Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Salvation in the Old Testament and Clearer Revelation

The Banner of Truth website is a great place to visit. I've benefited greatly from their materials. They just put out two articles discussing salvation in the Old Testament.

Part One

Part Two

The following in Part Two caught my attention:
CLEARER REVELATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Thus the Old Testament is not corrected by the New Testament but is rather more clearly explained and expanded in light of New Testament revelation. The New Testament is in the Old Testament contained, and the Old is in the New explained. (underline mine)
My church's reformed pastor recently did a sermon on Psalm 130. I was intrigued as to how he'd handle the verses which mention Israel. Most reformed commentators find ways to Christianize the Psalms. To his credit, he went to Romans 9 and 11. He said a face-value take on these verses addresses the salvation of the Jews. Sadly, he also said he didn't think this meant the nation Israel. So close yet he missed it.

"...and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Rom 11:27

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Jer 31:31

Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): "If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever." Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD. Jer 31:35-37

Does clearer revelation and expansion involve a change of the OT meaning? Considering the folk at Banner are mostly amil-postmil, they do not necessarily see a prophetic future for national Israel. So, to borrow a line from Princess Bride: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Despite Banner's comment above, they do not do the Old Testament very well where it speaks of future promises to national Israel. In this case, they place their theological grid over both Testaments.

Mike Vlach: Theology III Lecture 09 "Salvation in the Old and New Testaments"

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