The Importance of Prophecy

The Importance of Prophecy
Biblical Research Monthly, — by Dr. David L. Cooper

During the last two or three decades we have heard more concerning the present fulfillment of prophecy than at any time during the Christian centuries. It is true that for certain types of mind, the prophetic word has a special attraction. These portions of the Scriptures have therefore been the happy hunting ground of many who have desired to learn about the future, but it seems that in the last few decades, the interest in the study of prophecy has been heightened.

An interest in this portion of the Scriptures normally indicates a healthy spiritual condition — a desire to know more perfectly what God has revealed. An absence of this desire to study the predictions of the Word is indicative of an abnormal growth or distorted or perverted ideas regarding the truth. Something therefore is radically wrong with the person who is not concerned about the prophecies.

The one who is acquainted with current thought and fundamental expositions and who has studied prophetic themes as they have been expounded for the last two or three decades is aware that something is very radically wrong with a large body of the teaching on such subjects. Especially is this true with reference to off color groups, which hold to a certain amount of fundamental truth but which hold to and advocate peculiar and unscriptural doctrines contrary to the “faith once and for all delivered to the saints.” By such bodies of people prophecy is expounded and is set before the people as an attraction in winning followers.

The misuse of prophecy and the misinterpretation of the same is not to be confined to the off color groups entirely. Even in certain fundamental circles, there have been found much guessing and speculation, which have brought disrepute upon the study of prophecy and which have caused thinking men who desire to avoid mistakes to step shy of this most important section of the Word. Often, thinking men and women, seeing what glaring errors have been made by amateur expositors of the prophetic word, come to the conclusion that it is impossible for anyone to interpret prophecy correctly. They therefore, wishing to avoid errors, devote their time to those portions of the Word and those matters mentioned therein about which there need not be any guessing or speculation.

As I have gone throughout the length and breadth of this land, I have talked with outstanding leaders of the various denominations. I have come to the conclusion that many excellent and good men are turning from the study of prophecy and are giving their entire attention to other things.

This condition is unfortunate indeed. God gave all the Bible for us to study and to follow. To skip over any one portion of the Word is to make a great and grave error.

Instead of refusing to consider any longer the prophecies, let each of us come to them afresh with open minds and study them most diligently, imploring the Lord to enable us to see exactly what the prophets had in mind. Then let us in true faith trust God and proclaim His Word from the housetop — fearing not what men may say or do to us. If God be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

At the beginning of this year doubtless most of us made excellent New Year resolutions. This is a very fine thing for anyone to do. One should not, however, wait until the New Year to make good resolutions. We always ought to formulate our purposes and desires and arrive at our conclusions, saying that we by the help of God will carry out such desires and purposes. No one is able to accomplish anything of enduring value apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Among our New Year resolutions, many of us have placed our Bible reading, meditation, and prayer foremost, which program is proper and right. Spiritual things should take the precedence over material affairs. By my saying this I am not ignoring the material side of life. Life consists of spiritual realities as well as of food, clothing, and shelter. If, however, we put God and His kingdom first, He will add all of these things to us. He will give us all things that are necessary for our material life and our functioning in the capacities wherein He has placed us.

We need a well rounded spiritual diet. This is to be found in the entire Word of God. If we study the Bible in spots, we cannot grow, as we should, in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. It takes all of the Word to make the truth. The sacred writer in Psalm 119:160 said:

The sum of thy word is truth;
And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth forever.”

If I select certain portions of the New Testament or certain sections of a New Testament book and at the same time ignore the Old Testament, I am certainly not getting a full rounded, spiritual diet.

Paul wrote to Timothy that he from a babe had known the Sacred Writings. Of course, this passage refers to the Old Testament books, which were taught to Jewish children in pious homes. Concerning these Paul said to Timothy that they were able to make one wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ. All of the Old Testament pointed to the coming of Messiah and His redemption. Thus they were designed to bring the Jew to Christ.

Following this statement Paul further asserted that every writing God breathed was also profitable:

for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness:
that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17)

To what did Paul refer in this last verse? What did he mean by the statement, “Every scripture God-breathed is also profitable?” Paul used a different word here from the one which is rendered “sacred writings” in verse 15. Both Timothy and Paul agreed that the Old Testament Writings, which were recognized as the inspired revelation of God, were profitable in bringing a man, a Jew, unto salvation through faith in Christ. In addition to this, declared the Apostle, “Every writing which is God breathed is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word rendered “scripture” in this verse simply meant “writing”. Anything that was written at that time was considered or called scripture. Paul, however, told Timothy that only those writings — in addition to the Old Testament books — which are God breathed are inspired by the Spirit and are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction in righteousness. In other words, this statement implies that there were at the time when Paul wrote this letter other writings in addition to the Old Testament which were God breathed and to which Timothy had access. When we look at the development of the New Testament we know that the following books had already been written by this time: I and II Thessalonians, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Philemon, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Acts, I and II Peter, Jude, I Timothy, and Titus.

From this we see that a goodly portion of the New Testament was written at that time. Paul, knowing this, asserted that all of these Writings which he knew were God breathed were also profitable for teaching and instruction along with the books of the Old Testament Canon. He therefore asserted that they are profitable to prepare the man of God and make him complete, furnishing him completely unto every good work.

Should one refuse or neglect to study any portion of the Scriptures, he cannot be perfect unto every good work. In view of these facts, I urge all of my readers to study the Scriptures systematically and thoroughly, beginning with Genesis and continuing the study to the end of the Book of Revelation. May God use this little exhortation to His glory and to our good is my sincere prayer.

The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture

The Impregnable Rock of Holy Scripture
— Gladstone
In the present discussion I shall briefly call attention to the fact that the Scriptures are resting upon the solid rock of historical facts. It is impossible for one even in a very large volume to deal adequately with such a gigantic question as this one. Thanks to the many faithful investigators in every field of human thought who have examined the subject, and who have brought forth unimpeachable evidence that the Scriptures are inspired of God and can be absolutely relied upon. I am thoroughly aware of the fact that many atheists, infidels, skeptics, and agnostics have done their utmost to discredit the Scriptures in the eyes of the people. After all their ingenious work, the Bible remains today and is bringing untold blessings to countless myriads.

The late William Henry Green of Princeton Seminary declared that men have a right to investigate the Scriptures and the foundations upon which they rest just as they examine any other piece of literature and the evidence supporting its claims. In this judgment he was correct. No one need have any fear whenever an impartial investigation is instituted as to the foundations upon which the Scriptures are resting, or whenever they are subjected to the closest scrutiny by the most highly intellectual men — provided such are really honest and are willing with an unbiased mind to examine facts. The truthfulness of this statement has been proved over and over again and needs no-further confirmation. The late Dr. Robert Dick Wilson, than whom there has not been a greater Semitic scholar of our generation, declared that no living man knows enough to call in question for one moment any statement that is found in the Old Testament. He spoke in regard to the Hebrew Scriptures because he was a specialist in that field. I am sure that men of the same caliber who have investigated the New Testament can make just as strong a statement regarding it without any fear of successful contradiction.

In this brief study I wish simply to call attention to the fact that thorough and scholarly investigations have proved that the Scriptures, viewed from every standpoint, are absolutely accurate and are unimpeachable. In the first place, I wish to call attention to archaeology. According to reports which I have heard and a statement which I read (but cannot now recall the source of my information), David Starr Jordan, who could not be accused of having any extreme leanings toward orthodoxy, declared that not one archaeological discovery has raised any doubt regarding any city that is mentioned in the Scriptures. In fact, the reverse is true. The discoveries have all confirmed the biblical narratives rather than cast doubt upon what is found therein. Just as the hand fits the glove, so the Scriptures fit into the mold which archaeology has found to have existed throughout biblical times. The historical data brought to light by this noble science show that the facts discovered are complementary, and never contradictory, to that situation which is set forth in the Word of God.

The cosmogony, for instance, presented in the Scriptures is the highest possible one conceivable by mortal man. All nations have traditions concerning the beginning of things, but all of these accounts are corrupted and polluted by a crass, naive philosophy, a repulsive code of ethics, and gross polytheism. The gods appearing in these accounts are moved by the same base passions as the vilest of men and are guilty of crimes of the lowest types. It is evident that these are but the creation of the fertile, yet blinded, minds of heathen darkness. The immorality and the jealousies of these gods are appalling.

When, however, these gross and impossible conceptions of polytheism and the debased immorality of the gods are removed from the accounts, there is left a residuum of facts which, when examined, square fairly well with the biblical account. On the other hand, there is nothing of a low nature that appears in the sacred record. The highest possible conception of God is presented. He is a high, holy, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Being, in whom there is no sin nor unrighteousness. Since the biblical account of the beginning of things rests on a plane infinitely higher than the one on which all other cosmogonies are found, there can be but one conclusion, which is that the biblical account was given by men who were borne along by the Spirit of God, and who were given the truth as it was and is.

