Two Sons of David, Part I

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King David of Israel had decided to build a temple to the Lord God in 2 Samuel 7. Then came the word of the Lord through the prophet Nathan. God was not going to allow David to build Him a temple. However God did make certain promises to David.

“When your days are fulfilled, and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who shall proceed out of your bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” 2Sam. 7:12-13 WEB

He also says some other things in the verses following. To this “seed,” this son, God says He will be a father to this son of David. God says that if He does things that are wrong, “I will chasten him with the rod of men.” Still God says that His love for this son of David will not go away, and that “your throne shall be established forever.”

An immediate son of David was King Solomon. He built a literal temple, a “house” to the Lord, in the tenth century BC. And Scripture claims, “Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.” 1Kings 8:20 WEB. A similar claim is made in 2Chr. 6:10. This much fits the prophecy in 2 Samuel 7 very well.

But there are things in the story of Solomon which are unsettling. First of all, Scripture says God’s love for Solomon could be lost, for it was told to Solomon about seeking God,

“… If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” 1Chron 28:9 WEB.

That is quite a bit different from “but my loving kindness shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you.” 2Sam 7:15 WEB

So first of all Solomon could be rejected, and indeed was rejected at least to some extend because of idolatry in his old age. Secondly, Solomon’s kingdom did not last forever, as prophesied. In fact it was brought to an abrupt end with the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC. These facts are far beyond “if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men,” 2Sam 7:14 WEB. These are a couple of big misses!

So where do these facts leave us? Is this a Bible prophecy which has failed? Or is this simply a false prophecy by a false prophet by the name of Nathan?

Or then on the other hand, we might ask, is there another “seed” of David, another son of David, who will come later, and who will fulfill these prophecies?

WEB is the World English Bible, is a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version of 1901

Type and Anti-Type

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There are other words that also used for symbolism in Scripture. There are parables such as Jesus used. Some of the literal commands of the Old Testament which were intended to be symbolic of spiritual truths are sometimes called “shadows.”

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Heb 10:1 KJV

Words for a pattern/ example/ copy are also used .

“who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, …” Heb 8:5 WEB

It was clearly known that sometimes prophetic authors spoke in the first person of someone else! An easy to see example of this is David in writing Psalm 22. The entire psalm is written in the first person, but it describes things which never happened to David. David speaks in the first person of being murdered by “strong bulls,” by “dogs.” He speaks of having his hands and his feet pierced, and says they divided his clothes among them. None of which happened to David. David died in bed, of natural causes, at an old age. However, these same things did happen to Jesus of Nazareth. So here we have the prophet David writing in the first person, of things would happen to Jesus a thousand years later.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how Bible prophecy works, and it is further discussed in “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Also the word type (the Greek word is “tupos”) was also used. In Rom 5:14 Paul says that Adam was a type of the Christ. That is the way the New American Standard 1995 ed., and the English Standard Version translates it, and the KJV translates it as a “figure,” and the WEB translates it as a “foreshadowing.” The King James Version often translates the Greek word “tupos” as an “example” or “pattern.”

Also Peter speaks of the waters of baptism as an “anti-type” (the Greek is “antitupos,” that is to say, the fulfillment) corresponding to the waters that floated Noah’s ark to safety, and calls it “the like figure.”

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” 1Peter 3:21 KJV

A logical next question is whether anyone realized these things in Bible times? The answer is yes. For instance the Ethiopian eunuch when discussing Isaiah 53 with Phillip asked,

“The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?” ” Acts 8:34 WEB

Or take the situation of John the Baptism when he was in prison.

“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” Mtt 11:2-3 KJV

In other words, he is asking Jesus whether he is the Messiah which is to come, or is he just another type, another who is symbolic of the one who is come?

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, is a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Can a Bible Prophecy Fail?

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Jesus has something to say about these things.

