Christian Publishing House Blog
Apologetic Defense of the faith, the Bible, and Christianity
Abomination of desolation is thus a symbol for the most devastating activities through which the hostile forces of evil make their attack, whether upon the Jewish people in Maccabean times, upon Jerusalem in the first century AD, or upon the people of God in a final assault of evil at the end time.
IF the days of David and Solomon may be compared to spring and summer in the history of the kingdom of Israel, it was late autumn when our story opens.
The numerous parallels between the Book of Ezekiel and the Revelation of John have arrested the attention of all readers. But the number and extent of Ezekiel’s prophecies carry him over a broader field than that of any other apocalyptic prophet so that he combines vision, symbolical-typical action, parable, allegory, and formal prophesying.
All interpreters agree that the empires or world powers denoted by the various parts of the great image in Dan. 2:31–45 and by the four beasts from the sea (Dan. 7) are the same.
We first direct attention to the apocalyptic form and method of the Book of Joel. His prophecy is arranged in two leading divisions. The first part consists of a twofold revelation of judgment. Each revelation is accompanied by words of divine counsel and promise (chapters 1:1–2:27). The second part goes over a portion of the same field again, but delineates more clearly the blessings and triumphs which shall accompany the day of Jehovah (chapters 2:28–3:21; Hebrew text, chapters 3 and 4).
In discussions concerning interpretations of the Bible, we often hear the phrase, “you took that out of context.” In fact, we often hear that in discussions outside the Bible, as when the media quotes a politician and the politician feels he or she has been unfairly treated. In its popular usage, the phrase seems simply to mean, “You got that wrong.”
Knowledge of the original languages can get you even farther. If you have the opportunity to learn the languages, take it. If you have learned the languages, use every opportunity to deepen your knowledge of them. If neither, learn to use responsibly the various study tools now available to help you in your study of God’s Word.
How many times have we been in church listening to the preacher do a good job expositing (explaining) the text? At some point, he says “Now, what the Greek actually says is…” At that pronouncement, the congregation grows a little quieter and a little more attentive. Why is that?
Almighty God, our Creator of heaven, earth, and humanity has the ability to foresee the future, which is just more outstanding evidence of the existence of the Creator.
Psalm 76 was written upon some such occasion as the destruction of Sennacherib. It celebrates a great deliverance brought by the power of God; a deliverance beyond all expectation, brought by God alone.