Bible%20Prophecy

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Bible Prophecy 101
An Introduction to the subject of Bible Prophecy
Week 3
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Topic Outline

• Recap Week2
• Terminology Definitions
• Framework (Multiple fulfillment )
• Old Testament Prophecy (Psalms)
• Linkage to Other Scripture
• Application Lessons for Us
• Question / Answer Session

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Recap Week 2
Leviticus 26 was addressed to the people of
Israel.

• If they obeyed Gods commands, they would be
  blessed

• If they disobeyed, they would be punished by
  God, in order to
• discipline them and bring them back to the
  right way.

Deuteronomy 28 was spoken to the next generation
of Israel

• These grownup children were given the same
  message as their parents.

• Parts of this prophecy (like taking possession
  of the promised land)
• were fulfilled in Joshua's time, while other
  parts (like being taken out
• of the land into captivity were to be
  fulfilled in a later time.

2 Samuel 7 deals with Gods great promises to
king David.

• Initially, this prophecy was partially fulfilled
  by Solomon.

• However, a future fulfillment of this prophecy
  was by Jesus, and
• there is still a significant part of this
  prophecy yet to happen.

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Key Point Brought Forward
Bible prophecy concerning the people of
Israel has been and continues to be
fulfilled, and WE are seeing it happen
today!
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Prophetic Framework - Timeline
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Framework - Key Events / People (cont'd)

• Exodus to Judges
• Moses prototype (deliverer, miracles, man of
  God)
• Deliverance from Egypt on exact timeframe, as
  prophesied
• Dead Sea event destroyed and saved (divine act
  dual outcome)
• Law given by God shadow of things to come
  (e.g., Passover lamb)
• Manna and water from rock prototype (bread
  from heaven, living water)
• Case histories of Israel written down as
  warnings instruction for us
• Joshua prototype (name, victorious warrior,
  gains the promised land)
• Judges prototypes (save repentant people out
  of power of oppressors)
• Ruth another example of key women in family
  tree of David Jesus

Israel a chosen people prototype (1st century
believers)
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Framework - Key Events / People (cont'd)

• Samuel to Malachi
• Samuel the prophet anointed and mentored first
  two kings
• Elijah the prophet confronted king Ahab over
  worship of false gods
• Micaiah the prophet predicted the certain death
  of Ahab in battle
• Isaiah the prophet confronted king Ahaz,
  encouraged king Hezekiah
• Isaiah foretold the Kingdom age and the
  suffering Messiah
• Jeremiah the prophet confronted king Zedekiah
  and his false prophets
• Jeremiah predicted doom/exile for
  Jerusalem/Judah, and a new covenant
• Ezekiel the prophet (in exile) confronted his
  listeners, was a man of sign
• Ezekiel confirmed Jeremiahs message, and
  predicted restoration
• Daniel the prophet confronted Babylonian kings
  and wrong decrees
• Daniel saw long term visions of what will befall
  the people of Israel
• Amos the prophet predicted a time when the
  prophetic message dries up
• Zechariah the prophet described the time of the
  end for Jerusalem
• Malachi the prophet foretold a messenger to
  herald the Messiah

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Terminology Definitions

• Messianic Psalm
• a God-inspired song or chant whose words not only
  fit the circumstances and needs of the author and
  initial hearers, but also foretold the
  experiences and events surrounding the promised
  Messiah, Jesus the Christ (anointed) of God.

E.g. Psalm
11822-27 is the basis for the shouting of the
people when Jesus entered Jerusalem Jesus'
own citation (Matthew 218-11, 42)
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the
highest - v.9
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!
We bless you from the house of the LORD - v.26
The very stone which the builders rejected has
become the head of the corner - v.42
The stone which the builders rejected has become
the head of the corner - v.22
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Terminology Definitions (cont'd)

• Last Days
• a phrase used to refer to the circumstances and
  the time period just prior to and shortly after
  the Return of Christ to the earth
  
  

But understand this, that in the last days there
will come times of stress. (2Timothy 31)
that you should remember the predictions of the
holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and
Savior through your apostles. First of all, you
must understand this, that scoffers will come in
the last days with scoffing, following their own
passions, and saying "Where is the promise of his
coming?" (2Peter 32-4)
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Terminology Definitions (cont'd)

