positions may be seen as impersonal and non-relational to the world around them and this may often be true. Jesus is both the truth and a person, so in Him we have both truth and relationship because we are Spirit filled.
Post Modernism, in elevating the personal and emotional, claims that there is no one correct view on truth and considers correction of others impolite and dogmatic preaching harmful. It believes therapeutic (softly spoken, healing) style ministry improves a person’s self-image and life style.
This has suited a current trend called Neo-Orthodoxy. Neo-Orthodoxy, founded by Karl Barth in the 20th Century, holds theology less rigidly than Orthodoxy, claiming truth is more subjective and adjustable to personal and cultural preferences.
These terms may seem new, but all Christians today are affected by them.
The motto of the Four Square Pentecostal Church, founded by Aimee Semple McPherson, depicts the main themes that came out of the 19th Century: Christ the Saviour, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, Healer and soon coming King. It also shows some of the changes in Christian thought over the period.
This motto expressed the developing themes of subsequence or second blessing, made popular through the Methodist revivals; Restorationism, made popular through Edward Irving and John Alexander Dowie; and pre-millennialism, made more popular by Dispensationalism. We will discuss these below.
Here we introduce just a few of the main factors that bear on Evangelical and Pentecostal movements today:
1. Wesleyanism
John and Charles Wesley were gifts from God. Their ministry was a great blessing to the church and many nations. Charles passed on inspiring gospel truths through his hymns. John had many influences in his background. He started in a High Anglican holiness group, which tried to earn salvation through works.
He claims to have been born again after meeting with Moravian Pietist Christians who told him about faith in Christ. He was also influenced by the Reformed Puritans of England. There was a mixture of teachings in his ministry.
John advocated a second blessing experience which he said promoted sanctification. We call this the doctrine of subsequence, meaning a work of sanctification in the believer after being saved. This was not seen as just a progressive work, but a subsequent instantaneous miracle. In many people’s minds this blessing came about when the believer adhered to religious requirements.
19th Century Methodist and Baptist revivalism in America and Britain emphasised different forms of this teaching in meetings and publications. They may not have all agreed to the Methodist model, but held to similar revivalist concepts to promote Christian sanctification and growth. Charles Finney, Phoebe Palmer, Dwight Moody and the English Keswick movement all emphasised Wesleyan type themes of Christian Perfectionism.
2. Humanism
Modern humanism stems from the Renaissance (14th – 17th Century), which refers to a period of re-birth of knowledge in European history. People freeing themselves from Papal authority and church dogma emphasised the importance of the individual. In secular communities humanists were generally also atheists. In church communities, humanists such as Philip Melanchthon, Erasmus, Huldrych Zwingli and Jacobus Arminius and the Pietists, emphasised compassion for all individuals.
Arminius (1560-1609) noted that cold Reformed churches cared little for humanity, while he respected Calvin’s publication, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, as “second only to the Bible”. Wesley later entered the Arminian dispute, but he was also careful in the matter. Wesley claimed that the new birth was a sovereign creative act of God, not man’s decision, but emphasised the human role in seeking God for salvation and sanctification.
The major change with regard to modern Christian humanism came through Charles Finney (1792-1875). One must go back to early publications to appreciate this. He claimed that new birth was a human decision made from a person’s own will and did not require a change of nature and that it was not a miracle of God. This period caused the biggest shift in church theology and practice since the Reformation and brought in a form of Arminianism that would be unrecognizable by John Wesley.
3. Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism has impacted a huge number of modern Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Many may not be aware of what the term means, but would nevertheless be Dispensationalist in several beliefs they hold. Dispensationalism is a way of interpreting scripture that relates particularly to end-times teaching.
Early Dispensationalism was founded by John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), who was an elder in a very legalistic and Cessationist church denomination in England. Edward Irving also promoted some Dispensationalist ideas at the same time.
Later Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) popularized the teachings in his reference Bible. We will look at Dispensationalism more later on. It denies historic Covenant Theology and scripture, which shows that no man has been justified by any means other than by the faith of the Messiah (Rom 4:1-16, Gal 3:18), whether before or after the cross.
