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SERay · 03-12-2007

Perhaps it would be good to pause here and mention something that many do not recognize about prophecy. On many occasions, a prophecy has both an immediate and primary application to those contemporary with the prophet as well as a future and subsequent fulfillment to another generation. This is something that Preterist fail to grasp. To fail to understand this is to miss the fullness of many prophecies.

A good example of this is Psalms 22. Here, David, surrounded by his enemies, cries out in anguish to God. There can be no doubt that his words have a primary meaning to himself and his situation. Yet, at the same time, his words become prophetic as he speaks of the suffering and death of Christ. The words have both an immediate and a future application. Neither should be ignored. Even so with some of the passages that deal with the return of Israel. And another case in point would be Ezekiel 34 and 37. In Ezekiel 34:11-12, we read: “For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Further down in the same chapter, verse 23, we have the spiritual fulfillment in Christ, “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” We have the immediate promise that the people will be brought from far lands and dwell in their own land (Canaan), and then the future promise in Christ.

In Ezekiel 37:15-28, the same structure is seen with different symbols. This time, Ezekiel is told to take two sticks and write upon them “Judah” (representing the southern half of the divided kingdom) and “Joseph” (representing the northern half) and join them together so that they become one stick. The meaning is clear as the following verses read: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel” (vs. 21-22a), the immediate application. “Then “...one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places where they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And my servant David shall be king over them...” (Vs. 22-24a), the spiritual application in Christ. Ezekiel 39:21-29 carries the same thought with added emphasis when the Lord said, “And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there” (v. 28). This is clear and plain and leaves nothing to doubt. Two things are to make them know that it is God who does this: the captivity and the return. If the return failed, where does this leave the proposition stated by Jehovah: “They shall know that I am Jehovah their God.”?

03-12-2007	#3 (permalink)
SERay Expositional Studies Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Indiana Posts: 158	Prophecy: A Two-Fold Application Perhaps it would be good to pause here and mention something that many do not recognize about prophecy. On many occasions, a prophecy has both an immediate and primary application to those contemporary with the prophet as well as a future and subsequent fulfillment to another generation. This is something that Preterist fail to grasp. To fail to understand this is to miss the fullness of many prophecies. A good example of this is Psalms 22. Here, David, surrounded by his enemies, cries out in anguish to God. There can be no doubt that his words have a primary meaning to himself and his situation. Yet, at the same time, his words become prophetic as he speaks of the suffering and death of Christ. The words have both an immediate and a future application. Neither should be ignored. Even so with some of the passages that deal with the return of Israel. And another case in point would be Ezekiel 34 and 37. In Ezekiel 34:11-12, we read: “For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will deliver them out of all places whither they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.” Further down in the same chapter, verse 23, we have the spiritual fulfillment in Christ, *“And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.”* We have the immediate promise that the people will be brought from far lands and dwell in their own land (Canaan), and then the future promise in Christ. In Ezekiel 37:15-28, the same structure is seen with different symbols. This time, Ezekiel is told to take two sticks and write upon them “Judah” (representing the southern half of the divided kingdom) and “Joseph” (representing the northern half) and join them together so that they become one stick. The meaning is clear as the following verses read: “Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel” (vs. 21-22a), the immediate application. “Then “...one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places where they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And my servant David shall be king over them...” (Vs. 22-24a), the spiritual application in Christ. Ezekiel 39:21-29 carries the same thought with added emphasis when the Lord said, “And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them unto their own land; and I will leave none of them any more there” (v. 28). This is clear and plain and leaves nothing to doubt. Two things are to make them know that it is God who does this: the captivity and the return. If the return failed, where does this leave the proposition stated by Jehovah: *“They shall know that I am Jehovah their God.”*?