Prophesies Implicit and Explicit

Jesus said that all the prophets, including Moses, spoke of Him. But, nowhere do we find one explicit verse that says, "The name of the Messiah will be Jesus. He will be born in the reign of a king called Herod. His parents will be named Mary, Joseph and God." As a matter of fact, if there was such a prophecy, it would have little value because a skeptic would claim such details would be self-fulfilling and would spawn innumerable counterfeiters, who would adopt the names in order to claim some notoriety.

The Bible gives small hints and insight scattered among other Old Testament scriptures, meaningless to unbelievers, but the Word of God to those taught by the Spirit, the only source and Teacher who can lead one into all Truth, as Jesus explained.

There are numerous words and phrases in the Bible which, if taken literally in some rigid form, could lead to grave error and heresy. It must be a fundamental of Bible study to first understand the whole context and then see how it fits with other passages on the subject. Again we see good doctrine depends on implicit study and comparison rather than some explicit legality of a phrase rigidly taken.

Consider the word "day" in the story of Creation. Instead of jumping to a quick decision about the word "day", let us realize that on the first day there was no sun, nor earth, no regular rotation of the earth, and no divisions of time into hours. It was a divine day which may be like a thousand years. The word is often used in other places of the Bible as "in Abraham's day" to mean his lifetime.

In studying the Old Testament Law, should we follow it all literally? Lambs were slain, the blood sprinkled on the door, certain days were named exactly for each division in a ritual feast, lawbreakers were cut off, if not slain by stoning.

Now we realize such literality kills the very spirit and purpose of the Law. Christ came to be our Lamb and to do a deeper, more real work, but the priests and scribes of His day insisted on their literal interpretations and crucified Him of the Spirit.

We see God working throughout Bible times in a steady purposeful progression. Jesus said, "My Father works and I work." Can anyone suggest that God sat in solitude doing nothing up until seven-thousand years ago, then suddenly snapped His fingers and the whole creation came into being? It is belittling and blasphemous. It is not how He works and He wants us to know that. He gave us the Bible, and developed dispensations. Before giving the Mosaic Law, He developed Patriarchs and their history in detail. The stories of Abraham and Isaac planned to be prophetical preparations for the sacrifice God was willing to make of His beloved Son. The story of Joseph abounds in prophetical types to teach us implicitly, not explicitly about Christ. Jesus, when He came told us that no one could know much about God except through "Me", Jesus. Jesus did not spring into maturity in an instant, but passed through babyhood, childhood, early ministry, His way prepared by John the Baptist. He called His Disciples and with patience taught them step by step. After all that, they still had to mature in the Holy Spirit after one dispensation had closed and another opened. God works!

We have the plan of His working implicitly clear and plain. He designs, plans, creates, guides and controls His creation. He plans it so that it is developing, dynamic, living, nothing static and dead. The great stars are dynamos of tremendous energy. They grow for a time, use up some of their energy, and fade. The energy they have given off is caught by other stars and planets.

He plans the complicated but delicate growth and changes of the planets so that some can conserve life and some are unable to, but serve as lights in the night sky. We see His wondrous way of working His plans for us, from His way of working with man, outlined in the Bible, steps of steady progression interspersed with definite steps of creative intervention. The evidences from scientific studies show His handiwork followed the same pattern, growth of planets, preparation for life and then His divine spark. Men studying this may prepare the chemicals, childish copycats, but have never been able to cross that mystery into life itself and never will.

Various forms of life developed simply in the sea and then later in more complicated forms on land are in the same order as the Bible describes. There are no contradictions between good science and the Bible. The problems arise when there is prejudicial pressure to make atheistic theories on one hand, or legalistic Biblical interpretations on the other. Many scientists have been Christians and found their appreciation of God deepened and widened as they began to appreciate the immensity of God's creation. "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance! He extended the heavens on into infinity. What is man that Thou art mindful of him..."

After planning and creating the material elements of His creation and then the higher forms of animal life, God made as His masterwork, man, not only breathing into him a breath of ordinary life, but forming him in His own image. Man thinks, studies, plans and creates original little inventions because God made him in the divine image. God wanted His own greater plans and designs to be appreciated. God desires to be appreciated and loved and worshipped. The Bible says that He seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Let us not limit the greatness of God, that the beginning of His infinite time was our little 7000 years ago. The "In the beginning" of the first of Genesis and the first chapter of St. John was back there in His infinity as immense as His eternity of the future. The Word or Jesus was in the beginning with God. "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made." The God of the Bible is too immensely great to be thought of as though to imagine the "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" could possibly be a mere few thousand of our little years ago.

If some sincere Christian who has not studied much science likes to keep his picture of the days of the Creation as being our little solar days, we can be patient and charitable, as long as his groups do not make a big point of it which could weaken the faith of their young people and others who are studying science. Let us keep free from prejudices which do harm to the Faith. Paul says we should have reasons, prove, exhort, and not let those of ideas harm the pure Word. The young people studying in college should be guided in order to appreciate more and more the greatness of God's creation, the beauty of the design, His infinite patience, and His love and patience with us. We are so small but still so important to Him that He gave His only Son...

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork." Note: handiwork. "When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy FINGERS, the moon and the stars..." Ps 8:3., Ps. 19:1

Let us show appreciation for the great works of the Divine Designer, Architect of the galaxies, and the Master Planner.