Old Testament Archives - Page 126 of 141

Palm Sunday 2011: A Plot Twist Triumph

Joe Harby on April 17, 2011

Introduction

The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem is the prelude to His crucifixion, and so it is odd that it has come to be called the triumphal entry. But it actually reveals a good understanding of what was actually happening there. The right hand of the Lord does valiantly (Ps. 118:16), but it turns out to have been the left hand. That it was a left-handed triumph did not keep it from being a triumph. No one thinks that the Greeks lost the Trojan War because the Trojans hauled what they thought to be a trophy of their victory inside the city walls.

The Text

“The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death. But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses” (Psalm 68:17-21).

Summary of the Text

The Bible is filled with many descriptions of triumph. Many of them are of the straight up the middle kind, as here. But when God overcame the rulers of that age, who did not know what He was doing (1 Cor. 2:8), the language of these right-handed triumphs is applied straight across. The psalmist pleads with God to arise and scatter His enemies (v. 1), which the Lord then proceeds to do. The Lord is among myriads of angels, in the holy place (v. 17). He then ascended on high, prefiguring the ascension of the Lord Jesus into Heaven (v. 18; Eph. 4:8). The Ascension looks like a triumph ought to look, but it was prefigured (accurately) by a march of death in faith. God is the God of our salvation, and He daily loads us with benefits (v. 19). The God of our salvation holds all the issues of death in His hand (v. 20). God shall win a complete victory, wounding the head of his enemies (v. 21).

A Most Unusual Triumph

Christ entered the conquered city in triumph before He had conquered it. Usually you have the battle and after that the victory parade. Jesus, the model of all faith, reversed the order. He held a triumphant procession before the battle. This had all been laid out in Scripture beforehand, and Scripture cannot be broken. Jesus knew that, because He saw Scripture rightly. And it did not matter how explicitly He spoke of this plan, spiritual blindness— attached as it is to the wisdom of the world—cannot comprehend it, and cannot overcome it (Jn. 1:5).

But we can understand how it is that they could not understand. Not only did Jesus conduct the victory parade before the victory, but His victory, when He came to it, was accomplished by dying, and not by killing. He crushed the serpent’s head by allowing Himself to be bruised by a crushing blow (Is. 53:5). And so being crushed was actually the crushing blow.

But the lack of spiritual understanding was not because the words were unclear.

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matt. 16:21)

When God Speaks in Code

As Christ entered into His victory, so should we. We are Christians, imitators of Him. What then is your triumphal entry? Have you been demoted, insulted, wronged, or badly handled? Has the Lord of all affliction assigned a portion of that peculiar blessing to you? Do you chafe because Lot pushed ahead of you and chose the choice portion, right next to Sodom? Are you mystified because after Samuel anointed you the next king, all the promotion memos resulted in you hiding from Saul in the wilderness? Why does God persist in thinking that down is the way up?

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12).

This is how God speaks in code; this is how He hides the purloined letter. He says what we would rather not hear, and does so bluntly, overtly, plainly, and with all clarity. If we receive it in faith, the promise is apportioned to us in accordance with our faith. If we say, sorry, we “can’t do that, not after what they did to” us, then the first thing we ought to do is consider the possibility that what they are saying is not false. The promise does not belong to those who reject the terms of it. When we take up our cross to follow Jesus, as He required of us, the process includes exulting in a great victory by faith beforehand.

The Righteous Shall Enter

But Christ is righteous, and we are not. Of course He knows how to do this kind of thing. But how can we approach the “gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter” (Ps. 118:20)? “Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in” (Is. 26:2). How do we enter those gates? Because Christ defeated the devil in this “upside down” fashion, it is possible for sinners to respond to His invitation. Left to our own devices, we would have entered the wrong gate, taken the wrong entry ramp. We would have done the obvious thing. He made it possible for us not to.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” (Matt 7:13).

In order to do this right, we have to stop thinking like scholars, and start thinking more like little kids.

“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3).

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).