Before the cross believers in Israel were justified by a free gift, which they acknowledged by the offering of blood. We are justified the same way, which we acknowledge by the Holy Sprit who is within us. They were under the law, not for justification, but to keep them as a guardian as they awaited the promise, the gift of the Spirit. The law offered righteousness by works, but all fell short of that.
Dispensationalism holds that man is justified by various means in changing dispensations that God imposes. The view is that after the church age, God will return to justification by the law when, it is claimed, Jesus will reign in Jerusalem on earth. Dispensationalism has the following outcomes:
(a) It sees the evil in the world as an indication of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
(b) It views the evil somewhat fatalistically, claiming there is little the church can do about it.
(c) It sees the church’s task as to withdraw from society and await the rapture into heaven.
(d) It claims a special role for the nation of Israel in our day, meaning that God has two separate covenant people including the church and Israel.
(e) It claims the Law of Moses will be reinstituted in Jerusalem after the Second Coming of Christ, resulting is an antichrist position on the atonement.
Though early Dispensationalists were Cessationists, some Evangelicals and Pentecostals found the teaching attractive because it related to our Restorationist ideas, the belief that God is restoring the gifts of the Spirit in the last-days for a final world harvest before the Second Coming of Christ. Dispensationalism is also attractive because it relates to our Piestist background of withdrawal from the world.
4. Animism
Animism relates to native or natural religion, occultism, or witchcraft religions, found in all cultures of the world. The pagans of the Celtic tribes in the UK were called Druids. In some parts of Africa these practices are referred to as Ju Ju. Animism holds to certain views about truth, the spirit world and holiness that are formed out of experience.
Initially, missionary work in nations around the world did not entertain these views, but as the modern world moves closer towards multi-culturalism the views are embraced more freely and today are having a big influence on Christian belief worldwide.
5. Post Modernism
Post Modernism means after the modern scientific era. It considers the scientific age as objective and impersonal, while the Post Modern age today is viewed as subjective, experiential and relational. There is a denial of absolute truth and a concern for relationships, experience and emotion, which fill the need in people that materialism cannot satisfy.
Churches that hold doctrinally sound positions may be seen as impersonal and non-relational to the world around them and this may often be true. Jesus is both the truth and a person, so in Him we have both truth and relationship because we are Spirit filled.
Post Modernism, in elevating the personal and emotional, claims that there is no one correct view on truth and considers correction of others impolite and dogmatic preaching harmful. It believes therapeutic (softly spoken, healing) style ministry improves a person’s self-image and life style.
This has suited a current trend called Neo-Orthodoxy. Neo-Orthodoxy, founded by Karl Barth in the 20th Century, holds theology less rigidly than Orthodoxy, claiming truth is more subjective and adjustable to personal and cultural preferences.
These terms may seem new, but all Christians today are affected by them.
Friday, 6 August 2010
Evangelical/Pentecostal Heritage
Evangelicals/Pentecostals claim to be children of the Reformation. The principles that were most important to the Reformation include these below. Notice they are power doctrines. They are not Fundamentalist, meaning the scripture works by dead letter. The work of God is done by His Spirit:
1. Sola Scriptua – Theology comes from the word of God alone, not from nature or philosophy. Only God’s word is truth.
2. Interpretation – Scripture is understood in its plain meaning, not rationalised or allegorized contrary to its intent.
3. Sola Fide – Salvation is by faith alone, not faith and works. Saving faith is shown by its works. Works cannot produce faith.
4. Christ Authors Faith – Saving faith is God’s gift. It is not man’s faith. It is the faith of Jesus Christ.
5. Authority – Authority is in the word of God alone, not in the Pope, experience, human reason, culture, church community or collective human opinion.
6. The Depravity of Man – The Fall and depravity of man is total. Any goodness is due to grace alone. Man in his natural state does not seek God and cannot come to God.
7. Christ the Mediator – The Father draws man through the Lord Jesus Christ, without a human priesthood. No human, angel, pastor or ancestor is a mediator between man and God. (1 Tim 2:5)
8. Sovereignty – God is Creator and Governor over all His creation. His power cannot be challenged. There is no dualism, meaning there is no other power than God’s.