• Last Days
• the idea is also expressed by the phrases "the
  latter days" or "the time of the end"

but there is a God in heaven who reveals
mysteries, and he has made known to King
Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days
(Daniel 228 see 1014, Isaiah 22, Ezekiel
388,16 )
When you are in tribulation, and all these things
come upon you in the latter days, you will return
to the LORD your God and obey his voice
(Deuteronomy 430 see Numbers 2414, Jeremiah
3024)
And there shall be a time of trouble such as
never has been since there was a nation till that
time but at that time, your people shall be
deliveredBut you Daniel, shut up the words and
seal the book, until the time of the end (Daniel
121-4, 9,13)
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Psalms A Prophetic Source
Then he Jesus said to them, "These are my words
which I spoke to you, while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of
Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be
fulfilled". Then he opened their minds to
understand the scriptures, and said to them,
"Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins
should be preached to all nations, beginning from
Jerusalem." (Luke 2444-47)
Therefore, we should expect the Psalms to contain
prophetic information about Jesus.

In particular, we should find prophetic
text concerning the resurrection of the Christ.
And we do in Ps 16 8-11 (see next slide).
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Psalms A Prophetic Source (cont'd)
For David says concerning him'For thou wilt not
abandon my soul to Hades the grave, nor let thy
Holy One see corruption' Being therefore a
prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him that he would set one of his
descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke
of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was
not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see
corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of
that we are witnesses. (Acts 225-32)
Points

• Context The apostle Peter is citing and
  interpreting Ps 168-11

• Peter calls David a prophet who foresaw Christ's
  resurrection
• Psalm16 is a prophetic source re. 'Jesus
  rising from the dead'

• David did understand that God's oath concerned a
  future 'son'
• who (though he died first) would be king on his
  throne. Compare
• how Abraham 'saw' the resurrection Jesus (Heb
  1119,Jn 856)

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Multiple Fulfillment Illustration - Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples
plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and his anointed, saying, 3
"Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their
cords from us." 4 He who sits in the heavens
laughs the LORD has them in derision. 5 Then
he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify
them in his fury, saying, 6 "I have set my king
on Zion, my holy hill."
Points

• 1st fulfillment - David wrote this about
  himself established as
• king by God in the midst of hostile Gentiles
  (2Sam 57-10, 81-14)

• 2nd fulfillment - Acts 425-31 quotes this
  writing of David as text
• relevant to the hostility of Pilate, Herod
  the Jews against Jesus

• 3rd fulfillment - Is 22-4, 3317-22 prophesy a
  last-days setting in
• which the Christ rules his kingdom from Mt.
  Zion and Jerusalem

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Multiple Fulfillment Illustration - Psalm 2
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD He
said to me, "You are my son, today I have
begotten you." 8 "Ask of me, and I will make
the nations your heritage, and the ends of the
earth your possession. 9 You shall break them
with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like
a potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings,
be wise be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11
Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling 12
kiss his feet, lest he be angry, and you perish
in the way for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Points

• 4th fulfillment - Acts 1333 quotes v.7 as a
  text predicting God's
• declaration about Jesus on the day of his
  resurrection

• 5th fulfillment - Rev 227, 1915 cite v. 9 as
  text to describe the
• kind of rulership Jesus will use over the
  nations when he first
• sets up the Kingdom of God

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Multiple Fulfillment Recap
Psalm 16
Psalm 2
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Who wrote it David
When Around 1000 B.C.
Audience presumably contemporary worshippers of
the LORD
David knew future generations
(including Jesus) would benefit from the
inspired words
Setting not known it may have been based on
some very personally distressing time in David's
life (unrecorded),

