|
|
|
| p.1 Is the gospel in every book of the Old Testament? "Is it true, is it accurate? The ad went out… Big names on evangelism hailed this new look at 'the Gospel.' Graham, Huckabee, Cahn, Comfort, Greg Laurie, Metaxas, Boone, Kinchlow, Norris, Jack Van Impe, and dozens more agree (some of these names may no longer be included in the ad, some new ones may be added) have characterized it as a “breakthrough Bible book.” Here's what others are saying about "The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament": Yes, say dozens of Christian leaders about " The Gospel in Every Book of the Old Testament," a new book that finds the Good News, as preached by Jesus in the Greek Scriptures, in all 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Surprised? Would such a book be worth reading, studying? Would it help spread the Gospel? Would it demonstrate the miraculous nature of the Bible, a book written by about 40 different people over 1,500 years? Is there really one singular, cohesive message to be found in such a book? What impact might it have on doubters and the faithful alike? After nearly 1,800 years, can breakthrough discoveries still be made through Bible research? Are they right or are they wrong? We understand Christ is spoken of specifically or seen indirectly by typology, symbolical representations, allegory and literally. A future messiah to come is prophesied in portions of the Old Testament but the gospel that saves in every book; as given in the New Testament; No it IS NOT? And to say this is misleading. NO, the gospel is NOT in every book of the Old Testament. I have held off on writing on this, but since Farah has made some new additions I need to address this. First point: I guess this all depends on what one calls the gospel. So what is the gospel? Is it the whole New Testament, is it about the life of the Messiah, is it his name, or future events? Paul defines it by three points found in 1 Cor.15. It is about Jesus’ death by crucifixion, his burial and rising back to life on the third day. Simple, but then there is also ‘the who’ that died, which is important in presenting the message accurately of what took place. That ‘Christ’ is the only God /man who is the person of the gospel. Let me first point out, Farah on his website has taught all kinds of Christian error through certain books they promote and sell, (Joe Kovac’s who denies the Trinity and teaches every time someone is born again they are a god and that God is expanding himself. The great secret is that“God is having children” …I mean we are actually members of God’s family…”And here is his explanation, “This what he is doing, he is creating offspring, just like children of cats, the children of dogs. Therefore the children of God is gods ” … God is reproducing Himself after the God kind.”(see Isa. 43:10). False teacher Kenneth Hagin would be flattered if he were alive. This is presented under the guise of Bible knowledge from a best selling book called “Shocked by the Bible!” ….The same words and definitions are found in word faith heresy teachings. God is one being, and three in persons, and becoming part of his family does not make one god, there is ONLY ONE GOD. To clarify, that is called monotheism. So hearing that Farah wrote a book that claims the gospel in every book of the Old Testament is more than questionable, it is flat out wrong, (the gospel is not even in every book of the New Testament. For example, Jude and James) So what kind of better understanding of the gospel would one get reading his book? You can’t get understanding without truth as part of the teaching. “in their own Jewish Scriptures that's what Jesus did that's what Paul did that's what the other apostles did, they expounded the scriptures and revealed Yeshua they didn't have the New Testament they wrote the New Testament they did it through the Old Testament” (20:38) Farah is insinuating the writers did not give new revelation (that became the New Testament) as they cited the old (when necessary). He is confusing what was delivered on the life of Christ in the gospels as well as the letters to the church. “Can the gospel really be found in every book of the Old Testament, yes it can, and in all 39 books Joseph Farah set out on a mission to find the good news of redemption, repentance, restoration and resurrection in the books of the Old Testament “( Interview on Jewish voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX5HBOz25h8 21:15) First, his claim is absurd to say and the hype is typical when one commercializes a title. It is Christ that is seen in type or spoken of by prophecy. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39-40). Jesus refers to the Scripture speaking of himself, his person, he does not say or refer (nor do the apostles) to ‘the gospel’ being in every Old Testament book, but he speaks of himself and what he was sent to do. If you insist the gospel is in every book of the Bible than I have to question if you know what the gospel is. The apostle Paul defined this gospel (other apostles agreed in detail as Paul did here). 1 Cor. 15:1-4 “I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved , if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Let me further extrapolate, this is speaking of the one and only God who incarnated, who died for our sins and was resurrected on the third day. Where is that spoken of in every book of the Old Testament? It’s not! No one ever said this, not Jesus or the apostles. WND states,“There is only one true Gospel and that's the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” That’s right, but how you interpret what is the gospel can be crucial to defining its content. Would Farah be so kind as to enlighten me with some of the evidences claimed in your book The Gospel that saves in Every Book of the Old Testament! For there is only one gospel for the world. The author is going against the very words of the gospel explained in the New Testament. If we read the Bible it says in in Ephesians 3:3-6 “how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men , as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets : that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.” The