Messianic Prophecy. Hermeneutics of Prophecy. CA314 LESSON 03 of 24. Louis Goldberg, ThD

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1 Messianic Prophecy CA314 LESSON 03 of 24 Louis Goldberg, ThD Experience: Professor of Theology and Jewish Studies, Moody Bible Institute In this lesson we want to say something about the hermeneutics of prophecy. There are several ways of interpreting prophecy. [J. Dwight] Pentecost, in his Things to Come [1958; reprint ed., Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1965], gives us a number of rules to follow. He says first to interpret literally, and what has been already fulfilled can be taken as a guide to what is not fulfilled. Second, we want to interpret according to the harmony of prophecy. That is, prophecy has a harmony with the whole prophetic program. This means that we do not lift out one prophecy from a context of a whole series of prophecies. Third, we want to note the perspective of prophecy. There is a certain perspective in each of these prophecies that will be studied, and there is a perspective of prophecy as a whole. Fourth, it is also important to observe time relationships. This means, for example, taking into account which advent the prophet is talking about. Especially as we look at this from the New Testament point of view, advents become very important. Fifth, we want to interpret prophecy Christologically. The central theme of all prophecy is Jesus Christ. Sixth, we want to interpret historically. It is important, as much as possible, to always examine the historical background in which we find the prophecy. It s become one of the cardinal rules and will save us a lot of problems if we know something of the historical background of the prophet. And corresponding to this in another rule is the interpretation of the grammatical aspect of the passage. Here it becomes very important and it is emphatic that we know something of the languages; we know something of the nuances of the languages insofar as the prophecy is concerned. And then, last of all, we want to interpret consistently. We don t want to mix methods of interpretation in prophecy. I ve indicated the rules of interpretation as Pentecost gives them in Things to Come. When we examine [Louis] Berkhof in Principles of Biblical Interpretation [1950; reprint ed., Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003], and when we look at [Bernard] Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation [1970; reprint ed., Grand Rapids, 1 of 7

2 MI: Baker, 1980], we find pretty much the same rules for the interpretation of prophecy. All the principles studied as a whole and then applied to the interpretation of prophecy will give us an excellent base on which to understand it. Now, however, as we look at the various viewpoints of these three men, it must be noted that the principles are almost the same as we ve already indicated. There is agreement that the grammaticalhistorical method is basic to prophetic interpretation. The question naturally arises starting with just about the same principles, how do the systems, premillennialism, that is, where we do believe in a prophetic or messianic kingdom on earth presided over by the Messiah for the one-thousand year-length of time, and amillennialism, where the system does not admit of any kingdom of God on earth for any thousand-year period; the question naturally arises, How do these systems land far afield in the final results of the interpretation of prophecy, especially when we start with just about the same kind of principles? Perhaps [Floyd E.] Hamilton might indicate here in The Basis of Millennial Faith [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1942], as to how Old Testament prophecy is to be handled, and we might get some sort of a clue here what is involved. He states, A good working rule to follow is that the literal interpretation of the prophecy is to be accepted unless: a) the passages contain obviously figurative language, or b) unless the New Testament gives authority for interpreting them in other than a literal sense, or c) unless a literal interpretation would produce a contradiction with truths, principles or factual statements contained in non-symbolic books of the New Testament. I contend that it is rule c that can create the differences that lead ultimately to various eschatological positions regarding the future of Israel and Christ s relation to this future Israel. Let s see how this is borne out by the positions of the Reformers. Take, for example, regarding the future conversion of Israel, John Calvin says in his commentary on Romans 11, many suppose that the apostle wants here to hold up to the Jewish people the prospect of a restoration of its former conditions of religious life but by Israel I [this is Calvin] understand rather the whole people of God. He indicates that there will always be a seed of Israel who will believe, but to Calvin, he interprets this in a spiritual sense. He is thinking of a spiritual Israel, the church, composed of Jews and Gentiles. Now, note also his discussion of the millennium. He says in his Institutes in book 3 and 25 concerning the millennium, anyone who prescribes for the children of God only a thousand 2 of 7

