A Study of Pre-Millennialism #4
GOD SAYS, "This Is That..."
INTRODUCTION:
Given the fact that the entire Bible is inspired of God, and therefore infallible, when the Bible speaks, the true student must insist that all speculation and human opinion give way to its message. This is especially true in regard to the prophecies which are made in the earlier portion of Scripture, and applied later through the same medium. And, it is also true despite our human tendency to require that we "understand" things fully before we accept them.
As we have studied in earlier lessons, the "mindset" of the Pre-millennialists is to demand a very literal interpretation of the prophecies of the O.T., which is then held on to despite:
1. Clear "time and circumstances" aspects of the prophecies.
2. The obvious fact that one CANNOT literalize everything!
a. The "David" of Ezek. 37:24-28 (clear reference to Messiah)
b. John the Baptist's work lsa 40:2, 3 (a "road grader”)
3. The progression of "type" to "anti-type", from the fleshly to the spiritual.
4. God's own explanation of the prophecies.
There is one central concept which will help immensely in the true application of God's prophecies. In general, ALL of the divine assurances of FUTURE good for Israel, framed in "everlasting" terms, and predicting a final desirable outcome, refer to essentially THE SAME PERIOD AND CIRCUMSTANCES! At every stage of the history of God's people, even while God rebukes, chastises and threatens destruction, there is an underlying thread of eventual peace and prosperity. From the time of Moses onward, at times when the people were suffering greatly for their departures from God, there would be given the hope of a final state of fellowship with God, and everlasting bliss under the benevolent reign of a "Messiah". As we have learned already, God's vision of "a people" was directed toward an eventual spiritual relationship in which His people would "know" Him, live in His image, and enjoy intimacy with Him-WITHOUT REGARD TO FLESHLY HERITAGE AND CONNECTIONS. The necessary stage of isolating a "chosen nation" through Mosaical legislation and genealogical purity was ALWAYS designed as a "stage", and not an OUTCOME! As Paul said:
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are NO LONGER UNDER a schoolmaster…" -Gal 3:24, 25
The great value of this fact is that while not all of the prophecies are placed as to "time and circumstance "-some are! If they are all part of a general promise of future good, and refer to the same period of time and state, then when ONE of the prophecies which fall into that category is identified as to TIME, that identifies the TIME for them ALL! The reality is, of course, that there are repeated references which identify time and conditions central to this recurring Old Testament theme of final good-and unequivocally place them in conjunction with the so-called "church age"!
I. GOD'S "THIS IS THAT”....
a. Joel 2:28-31 -"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit And I will show wonders In the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered..."
This is one of the MANY descriptive passages, pointing to this period of fellowship with a holy God, and the time of God's promised "kingdom". WHAT TIME was meant by this? There can be NO QUESTION...God has given a divine "this is that" to positively locate ft in time and circumstance. In Acts 2:17, Peter plainly says, on the day of Pentecost when God's spirit had fallen upon the apostles, and the multitude had come together
“THIS IS THAT which was spoken by the prophet Joel"...and QUOTES the entire above reference! Since Joel speaks of the SAME time and conditions as that meant by Isaiah (2:1-4; 9:1-7; 11:1-16; chapters 40-66), Daniel (2:44; chapter 7). Ezekiel. Zechariah, Jeremiah, and the rest-then THEY refer to that SAME time! Of course we are not left to depend upon a single limiting passage, but over and over are given indications that we are already living and experiencing those things promised in O.T. prophecy.
b. In Peter's sermon of Acts 3:22-26, he said that:
"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you—yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise FORETOLD OF THESE DAYS...Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities..."
The comprehensive nature of this statement must not be overlooked. ALL the prophets spoke of THESE days-the ones in which Peter lived, the ones in which Christ was crucified and exalted, the ones which sounded the end of the law of Moses, and the introduction of the gospel of Christ and His kingdom.
c. Peter, again, in 1 Peter 1:10-12, clearly associates HIS time with the fulfillment of O.T. prophecy (a time involving the "last days", which is shared by us today, but was BEGUN in Peter's day):
"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom It was revealed, that not unto themselves, but UNTO US THEY DID MINISTER THE THINGS, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
M. THE PROPHETS SPAKE, AND GOD SAID "This is that..."
a. MOSES
1) Gen 12:3-"...in thee (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed..."
Fulfilled in the gospel age— Gal 3:8-"And the scripture, forseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, PREACHED BEFORE THE GOSPEL UNTO ABRAHAM, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed."
2) Deut 18:15-"The Lord thy God shall raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.."
