The Hand of God in Prophecy
By Glenn Davies & Clay Willis
[Note: You
may follow a hyperlink in this paper and return to this paper by using the
“back” arrow on your browser. The underlined scripture is not a hyperlink.]
Origins
and Background
On August 17, 2002 Clay Willis, who lives in Acworth, Georgia USA began answering questions submitted by Internet visitors to the website http://www.biblestudy.org. The webmaster of that site, Alan Ruth (Barnabas Ministries) forwards submitted questions to Clay and a dozen or so other mature Christians who attempt to find Bible answers to Bible questions. Over the past 6 years, Clay has answered more than 1,000 questions submitted to that site.
On December 13, 2003 Glenn Davies in Victoria, Australia submitted a question to biblestudy.org and that question was randomly relayed to Clay for an answer. On the 14th, Clay replied. That e-mail led to several hundred messages being exchanged concentrating mostly on religious matters though they’ve learned a great deal about each other on a personal basis as well.
Over the years Glenn and Clay have become as close as two people who live 10,000 miles apart can become.
Clay & Glenn were both induced to begin in-depth Bible study by the radio broadcasts of Herbert W. Armstrong and his son, Garner Ted Armstrong and the literature published by the Worldwide Church of God that Armstrong founded. Though both eventually rejected some of that church’s teaching and found fault with its hierarchical structure, each feels a debt of gratitude for the intellectual stimulus provided and for the prompting by that organization to “believe the Bible”.
Clay & Glenn were both avid science-fiction readers in their younger days and found they had a great deal in common including the habit of voracious reading of material from as many sources as possible.
The e-mail exchanges prompted ever more Bible study and discussion and for every answer they were able to agree upon, many more questions arose.
Near the end of 2006, Glenn read The Jesus Papers by Michael Baigent and had a copy delivered to Clay from Amazon.com. After Clay finished the book and after some further discussion they both began writing a rebuttal of that book. This was their first attempt at collaborative writing and the result – Rebuttal of The Jesus Papers – is including on this website for your perusal.
In still further discussions, Clay sent Glenn a paper he had written called “Where Are Our Prophets?” in which Clay proposed that God could and probably was even today inspiring certain people to fill the role of “prophet” and followed with an example of how a contemporary prophet might write.
To some extent, an intellectual explosion occurred at this point both in Victoria and in Acworth. This resulted in the paper “The Hand of God” and the other material you’ll find on this website.
In our correspondence via e-mail since December 14, 2003 we discussed many times the need for a simple and relatively short document that would bring anyone reading what we write up to speed – meaning a reasonably short paper that would provide the background for a the larger work detailing the understanding that has come to us as we’ve explored Bible prophecy.
That document seemed to more or less write itself once it was started and the result was the essay “The Hand of God”. In order to understand this paper it will likely be necessary to read that essay. In fact, “The Hand of God” is in part a summary of the Old Testament including references to prophetic scripture with which you may be familiar but with connotations that may seem quite strange. It shows, in summary, how the hand of God has shaped our world right down to the present.
There will be references throughout the various papers we write to the “Stone Kingdom” as well as the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendents. If we digressed from each topic to explain these references such as the concept of the “Stone Kingdom”, each paper would be redundant and overly long.
The use of hyperlinks will allow the reading of that paper with the ability to return to your place in this document. Other such hyperlinks may be used as the body of work grows so that while each paper will be self-contained, one may wish to avail the use of the hyperlinks to promote greater understanding
For several years now we’ve been exploring the prophetic scriptures of the Bible with “new eyes”; exploring new ways of seeing the events prophesied as well as attempting to meld those prophecies with secular history where appropriate and to separate those prophecies that have been fulfilled from those that pertain to our future.
This is particularly important in the understanding of the “Olivet Prophecy” of Matthew chapter 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 wherein Jesus’ foretold the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem that occurred in 67 – 70 AD.
