Do you get confused reading the Old Testament prophecies? Does their language and symbols seem cryptic and undecipherable? Do you wonder what they are pointing toward? Have you given up on understanding them? Would you prefer someone simply tell you what they mean?
Prophecy can be difficult to discern. We may wonder when the prophecies will come true. We may be confused about their meaning. Prophecies cannot be discerned with a simple reading. They require deeper research, often reading multiple interpretations and commentaries.
Thankfully, there are several scholars who have spent years reading the original language, researching the context in which the prophecy was written, and pulling together multiple similar passages to provide understanding. What we find when we dig into prophecy is that some are pointing to both short-term fulfillment and long-term fulfillment. What does that mean?
When we take a deeper look at today’s passage, we find it was written at a time in which Israel was in Babylonian exile and seeking to return. Jerusalem is in shambles. The wall around the city is a pile of rubble. In the short-term, the prophecy is telling the exiles the city and temple will be rebuilt. When we read Nehemiah, we find this prophecy come true.
However, there is also a long-term meaning. It also points to the eternal home of those who follow Jesus. It points to the new Jerusalem referenced in Revelation. This prophecy speaks of God marrying Jerusalem, using the same language as Christ marrying the church. Everyone will see the glory of God and he will be the light of his renewed creation.
I pray we all seek to better understand prophecy. I pray we dig deeper into the context in which it was written. I pray each one of us look forward to the fulfillment of Christ’s return and the renewal of God’s creation. Seek understanding. Dig deeper. Anticipate fulfillment of prophecy.
Isaiah 62:2
The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
Marty Pressey 