Friday 24 January 2014

Micah 7:8-20

The prophecy had specific relevance to the events surrounding Israel's return from captivity. We know this because it mentions the wall being rebuilt, and it mentions the Assyrians.

However the fact that God did those things then, shows us something about Him. And those characteristics of His are eternal.

God later expressed those characteristics in an even greater way when He sent His promised Saviour to Israel.

And the Holy Spirit can use fulfilled prophecy as an illustration of God's willingness to express the same character towards you in whatever circumstance you are facing.


Israel would rise again.
But first, Israel must go into captivity.
Note:- God pleads the cause not of the righteous but of sinners. It is His work.
The enemies of Israel indeed saw it, at their return from captivity. All of Israel's enemies lost their kingdoms.
The walls were built in Nehemiah's day.
This dates the fulfilment of the prophecy. This was to be Israel's destiny, but first...
...but first Israel had to go through a time of captivity.
A prayer for Israel before they went into captivity.
The return from captivity was almost as momentous for Israel as their deliverance from Egypt.
Israel's deliverance from captivity was so unlikely if not for God's doing.
It was fulfilled at the return from captivity. And as other prophecies show, the performance of God's promised mercy also included the coming of Christ. Gentiles also inherit the promises. The New Covenant is based on better promises.

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Islam and the New Testament

Muslims believe the Koran is GOD's word, because in the original language it has never changed. God preserves his word, they say with pride.

But Muslims also believe the Injeel - the Gospel - the New Testament - as GOD's word.

But they say the existing New Testament is not the Injeel. It's only an altered version - altered by Christians to suit Christianity.

Where is the original New Testament - the Injeel - then? According to them it no longer exists unfortunately.

What! I thought God preserves his word!

If Muslims wish to assert that the existing New Testament has changed so much as to be unrecognisable as the original, the onus is on them to present documentary proof of the changes, when they were made and who made them. But of course they can't.

The literary proof is on the side of Christianity. The New Testament as it exists today is the same that existed in Mohammed's day (7th century) and long before; and preserves the beliefs of the 1st century Church. At the very least it reflects essentially the same beliefs as those of the 1st century Church.


The New Thought Control

There's an article in Sky and Telescope entitled "Become a Citizen Scientist".

What! Are scientists non-citizens? Elite. Like the new priest-class. Whose assertions can only be believed but not questioned by the less-educated citizen class. And if you question it you're a heretic.

In other fields of science, like electricity or aeronautics, the work of scientists was readily subject-able to practical critique by the non-scientific public. But evolutionary theory, cosmology and the 'science' of global warming can't readily be tested by the non-studied public. The scientist-class's findings are to be taken as unquestionable truth - kind of like how in the Dark Ages the priests' law was to be taken as truth by the non-Latin-speaking public who weren't encouraged to possess a Bible of their own. 

Don't buy into it. Question it! These fields of 'science' have been researched by relatively few, with the few borrowing heavily from each other's findings - and unlike other fields of science, their theories have so far produced nothing tangible which the non-scientific public can practically test. Only those admitted to their class are privileged to know. Our part is just to believe.

Don't let them tell you how you must think!

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Bible Prophecy in a Nutshell

God promised the salvation of the Gentiles through Abraham's seed (singular) which was Christ.

God sovereignly chose the line of Jacob for a temporal purpose. He gave them the Old Covenant and its Law. And He gave them the promise of a New Covenant. And He kept sending prophets to them.

Through the prophets He warned them of being led into captivity for 70 years - but He also promised to regather them to their land where the Temple and walls would be rebuilt and Mosaic worship would resume - even the nations would go up to the altar in Jerusalem to keep the feasts - the nations that had fought against Israel would meet their own demise. 

And He promised them that into that context, the Messiah would come. The prophets said many things about the the circumstances of the Christ.

One of the prophets said 70 sevens would span the time between the decree to rebuild the Temple and Messiah. He also predicted the destruction of the Jews once again.

All of that came to pass in the time-frames predicted. Jews returned from captivity. The Temple was rebuilt. The walls were rebuilt. Mosaic worship resumed. Nations were coming up to the altar in Jerusalem to keep the feasts. The nations who had fought against Israel lost their kingdoms.

And the Christ came. All within the time-frame predicted.

And a short time after that, Jerusalem was again destroyed and its Temple, and the Jews deported all around the world, fulfilling Daniel's prophecy, and the Olivet discourse.

Now Jews and Gentiles are on an equal footing. Both needing salvation. And only one way: Jesus.

God began saving people on the basis He had always planned since before the Law was even given: through Jesus. Jews who believed were saved. Gentiles who believed were saved. Without distinction, for the purpose of Moses' Law, which had divided Gentile from Jew, had been fulfilled on the cross.

The good news of the grace of God is being preached among all nations.

What remains is the final resurrection of the dead at the second coming of Christ and His kingdom.

The Law Was a Shadow

COLOSSIANS 2:17
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

This proves that verses 14-16 was about Moses' Law. Moses' Law was a shadow of things to come. Extra-Biblical Jewish traditions were not.

This tenses in this verse don't mean that the Law continues, because:

1. If the Law continues, it contradicts what Paul was seeking to establish by these verses.

2. The body is of Christ. Christ has already come. Therefore the shadow is passed. The things written in the Law are a shadow. But that doesn't mean the body hasn't come. Therefore we don't keep doing the shadow.

One New Man in Christ

Which Law did Christ nail to His cross?

Some say it was not Moses' Law, but sin and death - our guilt - our accusation - which was nailed to the cross.

Others say it was the traditions of man that were nailed to the cross.

Let's have a look at it:


COLOSSIANS 2:13-14, 16-17

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH [the Colossians, being Gentiles did not come from a background in Moses' Law, of which circumcision was the symbol], hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES [the written Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

16 Let no man THEREFORE judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Some writers argue it was not Moses' Law.

My thoughts:

1. Sin and death were not written, and they were not ordinances. Moses' Law was written and it consisted of ordinances.

2. Man-made, non-Torah commandments would not have required the cross in order to be taken away, seeing they were considered non-binding to Christ. But Moses' Law was binding and therefore required nothing less than the cross in order to be taken away.

3. As someone once said, Whenever there's a 'therefore', find out what it's there for. The word 'therefore' links verse 16 (where certain requirements of Moses' Law are listed) with the previous verses. This seems to serve to identify Moses' Law as the subject.

4. Similar words are found in Ephesians 2:11-16. No mention of man-made traditions is mentioned, but the Old Covenant Law is implied.

Therefore I feel it's likely that it was Moses' Law that Christ nailed to His cross.

The Law, by its own clauses, excluded Gentiles. Therefore if Gentiles were to become the people of God, the Law would need to be annulled. Christ met the demands of the Law once-for-all on the cross, for us Gentiles, thereby removing the barrier. From then on Gentiles became the people of God without any requirement to keep the Law.

The Law was also a barrier to Jews, because of the sinful nature. Christ fulfilled the Law once-for-all on the cross, thus making a New Covenant with the house of Israel, by which He gave them a new heart, a new spirit, putting His Spirit in them, and causing them to walk in His ways.  Thus the Jews were able to be made true Jews - inwardly - truly made the the Israel of God - without the Old Covenant Law being the means nor an ongoing requirement.

And a short time later it became impossible for the Jews to continue keeping the Law anyway (after the altar and Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed).

God's purpose was to create in Himself one new man, where any distinction between Jew and Gentile is non-existant - the Church of the living God.


The Gospel of the Grace of God


Christ did more than remove the curse of the Law - He also removed the Law itself as an obligation:

COLOSSIANS 2:13-14, 16-17

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH [i.e., being without the Law], hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES [the written Law] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

16 Let no man THEREFORE judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The Law, by its own clauses, excluded Gentiles. Therefore including Gentiles as the people of God required annulling the Law which had been a barrier to Gentiles. Christ satisfied the demands of the Law once-for-all on the cross, thereby removing the barrier to us Gentiles. Gentiles were then included as the people of God without any requirement to keep Moses' Law. 

This is the Gospel of the grace of God!

The Meaning of Predestination

Predestination.

Believe it or not, Paul wasn't discussing the question which Calvinists and Arminians debated.

Paul was defending the premise he'd just finished presenting.

