Chapter 8 - The Spirit of Prophecy Employs the New Testament Principle that the Church is now "the Israel of God": the "Double" Application of the Things of Israel Flashcards
PRINCIPLE #1
The Spirit of Prophecy, throughout, employs Biblical principles of interpretation. In this we find proof of the divine leadership of the messenger of God. The following extracts show the importance in the Spirit of Prophecy of the principle that the remnant church is the Israel of God and that the experiences of ancient Israel were typical of the experiences of present-day, spiritual Israel:
PRINCIPLE #2
“The history of the wilderness life of Israel was chronicled for the benefit of the Israel of God to the close of time…. God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan,”
P.P., p. 293.
PRINCIPLE #3
“The apostle Paul plainly states that the experience of the Israelites in their travels has been recorded for the benefit of those living in this age of the world, those upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
3T, p.358. See also 1T, p.283
PRINCIPLE #4
“Satan’s snares are laid for us as verily as they were laid for the children of Israel just prior to their entrance into the land of Canaan. We are repeating the history of that people.”
T. No. 31, p. 156. See also
S.T., Nov. 3, 1890
PRINCIPLE #5
“The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ.”
Rev. and Her., 1890, No. 7.
PRINCIPLE #6
The principle that Israel’s’ history is prophetic of the experiences of the church is continually employed in the Spirit of Prophecy. Under the heading, “The Church the Light of the World,” in 5T. 454-467, the Lord’s servant urges the church to carry the gospel to the world. She says: “God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth.”
PRINCIPLE #7
“The opposition and discouragement that the builders in Nehemiah’s day met from open enemies and pretended friends, is typical of the experience that those to-day will have who work for God.” P.K. 644. Among other antitypical applications concerning Nehemiah’s work, God’s servant says: “As the time of the end draws near, Satan’s temptations will be brought to bear with greater power upon God’s workers. He will employ human agents to mock and revile those who ‘build the wall.’” P.K. 659.
PRINCIPLE #8
Thus the Spirit of Prophecy makes a spiritual application of the call out of literal Babylon, the literal repairing of the breaches in the wall of Jerusalem, and the rebuilding and restoring of the temple and city of Jerusalem. Those literal experiences of literal Israel are applied as “a symbol” or “a picture of a work of spiritual restoration that is to be wrought in the closing days of earth’s history.”
A study of Neh. 2:1, 6; 5:14-16; 6:15; 13:6 reveals that within a short space of twelve years Nehemiah had completed all his work. The “repairing” (see Neh. 3) of the walls of Jerusalem was done in 52 days. See Neh. 6:15. This quick work will be repeated in the experience of spiritual Israel. “The final movements will be rapid ones.” 9T. 11. “The bright light going among the living creatures with the swiftness of lightning represents the speed with which this work will finally go forward to completion.” 5T. 754. See also Rom. 9:28.
PRINCIPLE #9
When writing of the coming world-wide threat to destroy the remnant people of God, the servant of the Lord bases her statements upon the Old Testament record of Jacob being threatened with death by his brother Esau. Gen. 32:6-11; GC. 616, 618-621. Jacob’s deliverance typifies the deliverance which will come to God’s people. See Jer. 30:7 and GC. 635-652. When writing of the coming death decree, which will be passed upon spiritual Israel in the last days, God’s servant directs us back to the Old Testament to the death decree passed upon the literal Jews in the days of Mordecai and Queen Esther: “The decree which is to go forth against the people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther… .
“On this battle-field comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.” 5T. 450, 451; P.K. 605, 606.
PRINCIPLE #10
Many other statements in the Spirit of Prophecy concerning the closing up of the work of God on earth, the time of trouble, the persecution and deliverance of the church and the destruction of her enemies can be traced to the experiences of literal Israel recorded in the Old Testament. Thus the Spirit of Prophecy is in harmony with the principle followed throughout the New Testament that the history of ancient Israel is typical of the experiences of the church. This principle proves the divine origin and certainty of the Spirit of Prophecy, and also proves that the Third Angel’s Message we are proclaiming to the world is of God. “We have not followed cunningly devised fables.” 2 Pet. 1:16. We “know the certainty of those things, wherein [we have] been instructed.” Luke 1:1-3.
