Men of old, our forefathers and canon makers of old (men who codified canon) never saw the prophecies fulfilled and the signs we are seeing. Never had them, never saw them. It was beyond their ability to know Scripture as we do now… because the events of prophecy were still future.
The prophecies of old, which the ancients merely read about — we are getting to see right in front of our eyes! Prophecies are becoming headline news – for us.
They just read the prophecies. We get to see them being fulfilled! We have new insight because of this. In the news about Israel, we have seen (with our own eyes or recent history books) 1948 (the fig tree came to life) and 1967 (Jerusalem was put under Israel’s control). And our folks, our grandparents, lived through it! Scripture says,
Matthew 24:33
so you, too, when you see all these things [taking place], know for certain that He is near, right at the door. Also: Mark 13:29
Matthew 24:15 …
“So when you see the abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand)… Also: Mark 13:14
This passage, by Jesus, is particularly damning for the naysayers: Luke 12:54-56
54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain,’ and that is how it turns out. 55 And when [you see that] a south wind is blowing, you say, ‘It will be a hot day,’ and it happens.
56 You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! You know how to analyze and intelligently interpret the appearance of the earth and sky [to forecast the weather], but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time?
We get to see them!
To too many church folk, the events of today go whizzing-by with nary a thought as to how prophecies foretell of them. We get to see them!
Matthew 13:16-17 and Luke 10:24
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
He has devalued God’s word
Looking at this passage, I think many churched folk today are in the latter lot, the ones whose “heart has grown hard, And with their ears they hardly hear“. They have “devalued God’s word”, per Matthew 13:11-15
11 Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the [b]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied;
but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. 14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand;
And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend;
15
For this nation’s heart has grown hard,
And with their ears they hardly hear,
And they have [tightly] closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me]
And I would heal them [spiritually].’
Jesus is effectively saying to us in this End Time: Luke 12:54-56
but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time?
It’s like what Jesus said in Matthew 24:15: “let the reader understand”. This is the footnote by BibleGateway:
Matthew 24:15 I.e. the reader of the book of Daniel (cf 24:15). Jesus is indicating that the final fulfillment of this prophecy is yet to come.
They had not yet seen the many prophecies
When our forefathers and cannon makers of old read Scripture, the prophecies they read about were “yet to come”. They had not yet seen the many prophecies “yet to come”. So they were way limited.
It may be we be not be as smart as they, but we have an advantage: we have seen the final fulfillment of many end time prophecies, thus giving us intimate, current knowledge of them. They of old could not possibly have interpreted end time prophecies as we of now can. They did not understand what we now can.
“But blessed are your eyes,
for they see:
and your ears, for they hear.”
– Matthew 13:16-17 and Luke 10:24
Jesus understood, and said, “So when you see all these things [taking place], know….” (Matthew 24:33; Mark 13:29)
Forecast the prophecies
What we do is forecast, like the weather. We can forecast the prophecies as they growl and thunder over yonder!
“You hypocrites (play-actors, pretenders)! You know how to analyze and intelligently interpret the appearance of the earth and sky [to forecast the weather], but why do you not intelligently interpret this present time?” – Luke 12:54-56
Are you still naysaying, pooh-poohing what many see as prophecies fulfilled?
“…28 But when these things begin to take place,
straighten up and lift up your heads,
[lift up your heads [in joy],” – Amplified version]
“…because your redemption is drawing near….”
– Luke 21:28-36 – NASB version
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