Tom, these are excellent questions.
All questions dealing with bible prophecy and the modern nation of Israel are very emotional and occupy a large part of modern biblical discussions. There are powerful spiritual forces that have pushed the linking of the ancient Hebrew Temple religion that was destroyed by God in 70A.D. with the modern antichrist religion of Talmudic Judaism. After the New Covenant was established in Jesus's Blood the Old had been fulfilled and the obstinate rejectors of the New designed a plan to resurrect the efficacy of the Old. God had struck a fatal blow to the head of the Old Covenant with the Cross and the destruction of the Temple religion in 70 A.D. Theose who rejected Jesus devised a plan to resurrect this dead Old Coveanant religion. The new counterfeit religion became a spiritually dead beast with a fatal blow to its head. Is the resurrection of this dead beast the reestablishment of a modern counterfeit state in Palestine? If so, what is the spirit that has raised this once dead beast? Are the two religions the same? Is modern Talmudic Judaism the daughter of the ancient Hebrew religion? Or, is the Church the daughter of ancient Israel as the Church has taught for almost two thousand years? The way we answer these questions determines how we approach the ancient prophecies. The way we anwer these questions predisposses our minds and emotions before we even read the Word of God. Because of this, it forces many of us to sacrifice inordinate time to these subjects. I find it much more peaceful and efiying in my personal life to seek to appropriate all the spiritual promises of the New Covenant in Christ rather than spend time on wild prohetic imaginations. The opinions of men take the place of the truths of God. No amount of study and specualtion can ever force the meaning of these endtimes and ancient prophecies like all other myteries of God. Remember, all wisdom and knowledge are in Christ Jesus. Only revelations of God given in their due season can give us the truth. Today, Satan has flooded the world with false prophets and men's carnal opinions.
I will begin the answer to your questions by making this statement:
the New Testament is the best interpreter of the Old Testament. If we let the Bible speak for itself, it will be its own best interpreter. the New testament is the Old Testament's only infallible interpreter. The New Testament, therefore, exhibits, within its sacred pages, both the principles aand methods of of a sound and trustworth interprestation of the old; this approach makes Jesus and His hand picked Apostels and disciples our guides to prophetic interpretation. All Old Testament prophecies must be first passed through the light of the New Testament before we begin putting our modern views and imaginations on Old Testament meanings. What did the New Testament already tell us about this subject?
I will begin by looking at your three Scripture-questions in this light. I hope you agree with this approach? If not, please state your opinions or disagreements before I proceed.
Emile |
