| The Importance of Prophecy By RAY JONES JUST before the 1980 presidential election in the U.S.A. the Saturday Evening Post asked five astrologers to predict the outcome. The five candidates were President Jimmy Carter, Senator Edward Kennedy, Former Governor Ronald Reagan, former Governor John Connally, and Senator Howard Baker. The Democrats nominated Jimmy Carter to run for the presidency, and the Republicans nominated Ronald Reagan. Reagan won a landslide victory both in the party convention and in the number of Electoral College votes. The Post article made very interesting reading. Some of the prophecies were extraordinarily ambiguous. One astrologer said that Carter's chart indicated he would be facing a new beginning of some sort in November. Brilliant! Anyone could have made a guess like that. Another astrologer said that with so many unknowns there was no positive way to predict a winner. At least that was honest. Another thought that `a dark horse' might perhaps enter the race and change the election picture. There was no hint as to who this mysterious dark horse might be, though even a wild guess would have been more to the seer's credit than such cautious ambiguity. More interesting than the obvious hedging were the bold plunges taken by some of the astrologers. One thought that Carter could not win by a landslide. Since he lost by a landslide that was some prediction. The same astrologer also predicted that the outcome of the election would either be very close or Carter would lose. One wonders why he could not have foretold Reagan's overwhelming victory. Another false prophet looked at Connally's chances for the time of the election and said that they were excellent and that he could be the winner. We now know that he never even made it as a candidate to the party convention. Another prognosticator declared that the final race would be between Connally and Kennedy, neither of whom even won his party's nomination. All of this shows what a hit-and-miss business foretelling is for humans. But bible prophecy is altogether different. Peter says that we have `a more sure word of prophecy' (2 Peter 1:19), or as the ASV has it, `a word of prophecy made more sure', which carries the idea of being firm, steadfast, solid, or incapable of being removed or destroyed. Isaiah quoted the Lord saying, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, `My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure'" (Is 46:9-10_NKJV). This literal fulfilment of prophecy is the seal of its divine origin. Centuries old prophecies concerning the final sufferings of Christ were fulfilled during the twenty-four hours leading up to His crucifixion. According to the law of compound probabilities, the chance that they all happened together by accident is 1 in 537,000,000.1 In his `God's Living Oracles', A.T. Pierson the renowned bible scholar points out, "There are over 300 predictions about the Messiah to be found in the Old Testament. One might almost as well expect, by accident, to find any one particular drop out of the ocean as to expect so many prophetic rays to converge by chance upon one man, in one place, at one time. God has put especially upon these prophecies as to His Son the stamp of absolute verity and indisputable certainty, so that we may know whom we have believed. Mistakes in so solemn a matter are fatal and God meant that none should be possible." Peter said, `prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.' (2 Peter 1: 21). As Dean Burgeon said, "What music would be without notes, mathematical sum without figures, so would an inspired book be without words controlled by the inspiring Spirit". Some dismiss the study of prophecy as being visionary and impractical. Others look upon it as a `hot potato' and best left alone. But, surely, if a quarter of the bible is taken up with predictive prophecy, it is a positive sin to neglect such a central part of scripture. What's more, inasmuch as prophecy is history written in advance, in being acquainted with the unfolding plan of God (which prophecy provides) we can interpret the trend of global events, get a right perspective of history, an understanding of our times, and become a seer to one's day as the nations crumble and as the shadows deepen and men's hearts fail them because of fear. Dealing with The Prophetic Element in Scripture, A. T. Pierson observes, "This is one of the seven elements which together constitute the whole body of the Word of God, namely, history, biography, prophecy, ethics, devotion, messianic revelation, and spiritual guidance. This prophetic element pervades all the rest. It is the eye of scripture, with supernatural vision — hindsight, insight, and foresight, or power to see into the past, present, and future. It is, therefore, the miracle of utterance, as other miracles are wonders of power, and evinces omniscience, as they do omnipotence, thus reflecting the image of God." Their Prophetic SignificanceIn Leviticus 23 Jehovah commands His people to keep seven Feasts every year in the land of Canaan. He says, `These are My appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies' (Leviticus 23: 2) (NIV). FIRSTLY they are seven windows through which we may glimpse God's divine plan from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ through to His millennial reign on earth i.e. seven festivals to guide His people through