Bible Question:
Orthodoxy you say every part of scripture means something to the original audience. In Daniel we see scripture define the beast with iron teeth Dan. 7:7 which we know to be the Roman empire, yet that held no meaning for the original readers. In fact all through Daniel and many other prophetic books we see examples of things that didn't come into fruition until well after the original audience’s demise and therefore held little or no meaning to them. You say the church should have no interest in Jerusalem. Aside from the Futurist's view of Revelation where Jerusalem plays a very important role. Isn't Jerusalem, more specifically the Mount of Olives, where Jesus will touch down Zech. 14:4 when He returns? |
Bible Answer: I am not disputing the fact that Scripture can prophacy about events that have not occurred yet. And yes, Daniel 7:7 does refer to Rome. But this does not mean that the original audience had no idea what was going on. They may have only had a crude, simplistic, and incomplete undesrtanding. But the imagery itself probably meant something to them. Furthermore, assigning ancient empires to Daniel 7 fits with the rest of Scripture pretty well. Rome, Medo-Persia, the Ptolamies, the Selucids, and the Greeks all make showings later in Scripture. The American continent was not even known to the old world for more than two millennia after the time of Daniel. Prophacy? Sure, but I think that's pushing it. Yes, I do say that the church should have no interest in Jerusalem than in any other city. It's just a place, like any other. And you have to be more than a "Futurist" to think that Jerusalem plays an important role in the eschaton. You also have to be at least a bit dispensational. I do believe that the Second Coming is still to come, but I'm self-consciously anti-dispensational. In Revelation, I believe that "Jerusalem" is used both literally and figuratively. But I also believe that all of the literal uses have occurred in the events surroinding its destruction in the war around 70AD. The references that are figurative have to do with "Jerusalem" as the ideal city of God, and nothing at all to do with an earthly location that is not simply a contribution to the imagery. About Zech. 14. Unless someone can provide a better interpretation, I believe that this happened during the first Advent and the destruction of Jerusalem. |