It is our belief that much of contemporary Christianity misunderstands this prophecy and that misunderstanding has led not only to the misinterpretation of other Bible prophecy but also of the masking or hiding of one of the clearest proofs of the veracity of the New Testament scriptures. It also diminishes the effect of the smooth transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament scriptures making it clear that the Bible should be understood as being one body of work. It shows that the hand of God has not stopped shaping our world and our history from the time of Abraham to the present.
This demonstration is no easy task and like many Christians today, we have heard many of the various interpretations of Bible prophecy both from mainstream Christianity as well as the interpretations of people and organizations that might be considered “fringe” or “cult” groups. Some can be easily discarded as they blatantly contradict the Bible. Some come from supposed “revelation” or special understanding and require such devices as believing in “dual prophecy” (prophecy that is known to have been fulfilled but believed to describe events yet in our future).
We both have read through that mass of interpretations holding to the principle that the Bible does not require “special understanding” or even supernatural “revelation” but requires only the willingness to study the scriptures and to accept them as the revelation of God to all mankind. Some of that revelation was “closed” for a time and could not be understood until the hindsight of history and the writing of the New Testament scriptures opened those scriptures to understanding.
We believe the apostle John when he wrote:
As for you, the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But
as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real,
not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. NIV 1 John 2:27
We hope that this writing will stimulate you to further study of the Bible; that you will open your heart and mind to the Spirit that dwells in all of God’s people and allow Him to give you understanding; that you will use what we’ve written as at least a partial basis to begin or continue to study the Bible with a different viewpoint.
That viewpoint need not coincide with our viewpoint. Each of us is at a different level of understanding and each of us has different backgrounds and capabilities. Some of you are probably far ahead of us in scholarship and understanding while some are relatively new to the study of the Bible. Each of us has his own belief system and indeed each of us will answer to God for our own activities and whether we are striving to become what God has made us capable of becoming.
You, then, why do you judge
your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand
before God's judgment seat.
It is written: "`As
surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow before me; every tongue
will confess to God.'"
So then, each of us will give
an account of himself to God. NIV Romans 14:10-12
We cannot do less than present what we have learned in the most understandable form of which we are capable of producing and we pray that our work will be of some value.
What
Is Prophecy?
The Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary offers three definitions.
1: an inspired
utterance of a prophet
2: the
function or vocation of a prophet; specifically: the inspired
declaration of divine will and purpose
3: a prediction of something to come
“Prophecy” is a translation of the Hebrew word nbuw’ah.
This word comes from the base root verb naba’, which means “to speak or sing with inspiration”.
The first appearance of the word “prophet” – Hebrew nabiy’, from the same root word – is used to describe Abraham in
Genesis 20:7.
In the Bible “prophecy” includes foretelling the future
but refers to any utterance that is inspired of God.
Using these definitions of prophecy it should be understood that we believe
that all the Bible is prophecy – the scriptures were given by inspiration to
those who first spoke or wrote the words and the preservation of the scriptures
for us today proves their inspiration.
In this paper, the prophecy that we speak of is quite often that which predicts the future but the above definition should always be kept in mind when studying the Bible including the predictions for the future.
Can
“Average People” Understand Bible Prophecy?
Jesus told us:
"Ask and it will be
given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the
door will be opened.” NIV Matthew 7:7-8
A journey of discovery that leads to truth is not the exclusive path of the
intellectual, the “clerics” of religious organizations, Bible scholars or those
of formal higher learning as is the belief of many people who claim those
titles or designations.
“Belief” is the key word here; what you believe shapes
your whole life. If you
believe in God that belief directs the paths you take in life and vice-versa,
if you don’t believe in God. Both
patterns can be shattered when someone or something comes along that takes away
your underpinning – the foundations upon which you have based your
beliefs.
In the prophetic book of Revelation an angel revealed certain things that
astounded the apostle John.
