Prophetic Language

"And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean."

-Mark 9: 9-10

The same Greek word rendered "questioning" here is translated "disputing" in Acts 6:9 and "disputed" in Acts 9: 29. The implication is there may have been a vigorous debate between the three disciples who were descending the mountain where they had seen Jesus transfigured before them, with Elijah and Moses beside Him. But what were they debating? According to the Greek text, the subject of their discussion was, "What is it: rising from the dead?" The disciples' hermeneutical difficulty with Jesus' prophetic word appears to have manifested because they seemed not to accept its most obvious meaning: the literal one. This is punctuated by their complete surprise when, in fact, Jesus did rise from the dead, just as (what do you know) He said!

We don't know the nature of any interpretive alternatives they may have proposed to each other during this discussion; the text does not elaborate. Perhaps someone in the group warned against attaching a "wooden literal meaning" to the words of Jesus. Perhaps it was hypothesized that prophecy typically employs catastrophic language with poetic hyperbole and that a more ordinary meaning than actual death and resurrection could be found. Maybe the disciples sought to settle upon an allegorical interpretation for the words. Maybe they explored numerous possibilities other than the obvious.

When Jesus prophesied His crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew 20: 19), he meant it literally; in fact, a wooden literal interpretation of His words would be accurate even to the literal wood of the literal cross. We read of how often He prophesied His death and resurrection to the disciples, for example, in Mark 8: 31, where Peter responded by rebuking Him, and in Mark 9: 31, where the text says the disciples didn't understand.

Why didn't they understand? Did they rule out the possibility of a literal interpretation, not only of Jesus' multiple prophecies, but also of such classic Old Testament passages as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53: 3-12?

The statement in Matthew 20: 19 requires no exegesis; it "interprets" itself. So if Jesus' prophetic words in Matthew 20: 19 and Mark 9: 9 are literal, why (you know where this is going, don't you?) would His words in Matthew 24 not be literal as well? Yes, including verses 21-31. For that matter, if Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53: 3-12 are to be taken literally, and they are, then why not Isaiah 13: 6-13? Do the rules for interpreting prophecy change between the 13th and the 53rd chapter of Isaiah? Is it because verses like Isaiah 13: 10 and Matthew 24: 29 indicate events too supernatural and spectacular for one's sensibilites? Well, the physical resurrection of Jesus was supernatural, spectacular...and literal. The prophecy given at the time of Mark 9: 9-10 is now a historical event.

Rather than impose an allegorical or "hyperbolic" eisegetical straightjacket on Matthew 24, why not let Christ's words speak for themselves? Hermeneutics is both an art and a science, and its proficiency should be developed by the believer. But it all begins with "hearing" the message.

Beyond Containment

When we consider the omnipresent nature of God, most of us probably do so in the context of Psalm 139:7-10. We understand that God, as Creator, is separate and distinct from creation, yet is present everywhere in it.

In contemplative moments, we consider God's majestic, expansive Presence in terms of some of the anthropomorphic statements in the Bible that refer to Him. Isaiah 40:12 depicts God measuring the oceans, seas, and waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand, and using His hand to measure the expanse of the heavens. Psalm 95:4 describes how the deep places of the earth are encompassed in the hand of the Creator.

Isaiah 66:1 says,

"Thus saith the LORD, 'The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? And where is the place of my rest?' "

When we meditate on God's transcendent nature, most of us probably think of God on His throne in heaven. Verses such as Psalm 11:4, Hebrews 9:24, and others show that God does manifest His glorious Presence in this way.

But in the same way that God's glory in the earthly temple at Jerusalem did not indicate a limitation upon the omnipresence of God, we should not mentally restrict God to a spatial limitation in considering that He sits on His throne in heaven. Nor should we conceive that His attribute of being omnipresent refers to being present everywhere only in creation. God is transcendently omnipresent. He exists beyond the confines of creation. King Solomon recognizes this in 2 Chronicles 2:5-6 as he determines to build the earthly temple:

"And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. But who is able to build Him an house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him an house,...?"

In 2 Chronicles 6:18 (see also 1 Kings 8:27) Solomon says,

"But will God in very deed dwell with men on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built!"

Solomon is acknowledging in these verses that all of creation, including the highest heaven, is not big enough to encompass God's transcendent Presence. Psalm 113:4 says that God's glory is above the heavens, and Psam 113:6 indicates that God condescends, or humbles Himself, just to behold the things in heaven or earth. Hebrews 7:25,26 indicates that Christ, the High Priest Who saves us, is exalted above the heavens.

So we see that while God condescends to reveal Himself to His creation and deigns to interact with His creation, His glory infinitely transcends the things and beings that are made, and He is exalted above even the highest heaven.

He is transcendently omnipresent.

Justified by Faith

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

-Romans 3:28

The free gift of Christ's righteousness, at the price of His blood, is applied to us by faith. Alone. Apart from the deeds of the law (the Greek word here, translated "deeds", is "ergon", which means "work"). Paul is clear in this statement, and in his expanding comments in Romans 4, that justification is received by faith alone; it is not earned or merited, it is not enhanced by ritual or fleshly effort. The only work that can save is the perfect, all-sufficient work of Christ at the cross. To trust in any other work is futile. To rely on any other means of salvation is hopeless.

Justification comes by genuine faith which is marked by characteristics which distinguish it from the impersonation of faith, such as acknowledgement without commitment or enthusiasm without doctrine. The one with true faith knows Who he believes, what he believes, why he believes. He will spend this life and all eternity developing that knowledge, but has sufficiently apprehended the truth and has entrusted belief, if with only a nascent kernel of wholehearted reliance, upon Christ and His work. And thereby is the new believer credited with the very righteousness of Christ, absolutely without merit on the part of the recipient.

Again, the distinction between true faith, the faith that saves, and counterfeit faith, which deceptively feigns the genuine, is revealed in the characteristics. True faith is a repentant faith; the counterfeit stubbornly clings to sin and rebellion. True faith surrenders to God (Romans 12:1) and endeavors to be transformed by God (Romans 12:2); the counterfeit has no desire to even be modified, let alone transformed.

True faith follows Jesus Christ. Not for a season, but forever.

True faith may stumble at times, may be weak, may even be encumbered by sin and distraction (Hebrew 12:1). But it stays the course. It endures. It does not desert. It does not abandon the truth (1 John 2:19). The difference between the true and the counterfeit is the difference between investing all one's hope and trust in the Lord of creation and committing all to Him, or merely acknowledging that, "well, maybe I'm open to a few things I could change as long as it isn't too much."

As we see in Romans 3:28, 4:5, and 5:1; in order to be justified by grace, faith is essential.