The David Chronicles 7: The Ark of the Gentiles

Joe Harby on April 10, 2011

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Introduction

We now can see the shape of an interesting storyline taking place. We see Israelites acting like faithless Gentiles, and Gentiles acting like faithful Israelites. In the pages to come, we are going to see quite a bit of this.

The Text

“And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place . . .” (1 Sam. 6:1-21).

Summary of the Text

The Philistines had the ark for seven months, meaning that they were plagued for about that time (v. 1). When they got to the end of their rope, they asked their holy men how to unload the ark (v. 2). They gave good advice— don’t send it off without a trespass or guilt offering (v. 3). What shall that offering be? The answer was that there should be five golden tumors, to match the number of the chief lords of the chief cities (v. 4). There were also mice, which may have represented the surrounding agrarian villages, which were apparently plagued by mice eating the grain. The mice “marred the land” (v. 5). All Philistia was afflicted. They were told to give glory to the God of Israel, and perhaps He will take His hand off them, their gods, and their land (v. 5). The priests of Philistia reminded the lords of the Philistines not to harden their hearts the way Pharaoh and the Egyptians had (v. 6). They were advised to take two milch cows, and to tie them to a new cart, and to take their calves away (v. 7). The ark is to be put on the cart, and the gold tumors and mice put in a box next to it, and the cart turned loose (v. 8). If the milch cows head (uphill) to Israel, then God is afflicting them, but if the milch cows go in search of their calves, then the plague was a coincidence (v. 9). So they followed the advice (vv. 10-11). The milch cows, lowing for their calves, made a beeline for Israel anyway, and the lords of the Philistines followed after, right up to the border (v. 12). The men of Bethshemesh were in the wheat harvest (May/June), and they were interrupted by the arrival of the cart (v. 13). The cart stopped by the house of a man named Joshua, and so they offered up the milch cows as a burnt offering (v. 14). They put the ark on a rock, and offered more burnt offerings (v. 15). The lords
of the Philistines, satisfied, returned home (v. 16). The gold tumors corresponded to the five great cities (v. 17). The mice represented all the villages (v. 18).

What could go wrong now? God smote the men of that city because they desecrated the ark by looking into it, and over 50,000 people died (v. 19)—worse than the casualties at the first battle of Ebenezer (v. 19). And the men of Bethshemesh said that they could not stand it (v. 20). And so they handed the ark off to the inhabitants of a place called Kirjathjearim (v. 21).

Keeping in mind that the ancient literary structure won’t necessarily match our chapters and verses (or sermon divisions), consider this chiastic structure.

a First Battle of Ebenezer (Philistine victory)—1 Sam. 4:1b-11
b Ark held by the Gentiles—1 Sam. 4:12-22
c Ark plagues the Philistines—1 Sam. 5: 1-12
d Return of the ark—1 Sam. 6: 1-18
c’ Ark plagues Bethshemesh—1 Sam. 6: 19-21
b’ Ark held by the Gentiles in Kirjathjearim—1 Sam. 7: 1-2
a’ Second Battle of Ebenezer (Israelite victory)—1 Sam. 7: 3-17

A Roundabout Transfer

A few generations later, Asaph tells the story of the Exodus in Psalm 78. But he includes this story near the end of that psalm, where the ark of the covenant went into exile and then returned (Ps. 78:58-72). This is a description of how God moved the ark of the covenant from Shiloh to Zion at Jerusalem, the place He had chosen for the sake of David. God judged His people first, and then rose up like a drunken warrior and smote the Philistines (Ps. 78: 65). This psalm tells us that this was all part of God’s plan to establish the throne in Judah.

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Let’s consider a few geographical details. Ekron was near where the Sorek Valley opened up into the plain. Bethshemesh was part way up that valley, and was soon to be the site of many of Samson’s great deeds. Delilah was from that region (Judges 16:4). Bethshemesh was a Levitical city (Josh. 21:16). It was full of Levites, who ought to have known how to handle the ark. But the first thing they did was offer up two milch cows for a burnt offering —when the law required that such offerings be of males (Lev. 1:3). They set it up on a stone for people to gawk at, when the law required the ark to be covered (Num. 4:5). Then they looked into the ark, and so the Lord slew a bunch of them. The lesson is clear—these Levites are Philistines.