At this I fell at his feet to
worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with
you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." NIV Revelation
19:10
Should not all of us desire the “testimony of Jesus”? Should we not at least try to understand the
prophecies recorded in the Bible?
In another place John wrote:
Then the dragon [Satan] was enraged at the woman and went off to make war
against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to
the testimony of Jesus. NIV Revelation 12:17
If we plan on obeying God’s commandments and holding to the testimony of Jesus
while fending off the “war” that Satan is waging against God’s people, will we
not be able to better do so if we understand prophecy?
So we pose yet more questions: what would be wrong with the average man on the street trying to discern or discover the truth on his own or as in our case with the aid of a friend? Why would it be considered such a “no-no” to speculate on the things of God apart from a religious organization? Do we have to have the leaders of some religious organization tell us the meaning of prophetic scriptures?
That, in essence, is what many church leaders teach – claiming and possibly believing they are speaking for God in doing so. But are they really doing so? If all were speaking the truth, there wouldn't be so many differing organizations – thousands of them – all teaching different interpretations.
So is there really anything wrong with the “ordinary person” looking into the Bible in order to attempt discern the truth for him or herself?
We answer, “Absolutely nothing whatsoever!” There is no “eleventh commandment” saying, “Thou shalt not speculate about the things of God” or “only scholars or rabbis or priests or preachers or ministers can interpret prophecy”, is there? There is nothing wrong with anyone coming to God in the words of the Bible and learning from God directly.
It’s worth repeating the words of John.
As for you, the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.
But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is
real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. NIV 1 John
2:27
Since we believe the words of John and the words of our Lord and Master, Jesus, we will now share with you some interesting things that we learned by studying the scriptures and attempting to understand the prophecies.
We begin this study of “The Hand of God in Prophecy” not with the oldest prophecy in the Bible timeline but with the first prophet who wrote down the words of his prophecy. That prophet is considered by many to be the greatest prophet of the Bible other than Jesus.
Moses – the Prophet?
We demonstrated in “The Hand of God” that the entire Bible was written about God’s chosen people – the Israelites – and their history becomes ours (Australia’s and the United States’ and the other English speaking nations) by default since we also demonstrated in that paper that it’s almost certain that the English speaking peoples are descended from those Israelites.
This brings us to quite an interesting point. Anyone familiar with the canon, the accepted Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament scriptures, recognizes the names Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel as being the names of prophets in the Old Testament. Likewise many are familiar with the so-called Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah etc.
Long before any of that long procession of the recorded prophets in the Bible ever existed in the Israelite nation, one of the greatest leaders of that nation had a great deal to say in revealing the unfolding of events in their future, many of which in turn impinge on our world history. He was a prophet.
He saw the entire future of the Israelites from their very beginning right down to the end including what had been revealed to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and later through others who were God’s prophets. He was the first prophet to write down his prophecies and the revelations given to him by God so that future generations would have that scripture.
The first person
to be called a “prophet” in the Bible was Abraham [Genesis 20:7]. The second was Aaron [Exodus 7:1]. Aaron’s sister Miriam is called a prophetess
[Exodus 15:20]. The “seventy elders” of
Israel were said to be prophesying [Numbers 11:23-30].
It is part of the tradition of the Jews that Moses was shown the entire future of the children of Israel of the whole world. That tradition is well founded when one considers the prophecies of Moses.
Furthermore, Moses was a special prophet. God distinguished between His revelations to other prophets and what He revealed to Moses as well as the methods used in that revelation.
Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the
entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped
forward, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is
among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But
this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him
I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD."
NIV Numbers 12:5-8
Aaron and Miriam were questioning Moses as to whether God spoke only to him. The entire story of what happened to them is recorded in the 12th chapter of Numbers. The important point to be made here is that God spoke “face to face” with Moses and “clearly and not in riddles”. Speaking in “riddles” to others carries a startling link to the “parables” (riddles) in which Jesus spoke to most people in His day.
