Monday 26 October 2015

Isaiah 65 - past, or future?

And the serpent will eat dust.

Serpents don't live on dust.

So could such expressions be a picturesque description of the restored blessings which Israel was about to experience, at their return from captivity, in comparison to their experience in captivity?

After all a prophet had said that the land of Israel would become a roaming place for animals during their 70 years in captivity. Now God was telling them of His renewed favour, and used the picturesque talk about the animals as a way of conveying the extent of that favour.

The verse goes on to say dangerous animals would neither hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain. That statement locates the fulfilment of the prophecy, in place and time.

It was to be in Israel, not among the Gentile Church, because God's mount was in Israel.

It doesn't refer to the heavenly Mount Zion, because there was never any threat of poisonous snakes in heaven.

And the timing was Old Covenant, because the earthly mount Zion was regarded as God's holy mount only while the Old Covenant still stood.

And the next chapter locates the prophecy just as clearly. It mentions the temple, sacrifices, prohibitions against pork, the rebirth of Israel from captivity, the city of Jerusalem, a distinction between Jews and Gentiles, ancient modes of transport like horses, chariots, litters, mules and swift beasts, and mentions vessels in the Temple, a functioning Levitical priesthood, and the sabbath. All of which were distinctly Old Covenant in place and time.

As for the use of picturesque talk, remember that the genre of writing here was apocalyptic, not straight prose like Moses used when giving instructions for the tabernacle.

Much of this prophecy therefore must have been fulfilled in Israel while the Old Covenant still stood.

God's promise to restore Israel from captivity was as sure as the future new heavens and earth (as a previous verse in the same chapter said).

This restoration would position Israel to receive their Messiah, but much of Israel would be rebellious, and at that time even Gentiles would seek the Lord (as the first verse in the chapter and verses following it said).

It all came to pass exactly, in the return from Babylon, restored Old Covenant worship, then the coming of the Messiah to that setting, many Jews didn't believe, and many Gentiles did believe.

Christ inaugurated blessings which are to be consummated at His coming. He ascended into heaven and cleansed the heavenlies, in a sense. The accuser of the brethren was cast out. 

If we spiritualise or futurise all of the details mentioning Israel and Old Covenant distinctives, then we no longer have a basis for saying that the first-century history of Jesus and of the Church fulfilled Bible prophecy.

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