Prophecy: Is the Old all Fulfilled?

The Old Testament has been divided into the following divisions:

We have taken a brief look at the first 21 books and skipped the 22^nd book – The Song of Solomon.

Peter spoke of the Inspiration of Prophecy

(2 Pet 1:19-21 NKJV)  And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; {20} knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, {21} for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

On one questionnaire, this statement was made: “One day you mentioned you didn’t believe as some of the brethren that the Old Testament was fulfilled.  I would like to hear your thoughts on this.”

Let me clarify and be sure we are “on the same page.”  The old ceremonial law has been fulfilled.  Jesus came as the Lamb of God to be the perfect sacrifice.  When Jesus died, He said, “It is finished.”  What is the “it”?  I believe it was His mission on earth which included completing the old sacrificial system – He is the Lamb of God!

(Mat 27:51 NKJV)  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

(Heb 1:1-2 NKJV)  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, {2} has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

 The point of misunderstanding that I have with some of my brethren is that they want to say that everything in the Old Testament has been fulfilled.  I contend that that is not true of many statements of prophecy in the Old Testament.  Let me begin with an illustration:

 (Luke 4:16-21 NKJV)  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. {17} And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

{18} "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; {19} To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." {20} Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. {21} And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

 (Isa 61:1-2 NKJV)  "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

{2} To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, [Jesus stopped here] And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

 

(Isa 61:2-3) And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, (3) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified." {4} And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

{5} Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. {6} But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God.  You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. {7} Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

 ·       Has all of this been fulfilled--literally?

·       Has all of this been fulfilled--figuratively?  If so, how?

·       Is this just a mistake? 

·       Did God change His mind and decide the Jews were just too bad to have all of this?

·       Or, could it be – could it be that it is still to happen?

·       I graduated from Abilene Christian College (now Abilene Christian University, in Abilene, Texas).  I have studied the amillennial commentaries.  I have tried to make it all fit, but I now have to ask, “What am I doing?”  Why do I twist everything to try to justify the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and St. Augustine?  

If there is a pattern, I believe that the newer prophecies include added detail not found in the older, but I don’t believe there is any contradiction.

Having said that, let’s leap ahead:

 (Rev 20:1-2 NKJV)  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. {2} He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

(Rev 20:3 NKJV) and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (4) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

(1 Cor 6:2 NKJV)  Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

(Mat 5:5 NKJV)  Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Saint Augustine said, the 1,000 years is now!

This is the idea that is accepted by most members of the Church of Christ today.

St. Augustine decided that if the kingdom is now, it should look more like a kingdom.

·       You need a king – the Catholic Church has a Pope complete with throne & scepter.

·       If it is a kingdom, you need ambassadors to other nations.  You need a “Basilica” which comes from the Greek word: “basileia”

    ·       Are we reigning on earth?

·       If we are in control, why is prayer banned in our schools?

·       Why is abortion allowed in our land?

·       Why are we concerned about terrorists?

·       The “Whys” go on and on.

·       Are the 1,000 years already past?

·       Are we in the 1,000 years now?

·       Are the 1,000 years yet to come?

 I think the 1,000 years are yet to come.

 (Isa. 61:6 cont.) You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. {7} Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

     ·       Ignore it?

·       Conclude that it must somehow be allegorized so that it means something completely different from what it says?

·       Accept it for what it says?

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