Another course of reasoning based upon actual facts, which support the proposition that the Bible is the Word of God, is founded upon fulfilled prophecy. Many are the predictions by the various seers of Israel concerning nations, kings, and types of government, which refer to things that now are past but, when spoken, were in the future. These are now found to have been literally fulfilled — as spoken. As an example, take the predictions uttered by the various prophets concerning nations living around the Land of Israel. Visit those countries today. Examine the ruins that are to be found there. One can arrive at but one conclusion, which is that the Bible is a correct account and is accurate in its statements. I have had the privilege of visiting Palestine twice, remaining in the Land three months each time. I have been, practically speaking, in every nook and corner of Palestine, Trans-Jordan, and certain portions of Syria, as well as in Egypt. I have visited most of the sights of interest to the Bible student. I have studied the geography, the topography and the positions of sites of various cities in relation to others and to mountains, rivers, streams, and plains, etc. By such a firsthand study, with an open Bible and a heart yearning to know the truth, the conviction was borne in upon my soul in a new way that the biblical account is accurate in its every utterance.

Closely related to the evidence based upon fulfilled prophecy is that which examines the plan that is set forth in the Scriptures, and that runs through the ages. For instance, in Leviticus 26 there is outlined very clearly the entire history of the nation of Israel from the time of Moses through the centuries until she; convicted of her guilt, confesses her sin and pleads for God's forgiving grace. Then God remembers His covenant and restores His people to their ancient Land. Parallel with this account is the one in Deuteronomy 28. This is but a recapitulation and an enlargement upon the one found in Leviticus 26. In the latter passage, one sees a clear prediction made by Moses of the Babylonian captivity, the Roman overthrow of the last vestige of the government of Judah, which occurred in 70 A. D., and Israel's world-wide dispersion. This same outline of her history is seen in the national anthem given by Moses and found in Deuteronomy 32. Thus far the history of Israel has run true to form and has vindicated Moses as a man inspired of God when he gave these utterances. In addition to these predictions relative to Israel, there are those by the other prophets which relate to the course of Gentile history. For instance, there are the predictions found in the second and seventh chapters of Daniel and related passages. In these two prophecies the prediction is made that there would be only four world empires, each to succeed its predecessor and take its place. As we shall see in the discussion of these predictions in a later study, there have been but four such empires to the present time, and everything points in the direction that there will be no others. If prophecy has accurately been fulfilled to date, we may be sure that the unfulfilled portions will be carried out to the very letter when the proper time arrives.

The crowning proof of the absolute inspiration and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures is found in the empty tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ — on the first Easter morning. This proposition is recognized by all students who have acquainted themselves with the facts. The prophets centuries before the coming of our Lord foretold, in a minute way, His life, death, burial, and resurrection. If He filled out the prophetic picture He was indeed and in truth Messiah the Son of God. If He did not, He was therefore not the Saviour of the world.

In the short space allotted for this phase of our study, it is impossible for one to enter into a discussion of this momentous question. This has been examined thoroughly by scholars of the first magnitude. Absolute proof has been set forth by experts in these fields. I therefore ask the reader, who is interested in learning the facts — not in speculating or guessing — which prove that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, to procure volumes dealing with this question. There are many of them. (This question is briefly answered in The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and Lost Humanity.)

Confirmatory evidence of the resurrection of our Lord and the inspiration of the Scriptures is found in the conversion of the Apostle Paul. I likewise discussed this question in the volume just mentioned. But the data dealing with these two momentous questions — The Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Conversion of the Apostle Paul — should be studied in the volume by Lord Lyttelton and Gilbert West. These men started out to disprove the biblical account. They were fair-minded. They wanted truth. They made their investigations separately. They came to their own conclusions independently. After they had completed their work and had written their discoveries, they came together to compare notes. To the amazement of the other, each told his story stating that he was convinced of the truthfulness of the biblical account. They therefore became confirmed believers in the absolute inspiration of the Scriptures and the genuineness of the record.

In the illustration, page 13, I have called attention to the fact that the rationalistic scientist is the one who is endeavoring to undermine the foundation upon which the Bible rests. Of course, he cannot do that. He can only destroy the faith of those who are uninformed. In my calling attention to this fact, I think that I am rendering a real service to men and women, because the number of those who are endeavoring today to discredit the Scriptures is legion.

On the other hand I wish to acknowledge the great benefits that have come to the human family through the true scientists. I take off my hat to every real investigator in any field. The fact that a man is a scientist and is acquainted with his special field of labor does not qualify him to step over into the sphere of religion and pose as an expert there. Let him stay within his realm and tell what he knows. At the same time let the theologian become acquainted with the facts of his field and honestly and conscientiously proclaim to the world what he finds in God's Word.

The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture

The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture


Perhaps the most important issue facing the church today is the matter of authority. Who or what has the right, the authority, to determine what we believe and how we are to live? The answer to that question, not so very long ago, was quite uncomplicated—at least to evangelical Christians. The Word of God was the final authority over all areas of faith and practice. One of the battle cries of the Reformation was sola Scriptura—Scripture alone. This simply meant that the ultimate basis of authority and truth was Scripture. Scripture had the final say over all we believed and how we lived those beliefs. More than that, the Bible was seen as sufficient. That is, what the Word had to say was adequate to equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). No one claimed that Scripture exhausted every subject—or even addressed some (e.g., mathematics). But where it did not give direct teaching it gave principles by which we could examine and evaluate all things “pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). That Scripture claims for itself such authority and sufficiency was widely accepted based upon numerous passages (e.g., John 17:17; Mark 12:24; Luke 11:25; 16:27-31; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:25; 1 Peter 2:2; Acts 20:20-32; Psalm 19, 119; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:3; Matthew 5:17-20; 12:18-27; 26:52-54; Luke 10:25-26; 16:17). But, for the most part, the evangelical church today does not believe this. The authority and sufficiency of God’s Word is being supplanted at every turn. However, before we observe the modern church, let’s back up and look at the recent past. What is transpiring today has a familiar ring to it. This has all happened before—and not that long ago.

EPISTEMOLOGY

The issue of authority largely deals with epistemology, that is, how we discover and determine truth. Without racing down philosophical rabbit trails of which there are many, the answer is that our knowledge of truth must come from a source. When reduced to “basic” possibilities the sources of truth are limited to three:

Humans

If one believes that humans are the final source of truth we are still left with the epistemological question of how we discover this truth. James Draper and Kenneth Keathley give this helpful overview:

The person holding to human reason (or rationalism) believes he is his own final authority. The question then is which method that individual will use in testing truth claims. The options available to him can be grouped under three headings: rationalism, empiricism, and mysticism. The rationalist believes he or she can determine what is true by reason alone, because of innate or natural abilities within the human mind. The empiricist places confidence in experimentation and in the observation of sense phenomena, affirming as true only that which can be physically demonstrated. Finally, there is the mystic, who rejects rationalism and empiricism because he recognizes that the individual is not capable of arriving at ultimate truth either by reason or observation. The mystic, however, believes that the individual does possess extrarational abilities that enable him to intuit truth. Truth, the mystic contends, cannot be known objectively; it can be encountered only subjectively. No matter which of the three approaches are employed by human reason, they all have this in common: They make the individual the final arbiter of truth. [1]

Religion

Within the Christian tradition this is best represented by the Roman Church. According to Catholic theology, it is the Church that has given us the Bible and, therefore, final authority rests with the Church. The Roman Church would technically not claim to hold views contrary to Scripture, but it is the Church which interprets Scripture and is free to add to it. Therefore, any apparent contradiction, say for example praying to Mary or the saints, is resolved by Rome’s claim to authority.

Revelation

If God exists, it is not difficult to believe that He has communicated to mankind. The Bible claims to be that revelation. Conservative Christians throughout the ages, and especially since the Reformation, have recognized the exclusive claim of Scripture to be the complete and final Word of God for this age. This is not to say that there have not been many usurpers to this claim.

Yesterday and Today

One of the great challenges faced by Christians in the not too distant past drew from a number of sources: German rationalism, higher criticism, enlightenment thought, etc., ultimately evolving into what we call Christian liberalism today. The father of liberalism is usually recognized as Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), professor of theology at the University of Berlin. Joining many popular philosophical systems with Christianity, Schleiermacher came to distrust any form of authority. But he did not want to reject Christianity, recognizing that mankind needs religion. He reasoned that propositional revelation about God may be faulty or even nonexistent but, since man needs religious experience, the outer shell of Christianity must be retained. The Bible may be untrustworthy, shot through with error, unreliable for developing a living framework, but it is still possible to experience God through religious expressions. The foundation may be gone, but somehow the walls are still standing. Such people are convinced that they encounter God as they connect with the “divine spark” found in every human, or through mystical practices, or through subjective experiences. They are unconcerned with the authority of Scripture—to them the Bible is riddled with errors, but that does not matter as long as they can have an existential relationship with God—or at least, so they think. William James, certainly no evangelical Christian, made an astute observation over one hundred years ago about the encroachment of liberal thought within Christianity:

The advance of liberalism, so-called, in Christianity, during the past fifty years, may fairly be called a victory of healthy-mindedness within the church over the morbidness with which the old hell-fire theology was more harmoniously related. We have now whole congregations whose preachers, far from magnifying our consciousness of sin, seem devoted rather to making little of it. They ignore, or even deny, eternal punishment, and insist on the dignity rather than on the depravity of man. They look at the continual preoccupation of the old-fashioned Christian with the salvation of his soul as something sickly and reprehensible rather than admirable; and a sanguine and ‘muscular’ attitude, which to our forefathers would have seemed purely heathen, has become in their eyes an ideal element of Christian character. I am not asking whether or not they are right, I am only pointing out the change. [2]

