Prophetic Foreshadowing

[Good Cheer]

What is your view on prophetic foreshadowing (my descriptive term) in the OT & NT, where future events are alluded to but not specifically spelled out?
Leviathan and the Assyrian are a couple of examples that come to mind. Also when three days are mentioned and the third day is different.
I'm sure people who read scripture will come up with others. Any way, I woke up at 2:30 and reading Isaiah I wondered about how others think about the foreshadowing.
Time to get cleaned up and go to a meeting.
Later fellas.

[GhostHawk]

I have had times I could swear I could feel the wrath of God hanging above. Ready to fall, ready to blot much of mankind from the face of the earth.

And I have had times when I felt doom coming, but felt the hand of God holding it back, waiting. Hoping that the people would return to him.

Now I feel neither, I feel warm and safe and snug, cherished, protected. Like I am living in God's Hip Pocket.

What does it mean? Wish I knew.

I used to worry a lot about SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, etc. I don't worry anymore.

I am as ready as I can be. He could be standing at my door, or it could be another 3 thousand years before the Lord returns with the last trump. Matters not to me, I believe. I believe in the Lord's promises, in his virgin birth, his sacrifice for our sins, his rising from the dead.

I believe Lord, and I believe you when you tell me I will be ok. I surrender to you Lord, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

[Good Cheer]

I had to look up TEOTWAWKI*.

GhostHawk, it's that * every day we wake up in these flesh bodies but I don't mean looking for some Dr. Doom coming to zap us.
By way of explanation, I've come to accept that prophecy is a teaching tool integral to scripture for edification and development of the student as well as testimony to the observant heathen. An example I've used many times is that of Josie Wales and Ten Bears; prophecy is the words of death the observant can see such that the words of life can be trusted.
And now I'm getting pretty well convinced that foreshadowing too is part of the lesson plan. Hence, thought I'd ask what folks think about foreshadowing they've picked up on in their studies. To me it just is. Might be like a chicken looking at a card trick but I'm convinced somethings going on.

[square butte]

It does seem as if we are witnessing Biblical drama these days - Especially when I turn on the news. Come what may - We fret not in our household - Our home and Hearts belongs to the Lord

[Ickisrulz]

My views typically run counter to the majority here, but I'll add my opinion anyway.

Prophecy and messages with an immediate and future meaning are only fully understood when looking back or when explained by another biblical author. How many OT prophecies concerning the Messiah were understood before they were fulfilled? Not very many.

There is the view that God's judgement is imminent on today's world because of the ungodliness we see. If I understand current world events and world history, we are probably in better shape today than in many periods.

Consider biblical events that prompted God to act in judgement (I take the biblical record as inspired and 100% accurate). During Noah's time humanity had become the polar opposite of what God wanted for man to be. Instead of loving their neighbors, men acted with nothing but violence. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had become similar. We see attacks on vulnerable travelers to satisfy the citizens' lusts instead of offering safety and hospitality. Think about the destruction of the Canaanites. These people were extremely wicked. It would seem the apex of their wickedness was child sacrifice.

Israel was punished from time to time. This was part of the contract they signed with God. They were held to a higher standard than the rest of the world.

Jesus may come at anytime and remove the wicked. But I don't believe this will be prompted by the events we see going on today. While falling woefully short of God's standards, we aren't doing too bad considering history.

[Blackwater]

Prophesy is something I don't think I'll ever understand. I doubt many truly do. Prophesy seems to have been a gift that was granted only to a very few, and the ability to interpret it is likewise only given to a bare few. So, though it intrigues me, and edifies me at least that what's coming as the earth dies down is going to be dire and unrelenting, those of us who truly love the Lord will come out of it in Heaven, and the rest will affect us no more. They will have their own place. We each have to choose who we'll follow, and it's one or the other. I've chosen Christ, and so has my family. A number of friends have as well, but there's one I need to work on more. And another who needs to make church a more regular part of his life. I'd hate to arrive at the Throne of Judgment without a few folks I'd led to Christ! That was our Great Commission, and the prime focus of all our efforts, as a Christian. No other act, after our own commitment, means more to us and to the world around us than bringing others to Christ. If we don't know how, we can take them to someone who's better at witnessing than we are, and in learning how they do it, and what they say, we can learn to become more self sufficient in the process ourselves. Praised be the name of the Lord forever! Amen!