gospel was a mystery, unknown, until the apostles revealed it AFTER it was completed by Jesus being crucified and resurrecting (fulfilling the feast days that are types from Lev.23) Paul further writes, Rom. 16:25-27 “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began, but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith” 1 Cor. 2:7-9 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery , the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Col. 1:26 “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.” Now; means revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets. It is by the apostles this former mystery is made known. So we all had to wait for New Testament revelation explained by the apostles; for the actual gospel event to take place. Yet Paul who reveals it does not ever teach or hint that the gospel is in every book, and he taught the whole counsel of God. There are just a few instances where the New Testament directly refers to the gospel in its application, such as with Abraham, Gal. 3:6-9 Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” This is a particular application from the gospel that Paul is explaining a mystery which is hidden, that gentiles would be united with the Jews in the body of Christ. "It's there in all the books," says Farah. "The secret to finding the gospel is understanding, not just the gospel of personal salvation, but what Jesus called 'the gospel of the kingdom.'" Some of the author’s points of proof. The “messianic Kingdom – in which the entire world is restored to the way it was intended before the fall of mankind – is often overlooked, the author says, is a key part of the Gospel message.” No, this is not part of the message of the gospel which saves us today, it is the result of what the gospel brings to mankind in the future rule of Christ for 1,000 years. Not to split hairs but the world in the Millennium will not be restored exactly like it was in the garden. We will still have sin in its occupants (apart from those who are glorified and co- rule and reign with Christ, and those who are saved and enter the Millennium). Why write a book on the gospel in every book of the Old Testament, when it centers on Jesus and his death and resurrection only revealed in the New Testament? Farah says in his interview “and I defy you to look at those scriptures for yourself anybody else and determine whether I'm exaggerating seeing things that aren't there” Interview on Jewish voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX5HBOz25h8 I have looked and yes you are embellishing the scriptures, it is not there! A few obvious places where it is there in type. Gen .22:4-5 “Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.” But his son did not actually die to be resurrected (he says God will provide a lamb- future. This can be used as a type but it is not the gospel that saves (same as Hezekiah 2 Kings 20:2-6) Gn.24 Twice it says Isaac was “offered up,” drawing a parallel between him and Jesus Who was “offered up for our sins” (Romans 4:25). Second, Isaac is given the same title as Jesus: “only begotten son.” Isaac being Abrahams’ son is a type of Gods only begotten son Jesus. Gen 42:18-20 Joseph said “ So he put them all together in prison three days. Then Joseph said to them the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined to your prison house; but you, go and carry grain for the famine of your houses.” Numerous times the third day is mention in the Old Testament without any mention of a resurrection of the one the gospel is about, so one cannot use this as an absolute. The Bible speaks of these examples as shadows of the light that is to come. There are just a few examples that fit the teaching, and they are not contained in any one place. We can see there are references to the crucifixion in certain books like Ps. 22 and like in Isaiah 53 that do tell us specifically about the Messiah suffering- but to say in every book! The whole gospel mentioned? Sorry, that is just incorrect, an embellishment. But it is a great selling point, with the intention to sell books. Hosea 6:1-2 “Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.” This specifically is speaking of the national salvation of Israel. Prophecy is in the Old Testament. This is the only scripture that comes near is what Jesus himself used, Jonah as his own resurrection, he used Jonah as the last sign to Israel. Matt 12:39-40 No sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jonah is also mentioned in Mt.16; lk.11:29- In Isaiah 53:1-9 Farah states, So far, Isaiah is primarily concerned with the birth and death of Jesus. But then we get to verse 10. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days , and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10) The first part of the verse is shocking—how could it please a father to bruise his son and put him to grief? It would have to be something worthwhile to make this tragedy worth it. And, there is something worthwhile—because of the life-crushing punishment, the Son would have seed and prolonging of days, even though He had no offspring and would die. Now, think about that for a second. If He died without offspring, how could He have seed and prolong His days? What we have here is a glimpse of the resurrection. The Messiah would have seed, which are Old Testament saints and New Testament believers. Isaiah continues a couple verses later…Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12) Again, how could He divide a portion with the great and divide the spoil with the strong after He died? It was because His death would only be temporary. Somehow, 700-800 years before Jesus lived, Isaiah knew that He would rise from the dead, making it possible for others to rise also.” Yes Isaiah contains more on this than any other writer or prophet. But this is not speaking of a physical birth but a spiritual rebirth, that we become his seed, His spiritual children by adoption by His resurrection, that completes the gospel message. So in this example it does have the gospel, but again to say all the books of the Old Testament do the same as Isaiah is not correct at all.
|
|
|