James’ assessment has a modern ring to it. Old liberalism has been waning in the last few decades, but certainly has not gone away. Rather, it has combined with other errant theological threads and morphed into a number of forms. Take for example the recent comments syndicated columnist and liberal Episcopal priest, Tom Ehrich, wrote:

Picture a prosperous suburban congregation, set among big houses and private schools, populated by professionals and young families, once known for its intellectual vitality, now caught up in stick-to-the-Bible orthodoxy…. Preaching there, says a member, rarely strays from a word-by-word explication of assigned texts. Adult education classes tend to be “led by people who regard the Bible as ‘inerrant’ and allow no questioning. We never hear an open, honest exploration of what it means to live as a Christian in today’s world.”… Clearly, some sort of retreat is under way. Like all retreats, it claims the moral high ground. But what I see in the “land of the free and home of the brave” is dogmatic conformity (fear of freedom) and intolerance (fear of the other)…. What concerns me is the emergence of a religious leadership cadre who don’t hesitate to turn fearfulness into rage, hatred and scapegoating. They, of all people, should know better. They should know that the answer to fear is faith, not hatred. They should know that Jesus didn’t name enemies, launch moral crusades or wage culture wars. He didn’t exercise thought-control with his disciples. He didn’t insist on one way of thinking or believing, He wasn’t legalistic or rigid or conformist (emphasis mine). [3]

This sounds like the rantings of old-fashioned liberalism—but wait! Many within evangelicalism are echoing the same tune. Taking a stand for the truth is long since out of vogue. John MacArthur makes the point, “It is no longer deemed necessary to fight for the truth. In fact, many evangelicals now consider it ill-mannered and uncharitable to argue about any point of doctrine.” [4]

Liberalism has joined forces with postmodernism to challenge the teachings of the Bible. Meanwhile, many in evangelicalism are sitting on the sidelines wanting to be tolerant and attempting to bully and intimidate any who advocate discernment. It is little wonder then that a new wave of liberalism is sweeping over Christianity. The seeker-sensitive church has been seen by many as just old liberalism in disguise, but that is not altogether true. The seeker-sensitive church has fudged on many biblical truths, [5] but it still embraces most of the cardinal doctrines and still seeks to proclaim the gospel, even if its message is often out of balance with the New Testament. But the seeker-sensitive church has given birth to a new movement being called the emergent church. The emergent church is taking to logical conclusion what the seeker-sensitive church began. All dressed up in post-modern religious garb the emergent church is rapidly rejecting and undermining almost all biblical theology. In other words the emergent church is the new liberalism. Evangelicalism is reaping what it has sown.

But what about all the spiritual interest that is evident. Christian books and music top the charts. Megachurches are bursting at the seams. Some are proclaiming that we may be in the midst of the greatest revival since Pentecost. In response, I agree with a Gallup poll evaluation from a few years ago. “We are having a revival of feelings, but not of the knowledge of God. The church today is more guided by feeling than by convictions. We value enthusiasm more than informed commitment.” [6]

If this is true why are so few noticing it? Let me make a few suggestions:

Because the marketers of this approach to Christianity have become adept at giving people what they want. Michael Horton writes, “Throughout the prophetic literature, we notice a common theme—the false prophets tell the people what they want to hear, baptize it with God’s name, and serve it up as God’s latest word to His people.” [7]
Because the centrality of the Word of God has been subtly replaced with inferior but pleasing substitutes. Systematic preaching and teaching of the Bible has been displaced in many churches with entertainment, drama, concerts, comic acts, and the like. For a number of decades psychological theory has been usurping the authority of Scripture. The purpose of many churches is no longer salvation and sanctification, but therapy. And, increasingly, mysticism and extrabiblical revelations are superseding the Bible.
Because so many within evangelicalism are drifting with the tide of worldly thought and opinion. Pascal said, “When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on board ship. When everyone is moving towards depravity, no one seems to be moving, but if someone stops, he shows up the others who are rushing on by acting as a fixed point.” [8] Commenting on this statement Douglas Groothuis wrote, “The fixed point in a shifting world is biblical truth and all that agrees with it.” [9] Preceding Pascal’s quote Groothuis had this to say, “We are told that Christians must shift their emphasis from objective truth to communal experience, from rational argument to subjective appeal, from doctrinal orthodoxy to relevant practices. I have reasoned…that this move is nothing less than fatal to Christian integrity and biblical witness. It is also illogical philosophically. We have something far better to offer.” [10]
Peter informs us, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3a). How is this life and godliness found? “Through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (1:3b). And where is the knowledge of Christ found? In the precious Word of God. No wonder Peter encouraged us to be “like newborn babes, [who] long for the pure milk of the Word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Why feed at the trough of worldly wisdom or mystical experience when we have the final, complete, infallible revelation from God that is able to “make us wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15), “and equip us for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17)? I agree with Groothuis, we Bible-believing Christians do have something better to offer.



[1] James T. Draper Jr. & Kenneth Keathley, Biblical Authority (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001) pp. 2-3.

[2] William James, The Varieties of Religious Experiences (New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1922) p. 91.

[3] Tom Ehrich, “Fear-based Faith Helps No One,” (Springfield, IL: The State Journal Register, May 22, 2005) p. 15.

[4] John MacArthur, Why One Way? (Word Publishing Group, 2002) pp. 47-48.

[5] See my book, This Little Church Went to Market.

[6] J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997) p. 19.

[7] Don Kistler, General Editor, Sola Scriptura! Michael Horton, Forward (Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 2000) P. XV.

[8] Quoted by Douglas Groothuis, Truth Decay (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000) p. 265.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

The Poets of Israel

The Poets of Israel
On the cover of this volume (see graphic above) is a representation of the sixty-six books which constitute “The World's Greatest Library” — the Bible. In the Old Testament collection there are indicated five poetical books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon. These books are usually spoken of as the poetry of Israel. There is another one which must be included in this list—the Lamentations by Jeremiah. This is pure poetry. There is still another volume which properly belongs to the collection of Israel's poets, and which is Isaiah, with the exception of the historical portion of chapters 36-39. These chapters are prose. Usually we think of Isaiah, a great man of God, simply as a prophet and not as a poet. Rightly understood, he is a prophet-poet.

In the short space which we have for this discussion, we can simply note a few things about this marvelous collection of Israel's poetry.

Job
A study of the Book of Job leads one to the conclusion that in it is depicted the primitive life of the ancient Orient. It is quite likely that Job, one of the children of the East, lived at Ur, which was probably located somewhere southeast of ancient Petra. But we cannot be dogmatic as to the exact location.

The probabilities are, according to the opinion of many conservative scholars, that Job was a contemporary of Melchizedek, the king-priest of Salem (Jerusalem); Abraham, the father of the faithful, whom God called out of a heathen environment to become a citizen of the kingdom of God over which Melchizedek reigned (Genesis 14); and Hammurabi, the outstanding king of the First Dynasty of Babylon. The first three of these men knew God in an intimate and personal manner. The last one was a heathen king, who doubtless borrowed laws from God's primitive revelation and incorporated them into his now famous code. The verbal agreements between many things in the Mosaic Code and the Laws of Hammurabi show that copying was done by someone. Hammurabi lived four hundred years before Moses and, of course, could not copy from him. Moses would not copy from a heathen code, because he was inspired of God. Since there was copying done and since there were statutes, commandments, and laws given by the Lord which Abraham in the days of Melchizedek obeyed (Genesis 26:5), we may be certain that Hammurabi borrowed from this primitive revelation. (For a discussion of this most important question, see pages 28, 29, and 30 of the volume. The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and to Lost Humanity.

The Book of Job is indeed the most wonderful drama in the world. By literary critics this point is conceded. Nothing that is produced by men can in any wise be compared with the dramatic effectiveness of this most ancient production. It is written and arranged with such skill and deals with such great, fundamental facts and doctrines, as well as practical ethical problems, that it is just as modern as if it had appeared from the press today. No one can correctly claim to be a student of literature who is not thoroughly conversant with this most entrancing book.

In order for the reader to appreciate it, I wish to call attention to its general structure. Chapters 1 and 2 are truly the prologue. Chapters 3-37 constitute the body of the work, which gives cycles of debates between Job and his would-be comforters. Chapters 38-41 record the message which the Almighty delivered to Job after his debate with his friends had been brought to a conclusion. In 42:1-6 appears Job's reply to the Lord. The epilogue consists of 42:7-17 which sets forth the outcome of the trying experiences through which this faithful servant of God passed.

In the first act, scene 1, we see a picture of Job as one of the powerful men of his time. He was fabulously rich in livestock, but was especially devout and most solicitous concerning his children. In the second scene of this first act we get a glimpse of the immediate presence of God. Here we see Satan among the sons of God, appearing before the Almighty, to give an account of their ministrations. The Lord immediately asked Satan concerning Job. The outcome of the conversation was His giving him permission to strike Job by taking away certain portions of his property and by slaying his children.

The third scene shows Satan, moving various tribes in robbing Job of his livestock. Furthermore, he used the elements in their destructiveness to accomplish his plan and purpose.