9. Preaching – Church services must focus on the preaching of the word of God, not on ritualism such as statues, candles, relics, beads, superstitions and not on entertainment.
10. One Sacrifice – Christ died once for sin at Calvary and is not re-sacrificed every Mass by priests. This applies to charms, some uses of point of contact, seed sowing and the Holy Land.
11. Finished Work – Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient. Nothing can be added to it by man, religion or tradition. Salvation, sanctification and perfection are by the blood of Christ alone.
12. Regeneration – The blood of Christ dealt with both justification (forgiveness of sin) and sanctification (the power of sin). Regeneration makes us complete in Christ.
13. New Birth – Man is saved by an instantaneous experience of new birth, without which we cannot know the Father. The new birth is not in man’s power. It is a creative act of God.
14. Indulgences – Man cannot buy salvation or any other gift from God. Neither does giving money initiate the grace of God. We can give to support ministry, but not give for ministry. The ministry of the Spirit is free, gratis, by grace alone.
15. Ministry – Ministry is a calling by God. The minister’s duty is first and foremost the sound communication of the gospel through the scripture, by the power of the Spirit. He or she must also be well trained in the knowledge of the doctrines of Christ.
1. Sola Scriptua – Theology comes from the word of God alone, not from nature or philosophy. Only God’s word is truth.
2. Interpretation – Scripture is understood in its plain meaning, not rationalised or allegorized contrary to its intent.
3. Sola Fide – Salvation is by faith alone, not faith and works. Saving faith is shown by its works. Works cannot produce faith.
4. Christ Authors Faith – Saving faith is God’s gift. It is not man’s faith. It is the faith of Jesus Christ.
5. Authority – Authority is in the word of God alone, not in the Pope, experience, human reason, culture, church community or collective human opinion.
6. The Depravity of Man – The Fall and depravity of man is total. Any goodness is due to grace alone. Man in his natural state does not seek God and cannot come to God.
7. Christ the Mediator – The Father draws man through the Lord Jesus Christ, without a human priesthood. No human, angel, pastor or ancestor is a mediator between man and God. (1 Tim 2:5)
8. Sovereignty – God is Creator and Governor over all His creation. His power cannot be challenged. There is no dualism, meaning there is no other power than God’s.
9. Preaching – Church services must focus on the preaching of the word of God, not on ritualism such as statues, candles, relics, beads, superstitions and not on entertainment.
10. One Sacrifice – Christ died once for sin at Calvary and is not re-sacrificed every Mass by priests. This applies to charms, some uses of point of contact, seed sowing and the Holy Land.
11. Finished Work – Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient. Nothing can be added to it by man, religion or tradition. Salvation, sanctification and perfection are by the blood of Christ alone.
12. Regeneration – The blood of Christ dealt with both justification (forgiveness of sin) and sanctification (the power of sin). Regeneration makes us complete in Christ.
13. New Birth – Man is saved by an instantaneous experience of new birth, without which we cannot know the Father. The new birth is not in man’s power. It is a creative act of God.
14. Indulgences – Man cannot buy salvation or any other gift from God. Neither does giving money initiate the grace of God. We can give to support ministry, but not give for ministry. The ministry of the Spirit is free, gratis, by grace alone.
15. Ministry – Ministry is a calling by God. The minister’s duty is first and foremost the sound communication of the gospel through the scripture, by the power of the Spirit. He or she must also be well trained in the knowledge of the doctrines of Christ.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Malachi
The last of the Minor Prophets is Malachi.
Behold I send My messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant…behold He shall come says the Lord. But who shall abide the day of His coming?…And I will come near to you in judgement…(Mal 3:1, 2, 5).
Here we see the coming of John the Baptist, the messenger (Is 40:3), the coming of Christ to the temple in Jerusalem, to announce the New Covenant and the judgement that would accompany the end of the Old Covenant era. These scriptures cannot refer to Christ’s Second Coming. They refer to the New Covenant established in His first coming. Jesus stood in the temple when He came. It was in the days of John the Baptist.
Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. (Mal 4:5).
This was the last word of the prophets before the 400 silent years of the Intertestamental period. The next prophet Israel would hear would be John the Baptist with the exact same message, “Repent or go into the day of fire.” (Mal 4:1). Jesus said that John was Elijah, that is, the one Malachi spoke of that would come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Matt 11:14).
When these scriptures are taken out of their Hebrew context and misapplied to a future fulfilment and a Second Coming, this is foreign to biblical intent. Jesus did not do this. The New Testament did not do this. The prophets are all to be taken in context, as speaking of the end of the Old Covenant and the coming of Christ to establish the New Covenant.
Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the prophets. Jesus is in the prophets, speaking of Himself before His incarnation and then He fulfilled them exactly. Just as Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58). It is all about Him. Dispensationalism has twisted these texts from the clear meaning.
Behold I send My messenger and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant…behold He shall come says the Lord. But who shall abide the day of His coming?…And I will come near to you in judgement…(Mal 3:1, 2, 5).
Here we see the coming of John the Baptist, the messenger (Is 40:3), the coming of Christ to the temple in Jerusalem, to announce the New Covenant and the judgement that would accompany the end of the Old Covenant era. These scriptures cannot refer to Christ’s Second Coming. They refer to the New Covenant established in His first coming. Jesus stood in the temple when He came. It was in the days of John the Baptist.
Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. (Mal 4:5).
This was the last word of the prophets before the 400 silent years of the Intertestamental period. The next prophet Israel would hear would be John the Baptist with the exact same message, “Repent or go into the day of fire.” (Mal 4:1). Jesus said that John was Elijah, that is, the one Malachi spoke of that would come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Matt 11:14).
When these scriptures are taken out of their Hebrew context and misapplied to a future fulfilment and a Second Coming, this is foreign to biblical intent. Jesus did not do this. The New Testament did not do this. The prophets are all to be taken in context, as speaking of the end of the Old Covenant and the coming of Christ to establish the New Covenant.
Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the prophets. Jesus is in the prophets, speaking of Himself before His incarnation and then He fulfilled them exactly. Just as Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58). It is all about Him. Dispensationalism has twisted these texts from the clear meaning.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Zechariah continued...
Note this again, “I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day…In that day shall you call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.”. Statements about Israel dwelling permanently in the land represent our redemption, the fulfilment, security and victory in Christ.
Such statements are found throughout the prophets. They do not mean that Israel as a nation will forever be settled in Canaan. They speak of Christ who gives us eternal rest. This point is clearly outlined in another chapter of this book, showing in particular from the book of Hebrews that this is the mind of the prophets. In chapter six Zechariah continues the Messianic theme:
Then take silver and gold and make crowns and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of this place and He shall build the temple of the Lord.
Even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. (Zech 6:11-13).
This passage shows the following:
1. Joshua was the priest but he was also crowned king. Joshua was not actually made king, but this was acted out only as a prophecy of the Messiah.
2. God shall bring forth the Branch, which is the Messiah and He shall build the temple and bear the glory.
3. Here we see the fulfilment of the promises to David, that a king shall not fail from his seed and that He shall build the house of God.
4. In Christ we see the joining of the offices of priest and king in one person. This was not allowed under the law, but the two offices have peace (are together) in Christ, as they were in Melchizedek.
The prophets clearly taught that the return of Israel to Jerusalem from Babylon was for the purpose of the coming of Messiah who would take away our sin and build the temple or household of faith. This household would consist of Jews and Gentiles, of all those redeemed under the New Covenant.
In the light of all this it is clear that the church was one of the main foci of the Old Testament. The church was a major theme of all the prophets from Jacob in Gen 49:10, to the wilderness, to Nathan in 2nd Samuel 7 and throughout all the Major and Minor Prophets. This was the whole purpose of the coming of Christ from the beginning.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech 9:9).
Jesus fulfilled this when He rode into Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications; and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for Him. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem…(Zech 12:10-11).