3 years enjoyment of their inheritance in the future does not see what a disgraceful implication this is for Christ and His kingdom. And again, in the same quotation and the same place, these people, that is the exponents of Chiliasm of those who insist upon a thousand year kingdom of God upon the earth, are either entirely inexperienced in all heavenly things or with secret malice are trying to shape the grace of God and the power of Christ. The idea of a thousand-year reign is due to a failure of faith, according to Calvin. We go on to indicate what Calvin means by the kingdom of a thousand years. He stresses that it is a spiritual rule of Christ over individuals souls and their earthly life up to death and the last resurrection. Now take another Reformer, Martin Luther, in his commentary on the epistle to the Romans in Romans 11:26 27, and I m quoting. So all Israel shall be saved. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins. To be fair with Luther, he at first wavered with regard to the conversion of all Israel. In Romans he at times speaks as though he believed in the final conversion of all Jews, though he also emphasizes the fact that only the elect will be saved. Later he definitely accepted the opinion of Origin, Jerome, and others who identified all Israel with a number of the elect to which corresponds the expression the fullness of the Gentiles. The leading Lutheran exegetes have followed this interpretation and thought that while the elect from among the Gentiles are being brought in through the preaching of the gospel before judgment day so also are the elect from among the Jews. So it is clear that these two great Protestant leaders are properly classified as amillennial. As far as amillennial teaching was concerned, they followed a Roman Catholic theology according to a weakened Augustinian viewpoint. Allis and Berkhof, that is, O. T. Allis and Berkhof, follow in their train, and while there is a modified amillennialism today among the Reformed and we ll see this as we get into an exegesis of Scripture later on the method of handling the Scriptures hasn t changed that much. What has started out to be an insistence upon a grammaticalhistorical method of prophetic interpretation has become a matter of eschatology, a system of hermeneutics that can lead four ways, as indicated by [A. B.] Davidson s Old Testament Prophecy [2nd ed.; Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1904]. In chapter 24 of his book entitled The Restoration of the Jews he indicates the four opinions. Let me very quickly spell these out. 3 of 7

4 1. Those who assert that God s dealings in Christianity are completely personal so a restored, national Israel in unthinkable. I think a modern-day exponent of this would be Robertson of the Greek scholar fame when he indicated that the New Testament is the sole interpretation of the Old Testament. And this, of course, would block out many passages in the Old Testament that seem to have a good base for something to relate to Israel yet in the future. 2. Those who believe in Israel s conversion but not restoration. 3. Those who believe in the conversion and restoration but with no special prominence for Israel. 4. And last, those who believe in a conversion of Israel, a restoration of Israel, and the millennial preeminence of Israel or the preeminence of Israel in the messianic kingdom presided over by the Messiah. The crux of disagreement when it comes to handling prophetic interpretation seems to be based on spiritualizing or allegorizing the Scriptures that relate to a future kingdom on earth that will include a restored and regenerated Israel. But we shall discuss more of the principles of interpretation used from various viewpoints later on when we work in the laboratory of Scripture. It is only as we work in the Scriptures that we shall see the consequences of one interpretation over another. But it is obvious, as [R. B.] Girdlestone once said in The Grammar of Prophecy [Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1955; reprint ed., Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2004] that there is no royal road in the scientific study of prophecy. Before we get to the examples of prophecy and how I would like for you to lay out the prophecies when you start to study them, I want to emphasize again the centrality of Christ. This is an important point. All prophetic interpretation must have the Messiah or Christ in the most prominent place. It is Girdlestone who indicated this situation. To study the prophets without reference to Christ or Messiah seems as unscientific as to study the body without reference to the head. The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets all the way through, and each book is to be read as parts of a great whole. And so it is the centrality of Christ that 4 of 7