The next scene of this act is laid in heaven. Satan appears before the Almighty but does not acknowledge his failure. He boldly asks for permission to strike the body of Job. This request is granted. We see Job lying on an ash heap outside the city, smitten with disease from head to foot, but maintaining his integrity and his faith in God.

These two chapters open before our vision a field of thought that is of vital importance to every child of God. There is a spirit world over which Satan predominates, and which is in constant opposition to the children of God; but Satan and his hosts cannot do anything without first obtaining permission from the Lord. (Compare Luke 22:31-34; I Corinthians 10:13.)

In the great body of this work we see cycles of speeches made by Job and his friends, who came to explain to him the reasons for his affliction. They desired to assist Job in his difficulty, but each had some special theory with reference to the problem of evil and the underlying principles of practical daily life. It quite evident from a careful study of these speeches that they had access to the Word of God as it was given then. For instance, Job says in 6:10, “Yea, let me exult in pain that spareth not, That I have not denied the words of the Holy One.” This statement shows that Job was in possession of a portion of God's Word. There are other echoes here and there in this book to the same effect.

Many of the things which these men said were and are true. At the same time much of what they asserted, we know, by comparing it with other portions of the Scriptures, is not correct. The principal, fundamental doctrines are touched upon in their speeches. As a rule, Job was correct in the positions which he took. Sometimes, however, he was driven to the point of exasperation and approached the point where he was almost ready to blaspheme the Almighty and to challenge His righteousness and justice — but he always stopped short of such outbursts of anger and wrath.

After the discussions were over, the Lord appeared to Job and propounded to him some fundamental questions regarding the universe and life. In chapters 38 and 39, there are many questions which God put to Job, and which I would like to see the scientists of the present day attempt to answer. If they should, they would find that their grades would be very, very low. In chapters 40 and 41 the Lord speaks of Satan under the symbolism of leviathan and behemoth. That He is alluding to this sinister, evil enemy in terms of these animals is evident from a close study of 40:19 and 41:34. Such language goes far beyond the description of mere animals. These statements together with other things show that the Almighty was picturing to Job, in terms of vicious monsters, the great enemy who had moved Him to take action against Job without cause (Job 2:3).

One is delighted with the sequel found in the epilogue. After Job's faith had been purified and he had been refined by these experiences as silver tried seven times, the Lord blessed him abundantly and used him mightily. His latter end was indeed glorious.

Let us for a few minutes study the inspiration of the Book of Job. When anyone examines the various speeches — even those of Job himself — he sees that the speakers very frequently made statements that are absolutely untrue. Even Job uttered things which are not in harmony with revealed truth. How can we account for this? How can the book be inspired of God since these erroneous positions are given in it? These are proper questions.

The Book of Job as a record was infallibly and unerringly written by a man who was under the complete sway and power of the Holy Spirit. He gave us a faithful account of the various statements made and positions taken by the different speakers, whose messages are recorded in the book. At the time of the debate between Job and his four friends, none of them were inspired by the Spirit. Job thanked God that he had not denied the “words of the Holy One.” As stated above, they did have some portion of the revelation of God which was given at that time. Some things they understood, and others they did not. Their situation was similar to ours in that they, as well as we, had an infallibly inspired Book. We study it; we believe it; we endeavor to interpret it. Frequently we misunderstand a passage, claiming that it teaches one thing whereas it says something else. Sometimes one person sees one thing in a passage and another overlooks it. Thus, uninspired men as they read the inspired record can make mistakes and often do now, as then. Thus, Job and his friends were in a position similar to the one in which we find ourselves. After they, with the Word of God in their hands, had discussed these questions, the Almighty Himself came to Job and had a personal conversation with him (chapters 38-41). Of course, every word which God spoke to Job was infallible. The prologue, like the epilogue, was written by an inspired writer who gave us the introduction to the story and also the conclusion. This same writer by inspiration gave us a faithful account of the various positions taken and things said by Job and his friends as they discussed the great problems of life. Their original conversation was uninspired, but the record of it, which we have in this book, is infallibly inspired by the Lord. In order that there might be no misunderstanding on this point, let me use this illustration. The material entering into this book, I am dictating to my machine. When I press the switch and the machine begins to operate, it records everything I say. What I dictate may be right or may not, but it makes a faithful record of everything spoken. Thus it was with the speeches which were made by Job and his friends found in chapters 3-37. After the discussion was over, the sacred writer, guided unerringly by the Spirit of God, explained the occasion of Job's losing all his property. Then he, by the same infallible Spirit, gave us a faithful record of the things that were said by the disputants. Following this, he likewise recorded infallibly the very message which God spoke to Job and concluded this thrilling drama by giving us an inspired record of the latter part of Job's life. This book is just as fundamental and as modern as if it had been given by the Lord at the present time.

Men in primitive times understood much about the problems of God's existence, of His creative activity, of the great calamity which overtook the earth recorded in Genesis 1:2, of the existence of Satan and his opposition to the human family, of the existence of evil in the world, of the doctrine of salvation by faith, of the future coming of our Lord and His reigning upon the earth in righteousness, and of the great ethical doctrines and affairs of life. After giving this brief survey of this ancient book, I would encourage the reader to study it and to ask God to open his eyes that he might behold the wonderful things contained in this greatest of all dramas of the world.

Psalms
The Book of Psalms is one of the favorite books of the Bible. From childhood, most of us have learned at our mother's knee such selections as Psalm 23, even though we did not understand their significance. The psalms have brought comfort and consolation to the children of God in various circumstances throughout the centuries. Certain psalms have been used by Christian workers in various groups. Too much cannot be said concerning this portion of the Word.

The Book of Psalms was the songbook of Israel, which she used in connection with her worship at the Temple. Whether or not there was such a service in connection with the Tabernacle, we cannot say. We do know, however, that, when the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea, they sang the psalm which is found in Exodus 15:1-18. Just before his death, Moses spoke in the ears of the assembly of Israel the words of the song found in Deuteronomy 32:1-43. This hymn may be called “Israel's National Anthem.” It outlines, in prophetic prospect, the entire career of the nation through the centuries. It is found to be one of the most graphic predictions in the entire Word of God, when it is properly studied and understood. Moses is the author of Psalm 90. Whether or not any of these hymns were used in connection with the Tabernacle, one cannot say; but we know that they sang and danced before the Lord in primitive times, for there are indications in the historical portion of the Word to that effect.

David wished to build a house to the Lord, but was not permitted to do so because he was a man of blood. Nevertheless, he made all necessary preparation for the erection of the Temple and gave Solomon specific instructions as to how the work should be done. He arranged for the musical services at the Temple. Of Hezekiah it is said that “he set the Levites in the house of Jehovah with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets” (II Chronicles 29:25). From this statement it is very clear that David introduced the instruments which he invented into the worship of the Lord at the Temple by order of Gad and Nathan, true prophets of God, “for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets.” Hezekiah realized that it was by divine appointment that the ministry of music was introduced into the services. He therefore laid great stress upon it.

Someone has said, “Let me write the songs which a nation sings and I will control its life.” Often a person can be reached by song who may not be touched in any other way. God realized the power of music and song. He therefore introduced the ministry of music into the Temple service.

David was a great musician, who composed the major portion of the psalms. Solomon wrote two; Moses, one. The sons of Korah, likewise, were used by the Spirit of God in adding to Israel's sacred collection of psalms.

The place of the song service in the ritual of the Temple was even more important from the human standpoint than our song service today, the reason being that the Scriptures were not available to the masses as now. The people did not have Bibles in their homes as we do. They had to depend largely upon what they heard in the form of song and the reading of the Word when they appeared before the Lord thrice annually. God knew these conditions. Thus He gave Israel her matchless songbook, containing 150 hymns.

One of the fundamentals of the poetry of Israel is known as “Hebrew parallelism.” The simplest form of this type was the placing together of two statements dealing with the same subject. In the first, certain words were selected; in the second other terms were chosen which give the same message — but expressed differently. The second statement is parallel to the first. Out of this grew contrast, where opposites were expressed. This is seen constantly in the Book of Proverbs. When we have simple parallelism, the second thought becomes a comment upon the first. Sometimes there are three parallel statements made in order that there may be no misunderstanding.

As time passed, this simple structure of parallelism was enlarged until certain psalms and portions of the Word were included in and involved in this scheme. This structure was, of course, familiar to the ancient Hebrews and understood by them. It is difficult, however, for us in the English to see and appreciate the beauty as it appears in the original text. There was a thought rhyme instead of the jingling of words.

As a person reads the poetical books, he will see that there is a shifting of the point of view very frequently. Unless he recognizes this fact, he will have great difficulty in interpreting the psalms. For instance, in that best known hymn, Psalm 23, David speaks of the Lord in the third person (vs. 1-3); suddenly, in verse 4, he addresses the Lord directly — “Thou art with me.” This was good style — in Hebrew poetry. It is not in accordance with the standards of English poetry at the present time. Another illustration may be found in Psalm 81:5. Here we are told that, “He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, When he went out over the land of Egypt, Where I heard a language that I knew not.” It is clear from the preceding verse that the pronoun, He, has as its antecedent the God of Jacob. Suddenly, however, in the last line the first personal pronoun, I, occurs. It is clear from the following verse that the “I” refers to Jehovah himself, and, as stated, “He” likewise indicates Jehovah. This is a very plain case, therefore, of the shifting from one person to another. But this should not seem strange to any mother or father who often, in speaking to a little child, says, “Come to me; I have something for you.” Then suddenly he says, “Come to Daddy; Daddy will give you this.” Here is a shifting from the first person to the third. This fact must be recognized as one studies the psalms and the other poetical books.

