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Come Now, And Let Us Reason Together Saith The Lord Understanding Prophecy and the Return of Christ David Yamartino 2000 (Revision 2) God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see and recognize truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of reason by which he may discover things for himself. This is his endowment and equipment for the investigation of reality. Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another's ears nor comprehend with another's brain. Each human creature has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God. 'Abdu'l-Bah, The Promulgation of Universal Peace To All Who Are Searching For The Christ at His Return Contents Introduction Chapter 1 The Backwards Principle 1 Chapter 2 The Misunderstanding of Prophecy 5 Chapter 3 If You Had Lived at the Time of Christ 11 Chapter 4 Introduction to the Proofs 15 Chapter 5 Some Prophetic References to Christ 21 Chapter 6 Commentary on the Fulfillment of 37 Prophetic References to Christ Chapter 7 How They Were Led to Christ 60 Chapter 8 The Jew and the Christian 69 Chapter 9 The Christian and the Bah' 86 Poem His Holiness 143 Poem His Highness 144 Chapter 10 The Lord of History 145 Introduction And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. Matthew 4:18-20 The holy scene immortalized in the above verses speaks to us from across twenty centuries with a message that transcends time and place. The response of the simple fishermen to Christ's words - instant, obedient, unquestioning - is a precious jewel set in the tapestry of our religious experience. It speaks of a divine love and a surrender to that love; an awakening of the spirit of man to the Will of God. On that day, Peter and Andrew needed no outward proof, no scriptural evidence to persuade them to follow their Lord. They had responded to Him on a deeper level, one that is in no need of such proof. In this day, however, scriptural proof has become a standard by which many believe they will recognize Christ at His Return. Many feel that the prophecies of the Bible have given them a sure guide to the Second Coming and that through their understanding of them they will know Him. In contrast to the response described by Matthew above, peoples' minds have constructed a test of sorts by which they believe they can distinguish the Christ. Can prophecies be used for this purpose? Was this God's intention in revealing them? And if not, what is their purpose, and what are the implications for the Second Coming? This book is an attempt to present evidence in the Bible relating to the purpose of the prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments and the assumptions that have been made about them throughout the ages. It is evidence, which in a sense has been staring us in the face for some two thousand years, but which, until now, could not have been fully appreciated. In this book we will consider it intently, and find that what it reveals is quite unexpected, yet fully understandable, and indeed, a priceless gift. The Backwards Principle Chapter 1 I am often amused and sometimes amazed at hearing commentary of the Second Coming of Christ as if the details of this great happening had already been printed in yesterday's newspaper. People speak with such certainty about how He will make His entrance to the world, the great signs that will accompany His arrival, and the spectacular events - some bringing salvation to the Faithful, others damnation to the wicked - which the peoples of the earth will witness with awe. Such accounts include unmistakable conditions that the world will experience at that time, and unequivocal visible signs in the heavens and on earth, both joyous and catastrophic, which will compel the peoples of the earth. Images of the Second Coming are based, of course, on the prophecies of the Bible, which are regarded by many as quite clearly spelling out future events. These prophecies are seen as assured promises whose meanings are obvious, and which only the blind could fail to see. While all this certainty seems to be only a matter of reading what the future holds, for God has foretold the Second Coming in the Bible, what people are actually doing is trying to predict the future. At first sight, of course, it seems rather natural that one would use prophecies to see into the future. Isn't that what prophecies are for? After all, the many prophecies of the Old Testament foretold with accuracy the First Coming of Christ centuries before it occurred. We now look forward to the Second Coming - and we have equally as many prophecies - and they seem, by the way, much clearer than the ones foretelling Christ's First Coming. Certainly it would seem that predicting the future through prophecy is not only a reasonable thing to do, but even a duty of the faithful, so that they might prepare themselves for the coming of their Lord. And those whose vision of the Second Coming is based upon the words of the Bible should be assured that their vision is correct - except for one unavoidable fact: there is no evidence to support the commonly held assumption that the meaning of prophecies can be understood before they have been fulfilled. Quite the contrary, the evidence of the Bible overwhelmingly demonstrates that until they are fulfilled, prophecies are ignored, misunderstood, and, in