Fulfilled in the gospel age-Acts 3:22-"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you...” (yea, and all the prophets....have LIKEWISE foretold of THESE days...")
b. SAMUEL
1) 2 Sam 7:12-13-"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shaft sleep with -thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.."
The primary thought is the rule of Solomon, but it seems clear this includes the lifting up of Christ to be king on David's throne —(Rom 1:3- "..concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh…”) Note Acts 13:22, 23- "..he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom he gave testimony, and said I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed, hath God, according to his promise Raised unto Israel a Savior Jesus, Solomon did not have ‘the throne of his kingdom FOREVER " BUT THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS AN ETERNAL KINGDOM...
Again if this prophecy addresses the general FUTURE good of Israel, and is to be seen as Involved with the same circumstances as do other prophecies regarding the throne of David, and Christ as its occupant, the TIME has been well established by N. T. references to OTHER prophecies of the same sort, dealing with the same subject.
c. DAVID
1) Psalms 2:6-"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee..."
Fulfilled in the gospel age Heb 1:5—"For unto which of the angels saith he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee..." (Note: Ps. 2:6 shows this act of God was done at the time he “set my King upon my holy hill of Zion..." God “begat” Jesus when the Holy Spirit placed the babe in her womb; he also 'begat "him at the resurrection, when he was exalted as king! See Acts 13:33- "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, In that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee…”
2) Psalms 45:6-7 - Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows..."
Fulfilled in the gospel age Hebrews 1:8-9—'But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
3) Psalms 110:1-"The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand,
until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power....The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek, The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath…”
NOTE: the "day of His power" refers to the time when he will have been given His authority and kingdom. Note
what is mentioned in the NT. about this "day of his power":
1) "Sit at God's right hand...(IN DAY OF HIS POWER)-Doing that NOW - Heb 1:13
2) Rule in the midst of thine enemies-Doing that NOW - Heb 1:8, 13
3) Priest after order of Melchisedek - Doing that now - Heb 4:14; 5:6; 6:20
4) Psalms 40:6-8-"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears have
thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O God; yea, thy law is within my heart."
Fulfilled In the gospel age— Heb 10:7-9-
D. ISAIAH
1)2:2-5-"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up into the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more..",
Fulfilled in the gospel age—
"Last days…" - Acts 2:17; Heb 1:1,2
"law to go forth from Zion, Jerusalem.."-Lk 24:46, 47
Include all nations - Lk 24:46- 47
nation not lift up sword against nation - Jew, Gentile, at peace - Eph 2:14-16
2) 11:1 -10—'There shall come a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow
out of His roots.."
Fulfilled in the gospel age
Acts 13:22-24, 29, 32, 33..Applied to FIRST coming of Christ...
(v. 10-quoted in Rom 15:12-DO GENTILES HAVE THEIR TRUST IN CHRIST NOW?.., or will it be at Christ's SECOND coming?)
3) 28:14-18-lay in Zion a stone...a precious corner stone... Fulfilled in the gospel age— Paul - Rom 9:31-33; Eph 2:20 Peter-1 Pet 2:4-9
e. JEREMIAH
1) 23:5-6 "Righteous Branch...king...in his days Judah shall be saved...lsrael shall dwell safely..."
Fulfilled in the gospel age Rom 15:12
2) 31:31-34-Make a new covenant...write in their heart remember sin no more...
Fulfilled in the gospel age Heb 8:8-13
f. DANIEL
1) 2:31-46
Fulfilled in the gospel age—
"these kings"...(during period of four SUCCESSIVE world empires...Rome was last)
"cut out without hands.." (the work of God)
"kingdom never be destroyed" - ("cannot be shaken" - Heb 12:5-8)
2) 7:13-14
Fulfilled in the gospel age—
"came TO ancient of Days" (Christ received it when He went BACK to heaven Acts 1,2)
NOTE The next lesson will continue a SAMPLE listing of the many prophetic passages in the old testament, with their fulfillment in the new. Basically, we have tried to identify passages which are CLEARLY STATED as referring to the FIRST COMING of Christ and the period of His reign that began on the day of Pentecost In truth, we have bypassed MANY passages which, when fairly read in the light of corresponding language in the NT., are equally forceful in identifying the period of prophetic fulfillment with this dispensation as "the last days".
REMEMBER, the point of this lesson was to emphasize that we can unquestionably show that SOME of the passages which fall into the category the pre-millennialists associate with the SECOND coming of Christ are CLEARLY meant to apply to the FIRST COMING....Then, for those which refer to the SAME period, but are not identified by a TIME or CIRCUMSTANCE "this is that", the issue is settled as to THEIR time as well.