Instead of repenting, they seek to unload the ark. So they send the ark up to the road to Kirjathjearim. But this was predominantly a Gentile city (Josh. 9:17). Within the borders of Israel, this was nevertheless one of the towns of the Gibeonites who tricked Joshua. So the Levites hand the ark off to the Gibeonites.

From Top to Bottom

We have learned from Hannah that the Lord raises the lowly and topples the arrogant. But this is not something that happens to solitary individuals only—as when one president falls and is replaced with another one, but with the institution of the presidency itself still intact. No, when God mixes it up, the whole structure of society is involved. God is not playing patty-cake here. There are many moving parts, and the stakes are high. The run up to the second battle of Ebenezer includes the ark remaining peacefully at Kirjathjearim for 20 years (1 Sam. 7:2), and it also includes the time in which we see all the exploits of Samson. Just as Dagon fell before the ark, so the whole house of Dagon fell before (and upon) Samson. And it was right after that when Samuel decided to declare repentant war upon the Philistines.

The David Chronicles 6: The Ark of Authority

Joe Harby on April 3, 2011

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Introduction

Recall that the elders of Israel had summoned the ark of the covenant to the battlefield (1 Sam. 4:3), and the entire army of Israel was full of confidence that it would “do” something (1 Sam. 4:5). But it didn’t do anything, and Israel was decisively defeated and the ark captured. And so then it started to do things.

The Text

“And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon . . .” (1 Sam. 5:1-12).

Summary of the Text

The Philistines brought the ark of the covenant which they had captured from Ebenezer, the battlefield, to Ashdod, one of the principal cities of Philistia (v. 1). The five great cities were Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, Gath, and Ekron). Our modern name Palestine comes from the fact that Philistines lived there. They brought the ark into the temple of Dagon, their principal deity, and set it next to their idol (v. 2). When they got up in the morning, the idol was prostrate before the ark of the Lord. So they helped their god back up (v. 3). When they got up the next day, the same thing had happened, only the statue was now broken—head and hands broken off on the threshold (v. 4). From that time on, the threshold of Dagon’s house became something those entering would not step on (v. 5).

This was highly symbolic, but the Lord then got down to business. The hand of the Lord was heavy on Ashdod and the surrounding area, and He destroyed them by means of tumors (v. 6). The men of Ashdod put two and two together and decided that the ark could not remain (v. 7). So all the lords of the Philistines decided to try another city—and settled upon Gath (v. 8). But when the ark got there, the epidemic from Ashdod came with it (v. 9). So they tried a third city, Ekron, but the Ekronites didn’t wait for the epidemic to start (v. 10). So they had a meeting of their leaders, and it was decided to send the ark back to Israel as an act of self-defense (v. 11). Those who did not die still had the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to Heaven (v. 12).

The Plague

This plague that the Philistines had to cope with was almost certainly the Bubonic Plague. The affliction was accompanied by tumors, it was deadly, and it was associated with rodents. The Bubonic Plague causes painful swellings in the lymph nodes, in the groin and armpit, and these are called buboes. In v. 6, the LXX adds that “rats appeared in their land, and death and destruction were throughout the city.”When the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel in the next chapter, they included as a guilt offering five golden replicas of the tumors and five golden mice (1 Sam. 6:4). In short, God was dealing with them roughly. His hand was heavy upon them with a “very great destruction” (v. 9). God would not fight for Israel through the ark on sinful Israel’s terms. But once that issue was settled (as it was by the routing of the Israelite army), God undertook to fight for Israel on His own terms. And it is important to note that this was done through the instrumentality of the ark of the covenant. Israel’s problem was not that they believed that the ark had spiritual authority—it was that they did not themselves live under that authority. The ark contained the Ten Commandments, and Hophni and Phinehas were the immoral priests who brought those sacred words up to the battlefield.