We will cover that later under the topic “The Parables as Prophecy”.
One of the biggest surprises to us was the discovery that Moses spoke of a “tribulation” to come in the “latter days”. How could he have possibly known of the capture and dispersal of 10 of the 12 tribes hundreds of years later – in 721 BC, or the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 587 BC and again in 67-70 AD? What else did God reveal to him while he was up on that quaking mountain receiving the commandments of God?
It’s worth quoting most of Moses speech to the Israelites just before they were to enter the “promised land”. God had told Moses he could see the promised land from the mountain but would not be allowed to enter because of his disobedience of God; he would die right there on Mount Nebo, across the Jordan River valley from Jericho, where he spoke these words [Deuteronomy 32:48-52]. The underlined parts make significant points and we will insert some pertinent comments.
In Moses speech he foretold the destiny of all the
descendants of the ancient Israelites – our destiny, we remind you – detailing
in just 40 verses why God has and will do everything He has promised to do
“without fail” for, with and to those descendants. That promise was to come true regardless of
their desire to the contrary – even should they at any time desire to change
God’s religion to suit them.
Hear now, O Israel, the
decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and
may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your
fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract
from it, but keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I give you.
NIV Deuteronomy 4:1-2
How important to God is it that we get things right and not change things to suit ourselves? Needless to say, the authors of this article are very conscious of this command of Moses to get it right and not interpret things according any previous beliefs we might hold or whatever we might have learned from others in the past; to let God, the Father and our Saviour and their Spirit lead us to what they want revealed in this day and age.
Continuing Moses speech in Deuteronomy:
See, I have taught you decrees and
laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land
you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this
will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all
these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and
understanding people."
What other nation is so great
as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us
whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such
righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you
today? NIV Deuteronomy 4:5-8
These are valid points for us to consider carefully today. If it had been possible for the Israelites to keep God’s laws perfectly, they would have been regarded by other nations as a wise and understanding people.
There’s evidence that under King David’s and King Solomon’s rule over Israel – especially Solomon’s – that they were viewed in this manner. For quite some time they were a powerful influence in surrounding nations because God was very close to David and Solomon. They were in fact prophets in addition to being kings.
Furthermore, is it mere coincidence that the English speaking peoples of today not only possess the Israelite Bible containing all the prophecies and laws of the Old Testament but also that their secular national laws and common law are closely based on the Biblical teachings? Is it only coincidence that they promote and distribute the Bible to the whole world and have done so for centuries?
Verse 9 of Deuteronomy is a warning given to the Israelites not to forget what they had seen and been taught and an admonition to teach it to their children.
Continuing at verse10:
Remember the day you stood before the
LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me
to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in
the land and may teach them to their children."
You came near and stood at the foot of
the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds
and deep darkness. Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the
sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. He declared to you
his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then
wrote them on two stone tablets. And the LORD directed me at that time
to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you
are crossing the Jordan to possess. NIV Deuteronomy 4:10-14
Moses devoted only one short statement each to the Ten Commandments and to Gods “decrees and laws” [“statutes and judgments” – KJV]. Moses said those statutes and judgments were for when they arrived in the Promised Land (although they had practiced them before in their 40-year journey) primarily because God had determined to place His “presence” there.
Quite often some of the things of God become more noticeable by the
amount of attention He gives them and sometimes
by how little.
In order to understand prophecy it becomes necessary to completely
immerse oneself not only in the life and times of the prophet concerned but to
be able to view things through the eyes of the prophet himself. This is not an easy task. Today’s culture
could hardly be further removed from the culture of Bible times and yet we know
that human nature has never changed.
However languages and cultures have changed and evolved drastically over
the past three thousand years since the time of Moses.
It will become obvious that one of the Ten Commandments completely dominates the next part of Moses’ speech to the Israelites – almost to the exclusion of all else. It also becomes obvious that this one commandment – and the results of breaking that commandment – is what inspired Moses to make the rather startling prophecy that follows these verses.
