FINDING BIBLE TRUTH - PROPHESY

In these days the meaning of the word `prophesy' is strictly confined to foretelling the future, however the OT uses it quite differently. A `Prophet' was supposedly a link between man and God, a channel through whom God communicated with men, although it would seem that almost any preacher could call himself a prophet - as opposed to a priest who was a mere functionary.

In early times they appear almost as a branch of the priesthood, with prophetic guilds associated with such sanctuaries as Gibeah, Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Jerusalem, and Ramah, and including diviners or soothsayers among their members. These guilds seem to have persisted at least to the time of Jeremiah, with futurism as an important product, for which they were paid with gifts or money. Some leading members of these guilds, such as Samuel and Elijah, rose above this vulgar activity, Samuel to become a political leader and Judge, Elijah to become the forerunner of a new kind of ethical prophet, concerned with countering foreign cults and maintaining the purity of Israel, reflecting the always very shaky hold that worship of Jehovah had on the people. Many of these later ethical or `classical' prophets were independent of the priests and guilds and obtained recognition by the power of message and personality. The nearest equivalent today would be the evangelist who feels called to preach on both religious and secular affairs. The main targets of the classical prophets were the false Gods of Canaan and later of Babylon, but they also felt free to attack corruption and social ills. Most of their supposedly futuristic utterances should not be seen not as an attempt to foretell the future, but to assure people of God's ultimate justice on his enemies, and to reassure them of a better future and the ultimate victory of Jehovah.

Some Churches try to use the successes of futuristic prophesy to justify faith, particularly faith in the infallibility of Scripture. Hence the attempts of Matthew to link Christ with Old Testament Messianic prophesy. It is worth looking at a few examples to see the degree of success achieved by prophesy; take Isaiah:

Isaiah 2:1-4 Jerusalem to become the centre of the government of a world at peace. Unlikely - but like anything else it could happen one day.

Isaiah 7:8 Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be broken, So that it will not be a people. (In fact Ephraim was destroyed after around 25 years).

Isaiah 13:19-20:19 Babylon would be destroyed by the Medes. "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited, Nor will it be settled from generation to generation". The Medes never destroyed Babylon, but capture by Alexander caused considerable damage. After 320 BC Alexander's successors abandoned the start made by Alexander to restore this damage and instead decided to build a new capital, Seleucia, at a better site on the Tigris. In 275 BC a large part of the population was transferred and Babylon gradually decayed to nothing - exhaustion and salinisation of its pastoral lands playing a major part in the process. Around 250 AD, Babylon still was one of the two great centres of Jewish learning. Today it is no more than a settlement with a thriving tourist industry. The story and fate of Babylon is no different from that of many an ancient city - compare a map of the Middle East in Isaiah's time with one of today and you find few survivors.

Isaiah 17:1 The burden against Damascus. "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap". Hasn't happened - yet.

`The Servant' in Isaiah II is traditionally believed to be a prophesy of Christ. It is worth looking at this, (earlier use of the term in Isaiah I relates to specific individuals).

Is 42.1: Description is of a gentle and spiritual Messiah who would minister to both Gentile and Jew, and bring justice to the earth. A possible match as far as it goes - but it describes one chosen and inspired rather than the Son of God, or one sent by God. A Jewish translation differs in some ways and makes it even less likely that it could be a forecast of Christ.

Is 42.19, 43:10: Clearly cannot refer to the same Servant - probably refers to Israel.

Is 44.1, 44:21: Refers to Jacob/Israel

Is 44:26 A contemporary Servant. Probably the writer.

Is 50:10 Appears in the middle of a section referring (probably) to the writer; certainly there is no suggestion that it could refer to a future Messiah.

Is 52:13 - 53:11 This is probably the most significant of the Servant references, and forms a support, or possibly the basis, of many of Paul's teachings, although verse 14 is a problem and there are suggestions that the verses could be about a man that the writer knows personally. The fate of this Servant is radically at variance with that in 42:1. It is clear from Acts 9:32-35 that the early Church regarded these verses as forecasting Jesus.

