For those that discount the widely held belief in a 7 year covenant that is made with Israel in Daniel 9, how do you reconcile these verses that clearly state that during the global destruction (aka Tribulation) that Israel will make a "covenant with death" because they believe it will make them safe? Sounds like a peace treaty to me.Isaiah 28:14 ...hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, It will not come to us, For we have made lies our refuge, And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves."Isaiah 28:18 & 22 Your covenant with death will be annulled, And your agreement with Sheol will not stand; When the overflowing scourge passes through, Then you will be trampled down by it... Now therefore, do not be mockers, Lest your bonds be made strong; For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth.Why is it OK to twist the covenant in Daniel 9 to make it a TV commercial without Israel in the picuture? Especially with this second witness to show us that there will be a peace covenant made with Israel.
How do you reconcile the time needed BEFORE the antichrist's 1260 day rule for the Mystery Babylon religious system to rule and take over the Saints? Do you truly believe that this will happen in less than a four month period? What if we are still here for another month, two months, three months? Will you then spiritualize away the rule of Mystery Babylon? What if we are still here on April 11 and after that? Will you decide that there is more "progressive prophecy" being revealed that the Tribulation is one year instead of the clearly stated 3 1/2 year Great Tribulation?Why do you put stock in "supernatural" confirmations to your beliefs, when we are warned repeatedly in Scripture to "test the spirits" and not to be deceived? Testing the spirits means to make sure it lines up with the Word of God taken at "face value". Private interpretation and spiritualizing become confusing and God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
I think we all would do well to take a lesson from the following discussion:
What is the key to understanding Bible prophecy?
Dr. David R. ReaganBy Dr. David R. Reagan
Founder & Director, Lamb & Lion MinistriesOn this week's episode of "Christ in Prophecy" my two guest experts — Gary Fisher of Lion of Judah Ministry and Dennis Pol lock of Spirit of Grace Ministries — answered this very important question. I know you will enjoy their very fascinating and informative responses.
The Key to Understanding Bible Prophecy
Dennis Pollock: The key is actually something that I've heard you say so many times over — if the plan sense makes sense you don't look for any other sense, or you will end up with nonsense. In other words, what you do is, unless the passage or prophecy is just shouting and screaming, "I'm an illustration, I'm a symbol," you take it at face value. You will come up with a far more accurate perspective than if you decide every prophetic passage has to be translated by me and I will figure out exactly what God is saying.
Dr. Reagan: That would make you God, right?
Dennis Pollock: It would make me God. Let me give you an example. In Zechariah 14 it says the Lord is going to fight against the nations that have come against Jerusalem. It says His feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives. It says living water is going to come forth and flow from Jerusalem. And, He will be the King and Lord over the whole earth.
Now, let me give you the Dennis Pollock translation and interpretation of these deep passages. Here is what I believe it is saying. The Lord will go forth and fight against the nations that come against Jerusalem. His feet are going to stand on the Mount of Olives. Living waters are going to flow from Jerusalem. And, Jesus will be King over the whole earth. Now, I know that's incredibly profound, but I'm taking the safe route which is to believe that what the Bible says is true.
Dr. Reagan: That would make you a fundamentalist! But, Dennis, the point of the matter is that same book of Zechariah has all kinds of First Coming prophecies, and every one of them have meant what they said. They said the Messiah was going to come humbly on a donkey and be hailed as a King. Today's allegorizers would say, "Well, no, that does not mean He is going to come on a donkey. It just means He is going to be a humble person." But, no, He came riding on a donkey.
Dennis Pollock: That's exactly right.
Dr. Reagan: If the First Coming prophecies meant what they said, then why don't the Second Coming ones mean what they say? What would you say about this?
Gary Fisher: My answer to this is — believe the Bible as it is written.
I was having lunch with a pastor one day and we were talking about this very issue. I knew we were in trouble when we got to lunch. He slid this booklet across the table and he told me, "This is the latest booklet that I wrote on Bible prophecy." He looked at me and declared, "Gary, I studied these things and I respectfully just believe you are wrong." I asked, "Wrong about what part?" He stated, "Jesus is never going coming back to this earth." Well, I said, "Brother, Zechariah 14:4 says that the Messiah's feet one day will touch down on the Mount of Olives." He replied, "Don't you understand that is just talking about the born again experience." I had to say humorously, "No, I didn't understand that." I believe Zechariah just like Dennis read a few moments ago. I believe it will happen exactly like Zechariah says it will.
C.I. Scofield was one of my heroes on this issue. He wrote that he didn't quite understand Ezekiel 38-39, that Russia was going to attack Israel in the last days. That was back in 1908. At that time Israel didn't exist and Russia was a Christian nation. But, he believed the Bible as it was written. We will be on safe ground if we do so as well.
Dennis Pollock: You remember when the wise men came to Herod. They were wanting a little more info about where this king was going to be born. Herod called for the scribes and asked something like, "Hey, Guys, you study the Scriptures. Where do you suppose the Messiah is going to be born?" What did they tell him? They answered that it would be in Bethlehem of Judea. How in the world did they figure that out? They read the Old Testament and it said, "From you Bethlehem Ephrathah will come forth a ruler." So, they read the Scripture and they believed exactly as it reads. They nailed it! They got it dead on, and that's how we should also understand Bible prophecy.
Dr. Reagan: The only thing I would add to what you all have said is that principle should apply to all the Bible, not just to Bible prophecy, but to all the Bible. Just take the Bible for its plain sense meaning.
God wants to communicate. He knows how to communicate. You don't have to have a Ph.D. in hermeneutics or imagination in order to understand God's Word.