Every chord in the human heart is struck somewhere in the psalms. The theme ranges from the deepest dejection and despair to that of the highest expression of joy and rejoicing in the Lord. Moreover, the entire gamut of human experiences is run in the psalms, from the problems of the individual — even the humblest — to the triumph of the race when Messiah returns in glory and makes Israel the head of the nations.

Unfortunately, many of us have the idea that the psalms are purely devotional, with an occasional prophetic utterance. If we reverse this judgment, we shall be more nearly correct. It is true that there is much devotional material in them. Everyone who has made a special study of this book is aware that it is largely prophetic. In fact, many of the psalms are pure prophecy; but all have a spiritual lesson and an application to those who are placed in a like situation.

Many of the psalms are predictions concerning Messiah's first coming. More of them, however, deal with His second appearing. A few of them give the entire redemptive career of King Messiah, consisting of His first coming, His rejection, His death, burial and resurrection, ascension to the right hand of God, and His eventual return to reign in the very place where He was rejected. A number of the psalms are devoted to exultant praise concerning the glorious conditions that will be ushered in when Messiah returns. A number of them speak about the conditions that will exist when the curse shall have been lifted from the earth and the glory of the Lord covers this earth as the waters cover the sea. There are some psalms that speak of the Antichrist and of the evil hosts about him in the time of the end. Others deal with personal problems. One's life is enriched by a close study of this marvelous book.

The psalms constitute the poetical version, in most instances, of the utterances of the prophets. Unless a person is fairly well acquainted with their messages and teachings and unless he has a clear-cut idea of the unfolding of the plan of the ages, he gets little out of many of the psalms. The one, on the other hand, who has studied carefully the prophets of Israel and sees the definite program as outlined by these spokesmen of the Almighty, can turn to these psalms and see that they are the messages of the prophets, put in the form of verse for liturgical use.

In concluding this study of Israel's psalter, I wish to call attention to a few of the outstanding psalms. The first one gives the recipe for a joyful, fruitful life in the service of God. This one is a fitting introduction. Psalm 2 is a prediction of “the forthcoming, international, atheistic, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, politico-religious convention” and God's establishing the reign of Christ upon the earth. Psalms 22, 23, and 24 constitute a series about the Shepherd of Israel. Psalm 22 speaks of the Good Shepherd; Psalm 23 tells of the Gentle Shepherd; and Psalm 24 the Great Shepherd. Psalm 45 gives us “the fourfold portrait of King Messiah.” Psalms 46, 47, and 48 present pictures of the millennial Jerusalem. Psalm 51 is a penitential hymn and is a companion to Psalm 32. Psalm 58 takes us quietly into the secret council chamber of the Antichrist and lets us know something about the plans of that diabolical character to exterminate Israel from the face of the globe; but it shows that, when she cries to God for deliverance, the Lord answers and redeems. Psalm 72 is a great prophecy concerning the kingdom. Psalm 80 speaks about convicted Israel's being ready for Messiah's return and her pleading for Him to come to her rescue. Psalm 110 is, from a dispensational standpoint, one of the greatest in the book. Psalm 147 foretells the creation of the millennial Jerusalem and the amazing transformation that will take place when the Lord Jesus returns.

Let me assert that there is no book in all the Scriptures that will enrich one's knowledge of the Word and that will uplift one more than a thorough knowledge of the Book of Psalms.

Proverbs
The first twenty-four chapters of Proverbs are attributed to Solomon. In 25:1 we are told that the men of Hezekiah copied certain proverbs of Solomon. Whether this statement refers to the first twenty-four chapters or chapters 25-29, one cannot say. It is quite likely, however, that it refers to the latter section. If this is the correct interpretation, we are to understand that the original edition of Proverbs, which is a manual for ethics and morals (for both king and laity) consisted of the first twenty-four chapters. Then in the days of Hezekiah, certain copyists, employed by this king, copied from other writings of Solomon the material which constitutes chapters 25-29. By Agur, the son of Jakeh, is the oracle found in chapter 30. The book concludes with the “words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him” (31:1). From these statements we see that there were at least three authors whom the Holy Spirit used in giving us this marvelous book of practical wisdom, ethics, and morals.

When the responsibility of the kingdom fell upon the young shoulders of Solomon at the death of his father, he went to Gibeah and uttered one of the most striking and unselfish prayers that is recorded in the Word. We find that petition in I Kings 3:4-15 and II Chronicles 1:7-13. From this record we see that Solomon had the proper outlook as he stood upon the threshold of a wonderful career.

In answer to his petition, God gave him wisdom, understanding, and largeness of heart. The result was that he stood head and shoulders above the men of renown of his day and time. This special talent from God made him an able statesman, a gifted writer along ethical and practical lines, and a wonderful hymn writer. He seems to have employed the deductive method and was a great zoologist and botanist. He either wrote, spoke, or lectured on these subjects. For the proof of this proposition, see I Kings 4:29-34.

Nowhere is there such a collection of crisp, pithy sayings to be found in any literature as that which is given in the Book of Proverbs. Nearly every subject which deals with practical life in its various relations is touched upon.

If anyone is in need of wisdom, he should read prayerfully the Book of Proverbs. God says to those who lack wisdom that they should ask of Him who gives liberally and upbraideth not. This statement by James is true; but in the Book of Proverbs the Lord has put volumes of practical wisdom, and He expects us to avail ourselves of this source of understanding, while we are asking Him for spiritual discernment. May He enable us to apply the wisdom which He has given to us in this book.

I once heard the late William Jennings Bryan make a statement in a public address regarding the Book of Proverbs. He said in part, “From childhood throughout life I have read the Book of Proverbs on an average of once a month, and I attribute whatever insight into practical affairs I have to the knowledge which I acquired from this book.” That statement impressed me very greatly; and I have noted that those of my friends who especially study Proverbs, as a rule, have a clearer insight into the general problems of life than those who do not.

There are numbers of choice passages in the book, but I shall mention only a few. Chapter 2 is a gem. It gives the four conditions for understanding and acquiring a knowledge of the Word of God. If we have a hungering and a thirsting to know the Scriptures, the first five verses of this chapter tell how we may thus acquire that knowledge. The first twelve verses of chapter 3 are most enlightening, especially verses 5 and 6 which contain a wonderful promise to the one who will trust in the Lord. Every young person — girl or boy — should familiarize himself with chapter 7. If young people would only follow this advice by the grace of God, they would be delivered from untold heartaches and sorrows — and many from actual shipwreck in life. Chapter 8 constitutes another timely revelation concerning wisdom. It is here personified. Some, however, think that this description blends into a discourse concerning the preexisting Christ. I have never been able to see that much in the passage, but it is an illuminating statement concerning wisdom. Chapter 16 is replete with meaning. It gives an insight into many things that could not be obtained from any other place. Verse 13 of chapter 17 is a stern warning to those who return evil for good — a thing that all too frequently is done. Verse 13 of chapter 28 likewise sets forth an essential truth upon which one's happiness, to a great extent, depends. In chapter 30, verse 4, is the classic passage about God the Father and God the Son. A beautiful pen-picture of the worthy woman is given in the concluding chapter. Every young man who contemplates marriage should read and re-read and read it again — in fact, he should constantly keep this picture before his mind. He should ask the Lord to give him such a companion as the one described in this chapter. Since a young man has no right to expect more of a young woman than he is willing to give her, he should endeavor by the grace of God to maintain his life on a very high level of purity.

I have just noted a very few things in this great book of wisdom. May God use these remarks to encourage the reader to study this portion of His blessed, holy, Word.

Ecclesiastes
The Lord had a definite, specific purpose in giving each book of the Bible. Ecclesiastes, written by the Preacher, the son of David, in Jerusalem, was inspired by the Spirit of God. This book was written in order to show the shallowness, the emptiness, and unsatisfactory character of the life that has not put God first. This booklet has been called “the book of the man under the sun.” In it Solomon is either giving his own personal experiences, or he is relating the biography of the unregenerated man and, in a figure, transferring it to himself. Regardless of which way we view this problem, the lesson is the same. The preacher said that he sought pleasure by pursuing a certain course, but that he did not find it. He only met with disappointment. Then he turned in another direction and sought satisfaction, only to be disappointed again. Thus he enumerates the various things in which men, unregenerated, think they can find pleasure but cannot. Time and again he cries aloud that all the strivings of man after pleasure and happiness are vanity and vexation of spirit.

The author concludes by appealing to the young to remember their Creator in the days of their youth before the evil days come upon them, when they become ensnared in the pitfalls of sin and finally become hardened by wrongdoing until they have no pleasure in seeking the right and serving the Lord.

Finally, he concludes his message with these words: “This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).

The one lesson which God has to give the world through this book is that fleshly experiences and the possession of material things will not bring happiness, contentment, and joy. Human experience in innumerable instances prove this thesis: Some of the most miserable people in the world are the idle, rich, and unregenerated. The soul of man was made to seek after his Maker and to find Him. If he does not, there can be no further joy and peace.