or it
might just be entirely predictive for the benefit
of Jesus to trust that God would deliver him.
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, from the
words of my groaning?.. 6 But I am a worm, and
no man scorned by men, and despised by the
people 7 All who see me mock at me, they make
mouths at me, they wag their heads 8 "He
committed his cause to the LORD let him deliver
him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
v.1 first part spoken by Jesus on the cross
(Matthew 2746)
v.6 people called for his crucifixion (Matthew
2723)
v.7 mocked by soldiers, rulers and thieves
(Matthew 2739)
v.8 cited by the mocking Jewish rulers (Matthew
2742)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
9 Yet thou art he who took me from the womb
thou didst keep me safe upon my mother's breasts.
10 Upon thee was I cast from my birth, and
since my mother bore me thou hast been my God...
14 I am poured out like water, and all my
bones are out of joint my heart is like wax, it
is melted within my breast 15 my strength is
dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves
to my jaws thou dost lay me in the dust of
death.
v.9 rescued from king Herod's murdering (Matthew
213-15)
v.10 knew that God was his Father (Luke 249)
v.14 the agony of the crucifixion posture
v.15 continued agony of the cross basis of
Jesus saying "I thirst" (John 1928)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
16 Yea, dogs are round about me a company of
evildoers encircle me they have pierced my hands
and feet -- 18 they divide my garments among
them, and for my raiment they cast lots. 19
But thou, O LORD, be not far off! O thou my help,
hasten to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the
sword, my life from the power of the dog! 21
Save me from the mouth of the lion, my afflicted
soul from the horns of the wild oxen!
v.16 piercing of nails (John 2025,27)
v.18 soldiers gambled for his clothes (Matthew
2735)
v.19-21 "Jesus offered up prayers and
supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him
who was able to save him from death, and he was
heard for his godly fear" (Hebrews 57)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
22 I will tell of thy name to my brethren in
the midst of the congregation I will praise thee
... 24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted and he has not
hid his face from him, but has heard, when he
cried to him. 25 From thee comes my praise in
the great congregation my vows I will pay before
those who fear him.
v.22 anticipates the resurrection (see v.25)
v.24 Jesus' prayer is heard by God in both the
garden and on the cross (Luke 2242-43, Hebrews
57)
v.25 confirms the resurrection (Ps 406-10, cited
in Hebrews 105-9 )
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and
turn to the LORD and all the families of the
nations shall worship before him. 29 Yea, to
him shall all the proud of the earth bow down
before him shall bow all who go down to the
dust.... 30 Posterity shall serve him men
shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people
yet unborn, that he has wrought it.
v.27 to be fulfilled in Jesus (Zechariah
1417,4,9)
v.29 to be fulfilled in Jesus (Philippians 29-11)
v.30 apostles preaching? (Acts 18)
v.31 the basis for Jesus final words on the
cross "It is finished!" (John 1930)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
Application / Lesson

• Jesus evidently used what he learned from the
  Psalm to help
• him face, endure and triumph over the pain and
  the shame of
• the cross his followers should learn the same
  from their
• Scripture understanding, as taught by Hebrews
  121-3

"let us also lay aside every weight, and sin
which clings so closely, and let us run with
perseverance that race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the
right hand of the throne of God. Consider him
who endured from sinners such hostility against
himself, so that you may not grow weary or
fainthearted."
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 22 (contd)
Application / Lesson

• Jesus was totally confident in God, and like
  faithful Abraham
• and David, knew that he would be raised from
  the dead. This
• certain hope of the resurrection to eternal
  life is a basic Bible
• teaching, a core confidence of the faithful
  believer (see below
• Acts 266-8,1Corinthians 151-20,
  2Corinthians 413-14).

"with respect to the hope and the resurrection
of the dead, I am on trial (Acts 236) having
a hope in God which they accept, that there
will be a resurrection of both the just and the
unjust (Acts 2415) ...For I delivered to you
as of first importance..that Christ died for our
the sins in accordance with the scriptures, that
he was buried, that he was raisedin accordance
with the scriptures (1Cor 153-4)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 110
The LORD says to my lord ...
Who wrote it David
When Around 1000 BC
Audience presumably contemporary worshippers of
the LORD
future generations who would
comprehend that this was a messianic prophecy
Setting Likely after David received the
far-reaching promises of God, per 2 Samuel 7.
David realized that when he went in to "sit
before the LORD", he was performing the
privileged role of a king-priest, comparable to
Melchizedek, "king of Salem... priest of God Most
High" (Genesis 1418).

