|
Evangelist
|
 |
« on: November 08, 2004, 11:10:31 AM » |
|
In dispensational thinking, one of the primary precepts is that there is a "gap" that occurs between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel. Over the years, there has been much flak leveled at this "gap" theory by preterists and others, who maintain that there not only is no gap, but that there is no scriptural support for it.
Jesus Himself established the principle of the gap as we can see below. He went into a synagogue, and called for the scroll of the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), and pointedly began reading from Isa. 61:1-2, as recorded in Luke 4:
Luk 4:16
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18
The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20
And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Note that he stopped with the "preach(ing) the acceptable year of the Lord." By doing so, He purposely omitted the remainder of Isa. 61:2, which reads:
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Several things should be noted here.
First, His declaration that He was the messiah expected, since Isa. 61 was considered by the sages and leaders of Israel to be a pointed and specific Messianic prophecy.
Second, the understanding that this prophecy was also considered to be a declaration of God's Year of Jubilee, when ALL things are set right, lands restored, and debts forgiven.
Third, the understanding that Jubilee COULD NOT be celebrated without FIRST undergoing the Day of Atonement, which Jesus fully planned to implement through His sacrifice on the cross.
Lastly, that by purposefully leaving out the "day of vengeance" portion of the scripture, He was emphatically declaring that the "acceptable year of the Lord" would be instituted, and WOULD CONTINUE until some later period of time....it would NOT be concurrent with His ministry.
It is a well recognized and accepted connection by almost all parties that "day of vengeance" is the same as "day of wrath," the "time of Jacobs trouble," and the "dark and terrible day of the Lord," and corresponds to the outpouring of God's wrath upon this earth as spoken of in Daniel and Revelation via the 21 judgments, this period also being referenced in Matt. 24 and 2 Thess 2.
By exempting the portion of scripture declaring vengeance, Jesus was pointedly declaring that the "tribulation" period was not yet, and would not be until such time IN THE FUTURE that "all things shall be fulfilled", and God declares "it is time."
|
Author