many cases, present a barrier between the seeker and his goal. Having no foreknowledge of the meaning of a prophecy, one cannot, therefore, use it to predict the future. It must first be fulfilled for its meaning to be revealed. The Backwards Principle But, isn't that backwards? It must first be fulfilled? Certainly it seems backwards, but this is only because we have assumed that the reverse is true: that prophecies should be fulfilled according to our understanding of them. In other words, in thinking that we know how a prophecy is going to be fulfilled, we are essentially saying that God cannot fulfill it in a different way. This is presumptuous, to say the least. As surprising as this aspect of prophecy may be, the surprises don't stop here. Fulfillment is not the only condition necessary for a prophecy to be understood. There is another: namely, that the One fulfilling the prophecy must be recognized and accepted by the individual trying to understand the prophecy. That is, one must first recognize and accept Christ as the divine Son of God in order to understand the prophecies that He has fulfilled. And there is more: These two conditions - fulfillment and recognition - present us with a facet of prophecy that seems to go against yet another commonly held assumption: that prophecy is given to lead one to Christ. This is simply not the case. As difficult as this may be to accept, the story of the New Testament leaves us no alternative: for there is no mention of anyone accepting Christ because they understood prophecies given them in sacred scripture. Though we may at first object to this statement - it certainly does go against much of what many of us have been taught, either directly or through implication - eventually though, after thoughtful investigation, we see much to our surprise that it is true. Now, even those who do come to this realization may argue of course that just because no one understood the prophecies, it does not necessarily follow that the prophecies were not meant to be understood. They may still have had the purpose of leading souls to Christ, but because of the shortcomings of human beings their purpose was not fulfilled. For example, could not the peoples' pride and stubbornness have prevented them from understanding? Certainly this was a factor. But the question then arises, "Was every soul at the time of Christ proud and stubborn?" What about the holy souls through whom Christ chose to bring salvation to the masses by imparting His love and teachings? What about His disciples? If even these souls - glorified for centuries by millions, souls who gave their very lives for their love of Christ - could not understand the meaning of the prophecies, what chance would anyone else have of understanding them? The Purpose of Prophecy There were many, of course, at the time of Christ who were aware of the prophecies pointing to the Messiah, but the prophecies did not lead them to Christ. This is not to say that the followers of Christ failed to understand the prophecies of the Old Testament that referred to Christ; certainly they understood many of the prophecies, but only after they were fulfilled. It was not their understanding of the prophecies that led them initially to believe in Christ; it was other things. Some were led to believe through dreams, some through visions, some through visits from angels or the Holy Ghost. There were some who recognized that His teachings were from God, and some who witnessed miraculous things in Him. And then there were some who having none of these blessings, simply followed Christ at His words "Follow me", and this they did without the least hesitation. Thus, many people came to Christ by different paths, but none, as far as we know, came to Him by way of prophecies. This surprising truth becomes clearer, the more closely we examine scripture. Christ himself explained the meaning of certain prophecies to His disciples; the meaning of other prophecies were revealed as the events of His noble Life unfolded. A careful look at these prophecies, as they are stated in the Old Testament, reveals the fact that, without exception, the prophecies referring to Christ's First Coming were fulfilled in a manner that could not have been, and indeed were not, predicted by anyone. Now, this immediately raises some profound questions: Why did God give these prophecies? If the people who received them did not understand what they meant, if the prophecies did not light a clear path to the Christ, what were they for? Why, if none were to be led to Christ through them, wouldn't God have made them clearer, more obvious so that people could have figured them out? The problem here, of course, is our assumption that prophecies are given to lead us to Christ. This incorrect assumption causes us to ask such troubling questions - questions, however, that miss a vital point: although prophecies did not lead anyone to Christ, nevertheless, many hundreds of millions have understood the prophecies, and have, therefore, benefited from them. The prophecies have thus fulfilled their real purpose though it is a purpose different from what at first might have been expected. What then is the real reason for the prophecies of the Old Testament, their true purpose? Why were they given to us? The prophecies of the Old Testament were given for the same purpose all