On the other hand, if a person will come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as his personal Saviour, the Lord will regenerate his heart and give him joy, peace, and contentment, which he can through not other means acquire. Such is the message of the concluding verses of this great book.

As we read it, let us remember that the inspired author, guided by the infallibility of the Spirit, wrote down the opinions and the desires of the unregenerated man — what he says and thinks — as one who does not know God in Christ.

I would urge every person, either saved or unsaved, to familiarize himself with the Book of Ecclesiastes and thus see that nothing in this life pays apart from God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Otherwise, everything is vanity and vexation of the spirit. No matter what one gets out of life, if he does not know Christ when he comes to the end, his life has been a failure. It would have been better for him, had he never been born.

Song of Solomon
Solomon was the author of this unique book. Scholars are far from being agreed as to its exact teaching. All admit that it is an allegory. But what does it signify?

One school of thought is confident that the maid and her lover typify Christ and the church. Other scholars of equal piety and learning see in it a representation of the Messiah and Israel. One is in good company regardless of which position he takes.

Is it possible for us to arrive with any certainty as to which interpretation is correct? I believe that it is. Practically all students of prophecy with whom I am acquainted are convinced that the church as an institution (consisting of Jews and Gentiles, regenerated, and welded together into a living organism) is not known in the Old Testament. This fact is asserted in Ephesians 3:1f. Christ's indwelling regenerated men during the present age is what Paul calls a mystery. We are, therefore, correct in saying that the church as an institution was not revealed in the Old Testament. (But the Christian Dispensation — the period of time between the first and second comings — was revealed clearly. We may be certain, therefore, that, though the Christian Dispensation was clearly revealed by the prophets, the turn of affairs which things would take after the Messiah appeared the first time and the formation of the church were not revealed to the prophets. The Lord Jesus, in giving the parables of the kingdom, which refer to Christendom, spoke things which were kept secret from the foundation of the world (Matthew 13:35).

On the other hand, the prophets and the poets of Israel constantly spoke and sang of Messiah and of Israel in their future relationship when the latter accepts Him. It would seem, therefore, most highly probable that the allegory of the Song of Solomon should be interpreted as a reference to Him in relation to His beloved people.

Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah and is the outburst of the grief which pierced his heart over the destruction and desolation which came to Jerusalem when it fell under the terrific blows of the Babylonians. It seems that the prophet ran the gamut of human feelings in his description of the disaster which befell the Jewish people in that grave calamity. But this wrecked condition will continue, and Israel will remain uncomforted until she seeing her national sin confesses it and turns to Him alone who can heal her.

All who know God through the Lord Jesus Christ should study this book and should do all that they can to bring about the conditions when this unparalleled distress shall be brought to a consummation and Israel's joy may be made complete.

The Call and Commission of Ezekiel

The Call and Commission of Ezekiel
The book of Ezekiel in its introduction (1:1-3) speaks of something as having occurred in the thirtieth year when the prophet was among the captives by the river Chebar, at which time he saw certain visions of God. In verses 2 and 3 he speaks of these visions as occurring in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity and states that at that time the word of Jehovah came expressly to him. From these facts it is clear that the thirtieth year of verse 1 is the fifth year of Jehoachin's captivity. It is quite likely that this thirtieth year indicates his age, as stated in the former discussion. All the dates of Ezekiel's prophecy are in terms of Jehoiachin's captivity.

I. The Call of the Servants of God
It has been recognized by spiritually-minded Bible students throughout the centuries that one, in order to do efficient service in the Master's cause, must be called of God. This statement is a truism that should be recognized by all. At the same time it is also true that all people who are redeemed should labor as they have time and opportunity — and should make opportunities — to forward the cause of God among men. Those, however, who are to engage in full-time Christian service certainly should have a definite call from the Lord.

A. The Call of The Servants of God in General
One should study carefully I Samuel, chapter 3. The boy Samuel had been dedicated to the Lord by his parents at his birth, but God gave him a very definite and clear-cut call as we see in the passage just referred to. The prophet Isaiah received a very definite call to enter the ministry of the Lord, the record of which is found in chapter 6 of the Book of Isaiah. If the early chapters of Isaiah are put in chronological order, the prophet delivered three masterful discourses by the power of God even before he received his official call. Then the Lord appeared to him and gave him a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in His glory seated upon the throne in the great millennial Temple. Jeremiah, likewise, received a very specific call, as we see in Jeremiah 1:11-19. When we come to the New Testament, we see that the Apostle Paul was very clearly called by the Lord Jesus Christ when he was on his way to Damascus (see Acts, chapter 9:22; and 26). Others received definite calls and commissions but these suffice to give us some idea as to the divine method of calling specially those who are chosen vessels into full-time service.

B. Ezekiel's Special Call
In Ezekiel 1:4-3:11 we have a record of Ezekiel's call. As we study this call, we shall do well to note the three different types of God's communicating His will to man. In the first place the Lord appeared, especially in primitive times, to various ones of His servants, coming in a personal manner. For instance, the Lord Jehovah appeared in the Garden of Eden in the form of man and talked to Adam and Eve. He did this also in numbers of cases, as we read in the Old Testament. This is what we call a theophany — God's appearing in the form of man and communicating personally with His servants.

At other times He has made revelations through visions. Should I be permitted to illustrate this mode of communication, I would compare it to television, which is just now beginning to come into use. Those who enjoyed such communications seem to have been in a trance — to have been lifted to a higher plane of perception, and to have had their mental horizon enlarged. With their intellectual and spiritual faculties heightened, the prophets viewed, as one does in television, spiritual realities which passed before their minds like a moving picture. Thus we would designate this type of communication as spiritual television.

In the third place we may list what is usually termed inspiration. God's breathing into His servant the message and the ability to comprehend it and express it. This mode of communication we might compare to a telephone message. At the present day a person may be in one country and talk to another person in a different land, thousands of miles away, by means of the telephone. By this method the exact thought and word is conveyed by one person to another. One receiving the message can deliver it to whom it pertains or can act accordingly. Thus by spiritual telephone the Lord communicated His ideas very frequently to various servants of His at different times.

Ezekiel, in different passages, uses this expression, “The hand of Jehovah was there upon him [Ezekiel].” Examination of this phrase shows that it indicates the power of the Lord in a supernatural manner and its resting upon and working through the one concerning whom the statement is made.

Ezekiel declares that he saw “visions of God.” This statement is in perfect accord with that which we find in Numbers 12:6-8:

“... And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all my house: 8 with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of Jehovah shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

According to this statement the Lord spoke directly in a personal manner to Moses as He has not done since to anyone. Although there are theophanies recorded as having occurred after God made this statement to the great lawgiver, we are to understand that such appearances of the Deity to men could not be compared with those which Moses enjoyed.

When we notice that, in Ezekiel 1:1, the prophet claims he enjoyed the visions of God, that in verse 3 the word of Jehovah came especially to him, and that in verses 4-28 we are given a description of the appearance of one like unto a Son of man who was seated upon a throne, we come to the conclusion that, on the occasion of which the prophet was speaking, he was granted a vision in which the Word of God came to him, not as by spiritual telephone (as explained above), but in a personal living way. In other words, the one who appeared to the prophet in the vision was like a Son of man and is called the Word of God — the Living Word. When all of these facts are taken into consideration, a person can not avoid this conclusion. This scripture is suggestive of Genesis, chapter 15. In verse 1 we are told that “the word of Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying ...” Below, in verse 5, we are told that this word of Jehovah “brought him [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in Jehovah; and he reckoned it to him for righteousness.” Obviously this one who is called the Word of Jehovah in verse 1 is the one who brought Abram forth out of his tent and called his attention to the stars in the heavens (evidently at night) and made a promise concerning the multitudes of those who would descend from him. In the vision then the one whom we call “the Living Word,” that is, the Lord Jesus Christ in His prenatal state, appeared to Abraham and entered into a covenant with him. This experience which Abram enjoyed we might list as spiritual television, described above. We see a similar thing in the call of Samuel (I Samuel, chapter 3). In verse 4 of this chapter we are told that Jehovah called Samuel. Again in verse 6 we find the same statement. In verse 7 we have the significant declaration, “Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him.” When we view this statement in the light of the knowledge drawn from other passages, we conclude that “the word of Jehovah” in this passage refers to the Living Word. In verse 10 we are told that Jehovah came and stood and called Samuel as at other times. Finally in verse 21 we have this language, “And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah.” By a thorough exegesis of Deuteronomy 6:4, which declares, “Hear, 0 Israel, Jehovah, our Gods, is Jehovah a unity,” we know that the word, Jehovah, in certain contexts refers to God the Father; but in others the same expression indicates Jehovah the Son; while in others it refers to Jehovah the Holy Spirit. In still other connections it signifies the Holy Trinity. When, therefore, we study I Samuel 3:21 in the light of its entire connection and also in the light of the usage of the term, we come to the conclusion that the first occurrence of the word, Jehovah, in this verse refers to Jehovah the Living Word; but the second time it occurs, it signifies the Triune God, who, it is stated, was revealed to Samuel in Shiloh by “the word of Jehovah,” the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. That the expression “the word of Jehovah” is used in the personal manner in referring to the second person of the Trinity is evident from a careful study of Psalm 33:4-7. In this passage the psalmist in speaking of “the word of Jehovah” said that “all his work is done in faithfulness,” that “He loveth righteousness and justice,” and that the heavens were made by Him. This interpretation was placed upon Psalm 33 by the ancient rabbis and is in perfect accord with the whole tenor of the teaching of God's word.