the centuries till Christ reigns from Jerusalem. `Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets' (Amos 3:7). Four of these feasts have already been fulfilled; three are yet to be fulfilled. So here we have a snapshot of what God has already done and a prophetic portrayal of what is yet to come. God Himself has carefully orchestrated the sequence and timing of these feasts. They are significant events in the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive career. Each is a part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively they tell us what God has already accomplished in the past, and will yet accomplish in the future. What God has done in the past gives us understanding of what He is going to do in the future. John Hagee says2: `The Hebrew word for `feast,' `mo'ed,' means `a set or appointed time.' Of very similar meaning is `mikrah', indicating `a rehearsal or recital.' Each feast, like a dress rehearsal, offers a significant portrait of part of God's prophetic plan. The combined seven feasts, divinely instituted shortly after the people of Israel had left the slavery of Egypt, would be a spiritual blueprint of what lies ahead for Israel, Jerusalem, and the rest of the world.' SECONDLY they are God's prophetic calendar, showing us what He's going to do throughout the coming centuries i.e. seven festivals to portray God's work on earth. He has a purpose and a plan, a prophetic programme that He is working to, and who will withstand His purposes? `The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations' (Ps.33:11). The Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles were in the first instance intended to draw the minds of the Israelites towards God, a time of sweet communion and joy in His presence. They were communal, commemorative, theological and typological: COMMUNAL — drawing the nation together for celebration and worship as they recalled the common origin and experience of the people; COMMEMORATIVE in that they kept alive what God had done in the exodus and during the wilderness journey; THEOLOGICAL in that they presented lessons on the reality of sin, judgment, and forgiveness, on the need for thanksgiving to God, and on the importance of trusting God rather than hoarding possession; TYPOLOGICAL in that they anticipated a future fulfilment of what they symbolised. They were more than special ceremonies meant only for Old Testament Jews. They have relevance for us today. It is not surprising that each of the major feasts is in some way touched upon in the New Testament. Paul speaks of the `festival' as `a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ' (Col 2:16-17). The Greek word `skia' = `shadow', is often used to express anything imperfect or unsubstantial; while the term `sooma' = `substance', conveyed the opposite sense, expressing anything tangible, solid, and firm. The feasts belonged to Old Testament times when God was dealing in types and shadows. Their purpose was to serve as symbols of something better to come. They were faint fore gleams of future events, but not the reality, for each would find expression in the fullness of times in Christ. Four of the faint types and shadows (Passover, Unleav-ened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost) have been fulfilled, so now we may see how the fulfilment fits the shadow. God's Prophetic Calendar.When introduced the Feasts prophetically outlined the future from the death of Christ (Passover) till the Millennium (Tabernacles). Now four of them are history, and three are, as yet, unfulfilled. They are a glimpse into what lies ahead, chronicling very significant future events that God has purposed for His people. The present times are dark and gloomy, but the Lord has great things in store for us. G.C. Willis says in his book, "The Feasts of Jehovah, were designed and arranged by the Lord to turn our hearts to Himself, that we might better learn to know His grace, and to cheer us for the dark pathway down here, by the sight of the glory ahead." 3 THIRDLY future events will be precisely as sketched out in the three remaining feasts. May we not neglect these precious pictures that God has given us in the Old Testament. Israel despised the Feasts. Passover was not observed from Solomon's time to Hezekiah's. But when they kept it, along with the Feast of Unleavened bread, their jubilation was great. We read, `Then the whole assembly agreed to keep the feast another seven days, and they kept it another seven days with gladness' (2 Chronicles 30:23). But it was left till Josiah's day for the Passover to be observed more in accordance with the Word. Of that it is recorded, `There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept' (2 Chronicles 35:18). And the most joyous of all the feasts, Tabernacles, was so despised and forgotten that it was not kept in accordance with the Word from the days of Joshua till the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8:17). May we not be found guilty of shunning these Feasts and thereby rob ourselves of much to really feed our souls, and minister to us spiritual strength. Inasmuch as God has portrayed His prophetic programme in this way, how glad we should be to look at these Feasts, and in so doing share God's revealed secrets. The Seven Feasts
[ TOP ] Appeared in Issue 14 September 2001 |
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