He also realized that his
"lord" was the Messiah, the promised "son" of
David who would be exalted by the LORD and rule
in Zion forever.
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 110 (contd)
Psalm 110 is quoted 27 times in the New Testament
obviously important
Explicitly applied to Jesus (Acts 234-36) and
stated to be fulfilled when he ascended to God
on high (Hebrews 13)
1The LORD says to my lord "Sit at my right
hand, till I make your enemies your
footstool. 2 The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your
foes! 3 Your people will offer themselves
freely on the day you lead your host upon the
holy mountains...
Argued by
Jesus himself in the debate with the Pharisees
(Luke 2041-44)
Ties directly to the scenario in Psalms 2
scepter symbolic of kingship
Predicts the repentance and reconciliation of the
Jews to Jesus (Romans 1126-27, Matthew 2339)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 110 (contd)
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his
mind, "You are a priest for ever after the order
of Melchizedek." 5 The Lord is at your right
hand he will shatter kings on the day of his
wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the
nations, filling them with corpses, he will
shatter chiefs over the wide earth.
Explicitly applied to Jesus (Hebrews 56,10) and
shown to be practiced in his mediator role
(Hebrews 414-16)
Ties directly to the scenario in Psalms 2 to
the "time of the end" shattering in Daniel 127
Predicts Christ's judgment and destruction of the
nations
when
Christ comes to reign, Scripture says "the
nations raged, but thy wrath came, and the time
for destroying the destroyers of the earth"
(Revelation 1118)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 110 (contd)
Application / Lesson

• Jesus
• the Messiah (Christ)
• future king of Jerusalem
• high priest after the
• order of Melchizedek
• name Yah(God) saves
• also called 'beloved'

• David
• prototype of Messiah
• king of Jerusalem
• did priestly things
• (instruct people, ate
• the shewbread)
• name beloved

• Melchizedek
• original person
• king of Salem
• priest of God
• Most High
• name king of
• righteousness

Understanding the Old Testament background to
New Testament teaching not only enriches our
appreciation of the Word of God but helps us to
perceive where there is multiple fulfillment
of Bible prophecy. We come to expect it.
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More Multiple Fulfillment
Psalm 22
Psalm 110
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83
"O God, do not keep silence
Who wrote it Asaph, who could be the chief
musician in David's time (2Chron 512, Neh 1246)
or one of the sons of Asaph in the time of king
Jehoshaphat (2Chron 2014-15)
When Depends on which Asaph
Audience Those hearers who would be encouraged
by the victory in the (recent) past brought about
by faith in the LORD
Setting If in David's time, the circumstance
would be the hostility of the nearby nations
(cf. 2Sam 517-25, 81-13, Ps 606-8).
If in the time of Jehoshaphat, the
circumstance would be the invasion by Moab and
Ammon allies (2Chron 201).
In either case, the LORD was the cause of
victory, as He was in the days of the Judges,
which is the backdrop of this Psalm.
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
1 O God, do not keep silence do not hold thy
peace or be still, O God! 2 For lo, thy
enemies are in tumult those who hate thee have
raised their heads. 3 They lay crafty plans
against thy people they consult together against
thy protected ones. 4 They say, "Come, let us
wipe them out as a nation let the name of Israel
be remembered no more!"
An urgent appeal to God to listen and intervene
...
because His enemies are making noises
(rhetoric!)...
against His people Israel, those whom He
promised to take care of.
The enemies of Israel are plotting its total
annihilation...
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
5 Yea, they conspire with one accord against
thee they make a covenant -- 6 the tents of
Edom1 and the Ishmaelites2, Moab3 and the
Hagrites4, 7 Gebal5 and Ammon6 and Amalek7,
Philistia8 with the inhabitants of Tyre9 8
Assyria10 also has joined them they are the
strong arm of the children of Lot.
The conspiracy is really against God Himself
The conspirators are the immediate neighbors of
Israel if these ancient names were mapped into
modern lands, they Jordan, Lebanon, parts of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (see map on next
slide)
Assyria is not close to Israel, yet is the 10th
enemy to join the covenant of destruction.
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
Where are those countries and peoples today?
The nations who conspire against Israel
ASSYRIA
Mediterranean Sea
GEBAL
TYRE
AMMON
ISHMAELITES
MOAB
PHILISTINES
HAGARENES
EDOM
AMALEK
Sinai
Nile
Red Sea
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
9 Do to them as thou didst to Midian, as to
Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 10 who
were destroyed at Endor, who became dung for the
ground. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and
Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, "Let us take possession for
ourselves of the pastures of God." 13 O my
God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff
before the wind
Refers back to the time of the Judges when God
worked through 'little people' of faith like
Deborah, Barak and Gideon to overthrow their very
formidable enemies (Judges 722, 415, 23)
These great Midianite leaders were killed by weak
but faithful Gideon (Judges 725, 821)
The plunderers left nothing for man or beast
(Judges 63-6)
Tie to Daniel 235 which predicts a similar end
to the image of man's kingdoms.
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
14 As fire consumes the forest, as the flame
sets the mountains ablaze, 15 so do thou
pursue them with thy tempest and terrify them
with thy hurricane! 16 Fill their faces with
shame, that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed for
ever let them perish in disgrace. 18 Let
them know that thou alone, whose name is the
LORD, art the Most High over all the earth
Vivid metaphors of fire and storm illustrate how
God's fury will be perceived by His enemies the
natural elements are also literally used to
fulfill prophecy - Ps 1488
Why shame these enemies? To convert them to
God's way! But if they will not change, then they
will perish this is the teaching of John 316-18