Some of Israel would be restored through grace and others would mourn because of what they did to Christ. This refers to both the New Covenant and the judgement that fell upon Jerusalem and the surrounding nations in “that day” after Christ had risen, 70 A.D.
On the destruction of Jerusalem a Jewish writer Terentius Rufus said, “An officer in the army of Titus, with a ploughshare tore up the foundations of the temple”, to fulfil Mic 3:12, “Zion shall be ploughed as a field.”. Is there a non-Christian Jew today who does not interpret the prophesied return from captivity as referring only to the return from Babylon and all the nations in those days? In that day the New Covenant was established:
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David (the gift of the Spirit) and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness…And one shall say, What are these wounds in Your hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. (Zech 13:1, 6).
And His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives…And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. (Zech 14:4, 8, 9).
Jesus stood upon the Mount of Olives when He came. His sacrifice allowed living waters to go out to all nations. He reigns over the heathen today, as Psalm 2 says. The rest of Zechariah 14 shows the calamity that was to befall the Jews and the surrounding nations and the safety in the New Jerusalem for those in the Messiah. This is all fulfilled in the kingdom of Christ.
Such statements are found throughout the prophets. They do not mean that Israel as a nation will forever be settled in Canaan. They speak of Christ who gives us eternal rest. This point is clearly outlined in another chapter of this book, showing in particular from the book of Hebrews that this is the mind of the prophets. In chapter six Zechariah continues the Messianic theme:
Then take silver and gold and make crowns and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; and speak to him, saying, Behold the man whose name is the BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of this place and He shall build the temple of the Lord.
Even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. (Zech 6:11-13).
This passage shows the following:
1. Joshua was the priest but he was also crowned king. Joshua was not actually made king, but this was acted out only as a prophecy of the Messiah.
2. God shall bring forth the Branch, which is the Messiah and He shall build the temple and bear the glory.
3. Here we see the fulfilment of the promises to David, that a king shall not fail from his seed and that He shall build the house of God.
4. In Christ we see the joining of the offices of priest and king in one person. This was not allowed under the law, but the two offices have peace (are together) in Christ, as they were in Melchizedek.
The prophets clearly taught that the return of Israel to Jerusalem from Babylon was for the purpose of the coming of Messiah who would take away our sin and build the temple or household of faith. This household would consist of Jews and Gentiles, of all those redeemed under the New Covenant.
In the light of all this it is clear that the church was one of the main foci of the Old Testament. The church was a major theme of all the prophets from Jacob in Gen 49:10, to the wilderness, to Nathan in 2nd Samuel 7 and throughout all the Major and Minor Prophets. This was the whole purpose of the coming of Christ from the beginning.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zech 9:9).
Jesus fulfilled this when He rode into Jerusalem.
And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplications; and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for Him. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem…(Zech 12:10-11).
Some of Israel would be restored through grace and others would mourn because of what they did to Christ. This refers to both the New Covenant and the judgement that fell upon Jerusalem and the surrounding nations in “that day” after Christ had risen, 70 A.D.
On the destruction of Jerusalem a Jewish writer Terentius Rufus said, “An officer in the army of Titus, with a ploughshare tore up the foundations of the temple”, to fulfil Mic 3:12, “Zion shall be ploughed as a field.”. Is there a non-Christian Jew today who does not interpret the prophesied return from captivity as referring only to the return from Babylon and all the nations in those days? In that day the New Covenant was established:
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David (the gift of the Spirit) and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness…And one shall say, What are these wounds in Your hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. (Zech 13:1, 6).
And His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives…And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. (Zech 14:4, 8, 9).
Jesus stood upon the Mount of Olives when He came. His sacrifice allowed living waters to go out to all nations. He reigns over the heathen today, as Psalm 2 says. The rest of Zechariah 14 shows the calamity that was to befall the Jews and the surrounding nations and the safety in the New Jerusalem for those in the Messiah. This is all fulfilled in the kingdom of Christ.
