Posted on 12/03/2011 2:52:32 PM PST by Iggles Phan
Last week we explored Dispensationalism's reversal of Daniel's 70th Week from Jesus Christ to the Devil. I think many on this chat page were astonished by this exposition.
Today, we will explore how Dispensationalism took this lie and formed another: the Parenthesis Gap Theory.
This 'gap' was 'unknown and unforeseen' to Christianity until Darby and Scofield 'uncovered' it in the 19th century. But is it really there? Let's read carefully:
24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Historic Timeline
| ..... 69 Weeks (Messiah) ..... | 70th Week (Messiah) |
Modernist Dispensational Timeline
| ..... 69 Weeks (Messiah) ..... | /\/\/\ parenthetical 'running gap' /\/\/\ | 70th Week (Antichrist) |
Christian ... Which timeline looks literal, and which timeline looks contrived?
Both views agree that the Seventy Weeks refers to 70 weeks-of-years or 490 years (70 weeks x 7 years-of-weeks = 490 years). However, those who say that the Bible should be taken in its 'literal' meaning (i.e. dispensationalists) are the very ones who insist that there are now already nearly 2,000 years between the 69th and 70th weeks.
If the grammar of Daniel 9: 24 means what it says, and says what it means, then the 70th Week must immediately follow the 69th. While the subject of this verse (seventy weeks) is plural, the verb translated as ‘determined’ is SINGULAR. This means that the 70 Weeks must be considered COLLECTIVELY as in an uninterrupted period of time. Daniel 9: 24 literally says that Seventy Weeks are determined. It does not say, 70 + 'gap' + 1 are determined. Therefore, the correct literal timeline for this passage is the Historic view which is continuous. The Modernist (dispensational) timeline is fragmented and not literal.
It is also interesting to take notice of Darby’s personal reinterpretation of this verse. In the Darby Bible (1890) he rewrote this Scripture, “Seventy weeks are apportioned out upon thy people…”. Here he took the literal meaning of ‘determined’ in its natural singular form, and imposed his non-literal ‘apportioned out’ to denote plural separation. ... What kind of conceit is this?
Christian … Of what use would Daniel’s prophecy of 490 years be to the faithful waiting in expectation, if it were later construed to mean a delay of 2,400+ years and running elastically ad infinitum? It would be of no useful prophetic value whatsoever! Worse yet, it would be a false prophecy because it says that God really can’t tell time correctly.
I often find it ironic that Dispensational adherents, who criticize their secular humanist counterparts for being ‘relativists’, are they themselves the ones who practice the ultimate form of relativism by employing this type of ‘sliding time scale’. This is a cunning Scriptural manipulation.
Falling into the 'Gap'
So, no such ‘gap’ is mentioned anywhere in Daniel 9, or anywhere else in the Bible for that matter. Therefore, when Scofield imposes the ‘parenthesis gap’ between the 69th and 70th week and says that it is a period 'not fixed nor foreseen or foretold by the prophets', he does great violence to the word of God. This unscriptural ‘gap’ doctrine imputes ‘Antichrist’, instead of Jesus Christ, into the center of the 70h Week. This is not merely a difference in doctrine or interpretation, as some would argue, because THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS INVOLVED! Dispensational doctrine excludes the Cross of Christ from Daniel's 70 Weeks by 'stopping the prophecy clock' at the foot of the Cross, and inserting this parenthesis 'gap'.
Christian … Is this skipping-over-Calvary trick not a subtle denial, in essence and in fact, that Jesus is the Messiah and the living God by saying that the 70th Week (which was the time of Christ's ministry, death and resurrection) is still yet future?
Christian ... Why is Christ not the fulfillment of this 70th Week, when He is the entire focus of the previous 69 Weeks? Why the sudden reversal? This is to say that Christ never came in fulfillment of prophecy, and shed His atoning Blood for the sins of the world!
Do not take this point lightly.
Put on your flame proof armor because it is comin’ in.
