1st Coming - Understand Prophecy - Yamartino
 <<   <-   >   >>
Chapter 5 of  60

CHAPTER 2:
The MISUNDERSTANDING of PROPHECY

(5:1)

The story of Christ's life depicted in the New Testament presents us with example after example of misinterpretation of scripture by both the religious leaders and lay people of His time. This misunderstanding is seen by many to be the cause of the great suffering inflicted not only upon Christ Himself, but also upon His followers. A misunderstanding of prophecy, however, is not harmful in itself. The disciples themselves did not correctly understand the prophecies referring to Christ - in many cases even after He Himself had explained their meaning to them. The problem associated with the misunderstanding of prophecy comes not from the misunderstanding itself, but from our holding to a particular interpretation in the face of fulfillment in a manner that runs counter to our interpretation (5:2)

Those, who at the time of Christ, did hold to their own interpretation, despite evidence that the prophecies were being fulfilled in other ways, crucified Him. So great was the faith they placed in their own ability to understand the words and plan of God that their own understanding became in effect their "scripture". Unknowingly, they had let pride obscure their God-given capacity to distinguish the truth. Had any of Christ's disciples blindly held to their particular pre-conceived interpretation of prophecy, that disciple also would have rejected Christ, but they didn't. They struggled to understand and accept the Will of the Heavenly Father, though it is evident from the scriptures that they were gravely shaken by what was happening in their lives. For, although they had been warned in the scriptures regarding the Coming of Christ, there was virtually no way for them to have been fully prepared for what was to come (5:3)

Get Next Page

  1st Coming - Understand Prophecy
  Citation Source List
: see