Luke 21:8

Christian, Be Not Deceived!

CHAPTER XVI.

THE LAWS OF REPETITION AND ENLARGEMENT.

The Bible contains much repetition, for, by the principle of enlargement through repetition, the divine Teacher increases our knowledge. "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." Job 33:14. "And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharoah twice; it is because the thing is established by God." Gen. 41:32. God also repeated the prophetic dream to Nebuchadnezzar. See Dan. 2:1. "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this." Ps. 62:11.

To give emphasis, certain words or phrases are repeated, as: "Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people." Isa. 40:1; "Awake, awake," Isa. 51:9, 17; 52:1; "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence ... go ye out of the midst of her." Isa. 52:11; "Woe to Ariel, to Ariel." Isa. 29:1; "O Jerusalem' Jerusalem." Matt. 23:37; "Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli ... that is to say, My God, My God." Matt. 27:46. Seven persons were addressed by God with a double name, such as "Abraham, Abraham." Gen. 22:11; "Samuel, Samuel," I Sam. 3:10; "Saul, Saul," Acts 9:4. In John's Gospel, Jesus used the double form of "Verily, Verily" twenty-five times.

We also find repetition in the Hebrew manner of expressing the superlative degree: "Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace," margin; Heb., "Peace, peace," see Isa. 26:3, margin, Isa. 57:19; "I will make thee most desolate" margin, "Desolation and desolation." Ezek. 35:3. "They were not of a double heart," margin, "without a heart and a heart." 1 Chron. 12:33, etc.

Concerning the standard time measurements to be employed in interpreting symbolic prophecies we are told: "I have appointed thee each day for a year," margin, Heb., "A day for a year, a day for a year." Ezek. 4:6.

Regarding the study of the Scriptures we are informed that: "Precept must be upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Isa. 28:9-13.

By reading the, Gospels we notice that Jesus repeated certain expressions. To each temptation in the wilderness Jesus replied. "It is written." Matt. 4:4-10. As the earthly ministry of the Master proceeded, He saw the need of keeping before His disciples the fact of His coming death. "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how He must suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and he raised again the third day." Matt. 16:21. "From that time forth began Jesus" to tell the disciples of His coming death, and He repeated this instruction at different occasions. In His second advent sermon He again stressed the warning which He had given at other times, for we read, "Behold, I have told you before." Matt. 24:25. In His illustrations showing the necessity of perseverance in prayer Jesus admonishes us to "ask," "seek," "knock," "for everyone that asketh . . . seeketh . . . knocketh." In our English translation the first letters of these three words form an acrostic as follows:

In stating the necessity of continuing in prayer, the Master repeated these words, by which we see that importunate prayer means to ask, ask, and keep on asking. To further illustrate His teaching, He gave two parables which bear such striking similarities that they appear to be repetition. See Luke 11:5-8 and Luke 18:1-8. A comparison of these two parables shows that they do contain repetition, not of detail, but of principle; namely, the necessity of perseverance in prayer. Luke 11:5-8 teaches us to be importunate in our asking on behalf of others; Luke 18:1-8 teaches us to be importunate in our asking for ourselves.

THE SCRIPTURES ARE WRITTEN UPON THE PRINCIPLE OF ENLARGEMENT BY REPETITION.

Jesus has warned against the use of "vain repetitions." Matt. 6:7. Instances of vain repetitions by the heathen are given in I Kings 18:26; Acts 19:34. But the Divine Teacher employed useful repetitions. God selected the Hebrew nation to proclaim His truth, and they expressed themselves by repetition–the repetition being an enlargement of that which preceded it. Illustrations of this will be seen in such texts as Isa. 1:10, 16; 28:23; 41:8; 44:1-3, etc. In these, and the many other instances in the Scriptures, we notice that the repetition is not "vain," for it is used to explain and enlarge upon what has been already said.

W. F. Wilkinson, M.A., in his "Personal Names in the Bible," p. 17, says: "According to the genius of Hebrew poetry, when words or phrases of substantially the same import occur in two parallel or antithetical clauses, the variation of the second from the first consists of its being explanatory, or expansive, or augumentative of the notion which the first contains."

Bruce Barton, in "The Book Nobody Knows," p. 41, says:

"Hebrew poetry does not consist of rhyme or meter, but in balance of thought, a Parallelism. One line says a thing, and the next repeats it with slight and skilful variations."

"In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." Prov. 12:28.

The Bible is not only full of enlarging repetitions in individual verses, but it is full of explanatory repetitions in parables, sermons, prophecies, history, etc.

