
The Prophets…
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31)
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44)
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isaiah 46:9-10)
IN LUKE 16:31, ABRAHAM TELLS THE RICH MAN IN HADES that if his living brothers would not listen to the words of Jewish scripture, neither would they persuaded, though one rose from the dead. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people referred loosely to the complete body of their scriptures as “Moses and the Prophets.”
A FEW CHAPTERS LATER IN LUKE 24:27, Jesus is talking to His disciples and He says “Moses and the prophets.” But, in the same discussion with the disciples, he refers to the complete book of Hebrew scriptures again and calls them: 1.The Law of Moses 2. The Prophets, and 3: The Psalms. There is no conflict here. The “Psalms” in that setting was more than what we know as the “Psalms” today. Albert Barnes explains it well:
“IN THE LAW OF MOSES - The five books of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Among the Jews this was the first division of the Old Testament, and was called the “law.”
“THE PROPHETS - This was the second and largest part of the Hebrew Scriptures. It comprehended the books of Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, which were called the “former prophets;” and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve smaller books from Daniel, to Malachi, which were called the “latter prophets.”
“THE PSALMS - The word here used probably means what were comprehended under the name of “Hagiographa,” or holy writings. This consisted of the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the two books of Chronicles.
“THIS DIVISION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT was in use long before the time of Christ, and was what he referred to here; and he meant to say that in “each of” these divisions of the Old Testament there were prophecies respecting himself. The “particular” subject before them was his “resurrection from the dead.” A most striking prediction of this is contained in Psalm 16:9-11. Compare it with Acts 2:24-32; Acts 13:35-37. (Albert Barnes)
ALTHOUGH MOSES IS KNOWN PRIMARILY AS THE LAW GIVER (and is portrayed that way inside and outside the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.), the Hebrew scriptures have this to say about Moses: And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, (Deuteronomy 34:10) Obviously, Moses would not have written this about himself. It is assumed that after the death Moses some responsible scholar wrote this into the record.
THE NEW TESTAMENT REFERS TO MOSES AS A PROPHET. 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. (Act 3:22) Moses was a prophet. The One who was to come to Israel would be a prophet like unto Moses; that is, with the moral authority of Moses. Jesus was a prophet. In fact, Jesus was Prophet, Priest, and King. He has functioned already as a prophet and priest and will one day function as the King of Israel and of the world.
THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE HEARD SINCERE CHRISTIANS COMMENT: “I just don’t read the Old Testament. I do all of my reading in the New Testament.” They mean well. I try to be patient with these dear saints who don’t have a clue as to what they are saying. “The New Testament is in Old contained, and the Old Testament is in the New explained.”
WITHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE NEW TESTAMENT HAS NO ROOT or fixed meaning. The Book of Revelation in the New Testament cannot be interpreted apart from the book of Daniel. John Walvoord says: “Among the great prophetic books of Scripture, none provides a more comprehensive and chronological prophetic view of the broad movement of history than the book of Daniel. …Daniel is essential to he structure of prophecy and is the key to the entire Old Testament prophetic revelation.” (Page 7, Daniel, The Key to Prophetic Revelation.”
TO GET A FIRM GRASP OF THE BIBLE, it is essential that we include the prophets and their writings. In the New Testament it is often said that such and such an event fulfilled prophecy. In Matthew through Romans 8, the Bible says 58 times “That it might be fulfilled.” How can one hope to understand the New Testament if one does not know “what was being fulfilled?” Prophecies were being fulfilled. What is a prophecy? A prophecy is an utterance of a prophet. We need to study the prophets in the Old Testament.
KEEP IN MIND: for several years after Christ rose from the dead, there were no New Testament books. The book of James is considered by some scholars as being the first New Testament book. It was written not long before A.D. 49. He was martyred in A.D. 62. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus in A. D. 70. So, the first New Testament book was written at least fifteen years after he crucifixion of Christ and maybe longer. James was the leader of the Church in Jerusalem and his letter does not mention the destruction of Jerusalem.
WE FIND THIS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS: Therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. (Acts 8:4) Persecution of Christians began shortly after the resurrection of Christ and the Day of Pentecost. What “word” did they preach as they were scattered abroad? They preached Christ out of the Old Testament scriptures.
HOW COULD THEY PREACH JESUS OUT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT? Because the Old Testament prophets wrote about the coming Christ. Their ministry in those days was primarily to Jews who were scattered away from Jerusalem because of their occupations that had drawn them away from Jerusalem.
MY FAITH SURVIVED THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY IN COLLEGE in college because I knew that the Bible was the book of fulfilled prophecy and that mere human beings could not and cannot predict the future. We have this unique old book that is laced through and through with “it shall come to pass” and “it came to pass.”
THE PROPHETS WERE ALSO WARNING VOICES OF IMPENDING JUDGMENT if the nation did not turn from its wicked ways. Jonah would be such a voice to Nineveh. Hosea, Amos, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Elijah were warning voices. Isaiah, the prince of prophets, was put into a box and sawed in half. Of Ezekiel, God said: For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. (Ezekiel 2:4-5)
THE PROPHETS WERE ALL FORE-TELLERS. Today, the voices God calls and sends forth are FORTH-TELLERS. In both cases: the “fore tellers” and the “forth tellers,” it is the Word of God. Peter said: We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2Peter 1:19-21)
I HAVE READ THAT ABOUT 300 PROPHECIES ABOUT JESUS have already been fulfilled and based on so many prophecies having already been fulfilled, we can expect the rest of them to be fulfilled. Paul says of Jesus: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
WE ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS TO COME AGAIN and to sit upon the throne of David in Jerusalem, in the fullness of time. And we shall rule and reign with Him for a thousand years. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)
ARE YOU READY? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HIM TO RETURN?
Read Through the Bible in a Year
OCTOBER 16, 2018 – TUESDAY
A.M. Isaiah 59-61 P.M. 1 Thessalonians 4
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (fitting); (Romans 1:28)
Song for Today:
Let the Rocks Cry Out (2:48) (Calv. Memorial Church Choir)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RB339rbvNU
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HEALTH HINT: It’s flea time! They come in the house on your feet and legs and on your pets. There are sprays for sale. However, the sprays will not kill all the fleas and you are going to breathe in some of it. Spraying your feet and legs with OFF may help. Once they are in the house, the surest way we have found is to get out a baking pan, 1”-2” deep and run a half-inch of water in it. Add 2-3 drops of dish detergent and stir it a bit. The detergent will weaken the surface of the water, so the fleas cannot float. They will sink and drown.
Find a goose-neck lamb with 60W (or so) bulb. Bend the light over the pan of water, about 12” above it. Leave light on night and day for a week or so. The fleas will jump upward toward the light and fall into the water and drown. If you want to see how it’s doing, change the soapy water every day and count the fleas. You may need 2-3 pans going. Living room, bedroom, porch, etc. This works.