Whether it is reconciliation (the preferred
result) or destruction, the LORD will be rightly
seen as the Most High (e.g., 2Kings 1924)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 Linkage
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
Application / Lesson
What do Israel's enemies say?

• Journalistic rhetoric (2001)
• see Reference Material for Week 3

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Ancestry of the Jews and Arabs
Jews (Israel)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
Application / Lesson

• Today's Jew-Arab conflict has its roots in
  animosity and
• disputes that began in Abraham's time.

Only God can resolve that conflict, and He will
(e.g., Isaiah 1919-24 also see video tape
Conflict in the Middle East -- to be resolved by
God )

• The objective to destroy the nation of Israel in
  modern times
• is a fact of record and evident from the
  repeated declaration
• of jihad, fanatical rhetoric and continued
  acts of terrorism.

The time is coming when Israel will be overrun,
ravaged, and exiled the stage will be set for
the LORD's intervention (Luke 2120-24, Zechariah
141-9)
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OT Prophecy - Psalm 83 (contd)
Application / Lesson

• Like Gideon, who naturally feared the power and
  ravaging of
• the plunderer yet became strong in the LORD by
  his faith and
• obedience, we should be willing to be used by
  God to take a
• stand for His purpose. "The Lord knows who are
  his" and
• always delivers His people (Hebrews 1132-39,
  2Timothy 219)

• Because there are terrible times predicted for
  Israel, we
• should "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" that
  God will
• intervene and send Jesus soon (Psalm 1226,
  Isaiah 626-8)

• Because we may have begun to experience the time
  when
• there is "distress of nationsmen fainting with
  fear and with
• foreboding of what is coming on the world", we
  are to "take
• heed to yourselves praying that you may have
  strength to
• stand before the Son of man" (Luke 2125-26)

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The Outworking of Bible Prophecy
41
Review
Psalm 22 prophesies about Jesus __________
experience.
a) Proof of this is found in the numerous ___
________cross-references.
b) Although it may have appeared that God had
forsaken him, Jesus knew from the full
passage that God would ______ him.
Psalm 110 prophesies about the exaltation of
Davids ____ .
a) David understood from the LORD that one day in
the future, his own special offspring -- the
Christ -- would _____ over David himself.
b) Jesus was to be made a king-priest after the
order of __________.
Psalm 83 describes enemy Gentiles out to _______
Israel.
a) These hostile people find their counterparts
in todays ________.
b) As in the time of the Judges when God "sold
them into the power of of their enemies
round about, so that they could no longer
withstand their enemies", Israel will cry
out to God to send them a ________.
42
Key Point To Take-away
The Psalms are Messianic prophecies which point
to Jesus, the Christ of God he fulfilled the
'suffering' psalms during his First Coming and he
will fulfill the 'kingdom' psalms at his Second
Coming
43
OT Prophecies to be discussed next week (you
can read in advance)

• Isaiah 53,11, 2 - prophetic of Jesus' ministry
  and sacrifice, Jesus as righteous judge, and the
  word of the LORD from Jerusalem
• Jeremiah 25, 31 - predicted captivity of Judah
  for 70 years cup of God's wrath predicted
  restoration of Judah a new covenant
• Ezekiel 3-5, 26,29 - discussion of Ezekiel as a
  'man of sign' detailed predicted overthrow and
  ultimate destruction of the city of Tyre

44
Question / Answer Session

To be continued...