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Zechariah
Zechariah continues the theme of the temple, the church and the one who rules over it, the Messiah. The whole idea of the return of the captivity to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem was to await the coming of Messiah. The encouragement of Haggai and Zechariah to those who had returned from the captivity was that although the rebuilt temple had no glory compared to Solomon’s temple, Christ would come to it and this was what their work was for, a far better restoration.
Just as Zerubbabel was a type of Christ, so too was Joshua, the high priest in Jerusalem after the return from Babylon. Israel had been in Babylon because of judgement. They had broken the law. When God returned them to Jerusalem Satan stood to oppose them claiming that by the law they should not return. They were still guilty. God answered showing that He was doing this through Messiah, not by law. This would be a temple of grace, not of law (Zech 4:6, 7).
And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan; even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and stood before the angel. And He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him He said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you and I will clothe you with a change of raiment…
Hear now Joshua the high priest and your fellows that sit before you; for they are men wondered at; for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua…I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day…In that day shall you call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. (Zech 3:1-10).
This passage shows several things:
1. It shows what spiritual warfare is. Once Joshua’s clothes were cleansed Satan was unable to oppose him. That is, once we are made righteous by the New Covenant Satan’s opposition is defeated.
2. The stone laid before Joshua was a sacrifice stone common in those days. Animals were killed for sacrifice on the stone. By presenting the stone, God was telling Joshua that He would provide the sacrifice for Joshua’s sin and for the sin of the whole land.
3. This sacrifice was the Messiah, the Branch, meaning the stem or branch of Jesse’s household, the Seed of David. He would take away the sin of that land in one day, just as Daniel said (Dan 9:24).
4. Every man sitting under his fig tree (i.e. is secure in the land) is a symbolic picture of the redemption under the New Covenant, as it is in all the prophets. This redemption (Christ) is our land. The day that Jesus takes away our sins is the day we inherit our land.
5. This is the clothing Rev 19:8 speaks of, given to the bride through the gospel.
Just as Zerubbabel was a type of Christ, so too was Joshua, the high priest in Jerusalem after the return from Babylon. Israel had been in Babylon because of judgement. They had broken the law. When God returned them to Jerusalem Satan stood to oppose them claiming that by the law they should not return. They were still guilty. God answered showing that He was doing this through Messiah, not by law. This would be a temple of grace, not of law (Zech 4:6, 7).
And He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, O Satan; even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you; is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and stood before the angel. And He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him He said, Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you and I will clothe you with a change of raiment…
Hear now Joshua the high priest and your fellows that sit before you; for they are men wondered at; for, behold, I will bring forth My Servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua…I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day…In that day shall you call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. (Zech 3:1-10).
This passage shows several things:
1. It shows what spiritual warfare is. Once Joshua’s clothes were cleansed Satan was unable to oppose him. That is, once we are made righteous by the New Covenant Satan’s opposition is defeated.
2. The stone laid before Joshua was a sacrifice stone common in those days. Animals were killed for sacrifice on the stone. By presenting the stone, God was telling Joshua that He would provide the sacrifice for Joshua’s sin and for the sin of the whole land.
3. This sacrifice was the Messiah, the Branch, meaning the stem or branch of Jesse’s household, the Seed of David. He would take away the sin of that land in one day, just as Daniel said (Dan 9:24).
4. Every man sitting under his fig tree (i.e. is secure in the land) is a symbolic picture of the redemption under the New Covenant, as it is in all the prophets. This redemption (Christ) is our land. The day that Jesus takes away our sins is the day we inherit our land.
5. This is the clothing Rev 19:8 speaks of, given to the bride through the gospel.
Monday, 2 August 2010
Haggai
Haggai and Zechariah prophesied after God had returned Israel from their captivity in Babylon and from all the nations. These two prophets encouraged the Jews, who had been discouraged from rebuilding by the enemies Sanballat and Tobiah (Ezra 5:1).
Haggai encouraged Israel saying the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the former house (Hag 2:9). This was not literally fulfilled in their day. The temple they rebuilt in Zerubbabel’s day was very poor compared to the glory of Solomon’s temple. Later King Herod improved the temple, but even then it was never as great as the temple that Solomon built.