The vision of the Living Word which Ezekiel saw may be similar to that which Job experienced (Job, chapter 38). It is altogether possible that this is similar to the one found in Acts 7:56. In this latter passage we have a record of the vision which Stephen experienced when he, standing, before the Sanhedrin brought the great indictment against the Jewish people concerning their rejection of the Messiah. They, being enraged, gnashed upon him with their teeth; but he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up into heaven and declared that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

According to Ezekiel 1:4 he looked toward the north and saw a stormy wind coming out of the heavens from that direction. “And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof as it were glowing metal, out of the midst of the fire.”

There is a very definite place in the universe which is called in the Holy Scriptures “the heaven of the heavens.” This is what Christians call the “immediate presence of the Almighty.” It is in this special location that the throne of God is. This might be called the capital of the entire universe. For a picture of this glorious locality read Psalm 103:19-22. For another glimpse of the throne of God see Psalm 89:5-15. In this long passage we not only get a glimpse of the throne of God, but we see set forth the evidences of His authority and prerogatives found throughout His vast domains. In Ezekiel 28 we see a graphic picture of Eden, the garden of God, that was upon the earth in primitive times — prior to the catastrophe which overtook the earth as is recorded in Genesis 1:2. Thus this Eden was entirely different from the earth in primitive times. This Eden was entirely different from the Eden of which we read in Genesis, chapter 2. The anointed cherub was in his crystal palace in this garden of God. Prior to this time he was in the mount of God, which was not upon this earth, but which is, figuratively speaking, the presence of God. In Isaiah 14:12-14 we have the following language:

How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 day-star, son of the morning; how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

From the context in which this passage occurs, we see that it applies to the world ruler of end time, the Antichrist, the last king of Babylon. This individual will be conceited and deceived by the devil to think that he can ascend to the very presence of God and can overthrow the authority and power of God. The Antichrist, according to this passage, speaks of the throne of God's being in the north, that is, in a position north of this earth. According to Psalm 75 deliverance from foes does not come from the east, or the west, or south; but God is the Judge; He is the one who passes decisions and brings deliverance. Since three of the cardinal points of the compass are referred to? as the place from which deliverance does not come, and since he speaks of God as being Judge or the one who brings deliverance, it is clear that the writer thought of God in terms of the location of one of the points of the compass, the north.

The description of this stormy wind and great cloud out of the north reminds one of that which is described in Exodus 19:16-20:

And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai, the whole of it, smoked, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And Jehovah came down upon mount Sinai, to the top of the mount: and Jehovah called Moses to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.”

This passage describes the descent of Jehovah to Mount Sinai when He delivered the law to Israel. Jehovah, the Living Word, doubtless was the one who descended to Mount Sinai and spoke the Ten Words, the Ten Commandments. This vision also reminds us of that which is presented in Nahum 1:2-8.

As we read Ezekiel's description of the vision which he saw, we are overcome with the majestic glory of this great sight. There came forth, as he tells us, out of the great cloud, with its fire infolding itself and its brightness round about, the appearance of glowing metal, and out of it came forth four living creatures. The general appearance of each was that of the likeness of a man. Each had four faces and four wings. Unlike the feet of men theirs were straight, the soles of which were as the soles of a calf and had the appearance of burnished brass. Under their wings were the hands of a man, on each of their four sides. Moreover each had four faces: one of a man, one of a lion, one of a ox, and one of an eagle. These faces were separate, as were also their wings, but they were attached to the same body. With two of their wings they flew and with two of them they covered their bodies.

Their movements were always in straight lines, never in curves. The appearance of the living creatures was that of burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches. Fire also went up and down among the living creatures. This fire was bright and went out like lightning. Moreover, these living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Besides each of these living creatures there was a wheel which was let down to the earth. According to verse 15 there was a wheel for each of the faces of each of these living creatures. The appearance of these wheels was like that of beryl, and the four wheels attending each of these living creatures were alike. Whenever the living creatures went, the wheel went in their four directions. Their rims were full of eyes round about which were dreadful. These wheels were within wheels. It seems impossible for us to develop a clear conception of what is meant by this expression. Whenever the living creatures came down to the earth, the wheels touched the ground. Whenever, on the other hand, they left the earth, the wheels left it and accompanied them. Wherever the spirit went these wheels went. Where the living creatures stood, they stood.

Who are these living creatures? In the third vision which was granted to the prophet, he describes what he saw and declares that it was the same vision as that which he saw by the river Chebar. The record of this third appearance is found in chapters 8-11. In chapter 10 these living creatures are called cherubim. The word cherubim is the plural of cherub. The first time of which we read of these living creatures or cherubs is in connection with man's expulsion from the Garden of Eden. When Adam partook of the forbidden fruit, he was driven from the tree of life in order that he might not partake of it and live in his fallen state forever. Cherubim were placed on guard to keep the way of the tree of life. There was an appearance of a flaming sword which was turning in every direction. The cherubim with the sword thus guarded the approach to the tree of life. In the Tabernacle, which was constructed by Moses at Mount Sinai, two cherubs were made and were placed upon the mercy seat, the cover of the ark. These were placed in the Temple constructed by Solomon. Figures of these living creatures were woven into the curtain in connection with the most holy place. It seems that these cherubs had only one face. In a vision of the future millennial Temple Ezekiel speaks of cherubim and describes them as having two faces (Ezekiel 41:18). From all this data it appears that there are different types of cherubim.

We also read of seraphim. In the record of the call of Isaiah, chapter 6, we are told that the prophet saw seraphim and heard them singing in the presence of King Messiah — seated on His throne in millennial glory — the following song: “Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Each of these seraphim had six wings. With two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly. The Apostle John, according to Revelation, chapters 4 and 5, saw a vision of the throne of God and observed living creatures round about the throne who likewise were singing the song of the triple holines: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8). Each of these living creatures had six wings. I thus identify the living creatures of John's vision with those of Isaiah's. It must be noted, however, that the vision which was granted to John was one of the throne of God in heaven at the time of the beginning of the Tribulation; whereas that which was granted to Isaiah to see was a vision of Christ in the millennial Temple when He is seated upon His throne and is reigning in righteousness upon the earth. Thus the seraphim are seen in heaven in John's vision. They are, according to Isaiah, also upon earth when our Lord returns to reign. They constantly cry, according to the records, both in the presence of God and in the presence of Christ in the Millennium, “Holy, holy, holy ...” Thus they seem to be creatures who are devoting their entire time to the praise of the Almighty. They have the proper sense of His holiness, majesty, and sovereignty. They therefore praise Him.

Whether or not the seraphim are of a higher order than the cherubim has never been determined. In Ezekiel, chapter 28, we read of the anointed cherub that covereth, who was the very embodiment of wisdom, beauty, power, and authority. In fact, one gathers from the record that he was the highest order of being which God could bring into existence, and yet he was called a cherub. When, however, unrighteousness entered his heart, he rose up in rebellion against the Almighty. His revolt was the occasion of his downfall. Since this highest order of being which God could call into existence is called a cherub, it may be that the cherubim are the highest order of celestial beings. There are, however, various ranks, orders, and files of angels, to which both cherubim and seraphim belong. Since our information concerning these is so very much limited, we must be very cautious in drawing conclusions regarding them.

Turn now to Ezekiel 1:22-25 and read the description of the firmament that was supported by these living creatures or cherubim. The firmament was like a crystal to look upon and was stretched forth over the heads of the living creatures. It reminds one of that which is described by Moses in Exodus, 24:9-11:

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 10 and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the very heaven for clearness. 11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.”

A very clear description of the throne of God, and of the Almighty upon it, is to be found in I Kings 22:19-23. In connection with this passage one would do well to read Revelation, chapters 4 and 5. When anyone reads these accounts, he can see that the pavement and the throne of the Almighty are described in terms similar to those of human monarchs.