LOL
What’s the point? That the 70 weeks are gone? Now what? Thousand year reign? But, wouldn’t that be over, as well? So, now why are we still here and the purpose of life if not awaiting Christ’s return?
The author of this piece has about the worst systematic hermeneutical skills of anyone I’ve ever read.
“What’s the point? That the 70 weeks are gone? Now what? Thousand year reign?”
Answer: The New Testament of the New Covenant. We are to grow the Kingdom of God by the preaching of the Gospel.
“So, now why are we still here and the purpose of life if not awaiting Christ’s return?”
Answer: The purpose is as Saint Paul said, ‘to be more than conquerers’. We are to evangelize the entire world (i.e. conquer with His Gospel) until Christ’s return.
The scripture nowhere, ever, says that Christ's return is dependent on Christians "bringing in the kingdom."
Answer: The purpose is as Saint Paul said, ‘to be more than conquerers’. We are to evangelize the entire world (i.e. conquer with His Gospel) until Christ’s return.
Except that that phrase is taken completely out of context. In fact, when Paul said Christians are "more than conquerors," he was talking about the personal victory that each Christian has over persecution, death, etc, through the salvific power of Christ. This verse has absolutely nothing to do with "conquering the world for Christ." Indeed, the Scripture says that the only conquering taking place is at the point when Christ returns, and He does it Himself.
“The scripture nowhere, ever, says that Christ’s return is dependent on Christians “bringing in the kingdom.””
Challenge:
Where did I ever say this was a dependency?
Are you deliberately trying to put words into my mouth, or are you reading too much in to my reply?
This is a joke, right? I mean, it’s gotta be a joke because it certainly isn’t truth.
‘s
So, you’re an amillenialist.
“bringing in the kingdom”
Christians can’t “bring in” something that is here already.
Jesus is reigning over His Kingdom this very momment.
hopefully everyone reading this has been delivered from the dominion of darkness and been transferred to THE KINGDOM OF HIS BELOVED SON.
see Colossians 1:11-14.
Dominionist Heresy.
My FRiends...Daniel was written by Jews for Jews. I suggest you learn the Jewish view if you want the proper exegesis of Daniel.
My FRiends, Daniel was written by Israel for Israel. I suggest you learn who Israel is if you want the proper exegesis of Daniel.
Israel = heirs to the promise made to Abraham.
Galatians 3:29
and if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
“Jesus is reigning over His Kingdom this very momment.”
Answer:
I agree.
And it is growing every day with every new believer. Thanks.
“and if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
Answer:
I couldn’t agree more. Thanks.
you are a great addition to FR.
please ignore all these “nooobie” comments from the previous thread.
dispensationalism is just another 19th century false teaching, up there with SDA, JW’S, Mormons, Christian Science, etc.
“dispensationalism is just another 19th century false teaching, up there with SDA, JW’S, Mormons, Christian Science, etc.”
Answer:
It is interesting to note also that these 19th century teachings (SDA, JW’S, Mormons, Christian Science, etc.) are ALL Dispensationalist in some form or another.
You see, when Darby opened the door in subverting the New Testament by instituting ‘Dispensations’ that are not even mentioned in the Bible, a whole cottage industry of ‘New-Found’ interpretations soon followed.
These cults are all based on carnalism, not the Gospel of Grace.
Thank you very much indeed for your encouragement too!
For a long time I didn’t really “get” the problems with dispensationalism. I thought dispensationalism led people to unhealthy obsessions about end-times events and was wrong but mostly harmless. But after reading more about it and about historical Christianity, I see the dangers of dispensationalism. It is a type of Gnosticism, with its view that the Bible is a book of secret codes that only a “special” person can decode. It uses numerology, which is a backdoor to occultism. It teaches that Christ is not sufficient, because sacrifices will be done again in the millennial temple to atone for sins. This insufficient Christ is not the Christ of the Bible.
I believe it teaches that Israel will rebuild the temple and begin sacrificing, not that Christ is insufficient or those sacrifices are in any way efficacious.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.