![]() Clapping is a human indication of joy or receptiveness, and we all realize that the prophet is using a figure of speech-personification-to say that creation will rejoice as it finds itself delivered from the bondage of sin (Romans 8:21). We don’t take everything in the Bible literally when Isaiah says that at the return of Christ "the trees of the field shall clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12), nobody believes that they’ll have actual hands and clap them (shades of The Wizard of Oz!) or even that they’ll slap their leaves together in the wind. The use of the word literal is generally agreed to be a problem since it doesn’t really describe this method accurately. Theological conservatives usually argue strongly for a "literal hermeneutic" in interpreting Scripture: that is, the reader should interpret the statements of Scripture as literally as is literarily indicated. The Bible consists of several literary forms, or genres, the most common being history, or narrative (including gospel), poetry, epistle, and several types of prophecy, including apocalypse. Christ Himself not only refused to give the date of His return but also observed that, at least at that time, He didn’t know it Himself (Mark 13:32). Obviously these and similar shenanigans reduce the credibility of the Christian message. ![]() Edgar Whisenant predicted 1988 (and gave 88 reasons for that date). William Miller, founder of the Seventh–Day Adventists, predicted that it would be in 1844. There have been numerous examples of well–meaning Bible students who predicted this or that date for the return of Christ. While it’s a very good thing to integrate the Scripture into all classroom subjects, it’s also important to do so rightly-not to twist the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16) but to use them as the authors (and the Author) intended. Teachers should help their students gain some distance and oversight that young people, by virtue of the fact that their lives are, well, short, typically cannot provide for themselves. It’s easy to understand why such writing and preaching is popular it’s "breaking news," and we’re a culture that thrives on being up–to–the–minute in a whirlwind of current events.īut teachers, even teachers of current events, need to put their subjects into perspective. "This must be the ten–horned beast of Revelation! It’s all coming together! Let’s go ahead and put the church over its head in debt because we’ll get raptured and won’t have to pay it off anyway!" Unfortunately, the European Union now consists of 25 member nations, with four more holding candidate status. Many Bible teachers went nearly berserk when the old European Common Market reached a membership of ten nations. Some of the leading examples are Hal Lindsey, who authored the highly influential book The Late Great Planet Earth in 1970 Tim LaHaye, co–author of the even more influential Left Behind series since 1996 and Jack Van Impe, an evangelist who, despite his increasing theological inclusiveness, has maintained his emphasis on prophetic matters in his preaching. Some Bible teachers have focused their careers on interpreting headlines to demonstrate the soon return of Christ. Doesn’t the Bible say something about a temple during the Tribulation? Could this be it? Does this mean the Rapture is right around the corner? The headline reads, "Jewish Activists Urge Knesset to Rebuild Temple!" Hmmm. Relating Current Events to End–Time Prophecy ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |