(Continued: Chapter I-How to Interpret Prophecy)

The next passage to be examined is Matthew 13:13-15:
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,

By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross,
And their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed;
Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And should turn again,
And I should heal them.

In Matthew, chapter 13, are seven parables of the kingdom. The disciples came to Jesus and asked Him why He was speaking to the multitudes in parables. A parable is an illustration which ordinarily is designed to make the truth under consideration clear to the hearers who want truth. But on certain occasions Jesus spoke the truth in parabolic form in order to conceal it from those who did not want it. "If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself" (John 7:17). Because of these principles the Lord Jesus said, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you" (Matt. 7:6).

When God called and commissioned Isaiah to proclaim His message to Israel (Isaiah, chapter 6), He charged the Prophet to keep on preaching the Word. At the same time the Lord revealed to him that the people would hear, but would not heed. Though the people would hear the message, they would not understand it, the reason being, "This people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed ..." Truth in one particular is like heat: it melts wax, but hardens clay. The truth melts the hearts of those wanting it and mellows their souls before God; at the same time, it hardens the hearts of those who have no longing for God. What was true of the people of Isaiah's day was also true of the people of the time of Jesus. The same principle holds good today and always. Matthew 13:35 is an illustration of the third type of prophecy—literal plus an application.

Matthew states that Jesus did not speak to the multitudes without a parable, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world." This quotation is taken from Psalm 78:2 which reads:

I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old.

In Isaiah, chapter 29, the Prophet sees in vision the people of Israel in the end time and declares that they honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Certain Pharisees from Jerusalem, who were sticklers for the tradition of the elders, asked Jesus, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread" (Matt. 15:2). Jesus replied, showing them that they were making void the Word of God by their traditions. Moreover, He showed them that in their worship they simply honored God with their lips, whereas their hearts were far from Him. Then He declared that in them was fulfilled the prediction uttered by Isaiah concerning the Hebrew people of the end of the age. This prediction is a literal prophecy plus an application to an analogous case.

In Matthew 21:42 a most important prediction is quoted from Psalm 118.
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures,

The stone which the builders rejected,
The same was made the head of the corner;
This was from the Lord,
And it is marvellous in our eyes?

What is the significance of the word stone in this passage? Is it a literal stone, or is it used symbolically?

According to the Golden Rule of Interpretation, when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, one is to seek no other sense. When, however, the literal interpretation of a given passage does not make good sense, one is to seek from the facts of the context indications as to the proper interpretation. An examination of Psalm 118, from which the quotation under consideration is taken, shows that this sublime Psalm is a revelation concerning Israel's return to God. This truth becomes evident by a careful and prayerful noting of the facts which like gems sparkle here and there in the various verses.

According to some expositors, Psalm 118, the last of the Hallel Psalms, was sung by the temple choir at the time of the Passover and by the pilgrims who went to Jerusalem to worship, as well as by the worshipers already congregated there. A group of pilgrims, as they approached Jerusalem, would begin singing this song so that they would be standing before the gate of the Temple by the time that they had finished the first eighteen verses.

Then they would sing:

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness:
I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto Jehovah.

Immediately, the temple choir would respond to the newly arrived pilgrims, saying,

20 This is the gate of Jehovah;
The righteous shall enter into it.

Then the people who had already assembled in the temple court would burst forth into joyous praise,

21 I will give thanks unto thee; for thou hast answered me,
And art become my salvation.

At this time someone in the audience would shout with hilarious acclaim:

22 The stone which the builders rejected
Is become the head of the corner.

Then the entire audience would burst forth,

23 This is Jehovah's doing;
It is marvellous in our eyes.

A second voice would ring out over the audience, saying,

24 This is the day which Jehovah hath made;

A second time the audience would burst forth into praise:

We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, we beseech thee, O Jehovah:
O Jehovah, we beseech thee, send now prosperity.

The officiating priest in solemn tones of accent would bless the expectant worshipers, saying,

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of Jehovah:
We have blessed you out of the house of Jehovah.
27 Jehovah is God, and he hath given us light:
Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Finally, the entire audience—priests and people—would pledge their allegiance saying,

28 Thou art my God, and I will give thanks unto thee:
Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
29 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

In the light of the foregoing analysis of this Psalm, it is evident that the word stone is not used literally, but symbolically.

In this Psalm the arrival of pilgrims at Jerusalem and the regular ritualistic services conducted at the time of the Passover are presented as a pageant setting forth Israel's return to God in the end time. By the observance of the Passover feast yearly, there was held up before the people the fundamental facts concerning Israel's return to God. (For an exposition of Psalm 118, see my booklet entitled Israel's Return to God—80 pages.)

Since the word stone is used symbolically, what is its significance here? In Genesis 49:24 Jacob, in blessing Joseph, says:

But his bow abode in strength,
And the arms of his hands were made strong,
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel).

Here the shepherd who comes from the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob is called "the stone of Israel." An examination of every passage where the word stone is used symbolically shows that it refers to the Messiah.

Some scholars say that in the sentence "The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner" (Matt. 21:42) is heard an echo of a tradition found in Jewish lore regarding the building of Solomon's Temple. Under the northeast part of the old city of Jerusalem are what is known as Solomon's quarries, from which the stones used in the construction of the Temple were taken. A vertical shaft was sunk from the level of the temple area through the rock down to the quarries below. With a block and tackle type of windless, the stones, cut to size according to specification, were drawn from the quarry to the surface above. After the survey had been made and the ground staked for the laying of the foundation, the builders—those superintending the work—began looking for the chief cornerstone.

They looked at a stone which seemed to be the one, but upon approaching it, and without actual measurement of it, hastily decided that it was not the right one. Passing by it, they continued their search for the chief cornerstone. In their quest, they examined a number of stones, but none of them were of the right dimensions. Finally, they came back to the first one at which they had looked; and, to their utter amazement, it was the one for which they had been seeking. Then these leaders called for the workmen who took the stone and laid it in its proper position. Thus "the stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner."

The set feasts of Israel which were observed in Jerusalem—especially the Passover—therefore furnished the framework into which the inspired Psalmist built new revelations regarding both the rejection of the Messiah at His first coming and of His being enthusiastically welcomed by His people Israel at His Second Coming: "The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner" (Ps. 118:22). Who rejects the stone (Messiah) at His first coming? The builders (leaders) who fail to recognize Him, and who "err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God" (Matt. 22:29).

As chastisement for this tragic and inexcusable mistake of not knowing the Scriptures and of the criminal act of rejecting and executing the Messiah as a deceiver and impostor, the stroke of divine judgment fell upon the nation, which scattered them to the fours corners of the earth, where they have been ostracized commercially and politically and have suffered inhuman treatment and indescribable atrocities at the hands of certain Gentile governments and individual anti-Semites¹ for nearly two thousand years.

But the stone, Messiah, is to become "the head of the corner." Who will put Him in His rightful place? As in the case of the builders of Solomon's Temple, those who rejected the first stone at which they looked, but later accepted it and placed it in its rightful position, so the builders of Israel (leaders of Israel of the end time) will see the tragic mistake made by their predecessors in office and will put Him in His rightful position.

How will these leaders put the Messiah in His rightful place? Obviously, by learning the facts of the case as seen in the Scriptures, by acknowledging before God and man the fatal error of rejecting Him, and by pleading for His return. That this statement of the facts is true is seen by the language of the inspired Apostle Peter:

19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you even Jesus: 21 whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old (Acts 3:19-21).

Having called attention to the prophecy regarding the rejection and the eventual acceptance of the stone (Messiah), Jesus continues, saying,

43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust (Matt. 21:43, 44).

According to I Chronicles 28:5, the Kingdom of God in the days of King David was coextensive with the kingdom of Israel. If any Gentile wished to worship the true and the living God, the God of Israel, he had to become a proselyte to the Jewish faith. This situation continued from Sinai to Calvary. But when the builders rejected the stone (the Shepherd of Israel), Israel ceased to be the favored nation occupying the central position in the plan of God. The Kingdom of God was taken from the people of Israel, as the Lord Jesus foretold. When the Kingdom was taken from them, it was "given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

This prediction is being fulfilled during the present Christian Dispensation, which began on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection of Christ and continues until His glorious return. A full account of the beginning of this prophecy is found in Acts, chapter 2. As James said, God is now taking out from the Gentiles a people for His Name—the spiritual nation to whom He gives the Kingdom (Acts 15:14-18).

In this prediction the Lord Jesus says that "he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust." Those falling upon the stone are the ones who reject the Messiah at His first coming and are, according to the prediction, to be broken to pieces.

Forty years later, in the calamity of A.D. 70, the Jewish nation was subdued by the Romans, and the survivors were scattered among the nations and remain so to the present day. Thus, in the national overthrow of Israel, those falling on this stone—those rejecting the Messiah—were, in the language of this prophecy, broken to pieces.

"But on whomsoever it [the rejected Messiah] shall fall, it will scatter him as dust." To what event does this prediction refer? The stone falls upon certain ones. The falling of the stone upon them immediately suggests the prediction found in Daniel, chapter 2. In this passage is recorded the vision which was granted to Nebuchadnezzar. There appeared a metallic image in a plain at the foot of a great mountain. A little stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, rolled down the mountainside, struck the image on the feet, and broke it in pieces. These pieces "became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth" (v. 35).

As already seen, a stone when used symbolically always signifies the Messiah. Unquestionably, the vision of Daniel, chapter 2, is purely symbolic, as is seen in vv. 36-45. The metallic image—head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly of brass, legs of iron, and feet and toes of iron and miry clay—symbolizes four world kingdoms. Since the image is symbolic, the stone, likewise is symbolic. The stone symbolizes the Messiah of Israel. But to what event or time does this vision pertain? Since the image symbolizes the kingdoms of the world (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome), since the falling stone destroys the image, and since the stone signifies the Messiah, one naturally concludes that the falling of this stone is a prediction of the Second Coming of the Messiah, who at that time will destroy all human governments and will set up a reign of righteousness "from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:10).

In Matthew 22:1-14 appears a prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, spoken by the Lord Jesus, and the sending forth of the gospel message to all nations. This prophecy is of vital importance and is briefly discussed in Messiah: His Historical Appearance, pp. 289-91. In Matthew 22:44 is a quotation from Psalm 110, which is one of the most important predictions in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, and which is discussed in the next chapter of this book. The Olivet Discourse, in Matthew, chapters 24 and 25; Mark, chapter 13; and Luke, chapter 21, is one of the Lord's most important prophetic utterances. It describes what properly can be called the unmistakable, infallible sign of the end of the Age. This topic is discussed in Chapter III of this book. In Matthew, chapters 26 and 27, appears the account of the arrest, the trial, and the execution of Jesus of Nazareth. In these chapters appear several prophecies concerning the events narrated. An examination of these quotations in the original Hebrew Scriptures shows that they were fulfilled literally—as foretold. Psalm 22:1-21 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12 furnish the prophetic background of the events recorded in Matthew, chapters 26-28.

This brief survey of prophecy, both fulfilled and unfulfilled, in the Gospel according to Matthew, affords ample proof that prophecy is to be taken literally unless there is absolute proof showing that some element appearing in a given prediction is to be under stood figuratively—in the light of the context.

Luke, the beloved physician and co-worker with the Apostle Paul, wrote two books of the New Testament: The Gospel according to Luke and the Acts. Luke's writings at one time were under fire by the rationalistic critics, who thought they had absolute proof which discredits him as a historian. They discredited especially the chronological data in Luke 2:1-7 and 3:1-6, as well as several chronological statements in The Acts. With great gusto they, in substance, shouted "Anachronism! Anachronism!"

At the same time faithful and competent archeologists, such as Sir William Ramsey, were quietly, but diligently, seeking for facts—indisputable facts—regardless of what these facts proved. And Sir Ramsey discovered facts which prove that Luke was a reputable historian of the first magnitude. One should read carefully his book Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? as well as other voluminous works by the same author. One should also read, Luke, the Historian in the Light of Research, by the late Dr. A. T. Robertson. With confidence, therefore, we shall now turn to the writings of Luke. Since this author wrote for the Greeks, who delighted in an elevated style and ornate language, he, a scientific scholar, wrote his message largely in the literary Koine of his day. Since, however, the Greeks knew practically nothing about the Old Testament, Luke, in his record of the gospel, as a rule, quoted only those prophecies that had already been discussed by Matthew. Whenever he did, he interpreted the quotation literally—just as Matthew had done. We shall now investigate several quotations from the Old Testament found in The Acts.

The first passage to be examined is found in Acts 1:20: "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take." This verse is quoted from two passages—Psalms 69:25 and 109:8. When they are studied in the light of the original contexts, one sees that they are to be taken literally.

The next passage to be investigated is Acts 2:17-21:

17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God,
I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams:
18 Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days
Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above,
And signs on the earth beneath;
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the day of the Lord come,
That great and notable day:
21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This quotation is taken from Joel 2:28-32. In order to comprehend this prediction, one must investigate it in its original setting. It begins with these words, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh ..." The word afterward must first be studied because it gives the proper perspective. God will pour out His Spirit upon all people after certain things have occurred. What things? The things referred to, without a doubt, are found in the preceding paragraph, Joel 2:21-27:

21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame.

In verse 21 the Prophet exhorts the land, saying, "O land, be glad ..." In verse 22 he addresses the beasts of the field, saying, "Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field ..." In verse 23, he exhorts the Jewish people saying, "Be glad then, ye children of Zion ..." The beasts of the field of verse 22 are literal beasts that are urged not to be afraid, because the pastures will spring forth abundantly, and the fruit trees will yield their strength. The children of Zion of verse 23—the Israelites, or Jews—are urged to be glad, because God gives abundant rain—the former rain in proper measure and likewise the latter rain. As a result, the people will harvest bumper crops every year. But who is addressed in verse 21 by the words "O Land"? Since the Prophet addresses the people of the land in verse 23 as the children of Zion, in verse 21 he is not calling upon the people of the land to rejoice. Can the literal land rejoice and be glad? Of course not. The land is, therefore, not to be taken literally, but figuratively. The Prophet thinks of the land as if it were a person—the figure of personification.

Why is the land to rejoice and be glad? The answer is, "For Jehovah hath done great things." Though the Prophet does not tell what great things Jehovah has done, on account of which the land is to rejoice, we can gather from the context what these things are. As a result of these great things, there is to be an abundance of food for the beasts of the field, and the fruit trees are to yield their strength: that is, all fruit trees will yield their maximum strength as God intended originally. Abnormal weather conditions will be restored to normal, so that the rains will come in the proper quantity and at the right time. Bumper crops will result from these great things which God does for the land. In view of all these facts, it is only logical to believe that the great things which God does for the land are the lifting of the curse from the ground, from the animals, and from man. This interpretation is confirmed by Isaiah 11:6-9 and Romans 8:18-25.

The former, or early, rains in the Holy Land are the same as the fall rains in Southern California, which prepare the soil for the cultivation and sowing of grain; the latter or spring rains mature the crops. There will be, therefore, an abundance of grain, new wine, and oil.

Can the early rains and the latter rains of this passage be interpreted spiritually as referring to the pouring out of the Spirit of God at the beginning of this Dispensation and again at the close of it? It is clear from the facts of the context that the Prophet is talking about literal rain. There is not the least suggestion in this passage that he is talking about pouring out the Spirit of God.

When God lifts the curse from the ground, He will restore the years that the locusts and other pests have eaten, and the crops that have been destroyed by an invading army (Joel 1:1-7; 2:25).

There will, therefore, be an abundance of all types of food. And the Hebrews will constantly praise God for dealing with them so very bountifully and wondrously. Never again will they be put to shame. Two things will stand foremost in their thinking: that Jehovah their Messiah is in the midst of Israel and that He is their God.

In the statement "It shall come to pass afterward," the word afterward refers to the time after the things enumerated in vv. 21-27 have taken place. In other words, after Jehovah the Messiah has come and lifted the curse from the earth, God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, all nations. At the end of the Tribulation the remnant of Israel—as will be shown in Messiah: His Final Call to Israel—will repudiate the national sin of rejecting the Messiah at His first coming, will receive Him at His Second Coming, will herald the message of the gospel to those of the nations that survive the Tribulation, and will lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. For the first time in the history of man, there will be a converted world. When these peoples accept Christ as Saviour and Redeemer, God will regenerate their hearts and will pour out His Spirit upon them. Then will be fulfilled Joel's statement "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh."

After taking us into the millennial reign of Christ (Joel 2:21-28a), the Prophet in his prediction, verses 28b-32, comes back to the period immediately preceding the Tribulation and foretells the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon certain ones of Israel and the first installment of Israel's conversion. In thus speaking, Joel employed the law of recurrence, adding some details to the prophecy that had not been mentioned before. That he is talking about something that will occur before the Tribulation is clear from the context. For in connection with the pouring out of the Spirit, the Lord will "show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh" (Joel 2:30,31). These spiritual phenomena and the miracles in the heavens above an in the earth beneath will occur "before the great and terrible day of Jehovah" (Zeph. 1:14-18). Elijah the Prophet is to be sent by the Lord to Israel "before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come" (Mal. 4:5).

Whoever at that time believes the message of God's Word and calls upon the name of Jehovah, Messiah, will escape: "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call" (Joel 2:32).

Having analyzed the passage in Joel, chapter 2, which the Apostle Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost, one is prepared to examine the construction placed upon it by the inspired Apostle.

According to Acts, chapter 2, the Holy Spirit, in fulfillment of the promise of Jesus, manifested Himself both visibly and audibly. At that time there were in Jerusalem at the Feast of Pentecost Jews from sixteen nations. When the Holy Spirit made His presence known, the multitude ran together in excitement, asking, "What meaneth this?" Some mocked, saying, "They [the apostles] are filled with new wine."

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words. 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day; 16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God,
I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh:
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams:
18 Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days
Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above,
And signs on the earth beneath;
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the day of the Lord come,
That great and notable day:
21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:14-21).

Footnote:

¹ With shamefacedness genuine Christians have to admit that some who bear the name of Christ are guilty of anti-Semitism and of mercilessly mistreating the Jews and of persecuting them beyond measure.

(Continued on the next page)