He'd just finished presenting his premise that salvation is for Jews and Gentiles by grace through faith without the works of the Law and irrespective of ethnicity. And he was implying that unbelievers would miss out.

Now he anticipates the question, "If many Jews are missing out, doesn't that mean God's promises to Israel have failed?"

They hadn't failed, but the remnant had obtained them. And Paul proceeded to prove this concept from the Prophets themselves.

Then he anticipates the objection that if God refuses Israel because of their unbelief, there is unrighteousness with God.

Paul then defends God's right to set His own condition for mercy - and the condition God chose is not ethnicity, not the works of the Law - but faith.

Paul defends God's right to have chosen the nation of Israel, to have spoken His promises to them, and to have kept the nation alive for His own time and purposes, despite them later becoming worthy of judgment - and then to show mercy on all, on His own conditions, with consequences for those who don't meet the conditions.

Before the foundation of the world, God set His own condition for mercy: it was to be through faith in Jesus Christ. Afterwards, before Jacob and Esau had done good or bad (although they were already demonstrating some characteristics even in the womb), God chose the descendants of Jacob to be the custodians of the promise. The house of Jacob, like all others, became fitted for judgment. Nevertheless God kept them alive for His own time and purpose. Then the promise came - Jesus Christ. And God saved all who believed, just as He'd always planned. And the rest missed out, even if they were of the house of Jacob.

There's no unrighteousness in that! There is no failure of promise in that. And there's no delay or postponement of promise in that. Despite the ramifications for unbelievers - even unbelieving Jews - it's all according to plan.

Paul was defending His Gospel against charges of attributing failure or unrighteousness to God's promises and to God - by appealing to God's sovereign right to have chosen natural Israel for His own temporal purposes.

His temporal purpose for Israel was not due to any goodness Israel had. It neither added to nor took away from God's real promise - which was to save all who believe.

Freedom from the Law


There's something I've wanted to say for a while.

It's about the Council at Jerusalem.

I feel it's important to understand that the decision of the Council at Jerusalem meant Gentile believers were not required to keep Moses' Law.

I realise some people think the reason the Council decided to impose only a few requirement on the Gentiles, was because Moses' Law was already being read every sabbath and they expected the Gentiles to go along and hear it and do it.

But if the Apostles expected the Gentiles to keep Moses' Law, what was the conflict about?

If that's what the Apostles in Jerusalem meant, no dispute could have arisen in the first place.

If that's what Paul had always expected of his converts, then what need would he have felt to travel all the way to Jerusalem to confront the issue!

Paul was not at all happy with the people who infiltrated his churches, teaching that his converts must keep the Law.

When James decided that no such burden should be placed on the Gentiles, he was referring to the obligation to keep Moses' Law. Nothing else.

The reason James mentioned Moses being read every sabbath would have been something along these lines:

"Lets not expect the Gentile congregations to keep Moses' Law. Instead lets write to them merely to avoid food offered to idols, blood, things strangled, and fornication. This won't deny anybody in the congregation anything, seeing those who really want to can always go to their local synagogue to hear whatever else they wish to hear."

It certainly wasn't that James expected the Gentiles to keep Moses' Law. Otherwise he would have been contradicting himself and the whole episode makes no rhyme nor reason.

The congregations Paul founded were predominantly Gentile. But there would have been a number of Jews in the congregations also who, being Jewish, may still have desired to keep their national traditions.

By deciding not to demand adherence to Moses' Law in the churches, none of these members of the congregations would be denied from hearing about their national traditions, or from following their conscience, seeing they could always access such things at any local synagogue.

Thus peace was attained between the consciences of both Jewish and Gentile members of the congregations.

Isn't that wonderful! When the Gentile believers heard about it, they were glad. And Jewish members weren't offended either.

(And we know Jews also stopped keeping the Law a short time later, whether they wanted to or not - when the altar and Temple were destroyed.)

I just felt it is an important foundation to properly understand the sense of what James said.

It was a clarifying moment for the churches.

Incidentally the people who first started insisting that Gentiles keep the Law, were Pharisees who'd joined the church. It wasn't the general opinion in the Jerusalem church.

Also James said that the Jerusalem church had not authorised them to teach such a thing in the first place.

Emphasising What God Shows Us

In the past men of God explained certain Scriptures in a way which we now know was a bit blind, and we wonder how they could not see it.