prophecies are given: to confirm the faith of those who already believe. They were given to show the believer that all things lie within the Almighty's grasp; that with Him are the knowledge and destinies of the future and the past. They were given to strengthen the believer against tests of faith which surely come to all believers. Christ's explanations of the meaning of prophecies filled his disciples with divine assurance in the plan of God. This not only confirmed their faith in Him, but prepared them for their future trials and tribulations. And there have no doubt been countless souls since that time who have been lovingly nurtured in their faith in Christ through study of these prophecies which, along with their other vital purposes, reveal to the believer the proper perspective from which we are to view Christs life and words. The Necessity of Recognition The principle of the necessity of recognizing Christ in order to understand prophecies relating to Him, and, thereby being confirmed by these prophecies, is constantly demonstrated even to this day. Those who already believe in Christ have no problem accepting all of the prophecies referring to Him - even ones he or she has never previously seen or heard. A Christian, for example, opening a Bible that has been annotated to indicate which Old Testament prophecies refer to Christ, will discover with awe and wonder that a verse he or she formerly never noticed definitely refers to Christ; they simply believe, and this belief enables them to see with new eyes, and to understand. This is because they have accepted Christ, the One Who has fulfilled these prophecies. Having thus accepted Him, they regard all aspects of His life as sacred, and view the written record of His life as sacred scripture. And whatever the scripture says, the same is true. To those who have accepted Christ, the words of the New Testament have acquired a divine status, and these words have then become the standard by which all other words are weighed and judged. Once accepting the Bible as the divine standard, all things contained therein are accepted as true. On the other hand there are many who, to this day, regard not a single prophecy of the Old Testament as having been fulfilled in Christ - not because they have dispassionately examined the evidence we have about Him and His life and compared it with their prophecies, but simply because they don't believe in Him. They read the scriptures, but do not see that the words "mean" Christ. In a way their unbelief is a barrier to their understanding the prophecies. Generally, everyone who recognizes Christ believes in all the prophecies referring to Him, and no one who disbelieves in Him, believes in any of these prophecies. How else could this phenomenon be explained except that the recognition of Christ is necessary for the understanding of prophecies? The Misunderstanding Of Prophecy Chapter 2 The story of Christ's life depicted in the New Testament presents us with example after example of misinterpretation of scripture by both the religious leaders and lay people of His time. This misunderstanding is seen by many to be the cause of the great suffering inflicted not only upon Christ Himself, but also upon His followers. A misunderstanding of prophecy, however, is not harmful in itself. The disciples themselves did not correctly understand the prophecies referring to Christ - in many cases even after He Himself had explained their meaning to them. The problem associated with the misunderstanding of prophecy comes not from the misunderstanding itself, but from our holding to a particular interpretation in the face of fulfillment in a manner that runs counter to our interpretation. Those, who at the time of Christ, did hold to their own interpretation, despite evidence that the prophecies were being fulfilled in other ways, crucified Him. So great was the faith they placed in their own ability to understand the words and plan of God that their own understanding became in effect their "scripture". Unknowingly, they had let pride obscure their God-given capacity to distinguish the truth. Had any of Christ's disciples blindly held to their particular pre-conceived interpretation of prophecy, that disciple also would have rejected Christ, but they didn't. They struggled to understand and accept the Will of the Heavenly Father, though it is evident from the scriptures that they were gravely shaken by what was happening in their lives. For, although they had been warned in the scriptures regarding the Coming of Christ, there was virtually no way for them to have been fully prepared for what was to come. How People Prove Their Interpretation In spite of the evidence the New Testament gives regarding the inability of people to understand prophetic language before it is fulfilled, and the role that prophecy played in confounding and even leading astray those who would interpret it, there are still many people today, who are sure of their interpretation regarding the Second Coming, and feel very secure regarding what signs will accompany it and what they will look for. I refer here not to any specific group of Christians, or to any particular denomination, but rather to the multitude of Christ's followers from all walks of life, who claim to know what the prophecies mean. And they can "prove" that their interpretation is