Discussion Responses
FORUM 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROPHETS
Of what significance for eschatology is the principle that the vision is not the message, but the occasion for the message? Assigned to: Group 8
Eschatology: Vision is not the Message. Group 8
No other ancient culture had an eschatological prophetic concept. Israel is unique in their understanding of the one true God, who plans the end from the beginning.[1] Since we understand that God has a plan, we may ask “of what nature is that plan?” One possibility is to view the plan like a professor’s syllabus. In this view, the basic outline is set upfront, but the actual outworking of the plan may morph and change as they take final shape.[2]
For the prophet, the prophecy was about the message his audience needed to hear. The future-telling, storyline, visionary tale/setting, were all context or wrapping in which the message was to be understood. The “way” in which the message was delivered (through story, analogy, a vision, etc.) was of less importance than the message.[3]
Human beings are “Wired for Story”.[4] "We don't turn to Story to escape reality; we turn to Story to navigate reality.”[5] The ultimate purpose of the prophet’s storytelling was the get the message across.
All this brings us to the impact on “eschatology”:
1. When one attempts to interpret a prophetic word, one should focus on the message first (what the prophet intended to communicate to the audience).
2. The “fulfillment” may come; however, one should be aware that God’s idea of fulfilling a prophetic idea may look different than what the author (or reader) expected. Who could have known that the “Passover Lamb” would be a man hung on a cross?
3. Finally, one should be cautious in interpreting “symbols” that God, the prophet, or other scripture has not clearly defined. The symbols may only exist as a wrapping to hold the message itself. Some symbols may have no deeper or hidden meaning.
While some symbols, like Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 2) are clearly defined and easy to follow; other symbols, like the basket of Zechariah 5 may have no deeper meaning.[6] Trying to assign more meaning than the text provides can be dangerous. Giving more weight to a symbolic concept than scripture itself can support (without mental gymnastics) is a recipe for error.
*Note: This may be how we came up with the idea of a 7-year tribulation and rapture (which both may or may not biblical concepts).[7]
[1] Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 3rd ed (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Publishing House, 2009), 507.
[2] Hill and Walton, 512.
[3] Hill and Walton, 508–9.
[4] Lisa Cron, Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, 1st ed (New York: Ten Speed Press, 2012), http://wiredforstory.com/about.
[5] Lisa Cron, “Wired for Story: Lisa Cron at TEDxFurmanU” (Ted Talk, TEDxFurmanU, Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, May 4, 2014), 11:00-11:30, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74uv0mJS0uM.
[6] Hill and Walton, A Survey of the Old Testament, 508.
[7] Jonathan Welton, Raptureless, 3rd Edition Printing (Place of publication not identified: Bookbaby, 2015), http://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=4188734.
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