Desolation at Shiloh

After this, Shiloh had been wiped out, presumably in the immediate aftermath of this first battle at Ebenezer. Centuries later, when Jeremiah is rebuking the people for having made the very same mistake about the Temple as had been made at Shiloh, he points to the desolation of Shiloh (Jer. 7:12, 14; 26: 6, 9). God says through Jeremiah that He destroyed Shiloh because of the wickedness of Israel—it was not just Hophni and Phinehas.

A Grotesque Victory Lap

The ark of the covenant is taken on a grand tour of the land of the Philistines, a parody of triumph. Despite the fact that the spiritual combat here is in deadly earnest, we are plainly meant to see the humor in this story. Dagon falls over twice, and then the ark tours all of Philistia, leaving mayhem in its wake. It was captured in the far north near Aphek, taken to Ashdod in the southwest, then over to Gath in the east, due north to Ekron, where they weren’t having any, not even for a little while, and then straight east back to Israel with all due haste. Israel was winning great victories, in part because there were no Israelites involved.

If Only

God is a great man of war (Ex. 15:3). When He bares His right arm, He accomplishes all that He wills. He can use human leaders, and often does, but He periodically does this sort of thing when such leaders get above themselves. As Charles de Gaulle once put it, the graveyards are full of indispensable men. Note what happens here as a prelude to this great victory—the human leaders die or disappear. Samuel disappears for three chapters after 4:1. Hophni and Phinehas are killed in battle for their sins. Eli falls and dies in grief. Hannah had begun this book with her song that exulted in the emptying of thrones. The fall of leaders in the church is not necessarily a bad thing. It may well be a prelude to grace, a prelude to great reformation and revival.

Too often we say if only in places where God says no such thing. If only the old wineskins would hold the new wine . . . If only the old leaders would accept the young blood . . . If only the curators would stop polishing the marble floors of the Reformation Heritage Museum . . . If only we would learn that God is fully willing to overthrow His appointed leaders.

Take this lesson from God’s playbook. Reformations are messy. Do you pray for reformation in the church? Well and good, but you are praying for a mess. This is not said to discourage you—we are called, like Hannah, to exult in God’s pattern of doing things. God overthrows people who should know better. Creative destruction is something that He knows how to do well. But we still wince. Sometimes we think that they had it coming like Hophni and Phinehas did, and other times we think (deep down in our hearts) that the Lord was a bit severe, as with Eli. But reflect and learn wisdom.

The David Chronicles 5: Ichabod

Joe Harby on March 27, 2011

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Introduction

The sign that had been given to Eli about the fall of his house was the fact that his two sons would die on the same day. He heard this news just seconds before he himself died. He had also heard the news that disaster for his house was disaster for all of Israel as well—the ark of the covenant was taken by a heathen army. The glory departed from Israel, and it was left desolate.

The Text

“And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men . . .” (1 Sam. 4:1-22).

Summary of the Text

The word of Samuel came to all Israel (v. 1). In this time, Israel pitched near Ebenezer and the Philistines in Aphek (v. 1). The two armies arrayed against one another, and battle was joined. Israel got the worst of it (v. 2). As a result, the elders of Israel called for the ark of the covenant to be brought up from Shiloh (v. 3). This they did, and Hophni and Phineas came with the ark (v. 5). When the ark came into the camp, Israel shouted so that the earth shook (v. 6). The noise, and the reason for it, rattled the Philistines (v. 7). The Philistines came to the conclusion that they were done for (vv. 7-8). But they were in desperate straits, so they encouraged one another to the fight (v. 9). The battle was joined again, and Israel was utterly routed (v. 10). On top of that disaster, the ark of the covenant was captured and the two worthless sons of Eli were killed (v. 11).