The occupant of the throne which was resting upon the firmament described by Ezekiel is presented in Ezekiel 1:26-28. In verse 26 we are told that “upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.” His bodily appearance from his loins and upward was veiled in the semblance of a fire of glory. From his loins and downward there also was the appearance of fire. But since there is a distinction made here in the description, everyone must recognize that fact — though he may not be able to picture clearly the difference. The thing for us to notice is that upon this throne is one like unto a Son of man who is seated upon the portable throne which comes out of heaven to earth. If this passage were the only one in the record, we would be at a loss to determine why this representation. But there are other data which will throw light upon this most important question. In the first promise of the Redeemer, Genesis 3:15, the sacred writer spoke of “the seed of the woman.” This is the only occurrence of such an expression, as genealogies were always reckoned after the male and never after the female. But this one is called the seed of the woman, a most striking and unique expression. The fact that this term was employed is proof that this one is indeed different from all others. Isaiah the prophet declared to the house of David:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Here is a prediction that a virgin shall give birth to one whom she is to call Immanuel, which mean God is with me. By the ancient rabbis this passage was interpreted as a reference to King Messiah, whose supernatural character they all recognized. The Messiah was also known as the Son or descendant of David, who in a vision saw Him, and who spoke in Psalm 110 concerning Him: “Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand. Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies” (Psalm 110:1-2). David recognized the fact that this descendant of his was his Lord and declared that God in heaven would speak to Him when He came to earth and when the Jews of Jerusalem were hostile to Him, would invite Him to leave earth, to ascend to glory, and to sit at His right hand until He, Jehovah, would make the enemies of King Messiah the footstool of His feet. This passage shows that when Messiah comes to Israel, the leaders of the Jews reject Him; but it does not tell to what extent their hostility drives them. That information is obtained from other passages, such as Psalm 22:1-21 and Isaiah 53:1-9. That this virgin-born Son, who is God in human form, is killed is seen clearly from Zechariah 13:7: “Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.” In this passage the Lord, speaking to the sword (by metonymy, to the one handling the sword), commands it to act against his shepherd, who is a man, and who at the some time is His “fellow.” The meaning of the word, fellow, in the Hebrew indicates an associate, an equal. By the use of this term in his message, the prophet meant to affirm that this man, the shepherd of Jehovah's flock, is equal to God — though He is a man. From other passages which bear upon the same subject, we learn that, when the Messiah is killed, He is invited to leave the earth and to take His seat at the right hand of the throne of God where He is to remain until the Jews, His enemies, accept Him and plead for His return.

In Daniel 7:13,14 we have this language:

I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

In this marvelous prediction we see that “one like unto a son of man” is in heaven, is escorted into the presence of Jehovah the Father, and is invested with authority over a world-wide kingdom, which is to last as long as the earth endures. This passage, viewed in the light of the others which we have just been studying, is clearly a reference to the Messiah of Israel, who entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth, was rejected and executed by His people, ascended to the right hand of the throne of God when He was raised from the dead, has been seated there for nineteen hundred years, and will return to earth when penitent Israel pleads for Him to do so. This scripture is a prediction of the time when the Jews, having been given the truth concerning Him, repent of their having rejected Him and confess their national sin, pleading for Him to return. Thus He will be ushered into the presence of the Ancient of Days and will be invested with world dominion. At that time He will come to earth again and set up His reign of righteousness.

It seems most plausible and logical to interpret the Son of man of Ezekiel's vision, recorded in chapter 1 of his prophecy, as being identical with the Son of man of Daniel's prediction. The two visions are very much alike — with some slight difference. The general thought is the same. Daniel's vision is purely prophetic of the end time when Messiah, invested with world-dominion, will return to take unto Himself world-wide authority. Ezekiel's vision is of the same Son of man, the Messiah of Israel. That which differentiates Ezekiel's vision from Daniel's is this: Ezekiel in the first thirty-three chapters, roughly speaking, deals with the judgments that have already come upon the children of Israel because of their persistence in sin. In the rest of his book Ezekiel devotes his entire attention to the final restoration of the nation, when the Messiah, who is at present in glory at the right hand of the throne of God and has been since His ascension nineteen hundred years ago, will be invested with universal power and will return and reign for a thousand years. In anticipation of His incarnation and of the special work which He would do for Israel as her Messiah, He, the Son of man, appeared to the prophet. In view of all the related facts, one therefore can not avoid the conclusion that this one who is the Living Word is none other than the Son of man, the Messiah of Israel.

In Ezekiel 1:28 the prophet tells us: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about.” Thus the brightness of this bow seemed to encircle the throne of the Son of man. This statement instantly recalls to one's mind the first record of the rainbow, which is found in Genesis 9:1-16. In this passage we read of the everlasting covenant into which God entered with all humanity at the conclusion of the Flood. A careful examination of this passage reveals the facts that there was imposed upon the human family a fourfold obligation: To be fruitful and to multiply and replenish the earth (9-11); to live on a diet consisting of animals, fish, and vegetables (9:3); to abstain from eating blood and things strangled (9:4); and to execute all murderers by capital punishment (9:5,6). All of these conditions are constantly being ignored by man. The covenant of which these are the conditions was entered into by the Lord with every man, woman, and child upon the face of the globe. It is therefore called “the everlasting covenant.”

In Isaiah 24:1-20 we have a description of the wreckage upon the earth that will be wrought during the Tribulation by the judgments of the Almighty. These will be sent because the inhabitants of the earth “have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24:5). Since there is but one everlasting covenant into which God has entered with all races — the one referred to above — and since the world is to be punished because of its having disregarded the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant, we may be certain that reference is here made to the Noahic Covenant, the sign of which is the rainbow.

In the scene of the throne of God (Revelation, chapter 4) we see it encircled by a rainbow. This doubtless is the rainbow of the Noahic Covenant which appears on this occasion to remind the people of earth that they are being punished because they have violated the conditions of the everlasting covenant. At the same time it is most highly probable that the appearance of the bow encircling the throne of the one like unto the Son of man which Ezekiel saw has the same significance. It will remind the world of the broken everlasting covenant.

II. Ezekiel's Commission
Evidently the sight of this chariot or portable throne with the one like unto a Son of man seated in glory, power, and majesty did overwhelm the prophet who instantly fell to the ground. This supposition is the necessary inference drawn from the statement “and he said unto me, son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee.” When this command was given, the spirit of God entered into the body of the prophet, put him upon his feet, and gave him strength — both physical and spiritual. He was then ready to receive the message, the commands from the Lord of all the earth.

A. The Message
The one like to a Son of man, the Messiah of Israel — seated upon the throne — addressed the prophet, calling him “son of man.” The expression, son of man, is but a synonym for man. This is clearly seen in such a passage as Psalm 8:4: “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Man in the first question is a synonym for the son of man in the second (some scholars not knowing Hebrew parallelism have understood that the one called “the son of man” here is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Son of man par excellence — but this is a misinterpretation of the phrase).

As we have seen, this one who was seated upon the throne is the Son of man in the highest sense of the term because of His being God who entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth and who is the God-man. Though He is God, He is also man. Let us not think of Him as God and man, a monstrosity. But He is the God-man because of His taking the form of man; and, being most profoundly interested in man in every particular, He is the Son of man in the highest sense of the term. Thus this expression in the gospel record is messianic in its import as it is here in Daniel 7:13, 14.

But why did the God-man address Ezekiel as son of man? In the light of His kinship with Ezekiel — and to man in general — to whom He was making His revelation known. In other words, that which is set forth in Hebrews 2:5-18 constitutes a background for the use of “son of man” as applied to Ezekiel. In the Hebrews passage we are told that the God-man identified Himself with us, taking the form of flesh and blood in order that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God for us. Expressed in different terms, there is echoed in the use of our expression, “son of man,” — as applied to the Saviour and to Ezekiel — the thought of the Messiah's being man's Kinsman-Redeemer. Thus the Goel, the Redeemer, aligned Himself with man for his redemption and ultimate glorification.

Ezekiel was told that the children of Israel, to whom he was sent, were a rebellious people. Here Israel is spoken of as “nations.” Doubtless “nations” here is applied to the tribes of Israel. Moses declared, “Jehovah hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day” (Deuteronomy 29:4). Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). While the Apostle Paul stated: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him” (I Corinthians 2:14).

The prophet was reminded of the fact that, though His message would not be received by the people, he was to give it forth. We are not held responsible for results. It is ours to obey and to give the truth, believing that the Lord's word will not return unto Him void but that it will accomplish that whereunto He has sent it. According to the Apostle Paul the gospel is a savor of life unto life, and of death unto death. To those who are hungering for the truth it brings life and they grow and increase in spiritual life and stature, and finally enter into eternal life. On the other hand, those who do not want the truth are living in the shadow of spiritual death. The preaching of the gospel hardens the hearts of all who do not want the truth. Thus the gospel becomes a savor of death unto death to such.

B. The Prophet's Receiving His Message
In this section of our lesson (2:8-3:3) we are told that “a roll of a book” was given to the prophet on which were written “lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” He was commanded to eat this scroll, which he did. This reminds one of the statements made by Jeremiah, who was a contemporary of Ezekiel: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, 0 Jehovah, God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). It also suggests John's receiving a further revelation from God by eating a little book which in his mouth was sweet, but in his stomach was bitter (Revelation, chapter 10). The process of receiving this message from God was enacted symbolically by the Apostle, who ate, devoured, digested and assimilated the scroll. This act signified the reception of the message from God and a spiritual and intellectual grasp of it. It was doubtless a delight, as it was to the prophets, to receive a further revelation from God. But upon grasping the import and the significance of the same, he was made sad, which fact was set forth by the book's being bitter in his stomach.

In 3:4-11 Ezekiel is again reminded of the fact that the people to whom he was being sent were rebellious, and that they would not accept his message. But he was not, he was told, being sent as a foreign missionary to a pagan nation whose language he could not understand. He was going to his own people, who had hardened their hearts and steeled themselves against the message from God. In order to meet such opposition as that which was facing the prophet, the Lord declared that he had made Ezekiel's forehead hard against them. It was as adamant and as flint. In other words, the Lord reinforced the heart, the soul, of the prophet, so that he could meet opposition and declare to the children of Israel their sins.