First notice that what Christians calls the Old Testament, is described in different ways in Scripture. Jesus calls the Old Testament “the law and the prophets,” in passages like Mtt 7:12 and Mtt 22:40. Then in Luke 22:40 He call the Old Testament the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms in Lk 24:44. Then in John 10:34 Jesus quotes from Psalm 82:6, and says it is “written in your law.” Thus Jesus refers to all of the Old Testament as “the Law,” much as we do today, even though technically, the Law of Moses is just Genesis through Deuteronomy

Then Jesus emphasizes that He is not against the law.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Mtt 5:17 KJV

For a fact Jesus came to fulfill the law of Moses. He is the great prophet of Deuteronomy 18. He is the prophet who is to be like Moses (Deut 18:15), seeming to imply that He is also a giver of a new law. Indeed He is all of these things. But more than that, He is that “son” who is given, that “child” who is born. A “child” who is to be called,

“… Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isa 9:6 KJV

He is fulfillment of the goal, of the mission of mankind, of us becoming what we really should be. Then he makes a definitive statement.

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” Mtt 15:18 KJV

I think Jesus is here really using the word “law” in the broadest sense of the law and the prophets and the psalms. And Jesus saying that nothing said here can fail. Not even the least dotting of an “ i ” or the crossing of “t” can fail before all is accomplished.

Of course all this is saying great things.

In an earlier post (Unfulfilled Old Testament Prophecies? April 22, 2019), it was said that Habakkuk 2:14 was yet to be fulfilled.

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Hab 2:14 KJV

Which clearly has not happened yet. I think almost everyone has read some prophetic passages in the Old Testament, part of which had clearly happened, and which Scripture said had happened, AND part of which did not fit what has happened, al least up to now.

Then Jesus comments further on the nature of prophecy.

Some might say that Hab 2:14 has just failed. It hasn’t happened, so it is a false prophecy. But Jesus says something else. He quotes Psa 82:6 which was referred to above, and says,

“… and the scripture cannot be broken;” Jn 10:35 KJV

So Scripture cannot be broken. That means that if Hab 2:14 has not been fulfilled … it will be.

If we think otherwise, we are either 1.) misunderstanding the prophecy, or 2.) the fulfillment, or 3.) it just has not happened yet.

All of which next brings us the subject of type and anti-type in Scripture.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

How Much of Prophecy Should We Believe?

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“I just don’t see how this can happen.”

Actually there is much that we cannot see, or we have not seen. We are very limited creatures with very limited sight and foresight. Yahweh, He is God, and you and I are just men.

Jesus himself gives us some indications. This is when He is being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Jesus tells the devil and you and me how much of Scripture to believe and live by.

“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Mtt 4:4 KJV

We won’t be able to live just with food. We need every Word that God says. It is a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3. And Jesus treats it as true, in order to live as we should.

This not much different from other passages.

“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” Psa 119:160 KJV

Or again,

“Every word of God is flawless.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” Prov 30:5 WEB

Of course we use different parts of Scripture in different ways. As Christians we are under the law of Christ (1Cor 9:21, Gal 6:2), and not under the law of Moses.

So our regulations for worship do not come from Moses law. So for instance, we do not practice animal sacrifices. Even so,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, …” 2Tim 3:16 KJV

So we would be able to see from Moses laws about sacrifices, that without the shedding of blood and the burning flesh, there is no forgiveness of sin. As the Hebrews author points out,

According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. Heb 9:22 WEB

That is why Jesus died on the cross, and went to the abyss for us for three days (Rom 10:7). To save us from the punishment due us, if we will repent and give our lives to Him.

And since “All scripture is … profitable for doctrine,” Paul can rightfully use a regulation about how to handle an oxen to teach truth to you and me. The passage in mind is,

“You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain.” Deut 25:4 WEB

Paul quotes this passage and goes further and says of this regulation in Moses law about oxen, that,

“… Yes, it was written for our sake, …” 1Cor 9:10 WEB

Then Paul goes on to prove (1Cor 9:9-14) from this passage in Moses law to in that,

“they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” 1Cor 9:14 KJV

Indeed, we should use all Scripture.

“Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain.
God is His own interpreter
and He will make it plain.”

From the hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, is a public domain, copyright free, revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901, Version 1.3

Unfulfilled Old Testament Prophecies?

