UNTANGLING PROPHECY

MARK 9:2–13

“Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things … Elijah has also come”

(Mark 9:12–13).

The handling of predictive prophecy is one of the most abused forms of biblical interpretation. Interpretations range from the elimination of predictive prophecy to the wild, bizarre method that sees in every contemporary event a clear fulfillment of a biblical prophecy.

Some conservative thinkers insist that every detail of biblical prophecy must be fulfilled to the letter, leaving no room for symbolic predictions or predictions that have a broader scope of meaning. If we examine how the New Testament treats Old Testament prophecy, we discover that in some cases an appeal is made to fulfillment of the letter (such as the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem) and fulfillment in a broader scope (such as the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the return of Elijah).

Let us look at how Jesus handled the prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah. In Malachi 4:5–6, God says He is going to send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. With the prophecy of the return of Elijah, the Old Testament ends. Four hundred years later, John the Baptist suddenly appears on the scene. People begin to think that he might be Elijah, but John denied that he was the prophet of old.

The problem of the relationship of John the Baptist to Elijah is compounded by Jesus’s words on the matter in Mark 9:12–13, “Elijah has indeed come …” And in Matthew 11:13–15, He says that John was Elijah, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Thus, we have John the Baptist saying plainly that he is not Elijah and Jesus saying that he is. The answer to this riddle is found in Gabriel’s words in Luke 1:17 where he says of John, “And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” John, therefore, was not actually Elijah, but he came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Jesus interpreted Old Testament prophecy, not literally, but figuratively in this case.

Interpreting prophecy can be so complex that giving any detailed formula to follow is well beyond the scope of this study. We must approach prophecy carefully, with a sober attitude. It would do all students well to avoid either extreme: interpreting everything literally or disregarding all prophetic passages.

CORAM DEO

Genesis 36–37

Matthew 13:1–32

Read Matthew 11:1–19; then read Isaiah 35:5–6; 40:3–5; and Malachi 3:1; 4:5–6, 1–4. Now read Daniel 7. Given this prophecy, what would the Jewish mindset have been concerning the kingdom of God? Read Matthew 5:3–10; 12:28; 21:42–43; and John 18:36. What do these passages say about the kingdom of God?

For further study: Isaiah 53 • Matt. 27; 28

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