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“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God,” Romans 3:1-2.

William Tyndale published his translation of the New Testament in 1526. This year therefore marks the 500th anniversary of that momentous event.

Myles Coverdale, a fellow English reformer, used Tyndale’s translations of various Old Testament books as the basis of his, the first translation of the whole Bible into English, in the year 1535.

Tyndale’s translation was the first English Scriptures to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts. His was the first English translation to take advantage of the printing press.  It was also the first of the new English Bibles of the Reformation.

In 1611, after seven years of work, the 47 scholars who produced the King James Version of the Bible drew extensively from Tyndale’s original work.

One estimate suggests that the New Testament in the King James Version is 83% Tyndale’s words and the first half of the Old Testament 76%.

I was reminded of these facts after I have started this study and consequently I would dedicate this humble and modest article to the honour of a great man to whom every lover of the Word of God owes a great debt of gratitude.

In a day when the Bible is cast aside by society in general, and even by those organisations which profess to believe and preach its truths but in fact most wickedly deny its divine origin and infallibility, these words of Paul should be most precious  to every Christian.

Paul is saying that the Jewish nation in times past had an advantage over all other nations because God in mercy had committed, entrusted to them, the “the oracles of God”, or the Holy Scriptures”!

Just what benefits were bestowed upon the Jews when they had the Old Testament Scriptures bestowed upon them and what are those same benefits enjoyed by those who have the complete canon of Holy Scripture, the Old and New Testaments? (more…)

Luke 21:5-38.

(Final Part)

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh,” Luke 21:25-28.

This is our final study of the Saviour’s prophecy recorded in Luke 21:5-38. In the verses that make up the section we wish to look at in this study, we are moving to the Saviour’s references to events at the close of this age.

The concluding words of the last portion of this chapter we studied were those of verse 24, “and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

This reference to the fulfilment of the ‘times’ of the Gentiles  brings us to the time of the Saviour’s return, for it is then that the Lord will restore Israel and deliver her from the Gentile nations which will, at the close of this age particularly, set themselves to utterly and finally destroy her.

That terrible time was prophesied by the Psalmist.

“«Maschil of Asaph.» O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom. For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers. The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name. Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually,” Psalm 74:1-23.

There never have been events like these in the history of Israel. That is because this prophecy is of future events, even though it is spoken of in terms of the past.

That is a common feature when reference is made to that which is future in the experience of God’s people.

Paul wrote: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified,” Romans 8:29-30.

The words underlined all refer to those past experiences in the life of the believer, but the final experience, underlined and in bold text, is an experience with lies yet in the future.

Our glorification has not yet taken place but its is so sure and certain that Paul speaks of it in the past tense, as if it had happened!

Likewise, the prophets, when speaking in the spirit of prophecy, refer to events yet to happen as if they had already occurred. Again, the certainty of that, which God has decreed to take place, WILL INDEED TAKE PLACE, in the exact fashion God has purposed! (more…)