But the true glory of it was much greater, because Jesus came to this temple that Herod completed and walked in it, which He did not do in Solomon’s temple. This is the point!
So the temple that Haggai was really referring to was the church. The Jews who returned after the captivity would not have understood this fully then. They were discouraged by the poor temple they saw being rebuilt in those early days. So Haggai encouraged them by speaking of the glory of Christ and the New Covenant that was ahead.
This is why they had returned to Jerusalem, to prepare for the coming of Messiah. They should not be feeble:
For thus says the Lord of hosts; yet once, it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations and the desire of the nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory…(Hag 2:6-7).
According to Heb 12:26 this prophecy of Haggai related to the bringing in of the New Covenant in Christ. Haggai said the same thing here as Isaiah said: the Gentiles would be included in Israel in their restoration through Christ in the gospel age.
Zerubbabel was the governor in Jerusalem when the captivity was restored from Babylon in those days. Because Zerubbabel was in the lineage of David and was governor, Haggai used him to speak of the coming of Christ. Haggai speaks of the day when all nations would be overthrown, including Israel, when God would make Christ the signet ring, or chosen Seed, who would establish His kingdom and church.
In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My Servant…and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen You…(Hag 2:23).
This verse speaks of the fulfilment of the promise to David through Christ. Zerubbabel’s grandfather Coniah was an evil king. God had said even if Coniah was a signet ring on His right hand He would throw him away due to his evil heart (Jer 22:24). Now in Christ God has made David’s descendant His signet ring, giving us redemption in Him. Zerubbabel was used to represent Christ.
In the day when God would make Christ His signet ring all nations would come against Israel, according to Joel 3 and Zechariah 14. The nations were all those that were part of the Roman Empire that then covered the known world. This was the time of the latter days, hundreds of years after the time in which the prophets spoke. It was fulfilled in the days when the church was born, as stated by Peter (Acts 2:16-21).
Haggai encouraged Israel saying the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the former house (Hag 2:9). This was not literally fulfilled in their day. The temple they rebuilt in Zerubbabel’s day was very poor compared to the glory of Solomon’s temple. Later King Herod improved the temple, but even then it was never as great as the temple that Solomon built.
But the true glory of it was much greater, because Jesus came to this temple that Herod completed and walked in it, which He did not do in Solomon’s temple. This is the point!
So the temple that Haggai was really referring to was the church. The Jews who returned after the captivity would not have understood this fully then. They were discouraged by the poor temple they saw being rebuilt in those early days. So Haggai encouraged them by speaking of the glory of Christ and the New Covenant that was ahead.
This is why they had returned to Jerusalem, to prepare for the coming of Messiah. They should not be feeble:
For thus says the Lord of hosts; yet once, it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations and the desire of the nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory…(Hag 2:6-7).
According to Heb 12:26 this prophecy of Haggai related to the bringing in of the New Covenant in Christ. Haggai said the same thing here as Isaiah said: the Gentiles would be included in Israel in their restoration through Christ in the gospel age.
Zerubbabel was the governor in Jerusalem when the captivity was restored from Babylon in those days. Because Zerubbabel was in the lineage of David and was governor, Haggai used him to speak of the coming of Christ. Haggai speaks of the day when all nations would be overthrown, including Israel, when God would make Christ the signet ring, or chosen Seed, who would establish His kingdom and church.
In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My Servant…and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen You…(Hag 2:23).
This verse speaks of the fulfilment of the promise to David through Christ. Zerubbabel’s grandfather Coniah was an evil king. God had said even if Coniah was a signet ring on His right hand He would throw him away due to his evil heart (Jer 22:24). Now in Christ God has made David’s descendant His signet ring, giving us redemption in Him. Zerubbabel was used to represent Christ.
In the day when God would make Christ His signet ring all nations would come against Israel, according to Joel 3 and Zechariah 14. The nations were all those that were part of the Roman Empire that then covered the known world. This was the time of the latter days, hundreds of years after the time in which the prophets spoke. It was fulfilled in the days when the church was born, as stated by Peter (Acts 2:16-21).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)