Bible themes are written upon the crescendo plan. The earlier books lay the foundations for later developments. The details accumulate until, like an artist dipping his brush in different colours, a complete picture is produced. To change the metaphor, the seeds of truth planted in Genesis grow to large plants in later books. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Prov. 4:18. The Bible is written on this growing-brighter plan. Christ's miracles were performed on the accumulative method. He raised three people from the state of death–a child, a youth, and a fully grown man. And progressive conditions are also observed in the details of the Scriptural narratives–the girl was in bed, having just died; the young man had been dead some time and was on the way to the cemetery; while the fully grown man was decomposed in his grave.

The second chapter of Genesis enlarges on the important phases of the story of creation given in the first chapter. Some are confused over what they term the "two creations" brought to view in these two chapters. Some say that in chapter 1 of Genesis a "pre-Adamic" creation is referred to, whereas Gen. 2 presents the creation of Adam. This error occurs as false teachings originate. namely, by not heeding the Divine laws of interpretation–in this instance, the law of repetition and enlargement.

The erroneous teachings of evolution are based partly on the fact that in living things upon the earth there is a gradation of species from the lower to the higher forms of life. From this similarity of design and structure materialists suppose that the higher species have evolved from the lower. A failure to understand the Creator's laws of repetition and enlargement leads to this error. In the Genesis record of creation week we see how God commenced with the lowest forms of life and worked through to man—the highest. Certainly there is a gradation of species—the higher forms of life do appear as improvements on the lower forms of life—but the first object of His creation is just as perfect as the last thing He has created. In His creative and redemptive work, God commences from the lower and goes to the higher. He leads us from the material things to the spiritual; from our earthly abode to our heavenly. "The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Prov. 4:18. God's method expressed in creation and revelation is that of working on the "more and more" plan—keeping the best wine until the last. John 2:10. In the Scriptures, we see the Gospel of John—the Gospel which especially reveals Christ's divinity—and the Revelation the most intricate and embracing of the prophetic books—kept till the last. The description of the glorious new world—the best of all God's creation—is reserved until the end of the Bible. Rev. 21 and 22.

The 7th day Sabbath came at the end of six days of labour. Gen. 2:1, 2; Ex. 20:8-11. The 7th year Sabbath came at the end of six years of work. Lev. 25:2-7. "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths o f years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound . . . and ye shall hallow the fiftieth year." Lev. 25:8-13. The 1,000 years of earth's desolation—the earth's sabbath—comes at the end of 6,000 years of labour. In brief, we see that at the close of six days of labour came the weekly Sabbath: after six years of labour came the yearly sabbath: at the end of "seven times seven years" came the year of jubilee. At the close of 6,000 years comes the millennium. These illustrate God's system of enlargement— a system discerned throughout Scripture.

The prophecies which follow Daniel 2 are but the enlargements of this foundational prophecy: the prophecy of Daniel 7 covers the same course of history as that covered in chapter 2; this is again repeated in the prophecies of Dan. 8 and 9, and again in chapters 10 to 12. But with each repetition additional truths are brought to view. In the book of Revelation, also, we see the same principle.

The Revelation is the consummation of all preceding books. "In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end." A.A. 583-586. It contains 550 references to Old Testament passages. The Revelator repeats the past in prophesying the future—the past is repeated, but is enlarged upon. The New Testament contains 1.500 quotations of sentences and phrases from the Old Testament. The New Testament writers go over the history of the past, building on it in relation to the present and the future.

The deliverance of the children of Israel at the Red Sea is a type of the deliverance of the church at the end of human history. Rev. 15:1-3. The record of every succeeding deliverance of God's people adds details concerning the final deliverance of His people at the time of the outpouring of the 6th plague, when He completely overthrows the enemies of spiritual Israel at "Armageddon."

HOW TO TEST A MESSAGE.

Messages emanating from God are built upon the past. "Surely the Lord God will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. This prophetic test we are admonished to heed. 2 Pet. 1:19-21. A movement arising to-day must look to the past for its support: prophets in the past must have foretold its rise. The Exodus from Egypt of the children of Israel was based upon a prophecy given earlier. See Gen. 15:13-16, and compare with Ex. 2:23, 24; 3:6-8, 15; Ex. 12:40, 41. God reminded Moses of this prophecy when placing on him the responsibilities of leadership. Moses also reminded the Israelites of this prophecy given by God to Abraham. The return of the Jews from their Babylonian captivity was based upon definite predictions given sometime before. See Jer. 25:11, 12; 30:3, etc. "Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, that he made proclamation. . . . Thus saith Cyrus . . . [God] hath charged me to build Him an house in Jerusalem. . . . Who is there of all His people? The Lord His God be with him, let him go up." 2 Chron. 36:22, 23.

Daniel, in his perplexity regarding the future, turned to the prophecy of the past. Dan. 9:1, 2.