An example is the Scriptures about speaking with tongues. Some great men of God, used mightily in other ways, just couldn't see it.

A lesson we can learn from this is: stick to the contribution God has called you to make, stick to the words He gives you to speak, stick to the works He gives you to do - and leave commenting on other areas alone. Otherwise a future generation might find your comments to be a bit blind, and in the mind of some it could discredit the genuine ways in which God used you. By all means we can emphasise what God is inspiring us to emphasise. But don't presume to be the final word on everything else too.

Right now I feel like I'm seeing something in the Word. I feel like I'm seeing that certain components of Bible Prophecy often thought to be about the future, have already been fulfilled. I speak specifically of the Old Testament prophecies about Israel being delivered of its enemies, and supported by its enemies to return to their land, to rebuild the Temple, and walls, and resume Mosaic worship, and burnt offerings, with Levites and priests, and incense - and about people going up to the altar at Jerusalem regularly from many nations to keep the feasts - and about Christ coming into that context. I'm seeing that those aspects of the prophecies have been fulfilled.

Many today imagine those aspects of the prophecies are being fulfilled now, or will be in the future. It gives rise to the idea that Jews or Christians might be required to keep aspects of Moses' Law again in future. It even implies to some people's minds that God might have a special basis for saving Jews apart from through the Gospel, in the end-times.

But realising that those aspects of the prophecies are already past, eliminates all that and puts our focus back on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

But here's the thing: God might be able to use my understanding about that to help some people - but it does not mean that God is giving me understanding about every other aspect to the same prophecies.

Therefore what I do understand about part of the prophecies does not preclude any meanings that other parts of the prophecies may have.

Neither does it preclude that the same parts of the same prophecies may also have some broader applications.

It just means that what I'm seeing may be an element of truth, which may be helpful to some in our generation to see.

So I'm careful not to make sweeping statements about Bible Prophecy generally, just because I'm seeing something about one aspect of it.

In summary, I feel that parts of many Old Testament prophecies which predicted a restoration of Old Covenant worship, have already found their literal fulfilment. Not that principles in it can't still be applied more broadly. And not that other parts of the same prophecies must also have already been fulfilled.

Simply this: any prophecy about Mosaic worship must have found its literal fulfilment during a time when the Old Covenant still stood, because those things were shadows, and God isn't interested in anyone anywhere returning to shadows ever - now that the real thing, Jesus Christ God's Son, has come.

I feel it was prophesied that Christ was to come into that historical context. Many of the Christological verses therefore found fulfilment at the first coming of Christ, not at the second coming. Not that some meanings inherent within those verses about Christ don't have a wider application beyond the time of Christ. And not that second coming themes might not be inherent in those or other Bible prophecies either.

This has two effects:

One, it shows Jesus to be the Christ - because some of the prophecies about Christ were to be fulfilled in the context of Mosaic worship happening in Israel - not before nor after.

Second, it eliminates ideas that Israel or the nations must resume Mosaic worship in future.

This brings the Gospel right back into central place.

But just because those parts of the prophecies may be fulfilled already, does not mean the same parts can't still have some wider meaning that's relevant to the present or future, nor does it mean every other part of the same prophecies has also already been fulfilled. Those are another topic entirely.


Monday 20 January 2014

The Book that Transforms Nations

"...After I'd gone to every country in the world, by 1999, I felt - I saw something so clearly: When the Bible became fundamentally involved in the foundations of a nation, that nation had an advantage over all nations..." - interview with Loren Cunningham

The Cross and Ministry

"The cross examines our deepest motives" - Loren Cunningham

Locating Israel in Bible Prophecy

Just because someone hasn't been to the Ekka yet doesn't mean the Ekka hasn't opened yet. It just means he didn't know it was open, or didn't wish to go.

So instead of waiting for the Ekka to open, we should hope he realises the Ekka is open, or that he'll change his mind and go.

And if you see him going to the Ekka, it doesn't mean the Ekka only just opened on the day he went.

Similary, if we see modern Israel prospering, it doesn't mean Bible Prophecy is only now being fulfilled. The Bible prophecies of blessing to Israel were fulfilled long ago - it's just that Israel didn't always receive it or maintain it.

