4/22/2021 0 Comments William Hendriksen Biography
There is, accordingly, no justification for interpreting these prophecies as if they referred to events happening in the twentieth century A.D.It is a rather common belief among Christians of various faiths that the recent return of many Jews to Palestine and their establishment as an independent state May 14, 1948, is a fulfilment of prophecy.This opinion, with many variations as to details, is set forth in the following brief twelve-point summary.
Let it be stated at the outset that this summary does not represent the conviction of the author of this treatise, and, having been given, will be refuted point by point. Proof: And I will bring back your captivity or: will restore your fortune, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, says Jehovah; and I will bring you again to the place whence I have banished you (Jer. Did not Isaiah predict that one day the desert would rejoice and blossom as the rose or crocus and that the ancient ruins would be rebuilt (Isa. Accordingly, prophecy is being fulfilled today in the reclamation of the soil after centuries of neglect, in the diversion of water from the Jordan to irrigate the Negev desert, in the building of numerous new cities and villages, in the re-utilization of long-forgotten physical resources, and so on. Travel advertising is therefore justified in taking advantage of this situation. See, for example, the ad in Christianity Today, October 27, 1967: Is Prophecy Being Fulfilled In The Bible Lands Today Come and See. Probably implied in Pauls teaching is the prediction that the Jews, having returned, will rebuild the temple. Antichrist will take his seat in this literally rebuilt temple (II Thess. This prediction, too, may be in the process of being fulfilled. In fact, if reports are reliable, loads of stone, precut to exact specifications for this rebuilding, are, already being sent to Israel. The author of the treatise which you are reading regards this entire presentation to be an error. As he sees it, these ancient prophecies, whether Old or New Testament, do not refer to recent or coming events. Taking up the above-mentioned points one by one, the answer is as follows. It cannot he proved, therefore, that such a passage has anything to do with recent or still future migrations. The same holds, of course, for similar restoration passages, such as Deut. I Kings 8:46-52; Ezek. It is well known that the slave-trade was carried on especially by the Phoenicians whose mariners pushed boldly out to various parts of the then-known world, selling their merchandise, which included slaves. There is no reason whatever to doubt that this is also what actually took place. Moreover, those who returned did not belong exclusively to the tribe of Judah (or to Judah and Benjamin) but also, to some extent, to the other ten tribes. When during the reign of Darius the temple was rebuilt and dedicated, a sin-offering was brought for all Israel, twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel (Ezra 6:17). Over all the tribes, now viewed as one people, rules the one Shepherd, according to prophecy (Ezek. Says G. Ch. Aalders, To be sure, in the return from the Babylonian captivity the emphasis falls on Judah, but by no means are the ten tribes excluded. They probably took a more prominent part in this return than many people think. It has become clear, therefore, that there is no reason whatever for interpreting Isa, 11:11, 12, in its literal application, as referring to what is taking place in the twentieth century A.D. On the contrary, that view is open to serious objection: In the context we are told that those who have returned from the captivity will swoop down upon the shoulder of the Philistines to the west, will together plunder the people of the east, and will put forth their hand against Edom and Moab. The children of Ammon will obey them (Isa. That these predictions were fulfilled is clear from I Macc. However, those who believe that now, in the twentieth century A.D., these Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites must still be destroyed or plundered or subjected will have a hard time even finding them. It was the return from the house of bondage (Isa. Hence, the second recovery was fulfilled when, in stages, the Jews returned from the Assyrian-Babylonian captivity, and were established in their own land.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |