02.16. Glossary of Prophetic Words
XVI GLOSSARY OF PROPHETIC WORDS IN the previous chapter we began a glossary of the great words of prophetic study, but did not advance very far. The words "age" and "apostasy" were so full of meaning as to fill up the space.
"Antichrist" and "Armageddon" are two other words of importance in the same alphabetic category, but they were treated sufficiently, the first in the chapter entitled "The Antichrist, His History and His Doom," and the second in an earlier work under the title "Prophecy and the Lord’s Return" (Revell, N. Y.).
"Beast" is a further word of prophetic importance, which also was defined and explained in the article on the "Antichrist."
"Coming," as applied to the Second Coming of Christ, is next in order. It is a translation of the Greek "parousia," which occurs twenty-four times in the New Testament, and is sometimes rendered "presence" as well as "coming." It means literally "the becoming present." It is the same word that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 16:17, where he speaks of the "coming" to him of Stephanas and others (see also 2 Corinthians 7:6 and Php 1:26). Their "coming" was, of course, personal and visible, from which we gather that Christ’s coming will be the same. There are other words used in the same connection which have the same significance, like "revelation," 2 Thessalonians 1:7, and "appearing," 1 Timothy 6:14 and other places. (See this worked out more fully in "Prophecy and the Lord’s Return.")
"Day" is one of the prophetic words as used in the Biblical phrases "Day of the Lord" (Isaiah 10:20; Zephaniah 1:7); " Day of Vengeance" (Isaiah 61:2) ; "Day of Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:8) ; "Day of Salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). To speak of them in the order of time, the "day of salvation" is the whole of the present dispensation between the two advents of Christ. The" day of Christ" applies to the blessing and reward of the saints at His second coming (cf., in addition to the text above named, 1 Corinthians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Php 1:6, Php 1:10; Php 2:16). "Day of the Lord" synchronizes with the whole of the millennial age, beginning just prior to it, continuing throughout, and extending somewhat beyond it. It is almost wholly connected with judgment on Israel and the Gentile nations. (See previous chapter on "Day of the Lord--When It Comes and What It Means.”) "Day of Vengeance" is practically the same as "Day of the Lord."
"Dispensation" was sufficiently considered in the former chapter under the word "age."
"Gentiles" is a translation of Hebrew and Greek words meaning "nations" and often rendered "heathen." It distinguishes all the nations of the earth from "Israel," which stands distinctively for God’s chosen people in the line of Abraham. The "times of the Gentiles" began when God transferred the dominion of the earth from Israel to the Gentile nations, of which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was the earliest representative; in other words, aboutB.c. 600 (Jeremiah 27:1-11; Daniel 2:36-45; 2 Chronicles 36:15-21). They will end with the present age and the commencement of the millennial age, when Israel will be in the ascendant as the earthly visualization of the Kingdom of God (see the chapter, "The ’Times of the Gentiles’ and the Impending Judgments"). The "fullness of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:25) is to be distinguished from the “times of the Gentiles" as meaning “the completion of the purpose of God in this age, namely, the outcalling from among the Gentiles of a people for Christ’s name, the church which is his body (Acts 15:13-18)." (See the chapter "The Place of the Church in the Plan of Redemption.”)
"Gog and Magog" are words first found in Ezekiel 38:2, and are interpreted and applied in our chapter on "What the Bible Teaches About Russia." To this we add the following footnote from the Scofield Reference Bible: "That the primary reference is to the northern (European) powers, headed up by Russia, all agree. Gog is the prince, and Magog his land. The allusion to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification. . . . The whole prophecy belongs to the yet future Day of the Lord and to the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:17), but includes also the final revolt of the nations at the close of the millennial age (Revelation 20:7-9). " It should be added that the "Gog and Magog" in the last Scripture mentioned does not mean the same nations as those indicated in Ezekiel, as a thousand years intervene between the two, but one would seem to be the prototype of the other.
"Kingdom," "Kingdom of God," "Kingdom of Heaven" were enlarged upon in the chapters, "God’s Covenant with David, or the Coming Kingdom," and "How the Kingdom and the Church Differ."
"Remnant" means that which is left of anything, the piece remaining after the last cutting. It is frequently used in Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, but its chief prophetic interest centers in the history of Israel during the tribulation period.
There may be a bad remnant as well as a good one. For the former see 1 Kings 14:10, R. V., Ezekiel 23:25, and similar references; and for the latter Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 11:16; Jeremiah 23:3; Zephaniah 2:9; Romans 9:27; Revelation 12:17.
Throughout the whole history of Israel, wicked and disobedient as she was, there was always a faithful "remnant" who remained loyal to the true God. Recall in illustration the story of Elijah’s day (1 Kings 19:18); also Daniel and the three worthies of whom the sacred record speaks in Daniel 1:1-21 and Daniel 3:1-30, and "them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem" in Christ’stime (Luke 2:38). Note particularly that there is such a remnant now, "a remnant according to the election of grace," i.e., in this church age, as indicated in Romans 11:4-5. But the" remnant" in the great day of trial that is to come will be composed of those Jews who will turn to the Lord and accept Jesus as their Messiah after the translation of the Church. Zechariah 13:9 refers to these, and they are brought before us again symbolically in Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:4-8; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 20:4, and other places.
