A prime example of Old Testament prophecy referring to New Testament times is found in the Book of Daniel.  Here the archangel Michael is speaking to him through words, dreams and visions.  However, the message he reveals to the prophet is neither for him nor his people at that time.  When Daniel mentions that he does not understand what he is seeing and hearing, Michael tells him it is not for him or anyone else to understand, but that at the “time of the end” of the world men would understand the meaning of what he saw and heard.  At that unknown future time God would speak to His apostles who would then pass on to his true saints the meaning of the what Michael had revealed to Daniel.  Under orders from God, Michael tells Daniel that the message was to be “closed up and sealed until the time of the end.”  Daniel had been given information specifically for the time period just before Christ returns to earth.  In the Book of Revelation chapters 5 and 6 we find the Apostle John, in vision, watching as the Lamb of God removed the seals Daniel had applied to the book (scroll).  At the designated time Jesus would begin to remove the seals with which Daniel had bound the scroll containing the words and sights Michael had given him.  Bear in mind that in Revelation Jesus was showing John “… the things which shall be hereafter” (1:19) so that His end-time apostles could understand the meaning of Daniel’s writing.  True saints would then be able to understand what the symbols in Daniel’s and John’s vision mean.  In this way the Books of Daniel and Revelation comprise a three-part story–Daniel wrote the prophecy, John explained it and Jesus will make it come to pass.

A unique aspect of this prophecy is that Daniel speaks about Israel as she will be IN THE FUTURE–“AT THE TIME OF THE END.”  Bear in mind that end-time Israel is represented by the United States, Britain and the Jews of the Middle East.  Read Who and Where is Israel Today?  Key word–Today.  Daniel speaks about modern day Israel in his prayer to the Lord.  Using his own words, he characterizes her moral condition as if future Israel is speaking to God.  Though he spoke as if he was Israel thousands of years in the future, he spoke to God in future tense: “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity (Lawlessness), and have done wickedly, and have rebelled by departing from Your (God’s) precepts and from Your judgments.  Neither have we listened to Your servants the prophets (Dan. 9:5,6).  “Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your Law by departing from it by not obeying Your voice.  Therefore Your curse is poured out on us according to the oath written in the law of Moses Your servant because we have sinned against You (vs 11).  Note that Daniel says that it is a sin to ignore Moses’ and the other prophets’ messages.

Another Old Testament message designed for a later time is found in the Book of Habakkuk where we find the prophet relating to us the vision God had revealed to him.  Following the vision, the Lord told him to, “Write the vision and make it plain so that those who read it will run (in fear).  For the vision is for an appointed (later) time, but at the end (of the age) it shall speak (come to pass) and not lie (without fail).  Though it will tarry (until the end), wait for it because it will surely come (to pass) …. ” (2:3).

Another example of an Old Testament message being proclaimed for a future time is found in the writing of King David where he describes in excruciating detail the suffering that would be endured by His Lord hundreds of years later.   In Psalm 22 David begins by saying the exact words Jesus would utter as He hangs between heaven and earth awaiting death: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Please read this entire Psalm in which King David prophesied what His Lord would one day endure for the sake of His fellow man.  Though the whole of professing Christendom believes that David was speaking about Jesus Christ, they refuse to accept the rest of the Old Testament as essential to the Christian walk.  Though billions of so-called “Christians”  are quick to claim the benefits of His sacrifice, they refuse to obey His Words.  In short, they reject the Old Testament and refuse to obey the New Testament, both of which are God’s Truth if, that is, we can take Christ’s Word for it as recorded in John 17:17.  Here we find Jesus praying to the Father, asking Him to sanctify the disciples by His Truth.  He finished the prayer by reminding adding, “Your Word is Truth.”  Notice that He did not qualify which of God’s Words are Truth.  He said that ALL OF GOD’S WORDS WERE TRUTH THEN AND ARE TRUTH NOW.  WE MUST LIVE BY ALL OF HIS WORDS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE (MAT. 4:4).

The approach of the Lenten Season and Good Friday provide another example of Old Testament prophecy referring to a New Testament situation.  In Jonah 1:17 we are told that he was in the fish’s belly exactly “three days and three nights.”  In Matthew 12:40 Jesus says that He would be in the earth exactly “three days and three nights.”  Knowing that future fake Christians would change the timing of the “prophecy,” Jesus said: “For (exactly) AS JONAH WAS IN THE FISH’S BELLY (EXACTLY) THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS (72 hours), SO WILL THE SON OF MAN BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH” (72 hours).  “Good Friday” supposedly marks the time of Christ’s death just before sundown.  Then Sunday at dawn supposedly marks the time of His resurrection.  Catholics cannot count to 3.  Friday night and Saturday night= 2 nights.  Saturday= 1 day.  This comes to one day and two nights, not three days and three nights.  Read Christ’s Resurrection.  Key word–Resurrection.  But Catholics have an explanation for the discrepancy: in the Greek language any part of a day= an entire day.  According to Catholics, Jesus died just before Friday ended and was resurrected just after Sunday began.  However, Jesus specifically referenced Jonah’s three days and three nights.  This story is found in the Old Testament which was written in Hebrew, which has no any-part-of-a-day=a-day language rule.  Both Jesus and Jonah were in their respective dark places exactly three days and three nights (72 hours).  We know this because Jesus said so.  Contrary to half of professing Christianity, He cannot count to 3.

In closing I will return to the New Testament where we find several passages that proclaim the importance of the Old Testament in the lives of New Testament converts.  Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the New Testament Church was founded upon the teachings of the PROPHETS and the apostles.  The Apostle Paul told Timothy the evangelist to study the Scriptures in order to be approved by God (2 Tim. 2:15).  In 3:14-16 Paul told him that all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.  Paul told the church at Thessalonica that they must prove all things that they believed (1 Thess. 5:21).  This can be done only by comparing their beliefs to the Holy Scriptures–God’s standard of right and wrong.   In Romans 15:8 Paul tells us that Jesus came to earth to confirm to Israel the promises God made to their fathers–Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  We find those promises in the Old Testament.  JESUS CAME TO EARTH TO CONFIRM WHAT GOD HAD SPOKEN TO ISRAEL AS RECORDED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

The truth of the matter is that the New Testament did not exist during the time Jesus and the apostles were alive and would not exist until all of them except John had been killed.  JESUS AND THE APOSTLES TAUGHT THE PEOPLE USING ONLY THE OLD TESTAMENT.  Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that we must live by EVERY WORD OF GOD.  “Every Word” includes the Old Testament.  If the Old Testament was believed, obeyed and taught by those who gave their lives for it, then it is equally important to me.  What about you?  L.J.