When John was challenged as to his authority to preach, he directed his enquirers to the prophecy of Isaiah (40:3-5) [Isa. 40:3-5] which predicted the work he was doing. The first verse of Matthew shows one of the main reasons for the writing of the book of Matthew and the New Testament; namely, to show the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. Matt. 1:1 refers us back to the prophecies that Abraham's seed should be the heir of the world (Rom. 4:13), and that David's son should sit on his throne (Luke 1:32, 33). Through Jesus the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies is made certain. See 2 Cor. 1:20; Acts 13:27-37. The Book of Matthew contains 99 direct references to the Old Testament Scriptures. Nine times he employed the formula, "That it might be fulfilled" (see Matt. 1:22, 23; 2:15, 17, 23, etc.), and at other times he referred to the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies, saying, "For thus it is written by the prophet" (Matt. 2:5); "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet" (Matt. 27:9); "But all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" (Matt. 26:56); "For it is written" (Matt. 26:31, etc.). Thus Matthew illustrates the burden of the writers of the New Testament to show that Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and the development of His Church and her work, all fulfil the prophecies of the Old Testament.

At the commencement of His ministry, Jesus appealed to the prophecy which outlined His work. Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:17-21; Dan. 9:25, 26; Mark 1:14, 15. When John sought confirmation from Jesus that He was the true Messiah, Jesus said: "Go shew John again those things which ye do hear and see." Matt. 11:2-4. Jesus "again" pointed to the things He was saying and doing–things which the prophecies had declared that He would do.

When Jesus met the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, He said: "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken . . . and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:19-27. Before revealing Himself, Jesus proved to them that He was the Messiah by showing how He fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. See D.A. 796-799. Later, when He met with the other disciples, Jesus again directed their minds to the prophecies concerning Himself: "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me." Luke 24:44. What made Peter's sermon so powerful? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the declaration of the fulfilment of prophecy! Peter showed how the outpouring of the Spirit fulfilled the prophecy of Joel 2:28, 29. He also pointed to other Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ. See Acts 2:25 (Ps. 16:8), Acts 2:31 (Ps. 16:10), Acts 2:34 (Ps. 110:1).

Later, in the development of the church, Peter, and then Paul, declared that God had visited the Gentiles "to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14). James, the President of this church council, said that this was the fulfilment of the prophecy found in Amos 9:11, 12. See Acts 15:12-17.

Peter (2 Pet. 3:13) directs us to the prophecy found in Isa. 65:17. John's description of the New Jerusalem is based upon prophecies found in Isaiah and Ezekiel. The last book in the Old Testament (Mal. 4:4) refers to the writings of Moses. All the New Testament writers refer back to the Old Testament for their authority: and the Old Testament writers refer to, confirm, and build upon the writings of the prophets which preceded them.

Dr. S. H. Brooks affirms that Genesis is quoted nineteen times in nine New Testament books: Exodus, twenty-four times in twelve New Testament books; Leviticus, twelve times in nine books; Numbers is quoted or alluded to in nine books; Deuteronomy, twenty-six times in thirteen books; the Psalms, fifty- nine times in twelve books; Isaiah, fifty times in eleven books; Proverbs, six times in six books; and Zechariah, six times in four books. To these must be added 376 allusions to the Old Testament in the New. The epistle to the Hebrews and Jewish portions of the epistle to the Romans are entirely dependent on the Old Testament. Concerning the book of Revelation, Professor W. Milligan says: ".. . it may be doubted whether it contains a single figure not drawn from the Old Testament, or a single sentence not more or less built up of materials brought from the same source ... [it] is a perfect mosaic of passages from the Old Testament." "The Revelation of St. John," p. 72.

The Old Testament is the foundation for the New. The New Testament elevates and magnifies the teachings and prophecies of the Old.

"The New is in the Old contained;
 The Old is by the New explained.
 The New is latent in the Old;
 The Old is patent in the New.
 The New is in the Old concealed;
 The Old is by the New revealed.
 The New is in the Old enfolded;
 The Old is in the New unfolded."

Strange doctrines may find apparent support from isolated passages or texts interpreted without reference to their contexts. But the test of true doctrine is its agreement with the rest of the Scripture. A spirit of unity prevails throughout the Word of God. "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." 1 Cor. 14:32.

By prophesying, many centuries in advance, future messages or movements in His work of salvation, God safeguards His children from deception. The miracle of prophecy not only guides His people, but is a powerful convicting force in the proclamation of their message, as there could not possibly be any collusion between the prophets of long ago and people proclaiming a message in later centuries. As the movement is seen to be in perfect harmony with the prediction, to the honest in heart the conviction is irresistible that both the prediction and the fulfilment are God ordained.

A God-inspired movement does not destroy the foundations of the past—it does not destroy, but fulfils. Matt. 5:17-19. The teaching of Sunday sacredness destroys the past: destroys not only the Sabbath, but also teaches the abolition of the law on the cross. The Third Angel's Message is based upon the united testimony of the prophets: it fulfils all the specifications of the prophetic Word: past revelations form its foundations. It does not destroy, but fulfils.