While the Jews were still in captivity in Babylon, the Prophet Zechariah prophesied that God would restore them to their land, theTemple would be rebuilt, they would return to God, people would travel to Jerusalem annually out of many nations to observe the Feast of Tabernacles and offer sacrifices on the altar in the Temple - and Messiah would arrive on the scene - and be pierced (on the cross), and they would look upon Him - at such a time when the historical fulfilment of those things had come to pass and were still a functioning reality in Israel.
These Levitical things were fulfilled at the return of the Babylonian captivity - and they continued to be functioning realities in Israel up until the destruction of the Temple in AD70 when they ceased - and they can never happen again in exact accordance with Moses' requirements.
Therefore the Messiah must have come before AD70 - or else Zechariah's prophecies forever lost their opportunity to be fulfilled. He indeed came - and it happened to Him exactly as it was written - and His Name is Jesus of Nazareth.
But if we instead make these prophecies about the future, or assign some 'second' fulfilment for them, then we lose Zechariah's prophecies as proof-texts for Jesus being the Messiah, and we inadvertently authorise modern ultra-Orthodox Judaism as a quasi return to the now-superseded Old Covenant. It dilutes the Apostles' doctrine.
The Apostles instead understood the Old Testament promises and prophecies not as failed, not as postponed, not even as awaiting a 'double' fulfilment - but they understood and explained them as fulfilled, in full, as intended, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's a worthwhile exercise to take a look at the passages in the New Testament where the Apostles quote Old Testament verses, and see the manner in which the Apostles interpreted and applied the Old Testament verse. Then go back to their source text in the Old Testament and read the wider passage in the light of the way the Apostles interpreted and applied it. It will clarify your understanding, and very often you'll come up with a different outlook than what's popularly asserted today.
These Levitical things were fulfilled at the return of the Babylonian captivity - and they continued to be functioning realities in Israel up until the destruction of the Temple in AD70 when they ceased - and they can never happen again in exact accordance with Moses' requirements.
Therefore the Messiah must have come before AD70 - or else Zechariah's prophecies forever lost their opportunity to be fulfilled. He indeed came - and it happened to Him exactly as it was written - and His Name is Jesus of Nazareth.
But if we instead make these prophecies about the future, or assign some 'second' fulfilment for them, then we lose Zechariah's prophecies as proof-texts for Jesus being the Messiah, and we inadvertently authorise modern ultra-Orthodox Judaism as a quasi return to the now-superseded Old Covenant. It dilutes the Apostles' doctrine.
The Apostles instead understood the Old Testament promises and prophecies not as failed, not as postponed, not even as awaiting a 'double' fulfilment - but they understood and explained them as fulfilled, in full, as intended, through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It's a worthwhile exercise to take a look at the passages in the New Testament where the Apostles quote Old Testament verses, and see the manner in which the Apostles interpreted and applied the Old Testament verse. Then go back to their source text in the Old Testament and read the wider passage in the light of the way the Apostles interpreted and applied it. It will clarify your understanding, and very often you'll come up with a different outlook than what's popularly asserted today.
DELUSIONAL THINKING? BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDelete2 Thessalonians 2:1-12....10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe in righteousness. (NKJV)
Men need to love the truth in order to be saved. Where is the truth always found? The truth is always present in the Bible and the Bible alone. Bible commentaries are men's opinions. Church creed books are the thoughts of men or at best man's interpretation of Scripture. Books about the Bible are exactly that, books about the Bible, they are not the Bible.
Man's thoughts can be reasonable lucid conclusions or they can be delusional.
1. Men say belief in Jesus is just one of many ways men can be saved. It that lucid or delusional?
Acts 4:10-12....that by the name of Jesus...12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men which we must be saved." (NKJV)
2. Men say praying to the Virgin Mary is not contrary to Scripture nor is it worship to pray to Mary. Is that lucid or delusional?
Matthew 6:9 "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (NKJV)
Jesus never told anyone to pray to the Virgin Mary.
Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" (NKJV)
WORSHIP DEFINED: reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.
Prayer to any person or anything is worship. Praying to the Virgin Mary is worship.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory is forgotten. (NKJV)
Even if men pray to the dead, the dead do not hear them. Only God hears and answers prayers.
3. Men affirm that water baptism is not essential for the forgiveness of sins and that men are saved before water baptism. Is that lucid or delusional?
Colossians 2:12-13 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (NKJV)
If men do not believe that God forgives them of trespasses following their faith and being buried in baptism, is that lucid or delusional?
Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
If men honestly believe that, "will be saved," means they are already saved, is that lucid or delusional?
4. Men teach that there are many variations of the gospel and its terms of pardon. Is that lucid or delusional?
Galatians 1:8 Let God's curses fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other way to be saved than the one we told you about; yes, if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. (The Living Bible-Paraphrased)
The way the apostles told men how to become saved. A. Faith:John 3:16. B. Confession: Romans 10:9. C. Repentance: Acts 2:38. D. Immersion in water: Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, Galatians 3:27.
Lucid thinking or delusional conclusions?
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