correct. They do this, of course, by using the Word of God itself. Some people articulate their reasoning, and for some it is an inner reasoning that is implied in their approach to scripture. And this reasoning, according to my understanding, goes something like this: The meaning of the Holy Word is clear and evident. The meaning is based, not on our interpretation, but on what the Bible itself gives as the proper interpretation, knowing that because we are only human, our own interpretation will be flawed, whereas the Bible's explanations are perfect. These interpretations given by the Bible are easy to understand - even obvious to those who are fair minded - once they have been carefully thought upon, or pointed out and explained by someone who understands them. A proper interpretation never excludes any part of the Bible, but encompasses all parts. At the same time, recognizing that some aspects of scripture have more relevance to prophecy than others, not all scripture can be given equal weight. That is, a proper interpretation is based on a knowledge of the relative importance of the different aspects of the Bible, and because we have taken into account the Bible in its entirety, our interpretation is not narrow minded. The proofs are conclusive and complete, i.e. there are no holes in an interpretation of this kind or things that don't make sense. Of course, there are some things that cannot be known or explained, but these are such things as are only known of God, but surely God has given us enough of His word to enable us to recognize the Christ, when He comes. There are no contradictions in our reasoning. Our interpretation stands on the Revealed Word of God . . . period. So in a sense, it is not our interpretation, but Gods interpretation that we are following. Regarding the interpretation of others, we can see in the teachings of other Christian Faiths either flaws in their interpretations, or errors in their understanding, or outright disregard for scripture. We understand what others have either overlooked in their study of scripture or what they have added. Unlike others, however, we refuse to tamper with scripture; we know that you can neither add nor subtract from the Word of God. In a word, we "follow the scriptures". This is seemingly sound reasoning, and one that appears to provide a good foundation for the interpretation of scripture. There is, however, a problem with this: others use the same reasoning and come up with different results - different interpretations. Indeed, this reasoning (i.e. that we can figure it all out ourselves), when applied to the practice of religion, has led to Christianity breaking up into hundreds of sects, with most, but not all, claiming, of course, to be the correct one. That so many people can be so sure that they correctly understand the prophecies regarding the Second Coming, while at the same time giving widely differing scenarios of the events that will take place (or have already taken place), is in itself the greatest sign of the nature of prophecy: namely that it is a mystery until it is fulfilled. These Words Constitute a Prophecy What is the flaw with the reasoning given above? Can the Bible not speak for itself? Of course it can. It does. However, the only thing is, there is no way for us to understand fully what it means - more specifically, there is no way for us to tell which words of the Bible are to be taken literally, and which symbolically. We can all agree on what it says, but not on what it means. The Bible rarely states anything to the effect that "These words constitute a prophecy", and never gives us clues such as "this prophecy has a literal meaning" or "this one has a symbolic meaning", or "this prophecy has both a literal and a symbolic meaning" and then goes on to indicate which parts are to be taken literally, and which symbolically. Rather, prophecies are simply stated, and as we shall see, sometimes without even a clue that they are indeed prophecies. Filling In the Details Along with an inability to distinguish which words should be taken literally, and which words symbolically, another obstacle presents itself before us. Even in the case where the words might have a purely literal meaning and therefore could be understood correctly (if there were some way for us to know that the meaning was purely literal, which there is not), practically all details are absent in the picture given by prophecy. The prophecy uses but a few words, to express what are sometimes great, even magnificent themes or events. This leads to a rather natural, but possibly fatal consequence: we ourselves fill in the details of the picture. We read the words, we make sense out of them, and by this we form a picture of what they mean. This picture, then, becomes our "vision" of what will happen. Our picture may or may not be the true picture. The inadequacy and the deceptiveness of forming a picture through words can be easily demonstrated. Simply have a friend get a picture that you have never seen, say, from a magazine, and then have the friend describe it for you. As it is described, you will "see" in your mind an image. Afterwards, take a look at the actual picture. The picture will not be the same as you imagined. As you study it, you will then understand what was "meant" by the words that your friend used to describe it. This is a rather