Just because your tyres are flat doesn't mean I didn't give you a bike with ready-pumped tyres. It just means you let them go flat.

And if you pump them up again, it doesn't mean I'd decided to keep your tyres flat until now.  It just means you decided to get functioning again.

Not waiting for the Ekka to open - not waiting for Him to pump up the tyres again; but needing to realise the Ekka is open - needing to get functioning again - that's where modern Israel is poised now.

Not waiting for prophecy to be fulfilled, but realising it has been and walking in what's available!

This doesn't only apply to their spiritual realisations - but also to their physical status in the land.

Their return to the land in modern times was not so much a fulfilment of a specific Bible prophecy, as it was a case of Israel walking in what was always potentially already theirs by virtue of previously fulfilled prophecy. 

Fulfilled Prophecy as Illustration and Principle

Fulfilled prophecy in ancient Israel becomes illustrative of principles which still pertain to modern Israel, rather than being predictive of specific future events in Israel.

The illustrations are so good, and the principles so sound, that it can still almost predict present outcomes!

But that's not the same as saying specifically prophesied events are only now happening.

Bible Prophecy and Israel

Of course some themes in Bible Prophecy are yet to happen: like the second coming, and the resurrection of the dead.

But there are other parts of prophecy which we're not waiting for to be fulfilled in Israel - we're vying for Israel to perceive that those parts of prophecy have already been fulfilled on their behalf. 

What Difference Does Our View of Prophecy Make?

Of course some parts of Bible Prophecy are yet to be fulfilled, while others have already been fulfilled - and some statements in Bible Prophecy have a timelessness about them.

But we don't all have the same understanding regarding which parts are fulfilled.

Some imagine certain parts of Bible Prophecy are only now being fulfilled in Israel. While others understand that some of those same parts of Bible Prophecy have already been fulfilled.

Both people wish the best for Israel. One group is wishing for Israel to experience certain blessings for the first time. The other group is wishing for Israel to perceive the blessings that were already theirs.

So what difference does it make, whether or not we understand that certain parts of prophecy have already been fulfilled? To me, the effect is that it clarifies the Gospel. We both love Israel - but this enables me to love Israel with clarity.

It eliminates the confusion about whether or not Israel should be observing Moses' traditions.

It eliminates the confusion about whether or not the nations should begin observing Moses' traditions in future.

It removes any mis-notion that God will have a different basis for saving Jewish people other than through faith in Jesus.

It saves us from some unfounded ideas regarding what must happen in the end times.

It brings us back to one clear thing: Jesus is the answer.

And that doesn't diminish our hopes for Israel's future. It increases it, and also explains method and timing.

  

How Our Prophetic View Impacts our Desires for Israel

When you're pumping-up a flat tyre, it doesn't make much difference whether this is the first time the tyre has ever had air in it, or whether the tyre had gone flat and just needed a pump-up.

When a bodybuilder exercises, it doesn't really matter whether this is his first attempt at developing a competition-standard physique, or whether he actually has some 'muscle-memory' to build back into. 

Similarly, when we pray for Israel, it doesn't really matter whether we think prophecy in regard to Israel is only now being fulfilled, or whether we understand that Israel simply needs to perceive what is already really theirs seeing prophecy in regard to them has already been fulfilled.

Our objectives are the same. We both wish the best for Israel. And God will only work according to principle anyway.

Prophecy and Our Love for Israel

Today I read a book about Israel's future in end times, in which the author quotes lots of Bible Prophecies which he believes are being fulfilled in Israel right now. 

But he never explains why. I think that's what you call a bridging statement.


Maybe the author is right that some things in Bible prophecy concerning Israel could not have been fulfilled yet in earlier times. I don't rule that out. But the author didn't explain why.

In fact I found details in every single one of the Bible Prophecies he quoted which I think could only have been fulfilled in Old Covenant times. Details such as the mention of Babylon, Grecians, the restoration of Old Covenant worship - with altar, Temple, Levites, priests, and burnt offerings, for example.)

But even though those parts of the prophecies must have already been fulfilled, I guess that doesn't mean the whole prophecy must have already been fulfilled. Perhaps some statements in Bible Prophecy are not actually predictive of a single historical event but instead they show the overall yearning that God had towards Israel - they express what God is always making available to Israel any time they meet the conditions. 