The Ten Commandments are best considered in two parts – the first four
deal with man’s relationship with God and the last six deal with man’s
relationship with his fellow man. This
is why Jesus said the “greatest commandment was, “to love God with all your
heart soul and mind” and the second greatest was “love your neighbor as
yourself”. Then He added, “On these two
commandments hang all the law and prophets.” [Matthew 22:34-40 et al]
The reason Moses emphasizes the second commandment takes on an enormous significance that we will explain after these verses:
You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you
at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do
not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape,
whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any
bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or
any fish in the waters below.
And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and
the stars--all the heavenly array--do not be enticed into bowing down to them
and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations
under heaven.
But as for you, the LORD
took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be
the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
The LORD was angry with me because of you, and he solemnly swore
that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the LORD your God is
giving you as your inheritance. I will die in this land; I will not cross the
Jordan; but you are about to cross over and take possession of that good land. Be
careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you;
do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God
has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
NIV Deuteronomy 4:15-24
Why all this emphasis on the second commandment – above all the rest – which forbids making “religious icons” representing God? Because Moses knew the moment you change one point of the first four of God’s commandments you immediately lose sight of who the true God is and how to worship Him. What is the special significance of the second commandment?
The prophecy:
25 After you have had children and
grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time--if you then become
corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the LORD your God
and provoking him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you
this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the
Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be
destroyed.
27 The LORD will scatter you among the
peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD
will drive you. 28 There you will
worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or
smell.
29 But if from there you seek the
LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and
with all your soul. 30 When you are in
distress [“tribulation” – KJV] and all these things have happened to you, then
in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
31 For the LORD your God is a merciful
God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your
forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. NIV Deuteronomy 4:25-31
Did all those things in verses 26, 27 & 28 happen? They certainly did – in the times of the “lost ten tribes”, who lost not only their national identity but also the worship of the true God and served other gods as captives in foreign lands and then later, in the times of Jeremiah and Daniel with the kingdom of Judah (the Jews) and their Babylonian captivity.
To a large extent, these things came about because the Israelites failed to obey the second commandment forbidding making images of God. That disobedience was a symptom of general disobedience but nonetheless was central in understanding their state of mind.
We must remember that the promises God made to Israel
were to be fulfilled whether or not
Israel kept its part of the bargain.
This is an extremely important point: we must understand that the “good news” out of all of this is that the covenant God made with Abraham has always been there and still applies to all of Abraham’s descendents.
Furthermore, the “new covenant” that was inaugurated at Jesus’ death carries all those unconditional promises made to Abraham and expands those promises to include forgiveness of our sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, salvation and eternal life.
Yet today, Abraham’s descendents – most of them anyway – just “don’t get it”. They are just like those Israelites to whom Moses was speaking and their descendents down through history. Their ancestors were taken captive and dispersed among the other people of the earth where they lost and they still have not regained (most of them) the knowledge of their heritage and identity.
We need to know why we don’t get it today. We’ll repeat verse 20 for a point of emphasis.
But as for you, the LORD took you
and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be
the people of his inheritance, as you now are. NIV
Deuteronomy 4:20
The words of Moses, spoken to those people 3,500 years ago, explain why we don’t “get it”:
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day
God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has
anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been
heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as
you have, and lived?
Has any god ever tried to
take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testing, by miraculous
signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by
great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in
Egypt before your very eyes?
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD
is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice
to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words
from out of the fire. Because he loved your forefathers and chose their
descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his
great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you
and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it
is today.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in
heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and
commandments, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and
your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your
God gives you for all time. NIV Deuteronomy 4:32-40
The amount of information revealed in Moses’ prophecy and these 40 verses in Deuteronomy is a lot more than the obvious. Some of that information we’ll save until later so that we can tie all that’s been covered here more firmly together into the “big picture”.