simple experiment, which you may want to try. It demonstrates the inadequacy of words in trying to convey something which can really only be conveyed by the sense of sight. In any case, we're going to try a variation on this right here which will more closely illustrate the subtleties involved in trying to fully understand the meaning of a prophecy before it is fulfilled. Here we will begin not with the picture, but as in the case of our attempting to understand prophecies, with words: Read the following sentence which I have entitled "The Traveler": The traveler, weary from a long journey, arrived at a vast plain stretching as far as the eye could see, and stopped to rest before continuing. As you read these words, you see an image. This is what words are used for much of the time. The prophecies of the Old and New Testaments are full of images. Christ Himself constantly offered images to illustrate His teachings and so did His disciples after Him. But we must realize that the images that words provoke in us actually often come more from our own imagination than from the words themselves. No one but ourselves knows exactly what we "see" because we see with the imagination that is particular to us. Now, imagine, if you will, that this sentence, which I have called "The Traveler", were a prophecy and that you were awaiting its fulfillment. What would you look for? By what event or sign would you know that it was fulfilled? Well, you would look for the picture you see in your mind, the same thing we do when we await the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Second Coming. We have a "picture" we are waiting for, a vision of what those glorious signs will bring. Now, let's examine what is happening here. "The Traveler" is 26 words long, but to make a picture from these words, we have to add details - details that simply aren't in those 26 words. Of course, the details we add may indeed be true, but, then again, they may not. We have to assume many things, otherwise we can't "see" a picture. There's no harm done in adding details; it's automatic, a natural outcome of the capacity of the human mind. However, what would happen if this "prophecy" were fulfilled in a way that didn't match our picture? What would we do? How would we react? Is it possible that we would miss the fulfillment because of a preconceived notion of how it "should" be fulfilled? Or could we accept that a higher wisdom was operating and could we adjust our thinking. Could we keep our assumptions from getting in the way? Now, before continuing, take a moment to think about "the traveler" for whom you are hypothetically waiting. In the picture, what do you see? Did you assume that the traveler was on foot? What if he arrives on horseback, or by canoe? Did you assume that the traveler was alone? What if he is a soldier in an army? What if he is the commander of an army? Did you assume that the traveler would cross the plain? What if after resting, for some reason he turns around and returns the way he came? Did you assume that the traveler was to stop for a short while? What if he marries, and raises children before continuing. Did you assume that the traveler was to live? What if he dies as he rests? Did you assume that the plain was empty? What if a city were built there? And did you assume that the traveler was a man? What if the traveler is a woman? To illustrate how we automatically form a "picture", and how this picture may vary from the one intended, I have, through my "what-if's" suggested certain details that may have been associated with the fulfillment of this "prophecy". I have not tried to be clever or deceptive in this. The only "rule" I have followed in suggesting these, is that if it were not ruled out by the "prophecy", then it could be part of the "fulfillment". As we study, in the following chapters actual prophecies and their fulfillment, we will see that God is not even bound by this "rule"; indeed, of course, He is not subject to any "rule" whatsoever, and fulfills prophecies according to His wisdom. Using the life of Christ as an example of the fulfillment of prophecy, we will see that even things that seem to be clearly ruled out in a prophecy, may indeed be present in the fulfillment. And if this weren't enough to confound anyone who would place their confidence in their own understanding of the scriptures, this may be: things that are clearly stated as elements of the fulfillment of a prophecy, may be absent in the actual fulfillment. Moreover, the Word of God gives no explanation as to why this is the case. It is as if God is telling us that, through the events that have come to pass in the life of Christ, we are to understand the meaning of the prophecies referring to Him. For this is exactly what has happened. Now that we have knowledge of Christ and His life through the word of God in the New Testament, we can go back to the Old Testament, and understand His words. Without the New Testament, we cannot understand them. Now if, as shown in the example of The Traveler, common words are subject to widely differing interpretation, how could we possibly assume to have grasped the correct interpretation of the holy words we have been given that describe the Advent of the Lord? The tongue of the prophets described things that others could not perceive. Like a man seeing a coming thunderstorm that