The prophets did not fully understand what they prophesied, these things being prophesied “not unto themselves, but unto us.” To go into the Old Testament (as many say we ought to do today) and interpret prophecies on the basis of an assumption of what we think Jeremiah might have thought his prophecy meant is just plain ridiculous, and also heretical. Many modern “scholars” (falsely so called) would say that “a Jew of such and such time period simply could not have understood these words to mean xyz.” This sort of assumption is ridiculous. Firstly, it is based on the assumption that previous generations were not as smart as us today. Secondly, it is based on racism. Could Isaiah have understood Isaiah 7:14 to mean that the Messiah would be born of a virgin? Modern “scholars” would insinuate it as impossible since he lived in ancient times and was a Jew, which to them means he had to be an idiot. But to those who are truly Christians, such a question doesn’t matter anyway. Did Isaiah understand all his prophecies? Peter says that God did not reveal the meaning of all their prophecies to the prophets, because “Unto [them] it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things.” That is, Isaiah didn’t write for Isaiah–Isaiah wrote for us. And Peter goes on to say “which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven” meaning that although God did not necessarily reveal the meaning of all Isaiah’s prophecies to Isaiah, he has revealed them to the apostles via the Holy Ghost, and they have been delivered to us by them. For a Christian, therefore, to interpret Old Testament prophecy at variance withe how those prophecies are interpreted in the New Testament, is to deny the faith altogether. If a Christian denies tha Isaiah 7:14 speaks of a virgin birth, he is no Christian at all. If a Christian denies that a passage is Messianic which the apostles apply as Messianic, that man can no longer claim to be a Christian, because he shows himself contrary to Christ and that he does not beleive the apostles. But Jesus Himself said to the apostles in Luke 10:16 “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

Commentary by jk
Posted on: 4/26/2008 02:12 am