A messenger from the tribe of Benjamin came to Shiloh, his clothes torn and earth on his head (v. 12). Eli was waiting by the road for news about the ark, and when the messenger came, the whole city cried out (v. 13). Eli asked about the tumult, and the messenger came and told him the news (v. 14). Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes were dim—he could not see (v. 15). The messenger identified himself (v. 16), and told Eli of the defeat, the death of his sons, and the capture of the ark (v. 17). At this Eli fell over backward and broke his neck and died. He had been judge for 40 years (v. 18).

The wife of Phinehas was pregnant, and when she heard about the ark, and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor, and then she died (v. 20). But before she died she named Eli’s grandson Ichabod, which means “the glory is departed.” She did this because of the ark, and because of Eli and Phinehas (vv. 21-22).

The Sanctuary Violated

We sometimes think that God is not careful enough with His holy things. God Himself is going to desecrate this holy place. But God is Himself holy, and He would never do such a thing unjustly. The ark of the covenant is captured in battle, which means that the holiest object in Israel’s possession was in the hands of the Philistines— and God was the one who did that. But why?

As we have seen, the Lord’s sacrifices were being polluted by Hophni and Phinehas. Phinehas was named after a faithful man who had speared a fornicating couple in the time of Moses (Num. 25:1-9). By contrast, this Phinehas was immoral with the women who were serving at the tabernacle, uncovering their nakedness. As Peter Leithart has observed, this was tantamount to “ripping down the curtains of the tabernacle.” In short, when God desecrates His own holy things, it is because they have already been desecrated. On top of everything else the ark of the covenant was taken out onto the battlefield as though it were a sort of talisman. No prophet had commanded this, and yet the Israelites thought that God could be whistled up through their manipulation of a sacred object. But it doesn’t work that way.

His Eye Was Dim

Right before Samuel hears the word of the Lord for the first time, we are told that Eli’s eyes were dim (1 Sam. 3:2). In this he was not like Moses, who at 120 was still vigorous, and his eyes undimmed (Dt. 34:7). The same thing is repeated here in this text (v. 15), which is quite striking. We are told that Eli could not see right before Samuel saw the Lord, and was given the prophetic word by Him. And here we are told the same thing again, just before the events foretold by Samuel are reported to Eli as accomplished.

The Weight of Glory

We are told that Eli was a heavy man, a fat man (v. 18). We were told earlier by the nameless prophet that Eli had (indirectly) made himself fat through the best offerings of the people (1 Sam. 2:29). The word for heavy here is kebed. The word for glory is kabod (which you can hear in the name Ichabod). One is a true glory and the other is a counterfeit glory—and both kinds of weight depart from Israel in judgment.

What it is to Hear the Lord

We see in this passage a culmination of themes. Eli heard about the loss of the ark, and the death of his sons because he had not heard the previous warnings the way he ought to have. Samuel had heard the Lord speak in a time of Israel’s history when very few heard the word of the Lord. When Eli did admonish his sons, they did not listen to him (1 Sam. 2:25). And why? Because it was the Lord’s purpose to destroy them—it was past the time for listening.

Someone has wisely said that the course of the kingdom of God is a series of great triumphs cleverly disguised as disasters. In the midst of this chaos, Samuel is growing up into a faithful prophet, ministering as a holy young man in the precincts of a doomed temple.

The David Chronicles 4: No Open Vision

Joe Harby on March 13, 2011

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Introduction

And so we are expecting the rise of Samuel, and the fall of the house of Eli. Eli warned his sons of this, and a prophet warned Eli. And now the word of the Lord comes to Samuel for the first time, and it is a word that highlights the loneliness of a prophetic calling. The word of the Lord was rare in those days, and perhaps part of the reason is that those who carry that word are frequently in trouble.

The Text

“And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see . . .” (1 Sam. 3:1-21).