his blind friend cannot see, so the prophet sees and tells of things to come. We, who read their words, or the words of Christ, are not prophets. Yet, generally, we assume we understand the precise meaning of their words. And though to make this assumption is a perfectly natural thing to do, now that we have the life of Christ described in the New Testament before us as the supreme example of how all assumptions were blown to smithereens at His Coming, can we persist in this practice? The prophecies of the Bible are like seeds, and their fulfillment is like the plants into which these seeds grow. By looking at the seed, there is no way to tell what shape or color or form lies within it. It is only after the seed develops into a plant that we know the "meaning" of the seed. In the same way, by studying the words of a prophecy, there is no way to tell what it signifies, or what future events will fulfill it. It is only after the prophecy has been fulfilled that we can understand what the words of the prophecy mean. Implications for the Seeker So what does all this mean to us? Is this just a new way of looking at prophecies and their interpretation? I believe it means much more than this. For if we consider thoughtfully, we can see that there is implied in the story of the life of Christ something far more important than anything that I have stated so far, in fact, something of infinite significance to the seeker of Christ. It is this: Although God did not reveal to us plainly how we should know who the Messiah was, and although His Coming ran counter to everyones expectations, we were expected to accept and follow Him anyway. I use the word we here to refer, in one sense, to the children of God - of whom we are all a part - past, present and future. But there is another, more appropriate significance in using the word "we". In one very important sense, those spiritual principles which governed the people at the time of Christ are applicable to all who currently inhabit the planet - for Christ said that He would return, and when He does, "we" must accept and follow Him no matter how He comes, whether His coming fits our particular interpretation or not. If You Had Lived at the Time of Christ Chapter 3 Even among people who are sure of the signs that will accompany the Second Coming, and to whom the prophecies of the Second Coming seem quite clear, intuitively they know that the prophecies of the First Coming were not clear. We can demonstrate this by asking a simple question: "If you had lived at the time of Christ, would you have recognized Him?" A simple question, but hardly an easy one to answer. Although some may, I personally have never heard anyone answer this question "Yes". The response is usually that one would hope to recognize Christ, but one cannot be sure. Intuitively we know that the recognition of Christ was not a simple matter of hearing His message or His words, or of even seeing Him as He moved through the streets of ancient Israel or preached in the temple. For we know that there were many who did indeed have the great blessing of living at His time, and of even meeting Him face to face, but who alas, did not follow Him. Even those who saw or heard of the wondrous acts that Christ performed doubted and even rejected Him. This question also reveals another aspect of thinking that seems to be prevalent. In answering this question, I've not heard a response that referred to prophecies. Few regard them as tools by which they would have recognized Him. I have never heard anyone say something like "if I had had the prophecies, I would have recognized Him" or "I would have used the prophecies to find Him", or "the prophecies would have helped me". Intuitively we know also, that prophecies would not have been our guide because we can see now, through the record of Christs life, that in many cases their apparent meaning was not only unclear, but also actually misleading. However, if you ask someone today, "Will you recognize Christ when He returns?" You can easily get a response to the effect "Recognize? How can you miss Him!" Although nowhere does it state in the Bible that the New Testament prophecies are easier to understand than those of the Old Testament, it seems that many people assume that this is the case. Now, if one cannot be sure that they would have recognized Him at His first Coming, how can one be sure that they can recognize Him at His Second Coming? It seems that, in the same way that the people of His time felt sure about how the Christ should come, the people of this time feel sure about how He will return. In the Bible, story after story unfolds showing how people - even (and sometimes especially) those who thought they were following the teachings of God - have been so sure of their plans, but how God has had other plans. It is a basic need of human beings to feel secure about the world around us, and to understand what the past means and what the future holds. A sense of security is conducive to a feeling of peace and wellbeing. To insure this, we sometimes form beliefs about things, even to the point where we "know" them - even things that cannot be known. This is why today, regarding the Second Coming, there are millions who are all confidently expecting . . . completely different things. This question - If you had lived at the time of Christ would you have recognized