Thoughts on Prophecy: Embracing the Messiness
Posted By MSH on August 14, 2011
Some of you know via other interactions that I’m currently teaching a four-week class at my church on interpreting prophecy. (Yes, I got talked into it).
This past Thursday was the first session. My goal throughout the four weeks will be to convince people that interpretations of prophecy are anything but self-evident. As readers of this blog know, prophecy is all about presuppositions brought to the text.
The topic was why you believe what you believe about the kingdom of God. For many, having little prior exposure to what’s really going on under the hood of biblical theology, it’s confusing. But that’s good. It’s complicated. Popular books and teachers just don’t tell you a lot of things you need to think about, and basically don’t pull back the curtain so you can see that it’s about presumptions, not citing verses. They want you to adopt their position.
Anyway, I thought I’d post the slides (you have to right-click and “Save As” for some reason) and this two-page summary of the issues for anyone interested.
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Of course we are interested!!… does your church post audio/video of services?
The get posted to vimeo.com (you’d have to search for “Grace Church Bellingham” and add my name or sort by “most recent” — but I don’t think it’s been uploaded yet.
I think there’s a subtlety involved here sometimes ignored, at least my church ignored it for a long time.
I think the authentic Israel of God always was believers as opposed to ethnicity, so from this view the Church is Israel. Didn’t replace Israel, is Israel. Romans 11. To include all Jews and Gentiles who want in.
Also called the new creation.
The concept of the “land” in the OT has been “filled full” by Christ and now the land is the cosmos for the heirs of Christ who are also the heirs of Abraham who are also “the circumcision not done with hands” Phil 3.
I think the next move for God in this respect is the resurrection, judgment and restoration and that Christ has been ruling earth since the moment He was nailed on the cross.
So, I assume I am amill.
sounds like it!
Thanks for the slides Dr. Heiser. I appreciate your insights. Your methods are very sound. Even when you make me stretch and get out of my comfort zone, I really appreciate it!
I really enjoy the MEMRA classes!
Thanks Donnie – I enjoy all your comments, too, believe me.
The Vimeo videos are great. Just finished your lessons on Genesis.
But can you ask that they post the audio to their talks separately as mp3 files? They would get around the web much easier. Plus I could listen on my commute!
I will ask about that (tonight while I am thinking of it). If I hear anything I’ll post on it.
Sorry to keep bugging you about audio, but when I Google “Micheal Heiser Audio” this link pops up several times.
http://www.logos.com/media/lecture/heiser/LectureSeries-Heiser.html
But it looks like that page is dead. Are these lectures still available somewhere?
As you can tell, I’m big on podcasts. You have such a large online presence it would be nice if there was one clearinghouse page for all your talks.
thanks again. learning a lot.
The lectures were moved to the blog site. Try this link: http://blog.logos.com/2007/09/heiser_lecture_video/
its up ! at http://vimeo.com/27817478
yep – just saw it myself!
Thanks Mike, you always make me go deeper…