Summary of the Text

Eli raised two worthless sons, but we must also recall that he is the one who brought up Samuel. Samuel ministered unto the Lord “before Eli” (v. 1). This was an era when there was a drought of prophetic utterance; there was no open vision (v. 2). And so it was that Eli laid down to sleep and he could not see (v. 3). This is speaking of nighttime, but it provides an apt metaphor as well—Eli could not see. Samuel was sleeping inside the sanctuary, where the ark of the covenant was, and before the lamps went out (perhaps early morning), Samuel was sleeping (v. 3). The Lord called to Samuel, who thought it was Eli calling him (vv. 4-5). The same thing then happened again (v. 6). We are then told the reason why Samuel was making this mistake—he did not yet know the Lord (v. 7). When this happened for the third time, Eli realized that the Lord was calling Samuel and so he told him what to do (vv. 8-9). The Lord came a fourth time, and Samuel did as Eli instructed (v. 10). This time the Lord stood there (v. 10).

The Lord gave Samuel a message of severe judgment, one that would make the ears of everyone who heard of it tingle (v. 11). He will lay waste to the house of Eli, and finish it off (v. 12). The Lord says that He warned Eli about his failure to restrain his sons who made themselves vile (v. 13). The sin committed cannot be addressed by sacrifice, but only by judgment (v. 14). Samuel lay (presumably awake) until morning, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, afraid to tell Eli what was said (v. 15). But Eli called to Samuel, just as the Lord had done, and as Samuel had thought he had done before (v. 16). Eli wants to know the message, and he charges Samuel solemnly to tell him everything and to not hold back (v. 17). And so Samuel tells him, and it appears that Eli responds well (v. 18).

Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him. Not one of Samuel’s words fell to the ground (v. 19). All Israel, from north to south, knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet (v. 20). The prophetic word came again to Shiloh through the ministry of Samuel (v. 21).

He Did Not Know the Lord

The text says that Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Lord (v. 7). Now the sons of Eli did not know the Lord either, but theirs was a moral problem. With Samuel, the issue was vocational; he did not know the Lord as a prophet would. Samuel is being established as a prophet here; the sons of Eli are in the process of being thrown down from their office. Moreover, we are told that Samuel comes to know the Lord in quite a remarkable way— like Moses had. The Lord calls three times. The fourth time it says that He came, and stood, and called as before (v. 10). A few verses later, this is called a vision (v. 15). This is an Old Testament theophany, an appearance of God. The chapter concludes with the Lord appearing again in Shiloh (a place already condemned), and revealing Himself to Samuel in Shiloh (v. 21).

Their Ears Shall Tingle

One writer has aptly said that the God of the Bible is no buttercup. He promises such a severe judgment that the mere news of it will astonish those who hear of it (v. 11; 2 Kings 21:12; Jer. 19:3). When God judges the earth, He doesn’t mess around. We who live in the times of the new covenant need to understand that to whom much is given much is required. The abundance of grace (which we have) ought not to make us complacent. Judgment of God’s covenant people is judgment for despising His grace. Do not be high-minded, but rather fear (Rom. 11:20-21).

Acquiescence is Not Submission

Eli appears to accept the prophetic word brought through Samuel. But this acquiescence is not the same thing as submission. Eli appears to be a good man, but deeply flawed. The appropriate response would have been to take the word of the Lord and immediately restrain his sons. God says that his sin was in not doing so—Eli acquiesces to his sons, and then he does the same thing with God. When the word of God comes to you, repentance often causes God to relent. Think of the inhabitants of Nineveh (Jon. 3:9). Think of the Corinthians (2 Cor. 7:11). Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. Do not put it off. Obedience can only occur in the present.

The Prophetic Office Today

Now that the canon of Scripture is completed, one aspect of the prophetic office has been completed. No one will arise in the Church today to be a new Jeremiah, or Isaiah, or Samuel, or Agabus. The library is completed. But this does not mean that God is done with prophets. The Puritans used to rightly identify the preaching of the Word as prophesying. John Knox was nothing if not a prophet. The words of God are still declared today. But in a time of “no open vision,” they fall to the ground. When God establishes a prophetic word, all Israel knows it, from Dan to Beersheba, and the words go forth to accomplish what God has intended for it. Those words do not return void. When this happens, the people of God hear and heed. Our name for it is reformation and revival.