[wv109323]

Prophecy is a spiritual gift. I believe very few ,if any, have the gift to accurately know all of the future. I could not have predicted the events that have already been fulfilled by the words of the OT. So I don't think anyone can predict our future accurately.
Remember prophecy had to be written so that all generations should read and have hope for the future. Think of reading Revelation a thousand years ago. What could you determine from it then? But it was still the inspired Word of God.
I have not heard anyone that fully explains the book of Revelation to my satisfaction. There are several TV preachers that will sell you a book with their opinion. But the future will never be 100% predictable.

[Ickisrulz]

In the NT, a Prophet and the gift of prophecy are two different things. Prophecy is a spiritual gift given to Church members per Paul in 1 Cor 14. A Prophet is one of the offices given to the Church per Paul in Ephesians 4. One is a position within the Church and the other is an intermittent activity prompted by the Holy Spirit. (Pentecostals believe the spiritual gifts are still in operation today, while others do not.)

Prophecy, in both the OT and NT, is both "fore telling" and "forth telling." That is, a prophetic message sometimes tells what will occur in the future but more often tells what is on God's mind or what is happening at a specific time and why.

When we think of prophecy we often think of The Book of Revelations. Interestingly, John was an Apostle and not a Prophet. Revelations was important to the First Century Christians who were suffering extreme persecution under Rome. They were the original audience and understood its message better than today's readers. Much of Revelation's prophecies have passed.

[Good Cheer]

Well, the meeting was a ripping success even without much sleep.


About foreshadowing in scripture, things being alluded to as opposed to specific prophecies, in some ways it seems to be reminiscent or representative of how our subconscious mind projects onto the conscious. Not clear cut like Mom calling you up on the phone and telling you to hurry up and get the kids out of the street or like your sister getting up in the morning and telling of dreaming about the family friend in a plane crash that night. More like events from different times getting represented in one blast with a bit of the omnipresent point of view bleeding into the telling. Any way, as first stated the foreshadowing is something I've noticed and I reckon will continue to scratch my head over.

[johnson1942]

as acting as a prophet one doesnt have to know all the secrets and every thing. what a prophet does is is given something by God to tell other person. yes it can be about the future or simply a instruction. that has happened to me several times and i wrote it down. it was always short and to the point. i would then go to that person and tell them God had a message for them. they all accepted it. every time they said to me, two other people have told me the same thing. i always seem to be the third person. they were life changing instructions. i have also seen visions of things about the person i was to go to. ive also seen visions about a person and then told them. so far it has been well received. a prophet is not responsible for how it is recieved, he or she is only responsible for delivering the message. there are all kind of prophets, personal, groups or world events. God gives the message, and the prophet is to deliver it. it is the hardest of all the gifts. most prophets are not well received. so far when it happens to me ive had no bad experiences.

[Blackwater]

I personally doubt that it's necessary for prophets to really understand the prophesies they may deliver. All that's necessary, at least so I think, is that they simply be willing to act as a conduit for the prophesies to flow through so they can get to us. But I'm no great theologian, and much of this is mysterious and opaque or at best translucent, to me so ..... I leave that for more able people to address more fully and capably. But I guess we all have to have our views on this, don't we? Like I said to start with, I don't believe I truly understand prophesy, so mostly, I just marvel at it, and hope to one day understand it better. That's about all the aspiration I feel I have any right to, really. I mostly just read it in awe and wonder. And try to form concepts that seem appropriate insofar as I'm able, which is less than I wish I could do. But I think part of Christ's intention was that we acknowledge our weaknesses, and yet, still be happy and satisfied with them. How could we not be happy when there's yet more to learn one day?

[Good Cheer]

Well, that's probably a real good way to look at it, in joyous expectation because we know we don't know much yet. After all, scripture is more of a basic training and field manual for forces invading hostile country rather than the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. It gives you some basics to get by on. Tells you about your command structure, the enemy, what's good to eat, weapons training, first aid, shelter and what not to stick your foot in.

[1johnlb]

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the same Holy Spirit who works all things/gifts according to His will, as He wills, will also work effectively in you who believe.

This same Holy Spirit that was upon the face of the earth long before man, which inspired all scripture, who has all unstanding and knows the mind of God, is simply looking for a willing vessel, in Christ. If He is in you, then all He is, was and will be, is in you. Then the only thing which holds us back from everything He has , is us.