The Weekend Bible Study - with Ronald L. Dart

Many prophecies in the Bible are dual. There can be a type and an antitype of prophetic events. The type is the first occurrence of any given prophecy and it foreshadows the antitype, which is a similar prophecy that would come later. If we’re unaware of the first fulfillment of a prophecy in ancient Israel and why it was given, how would we know about the antitype, or second fulfillment of the prophecy or why it was given? God sternly warned, through the Prophet Hosea: My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. Hosea 4:6 It’s appears as though ignorance of the law is no excuse for not keeping it. Now, Ronald L. Dart with part 6 in our study on History and Prophecy.

In the process of relating the events of history to prophecies let’s ask if we can come to deeper understanding of prophecy and prophets? We need to understand more clearly, the historical situation in which the prophets fit, where is he, when was it, what was going on at the time? We now have an opportunity to put that concept to the test. We come to one of the earliest of the prophets and one that you are very familiar with. Now first of all let's set the time. We're about 150 years, at this point in time, after the division of the kingdoms between Jeroboam and Rehoboam, when Jeroboam split off the ten northern tribes, changed the Holy Days of God to the15th day of the eighth month. He also changed the worship, the outward form of worship, and he even changed the priesthood. All of these things are pointed out as Jeroboam's sin which he did which caused all Israel to sin. The time that we are at is about 150 years after the division of the kingdoms and if you took, let's say, the American revolution in 1776 and moved 150 years forward, just to give the perspective, you would be looking at the year 1926, that would be the length of time that has passed. A King now comes to the throne, another one named Jeroboam, and we will call him Jeroboam II who will reign for 41 years. That would bring us from 1926 up to the date of 1967. So you’re dealing with a rather lengthy period of time in Israel's history. During this period of time, there are three significant prophets in this man's lifetime who comes on the scene in the ten northern tribes. Let’s take a look.

There have been many interpretations regarding the time of Christ’s return. How could there be so many different opinions? Could it be that all too often people make their assumptions by looking at the future instead of investigating the past? We would be wise to heed the words of King Solomon: What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, Look! This is something new? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. Ecclesiastes 1:9 Now, he may not have been talking specifically about prophecies in this passage, but what he stated can certainly apply to what we are learning in this series of Bible studies. I’m Ronald Dart. Thank you for joining us for part 4 in our study of History and Prophecy.

As we progress in this study of History and Prophecy, we’re beginning to see a difference in the conduct of the kings in the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel compared with the kings of Judah. God had a message for Jeroboam: Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Since I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over my people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it you: and yet you have not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in my eyes[.] 1 Kings 14:7–8 KJ2000 The history of Israel and how God dealt with them throughout the centuries is imperative for us to know as we examine the ancient prophecies. If history repeats itself, it’s very probable that prophecies repeat themselves as well. I’m Ronald Dart. Now let’s listen to part 3 of this important study of History and Prophecy.

So many people jump right into the middle of a study of the prophets, without an adequate understanding of history and find themselves totally at sea in some cases, not understanding what at all the prophet was talking about and jumping to the wrong conclusions in other cases. One of the more interesting cases in point can be found over in the book of Hosea if you would like to turn over there with me momentarily before we go back to First Kings. In Hosea, an interesting statement is made very early in his prophecy. God is speaking through Hosea to Israel and He says in Hosea 2:11 "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts." Now the implication of this, some people look at this and I have actually seen this Scripture quoted as a proof text to show that the Holy Days would one day be done away with and superficially reading across the top of it, you might very well arrive at that conclusion. The problem is that the people who would make that decision and you yourself as a matter of fact, reading through this area without necessarily having the understanding of the history behind this might arrive at a conclusion like that. You might try to say "When will it be". The context doesn't allow a post-millennial cessation of these festivals. This seems to be a time of Israel's trouble at the very end time. Well, if you had understood that Hosea was not a prophet writing to Judah, but was a prophet writing to Israel, very late in their history, actually at the time of King Jeroboam the second, not Jeroboam the first that we have been reading about. If you understood that Jeroboam had changed the Holy Days of God and that the ten northern tribes never observed the Holy Days that you and I are acquainted with from Leviticus 23, you would never arrive at such a conclusion. For indeed, the instant they divided the kingdom, as soon as Jeroboam had settled himself in the North, he established a different feast on the 15th day of the eighth month, changed the Feast of Tabernacles and implication is, he changed far more than that.

Some have said that prophecy is history written in advance. Well, that may not be altogether accurate, but it is accurate to say that your knowledge of history plays a very important role in your understanding of prophecy. The Lord God of Israel mocked the false gods by saying this: 22Tell us, you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or declare to us the things to come, 23 tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods[.] Isaiah 41:22–23 NIV In other words, we need to have a good grasp of history if we want to have a good grasp of prophecy. I’m Ronald Dart and I hope you enjoy this study on History and Prophecy as much as I did putting it together.

Welcome to the Weekend Bible Study. We continue this week as Rich Glasgow concludes his series on the book of Ezra. The events written about in Ezra occurred immediately after the Babylonian captivity beginning with the decree of Cyrus announcing that the Jews had permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. We hope you have enjoyed this series on the book of Ezra. Now let’s listen to Rich Glasgow with our Weekend Bible Study.

Welcome to the Weekend Bible Study. We continue this week with Rich Glasgow’s series covering the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Today we delve further into the historical record described in the book of Ezra. The events written about in Ezra occurred immediately after the Babylonian captivity beginning with the decree of Cyrus announcing that the Jews had permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. [blockquote cite="Ezra 1:1-3" type="left"]In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them.’”[/blockquote] Now let’s listen to Rich Glasgow with our Weekend Bible Study on the book of Ezra.