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Of course there are, and there are many of them.

And it does not require a degree in Bible or Biblical languages to spot them. It does require believing the Bible, and that is the biggest hurdle for many.

Many do not realize that we have often subtly taught ourselves to not believe portions of the Bible, or to not believe certain passages. When a plainly says something we do not believe, we often say to ourselves, “I am not sure I believe that.” Or if we read a passage which we think contradicts another passage that we clearly do believe, we say to ourselves, that couldn’t be true.

As horrible as it sounds, we are often questioning God Himself in these things.

… He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given … 1Jn 5:10 WEB

Scary but true, and without realizing it we may do such things all along.

Often we form schisms, splits, separations, denominations, as we divide up sides on which verses to believe, or to disbelieve. Actually Scriptures is a consistent body of literature, by a single author, the Lord our God. It is not a matter of deciding which verses to believe, but of giving part it’s due.

Most churches believe in sending out missionaries to preach to a dark world.

And that is entirely proper. There is a need for preaching to those parts of the world which have not heard the gospel. It is a good message of release from sin and death and decay. It is a message that we need not perish in our own foolishness. We can become what we need to become, and should become through Jesus our Lord.

Many throughout the world do not have access to the gospel. There are even many people in the world who do not yet have the Word of God in their own language.

But guess what? Scripture indicates that one day the whole world will hear the gospel.

“For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Hab 2:14 KJV

Examine the context for yourself. It does seem to be speaking of this present sinful world. It contrasts this glorious result with the present condition of many peoples.

“Behold, isn’t it of Yahweh of Hosts that the peoples labor for the fire, and the nations weary themselves for nothing?” Hab 2:13 nf

Or again in the following verse.

“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” Hab 2:15

Yes indeed it is speaking of this present world. Yet it pictures our own degradation as something unnecessary, because “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Hab 2:14

Clearly Habakkuk 2:14 is a failure as a prophecy … or is yet to be fulfilled. An unfulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, is a public domain, copyright free, revision of the original ASV American Standard Version, Version 1.3

nf is my own translation of a passage, based on the WEB

The purpose of these posts.

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The purpose being pursued here is to supplement (but not replace) the material in the books, and to answer relevant questions as they may come up. This author thinks the New American Standard 1995 ed. (NASB) is over all the most accurate of the modern translations, with the English Standard Version (ESV), being a close second. However, for the purpose of these posts, the translations which will be used will be the:

KJV, King James Version, 1611
WEB, the World English Bible, a public domain, copyright free,
revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901,
Version 1.3

or lastly at times, to bring out more clearly various factors in the text, I will use:

nf, my own translation of a passage, based on the WEB.

Starting April 17, 2021 posts will be made from time to time, but NOT on a three times a week basis as has been. Personal commitments to local church work are what has driven this decision.

The posts and audio that exist will be maintained as reference material and support for the books. I hope the reader will find this material useful, and searchable, using the search box at the top right of the site. May you the reader, of the books, or of this collection of posts, be blessed.

This site will still be monitored, and questions answered, as may be appropriate.

Yours in Christ, Neal Fain, April 17, 2021

The Place of Prophecy in a Balanced Christian Life!

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A missing dimension in 21st Century Christianity is a believing and level-headed view prophecy. How in the world do you read it? What does it mean, or should mean, to you and I, on small spot of a wide reach of time and space. Is it all over? Is it all to come? Is it mostly over? Or just some final things to come? Would it, or should it affect my behaviour? If so how?

What God has said has altered behaviour in the past. It really depends on what God has said will be, doesn’t it? We will in the coming months be presenting books, pamphlets and downloadable materials to put things in perspective, and to help read and prepare for ourselves.

Noah received some prophecies from the Lord about things which we soon to come upon the earth. He believed what he was told, and took those actions which were necessary to put his life in line with the announcements God had made. You and I need to do that too! Listen, heed, change the things we are doing.

See the new books on prophecy: Prophecy Principles, and Revealing the Christian Age.

Noah and his sons act on those things they are told.