5 gives meaning to the Messiah Himself as well as to the messianic relationship to the kingdom. When we get to the examples of prophecy, I want for our purposes that the student recognize five sets of prophecies that are indicated in your syllabus. I want that the student should be able to assign the particular kind of interpretation to the prophecy that he is going to handle. I would like for the student to take a page or two for each prophecy and make two columns on the page: on the left side, as a heading, type or write out the Old Testament prophecy; on the right side, type out the passage indicating its fulfillment if this is applicable. If not, you obviously do not type or write anything. Below the prophecy and where there is or is not a fulfillment, provide, if possible, a short resume of the historical background of the Old Testament passage of prophecy. Now let me indicate the five examples as you have them there in your syllabus. One is the short-term fulfilled prophecy. We said already that one of the tests of a prophet is that when he prophesies in the shortrange situations, that he be absolutely 100 percent correct. One illustration I ve given to you is Jeremiah 28: Notice on the left side of the page there is the prophecy, and you would either type this out or write it out. On the right side of the page you see the fulfillment so that the prophecy is Jeremiah 28:15 16 and the fulfillment is Jeremiah 28:17. This has to do, you see, with Jeremiah s confrontation with Hananiah. Hananiah was a false prophet. He had given the king wrong information. He had told the nation to oppose Nebuchadnezzar, and it so vexed Jeremiah that at first he didn t say too much. But then the Lord gives a word concerning Hananiah: that is, that this false prophet would die within the year. And you see the fulfillment there on the right that Hananiah died the same year in the seventh month. Then you ll note that there is a historical background, and this you would place at the bottom of the prophecy and fulfillment. And here you would simply use the Scripture as the historical background in the occasion, Jeremiah 28:10 11 and So the first of these examples of prophecy that you ll need to recognize is a shortterm fulfilled prophecy. The second example is that of a fulfilled messianic prophecy. Take, for example, the birth of the Messiah. You have the prophecy in Micah 5:2 written out on the left side of the page, and then you have the fulfillment at the right side, Luke 2:4 11. You see the tie between the two in this way. However, as I ve said before, it s 5 of 7

6 always necessary to check the historical background of the Old Testament passage from which you are going to work, and I ve indicated some words with regard to the historical context. Let me read it as I ve indicated it there. In its immediate historical context, Micah 4:11 through 5:7, Micah described the land under siege by a conquering army, and this would be the Assyrians. The times in which Micah lived were that of the Assyrian background in the late 700s before Christ. Micah described the coming of several heroes who would deliver Israel from its enemies. The chief deliverer, however, is described in such a way as to refer to the birth of the Messiah but with no indication here as to the time of His birth. This should be studied very carefully to ascertain fully this prophecy. Many Old Testament messianic prophecies need to be seen in the light of two aspects of Messiah s career, and the fact that the teaching of the church is not mentioned in the Old Testament. There s a reason for this, and we ll be getting into this when we study various passages of Scripture, but the timing is not indicated because at a later point when the Messiah would present Himself to Israel, there was the opportunity, there was the theoretical possibility for Israel to make a choice, even that of receiving the Messiah when He came, from our point of view, the first time. But we ll be discussing this a little bit later on. The third example is that of an unfulfilled messianic prophecy, and I am assuming here a premillennial viewpoint. Take the prophecy Isaiah 9:6 7, very familiar passage of Scripture, but notice verse 7, Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness, etc. I take it at this point that the throne of David and the kingdom of David are yet future; it is a kingdom here on earth, and it is a throne upon which the Messiah will yet sit and where He will administer justice and righteousness worldwide. At the bottom here I have provided the historical background, and, again, it is the Assyrian nation in the dominant international role. Beginning with chapter 7 Isaiah had been uttering various prophecies concerning the Messiah. In chapter 9 he reached the climax in the Messiah s career, and while certain aspects of this career have already been fulfilled from today s point of view, that is, the child born, the totality of fulfillment is yet to be seen. Nowhere in the New Testament has there been the consummation of the occupation of David s throne by Messiah. This is still future in the course of world history. 6 of 7

7 Very quickly we ll mention this fourth example, a fulfilled prophecy of Israel. The last two were prophecies with respect to the Messiah; that is, a fulfilled prophecy and an unfulfilled prophecy. Now we want to note fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies with regard to Israel, and in your fourth description or example you have a fulfilled prophecy of Israel. This entails the deliverance of Israel from Babylon when God made it possible for the Judeans to return to their own land. The prophecy is given in Jeremiah 25: I ve dated it here so that you could see the fulfillment also in a special, unique way, in 605 BC, and Jeremiah states there on that occasion that the captivity or the exile would last for seventy years. Then I ve indicated at the right side two passages of fulfillment: Daniel 9:1 2 and the chapter on prayer as Daniel prays for his people in their release from Babylon, and then Ezra 1:1 2. And here you see a prophecy of fulfillment with regard to Israel. I haven t said too much insofar as the historical background is concerned because the fulfillment in itself is within history. A fifth example is that of a prophecy of Israel being fulfilled today, and I ve added in this generation although we must realize that the extent of this prophecy goes beyond only this generation. The prophecy I ve indicated is in Isaiah 11: In order to properly see the scope of this particular prophecy I ve indicated a timeline there on your syllabus beginning with the day of Isaiah to the present day. Our time has run out, however, and we ll be coming back to this particular fascinating prophecy next time. Christ-Centered Learning Anytime, Anywhere 7 of 7