Restoring the brethren to the Son of Joseph, one day at a time
I've gotten my first support on Patreon, so I wanted to both thank my supporters publicly and give them something in return. I'm therefore posting the first chapter of my new book on eschatology for all supporters who are donating at least $3/month. Unlike my previous book, When the Stars Fall, which left a lot of …
The existence of a spiritual metaphor does not necessarily negate a literal fulfillment. Other principles discovered in this series: That which has been fulfilled in spirit may be fulfilled again in both spirit and letter in the Messiah. The context of a prophecy may be thematic rather than chronological. Prophecies which apply to Israel apply …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT – 6th Principle: A Light in Galilee"
We've been carefully building our understanding of how the New Testament uses the prophecies of the Tanakh by going through Matthew's citations in order to establish principles of interpretation. Today, we're going to go a little sideways, both reinforcing previous principles (as we've done before) and jumping ahead to the first citation in the book …
A prophecy may use physical descriptions to describe spiritual realities. Poor John the Baptist. Not only did he lose his head, but he was completely overshadowed by his younger cousin in history. Not that John minds: "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT, 5th Principle: A Voice in the Wilderness"
The name of a place in Scripture is often vital to understanding a prophecy. But when he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT, 4th Principle: Puns and Place Names"
Prophecies which apply to Israel apply equally to Israel's King, and vice-versa. Yeshua redeems Israel's history. Some years ago, I had dinner with an Israeli friend of the family. He wasn't Messianic. Heck, some days he wasn't even sure if he believed in the God of Jacob. Nevertheless, he had a vast collection of rabbinic …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT – 3rd Principle: The King and His People Are One"
The context of a prophecy may be thematic rather than chronological. The birth of Yeshua in Bethlehem, "the city of David" (Luke 2:11), is iconic in Christian circles, the center of Christmas pageants in churches all over the world every December. I still enjoy the songs of the Christmas season (even though I know it's …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT, 2nd Principle: Thematic Context"
That which has been fulfilled in spirit may be fulfilled again in both spirit and letter in the Messiah. The very first prophecy of the Tanakh that is openly cited in the New Testament is Isaiah 7:14, as quoted in Matthew 1:23: "'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the NT, 1st Principle: Multiple Fulfillments"
The autumn season has always been the one in which I most feel the "pull" of prophecy, specifically end-times prophecy or eschatology. The slow fading of the year appeals to my default state of cheerful melancholia, putting me in the right mood for contemplating the end of history with a Messianic hope. In addition to …
Continue reading "Prophecy in the New Testament: Introduction"
The Return of Benjamin 