These passages show that some of the "remnant" will undergo martyrdom in that period and be raised and reign with Christ and His Church, while others will be spared through the tribulation and enter into the earthly blessings of the millennium. Their experiences during the tribulation are set before us prophetically in the millennial psalms, and furnish one of the most thrilling chapters of revealed history (see Psalms 9:9-14).
"Restitution" is used but once in a prophetic sense, namely, in Acts 3:21, where Peter, speaking of the ascended Christ, says: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution (restoration R. V.) of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
Some suppose this to refer to the salvation and restoration of the wicked dead and even of Satan himself, but their mistake is seen in the fact that Peter’s words are limited by what the prophets have spoken. The context shows that he means what they have spoken concerning Israel, for he is addressing himself to Jews only. That which they have spoken relates to Israel’s restoration to her land and the setting up of the kingdom of David (see Genesis 12:2-3; Deuteronomy 30:1-9; 2 Samuel 7:8-17; Romans 11:26, etc.).
"Tribulation" is a word full of saddest meaning prophetically. Of course, ever since sin entered the world there has been tribulation with it, and it is even said of us Christians that "we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). But the tribulation of which the prophets speak is an event coincident with the end period of this age. By the "end period" is meant the last years of the age, or, in prophetic terms, the last week of Daniel’s seventy’ weeks, especially the latter half of that week (Daniel 9:24-27).
It is the time of Antichrist’s supremacy, the time of the judgments described in Revelation 16:1-21, the time of Armageddon. But although all the nations of the earth must in some measure be involved in it, yet it is peculiarly "the time of Jacob’s trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). A mooted question among students of prophecy is whether the Church--i.e.,the true Church will pass through the tribulation, some affirming that it will and others that it will not. The writer believes with the latter that the Church will be translated before that period, and he thinks a strong Biblical argument can be presented for it. Nevertheless, while the question is important, it is not so vital as to justify any division among brethren in regard to it.
"Weeks" obtains its prominence as a prophetic word from its place in Daniel 9:1-27, referred to above. The prophet had asked God to reveal to him the time of the deliverance of His people Israel from their Babylonian captivity, and God had sent His angel to say, "seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the holy city." "Weeks" is a translation of a Hebrew word meaning "sevens," and what God really said was, "seventy sevens are determined," without stating whether they were seventy sevens of days, weeks, months, or years. The context, however, shows that He meant years--seventy sevens of years, or four hundred and ninety years. This period is divided again into three. There are first seven sevens, or forty-nine years, extending to the reestablishment of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity; sixty-two sevens, or four hundred and thirty-four years, down to the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans; and one seven, or the last seven years of this age. The intervening time from the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews among the nations until their return again to their land at the end period, is not included in the four hundred and ninety. This is in accordance with a principle in God’s dealing with that people not to count time in their history while they are sojourning in captivity to the Gentiles.
“Zion” This word is named in this list chiefly to say that it is never applied in Scripture to the Church. Much confusion of thought and misinterpretation of the prophetic Scriptures have been caused by the failure to recognize this fact. For one thing, it has caused all the Old Testament promises to be applied to the Church and all the curses to Israel. It accounts, too, for the mischievous principle of spiritualizing Scriptures that ought to be taken literally, and which makes the Bible to many a book so "hard to be understood."
"Zion" is the translation of the Hebrew word for "castle. " In Deuteronomy 4:48, it is given to the peak of Mount Hermon. Later, it is applied to the eminence in Jerusalem where David established his throne. Sometimes the whole city of Jerusalem is called Zion, and once the word is used symbolically of heaven (Hebrews 12:22), but it is never applied to the Church.
QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON 1.What Greek words are translated by “coming"?
2. How often does it occur in the New Testament, and how is it otherwise rendered?
3. What is its literal meaning?
4. What other words in the New Testament have the same significance?
5. State the distinctions among the four uses of the word, "Day."
6. State the distinction between the “fullness of the Gentiles" and “the times of the Gentiles."
7. Where are the names “Gog and Magog" found in the Old Testament?
8. To what nation are they thought to refer?
9. How would you distinguish between the reference to them in Ezekiel and that in Revelation?
10. Have you examined the Scripture references to the word, "Remnant"?
11. Who will constitute the "Remnant" in the Tribulation?
12. Have you read Psalms 9:1-20?
13. How is the word "Restitution" to be applied in Acts 3:21?
14. What does this chapter teach about" Tribulation"?
15. What does this chapter teach about the word "Weeks" as found in Daniel 9:1-27?
16. What misunderstanding exists as to the application of the word, "Zion"?
17. What serious error has it caused?