Here's an example:

"Arise shine for thy light has come..." doesn't actually prophesy a single historical event. It shows God's heart towards Israel - and it is still God's spirit towards Israel. Their light has already come - but it is still here, if they perceive it. So God is still wishing for them to arise and shine. And who knows - Israel may yet arise and shine in greater ways in future.  

So that part of the prophecy may have intended applications beyond a single time in history. In that sense we could say that statement in the prophecy is still being 'fulfilled' in some way in modern Israel.

But it's also important to notice that many of the details which follow in that very same prophecy include more specific historical predictions. Details such as people being restored to the land of Israel, then coming to the altar, and beautifying the house of God, which was the Temple. These things must have had their fulfilment during Old Covenant times. But "arise shine" is always relevant.  

So if we wish to assert that there is a timeless aspect or an unfulfilled aspect to a particular Bible prophecy even though the prophecy has many already-fulfilled aspects, we ought to be ready to explain why we think so. I guess in the author's mind, the reasons are too obvious.

Anyway, here's the thing: whether I think a prophecy about Israel has already been fulfilled, or whether someone thinks a prophecy is only now being fulfilled, either way it should still cause us to wish the best for modern Israel. It need never diminish our love for Israel. As follows:

The Christians who feel that modern events in Israel were a fulfilment of Bible Prophecy, events such as:
   
The holocaust;

The recreation of the State of Israel in 1948; and

Israel's success in the Six-Day War -

and who feel that a still-greater restoration must yet take place in Israel before the second coming, in order for the prophecies to be more completely fulfilled, (such as:

 Further opposition against Israel from the nations;

Further economic and military success of Israel; 

And a large-scale revival in Israel - 

such Christians pray for the good of Israel in terms of their understanding.

Meanwhile:

Another Christian who believes that many of those Bible Prophecies have in fact largely already been fulfilled at the time when:

Israel was regathered from captivity; 

The Temple was rebuilt; and 

Christ came and died on the cross -

and who believes it was also prophesied that:

Israel would again, after that, fall short of what God had given to them in fulfilment of His promises -

this believer also prays for the good of Israel in terms of his understanding.

Therefore both groups of believers believe God wills the good of Israel, and both pray for it.

The first group of believers prays for the good of Israel, thinking it's necessary in order to fulfil prophecy. The other believer prays for the good of Israel, knowing that God is vying for Israel to attain to those blessings which were infact really already theirs, if only they can perceive it.

So actually both groups of believers cares for Israel's well-being just as much as the other!

They just use Bible Prophecy a little differently, that's all.

The first group uses Bible Prophecy in order to move Israel, by their prayers, towards the promised blessings which they think are only now being fulfilled in Israel. 

The other believer uses Bible Prophecy in order to move Israel, by his prayers, towards the blessings which he understands were in fact already theirs if only they could perceived it.

They each explain modern events in Israel from a slightly different angle, though with essentially the same result:

The first group of believers explains events in modern Israel as the direct fulfilment of specific, previously unfulfilled Bible Prophecies. The other believer understands events in modern Israel simply as the outworking - the fruit of principles - the outworking of cause and effect - of previously fulfilled prophecies.  

The one group sees Israel as now attaining to blessings never before attained. The other believer describes Israel simply in terms of how well it is experiencing the blessings that were really always theirs if only they'd perceived it.

One group describes modern Israel as people for whom a long-avertised Bank Opening Day is finally arriving. The other believer describes modern Israel as people for whom the Bank's advertised Open Day already happened a long time ago - it's just that Israel didn't always take advantage of it.  

Both perspectives of Bible Prophecy see God as still wishing the very best for modern Israel. So I think the prayers of both groups will achieve basically the same thing in Israel, since it's really the Spirit praying through them with the same unutterable yearnings for Israel, irrespective of how adequate their Scriptural explanations might be. 

In conclusion then: 

1. There are themes and statements in some Bible prophecies which still have ongoing relevance, and perhaps some which may still have to be fulfilled; but

2. Identifying the fulfilled aspects in those same prophecies does not diminish a person's love for modern Israel - it informs his love for Israel.