him? - I do not ask idly, for it has profound implications. For, all those who lived at the time of Christ were, in effect, asked this question - not in so many words, of course, but by their place and time in history. And they didn't have the luxury of answering the question as follows: "One would hope to recognize Him, but one cannot be sure". They had to answer, and they did answer, "yes" or "no". Without knowing that this question was being asked, they answered it by their response to Christ. They had no sign, no halo, no warning that their whole life - their very existence - would be judged by their response to the moment: to the message that they had heard, and to His Person. Although warned in the scriptures, they had not an inkling as to the true manner Christ would come to them. They had formed their own vision of Christs Coming, yet God's plan was being carried out according to His own wisdom and His vision surpassed those of mortal man. Those who accepted Christ knew to some extent the role they were playing in Gods plan. Those who rejected Him played a role opposite the one they had fondly imagined they would play. Now, with His Second Coming, what assurance do we have that we will know the role we will play? To be utterly wrong, yet feel utterly righteous, is well within the capability of human beings. The Bible abundantly demonstrates this truth. Looking back on that time, with the perspective we now have, it is all too easy to understand the things that went wrong at Christ's First Coming - the people's misunderstandings, their blindness and pride. There are certainly things which we, at this time, understand about the plan of God which simply could not have been understood by the people to whom Christ appeared. But this fact should not deceive us into thinking that we fully understand His plan, that God has blessed us with knowing what the future holds. Of course we understand those things that have gone before us and of which we have a record in the scriptures, but so did the people of Christ's time. At any point in time, God has given to His people a sacred record of the past, and promises of the future. The past is understood; the promises of the future are not. Yes, we understand the prophecies referring to Christ's First Coming because their meaning was revealed through His First Coming, but how can we presume to understand those referring to His Second Coming until we witness it? Seeking the Christ in His Time Without Our Present Knowledge Consider this: If you had lived at the time of Christ, you no doubt would have been given all the blessings that the people of His time were given. To aid you to recognize the Promised Messiah, you would have been given Gods guidance through scripture and prayer, and His assurance that He would always be with those who love Him. But you would have also been given all the distractions, all the cares and troubles with which God, in His wisdom, endows life on this planet. Your culture would have been the culture into which Christ was born; your thinking, the thinking of His time. Your mind would have been biased by the same erroneous interpretations that were circulated by the religious leaders of His age. With all this, you would have had to seek out the Promised One. There would have been no one to whom you could have turned for true guidance; no one who could have led you. All those who were regarded with respect, who were noted for their wisdom and faith, and who seemed to understand the scriptures, nevertheless, would have had the wrong "picture" of the coming Messiah. These same people who completely misunderstood the meaning of the scriptures, however, would have been the very people you would have been brought up to obey and revere. Furthermore, although the religious leaders of Christ's time were completely wrong in their understanding of the scriptures, still they did not cease to pray for the Messiah to come. They continued to long for the peace, justice, and victory promised them in their sacred scripture. These same people who ignored, rejected, and even persecuted Christ, in their hearts beseeched God to send the Messiah to fulfill the ancient prophecies which their ancestors had longed to see. If you had asked those at the time of Christ, "Will you accept the Messiah when he comes?", no doubt they would have replied, "Accept? We'll lay down our very lives for so Holy a One!" But how would they have identified the Holy One? Prophecies are words, not pictures. The "picture" comes from the mind of those trying to understand the prophecy, not from the prophecy itself. At the time of Christ, there was no infallible authority that could interpret the words or provide the key that would explain their secrets and inner meanings, and thus lead the people to identify the Christ. Since there was no infallible authority, the seeker could not rely on his fellow men for guidance. So who could the seeker have relied on? The only answer that makes sense to me is God, alone. For the seeker at the time of Christ, only an attitude of humble supplication to God and acceptance of His Will could have ensured that he would have recognized Him. The conditions at the time of Christ were certainly perplexing, and the choices facing seekers of truth formidable. What greater predicament, in fact, could be imagined than the one that faced the peop