There are some salient points that need mentioning here
for those who are unfamiliar with the whole Israelite/English speaking peoples
“identity”. “The Hand of God” paper covers the whole
concept and explains the Biblical and secular background in a manner that is
hard to gainsay. We’ll repeat these salient points:
1. Moses knew that God was doing something unique – something never before done in the history of mankind until Moses’ time. [Verses 32, 33 & 34]
2. Moses also knew these people were being given lands which weren’t originally theirs for a “unique inheritance”. [Verses 20 & 28]
3. Moses knew that God would go to extraordinary lengths – even supporting the Israelites in warfare – to ensure that these people and their descendants would get these specific lands and much, much more that was promised to their forefathers. [Verse 35, 37 & 38]
4. Moses knew that no matter how long their history would last – these same people would also fail to acknowledge or worship God properly. Their long history is rife with misunderstanding of their true destiny. As a result of the failure to keep God’s laws, Moses foretold that they would always become corrupt either deliberately or inadvertently by forgetting the covenant they originally made with God. [Verses 15-25]
5. Moses also knew that God would turn
things around in the future (the “latter days”) but that “tribulation” would
precede that final outcome, [verses 30-31] and that the Israelite descendants
would be able to keep the commandments sometime in the future. [Verse 40]
It is vital that we understand that the future of God’s chosen people doesn’t rest upon anything to do with the Old Covenant. That was an agreement between God and the ancient Israelites – which they failed miserably to uphold.
God punished them many times with captivity or oppression by the nations around them but when they “cried out” to Him (repented of their evil ways) God would send a deliverer. The books of Joshua, Judges and I Samuel tell the stories of those deliverers. The punishment continued right through the reign of Israel’s first king, Saul and into the first part of the reign of King David.
Still, the children of Israel refused to continue living by the covenant to which their forefathers agreed and eventually God’s patience wore thin. The prophecy of Moses was fulfilled, first with the overthrow of the northern kingdom – Israel – in 721 BC and then later the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah and the captivity of the Jews in Babylon in 587 BC.
That latter punishment occurred in the prophet Jeremiah’s time. Their destruction as a nation and their national captivity is well documented in the scriptures as well as in secular history.
The New Covenant is founded on better promises and is between God and the true followers of Jesus.
Moses’ prophecy makes it clear that the physical destiny of the modern descendants of ancient Israel doesn’t rest on either the Old Covenant or the New Covenant but with a pre-existing covenant made with the Israelites’ forefathers – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.
The New Covenant is only a part of the big picture but Christianity concentrates on that almost exclusively. We need to understand why it is not the entire picture and consequently where it fits in to prophecy. Later on, we’ll discuss God’s “true religion” and how that religion was revealed by Jesus to His disciples and through them to us today – but that true religion was revealed to the patriarchs and Moses a long time before that.
The Biblical books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah cover the period from 70 years after the captivity of the Jews about 500 years before Jesus’ time. The book of Revelation (with Zechariah’s additions) covers the time from Jesus to our time and into the future – a little beyond the Battle of Armageddon, its aftermath and the return of the rightful King of the earth. It also hints at much more being included in that new government than is currently realized by today’s religious leaders.
After introducing you to Moses, the greatest prophet of the Bible except for Jesus, we are going to skip ahead several hundred years to the time just after the captivity prophesied by Moses ended. The northern tribes – the Kingdom of Israel, sometimes called the “10 lost tribes”, have disappeared from the pages of the Bible and from history. The tribes of Judah (from whence comes the name “Jews”), Benjamin and most of the tribe of Levi formed the Kingdom of Judah. These Jews were taken captive for 70 years and then allowed to return to Jerusalem and the lands of the Kingdom of Judah.
There are two books that have been mostly overlooked that turn out to be of vital importance to understanding how the hand of God shaped the culture and the history of these Jews in preparation for the birth of Jesus. Two other books of prophecy were contemporary with this time and must be included to complete the picture.