The link made between Isaiah's `Servant' and Jesus Christ greatly troubles Judaism. In a text devoted to challenging Christian origins nearly a third concentrates on showing that Christ could not be the `Servant'. Judaism regards the `Servant' as a personification of post- exilic Israel.

Isaiah I made other prophecies but they tend to be less precise and it is less easy to judge whether they have been fulfilled. He was very penetrating politically, he saw the weakness of Egypt and the rising power of Babylon (It is clear from Habbakuk that fear of Babylon was widespread even at this time). He saw that the Ephraim/Syrian alliance stood no chance against Assyria and correctly forecast the result. Note that the famous prophesy of the restoration of Jerusalem and of the Temple, to be ordered by Cyrus, is attributed to Isaiah II, writing after the event at the end of the Babylonian exile. (see the article on Histories and Prophets).

The dream interpretations in Daniel 2 and visions in Daniel 6-9 have made a great impression on many Churches and sects who unreservedly accept them as the word of God and do their best to fit them to future events. They are so extensive, and have had such influence on the doctrine of some that they are discussed in a separate article: Daniel's Prophesies.

Other prophets who forecast future events are Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah forecast that the Babylonian exile would last seventy years - the actual period was about fifty - repeated Isaiah's prediction that Babylon would be razed by the Medes, forecast that Ephraim would also be restored, and liberally doomed Israel's enemies. Ezekiel is full of death and destruction for many targets - Tyre and Sidon, the Philistine cities, Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, forecast that Nebuchadnezzar would destroy Egypt (he didn't), but his main concern was to promise extreme punishment for Judah for their apostasy, and an eventual restoration. Some of the reports, like that of the minor prophet Nahum on Nineveh, are almost certainly written after the event, many fail, others are too imprecise to allow any assessment of whether they may have been genuine foreknowledge. Given the turbulent history of the region almost any forecast of death and destruction would come true if you waited long enough.

Many passages in the Psalms have also been considered to be prophetic by New Testament writers looking for support for their ideas.

It may be concluded that while prophesy, in the sense of foretelling future, scores a few points, a vastly greater number either fail or have yet to show any sign of coming true. The case for faith in it is far from proven, and any claim that some event 'fulfills prophesy' should be critically examined. Even Old Moore's Almanac was sometimes right!

Judaism does not recognise any prophets after Malachi (circa 450 BC). It is perhaps surprising that whoever led the introduction of the ideas of Devils and of a life after death was not so celebrated, possibly the opposition of the Sadducees, who did not accept these ideas, prevented this.

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND OLD TESTAMENT PROPHESY

The New Testament has a very large number of references to forecasts made in the Old Testament, and no general conclusions can be offered as to their accuracy or applicability - each must be considered on its merits. Some examples will suggest ways of looking at them.

Mat 2:6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"
This has to refer to Micah who says:
Mic 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel."

The quotation is reasonably close, but Micah is forecasting the rescue of the Northern state of Israel by a ruler from Judah, rather than the expected Jewish Messiah.

Mat 2:18 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more."

This refers to Jer 31:15, however this was not a prophesy, needs no fulfillment, and has no relevance. Jeremiah is picturing Rachel, the wife of Abraham, lamenting over Israel being taken into captivity by Assyria.

Mat 2:23 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

No matching Old Testament prophesy has ever been identified. Luke says that Joseph went to Nazareth because that was his previous home.

Matthew makes twelve references to supposed Old Testament prophecies, but none of them can be considered very satisfactory or appropriate.

Of the Prophesies made by Jesus the one that causes most problems is that in Luke 9:

" 27 "But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God." "

and the matching verses in Matthew and Mark. Many equate the coming of the Kingdom of God with the end of the present world and a second coming, and Paul in particular seems to have interpreted the line in this way, along with the whole of the early Church. Many, and implausible, are the excuses still being offered for failure of the prophesy as generation after generation pass away.

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