I recently heard a pastor assuage his congregation's
perceptions about the Old Testament, assuring attendees
that even if it (the OT) seems "weird", it forms part of the
canon of the inspired word of God. For my part, having
thoroughly read both testaments, I'm struck by how "weird" one
testament would be without the either. Not just in the area of prophecy
and fulfillment thereof--but also because of parallel and equal treatments
by each testament about the same truths, over vast expanses of
time, through so many different authors, effecting the same repentance
among the nations.
Consider the description of each testament
as concerns the New Jerusalem.
There's the OT's Isaiah 60:18-20...
18 No longer will violence be heard in
your land, nor ruin or destruction within
your borders, but you will call your walls
Salvation and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by
day, nor will the brightness of the moon
shine on you, for the Lord will be your
everlasting light, and your God will be
your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again, and your
moon will wane no more; the Lord will
be your everlasting light, and your days
of sorrow will end.
Then, in the NT there's John the Revelator's
description of the City in Revelation 21:2,
Revelation 21:23...
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed
for her husband.
+
23 The city does not need the sun or the
moon to shine on it, for the glory of God
gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
In addition, there are some gems that are tucked away in
the Old Testament that find glorious confirmation
in the New. For instance Isaiah 60:18 above says,
You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Is there a comparable statement about salvation and praise in
the book of Revelation? Yes. Just before the Revelation 21 unveiling
about light in the New Jerusalem, there is this, per Revelation 19:1...
After this I heard what sounded
like the roar of a great multitude in
heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation
and glory and power belong to our God.
The reader readily sees the word, "Salvation" But, what about "Praise"?
There it is, in the Hebrew word, "Hallelujah"! Literally it means
"Praise Jah" (praise Yahweh or praise Jehovah).
We can trust the message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, because we can
trust in the veracity and in the unveiling, confirming power of all of the
Scriptures. These two testaments: written so long apart in time, yet so close in
reflecting the who, what, when, where, why and how of God's redemptive
plan of salvation.
__________
All Scripture text quoted above in italics is taken from the
HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved. Bold text is mine.
perceptions about the Old Testament, assuring attendees
that even if it (the OT) seems "weird", it forms part of the
canon of the inspired word of God. For my part, having
thoroughly read both testaments, I'm struck by how "weird" one
testament would be without the either. Not just in the area of prophecy
and fulfillment thereof--but also because of parallel and equal treatments
by each testament about the same truths, over vast expanses of
time, through so many different authors, effecting the same repentance
among the nations.
Consider the description of each testament
as concerns the New Jerusalem.
There's the OT's Isaiah 60:18-20...
18 No longer will violence be heard in
your land, nor ruin or destruction within
your borders, but you will call your walls
Salvation and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by
day, nor will the brightness of the moon
shine on you, for the Lord will be your
everlasting light, and your God will be
your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again, and your
moon will wane no more; the Lord will
be your everlasting light, and your days
of sorrow will end.
Then, in the NT there's John the Revelator's
description of the City in Revelation 21:2,
Revelation 21:23...
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed
for her husband.
+
23 The city does not need the sun or the
moon to shine on it, for the glory of God
gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
In addition, there are some gems that are tucked away in
the Old Testament that find glorious confirmation
in the New. For instance Isaiah 60:18 above says,
You will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.
Is there a comparable statement about salvation and praise in
the book of Revelation? Yes. Just before the Revelation 21 unveiling
about light in the New Jerusalem, there is this, per Revelation 19:1...
After this I heard what sounded
like the roar of a great multitude in
heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation
and glory and power belong to our God.
The reader readily sees the word, "Salvation" But, what about "Praise"?
There it is, in the Hebrew word, "Hallelujah"! Literally it means
"Praise Jah" (praise Yahweh or praise Jehovah).
We can trust the message of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, because we can
trust in the veracity and in the unveiling, confirming power of all of the
Scriptures. These two testaments: written so long apart in time, yet so close in
reflecting the who, what, when, where, why and how of God's redemptive
plan of salvation.
__________
All Scripture text quoted above in italics is taken from the
HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved. Bold text is mine.
