Prophetic Pillars
Bible prophecy can be confusing. First, you have what seems to be a ‘stream of consciousness’ writing style. None of the prophets follow what might be considered the modern-day sermon outline: introduction, 3-points, conclusion. That’s challenging enough but on top of this, prophecy by its very nature contains a lot of figurative language.
In fact, here is our summary of what makes prophecy impossible (yes, we said impossible) to definitively interpret if you are only provided with the prophecy itself to interpret:
- no clear outline; difficult to follow,
- not clear language; figurative; illustrative,
- context often not helpful or even relevant (ex 2 Samuel 7:14, Hosea 11:1),
- the “now” and “not yet” nature of Scripture (sometimes called “duality” in prophecy).
Fortunately, God has not only revealed prophecy to us but other Scripture – inspired writers that help us sort through and understand at least some (if not most) of the “prophetic word.” This is the very point being made by Peter (1 Peter 1:10-12) and a main reason for this site. Unfortunately, many don’t take the time to consider all that God has said about something and jump to conclusions — a practice especially dangerous with prophecy (see above).
It seems people, even church leaders, gravitate to the most elaborate and sometimes obscure portions of prophecy and “pluck” them out to form a doctrinal belief. Leaving these portions aside for the moment, we believe there are four chapters from each of the ‘major’ prophets that provide all of the foundational concepts and themes that can guide the Bible student to understanding the ‘more difficult’ portions of prophecy.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these prophetic pillars:
These four chapters leave no wiggle room in their interpretation. The twenty-first century Bible student can understand their meaning and application with full confidence through divine interpretation. We don’t need charts, diagrams, theological “genius” or a charismatic televangelist!
From these four chapters, we can understand clearly that Jesus, the Branch of David, came in the last days and established his eternal kingdom. This spiritual kingdom, the church, is the restoration of spiritual Israel and Judah. Anyone, Jew or Gentile, is free to take possession of “the land” and enter into a “covenant of peace” with God through his word. Doing so makes them a Levite (priest to God) and a joint heir with Christ, where God will dwell until they inherit the heavenly land.
important scripture blocks
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
The Lord says there is a time when He will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah, unlike the covenant made with their fathers after coming out of Egypt. They broke that one, though God was their husband. Under the new covenant, God will put His law within them and write it on their hearts. It will be known that He is their God and they are His people. They will no longer need to teach each other to know the Lord, for all will know Him, from the least to the greatest. He will forgive their sins, and remember them no more.
Jeremiah’s book of prophecy as the people of Judah (the northern tribes of Israel already long lost to Assyrian captivity) are faced with Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah’s main message (from God) is that they should not resist and they will be there for seventy years. However, for this specific question the context around this passage is critical and actually begins back in chapter 30.
but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:
There is a God in heaven that revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar the mystery that will happen in the latter days.
In his second year, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream that bothered him but nobody could interpret it for him…until he called on Daniel. His dream (vss 32-35) was of a large image, “The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”The interpretation given to Daniel from God was that each component represented kingdoms that would follow his own, until in the latter days there would be a kingdom that stood forever.
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,
In his second year, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream that bothered him but nobody could interpret for him. Until he called on Daniel. His dream (vss 32-35) was of a large image, “The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”The interpretation (from God) was that each component represented kingdoms that would follow his own. In the days of those kings, God would establish a kingdom that would never be destroyed or passed to another people. It would break and end those kingdoms and stand forever.
And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.
I [God] will install over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he shall feed them and be their shepherd. I will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them. I am God; it shall come to pass.
In this entire chapter, God through Ezekiel is contrasting the spiritual leaders of his day (“shepherds”) who were leading the people astray with a shepherd through whom God would establish “a covenant of peace” (vs 25).
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