His Truth Is Marching On: Advanced Studies on Prophecy in the Light of History - Softcover

Woodrow, Ralph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0916938034 ISBN 13: 9780916938031

Publisher: Ralph Woodrow, 1977

Synopsis

At His first coming, Jesus said the kingdom was at hand. Did he then "postpone" the kingdom because the Jews rejected Him? Do the Scriptures teach a Jewish-type millennium when God will turn back to animal sacrifices in a Jerusalem temple? Presents reasons for believing a "fulfilled" view regarding Joel's prophecy, the 144,000, the coming of Elijah, and Ezekiel 38. Also discusses the error of setting dates for the return of Christ--1844, 1914, etc.

About this title

From the Author:

Back in 1961 I was holding revival meetings at a church in Porterville, California. The pastor gave me a book, "The Mission of the Messiah," by H. C. Heffren, he had bought some time before at a used bookstore in San Francisco. "This guy is really off," he told me. "I was just getting ready to throw the book away, but thought you might like to look at it."

When I first read the book, I was prone to think the same. I believed the time at which Christ would set up his kingdom would be his Second Coming. But Heffren said the mission of the Messiah was to set up the kingdom at his first coming! He quoted the words of Jesus in Mark 1:15: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand"! This was at the first coming of Christ-2,000 years ago!

Eventually, I came to see this verse could not be ignored. If Christ did indeed set up the kingdom at His first coming, this placed the whole subject of the kingdom in a different light. To believe otherwise would require ascribing to the "postponement" theory-that when Christ came he intended to set up his kingdom, but because the Jews rejected him as king, he went to the cross, postponing his kingdom until his Second Coming.

Heffren was not as far off as imagined. His teaching about Christ's kingdom being spiritual in nature and a present reality was scriptural. It was the "postponement" theory that was unscriptural. Even John, on the isle of Patmos-suffering "tribulation"-could say he was, then and there, "in the kingdom of Christ" (Rev. 1:9). This was in the first century! He knew nothing about a "postponed' kingdom.

Later I would meet Henry Heffren-in the late 70s-at a three-day Prophetic Conference at Glen Eyrie (Colorado Springs) where he and I were both speakers. In the area of the famed Garden of the Gods, this is a lovely place with its streams, neatly manicured lawns where deer roam among the trees, and a central building-a castle built years ago by a wealthy newspaper man.

One day as we sat on the castle steps visiting, Pastor Heffren was amused when I pulled out the old copy of his book that had nearly gone into the trash can. The copy I had, being published in the 40s, included a picture of a much younger Henry Heffren! He was a Canadian; but his mother, I learned, had once lived in Riverside, California, not far from where my mother lives. We only met the one time-he has passed on now-but I recall him fondly.

From reading Heffren's book and others-as well as my own studies in the Scriptures-I began to recognize principles of interpretation that I had previously overlooked. Vitally important questions were these: How did Jesus and the writers of the New Testament interpret the Old Testament? Did they use the so-called "literal" method, or did they understand many of the Old Testament passages as having a greater and deeper "spiritual" meaning?

Thinking only in terms of Christ setting up his kingdom at His Second Coming, I supposed that upon his return he would reign in Jerusalem, that people from all over the world would go there to worship, etc. But once I came to realize this teaching is not even "hinted" at in the New Testament, how valid or major could it be as a doctrine? Jesus himself totally discounted the idea that men would need to go to Jerusalem to worship (Jn. 4:21-24).

Jesus said something else that put a different slant on how we interpret Old Testament passages: In the age to come, following the resurrection, he explained, people do not marry (Lk. 20:34, 36). Yet the closing portion of Ezekiel, commonly taken to describe a "Millennial Temple" of the future, speaks of priests who serve in that temple getting married (Ezek. 44:22, 25). According to Jesus, this could not refer to the age to come.

Something else: If Ezekiel was describing marriage in an age after the resurrection-why would he say a priest was not to marry a widow, unless she was the widow of a priest? If this was after the resurrection, she would no longer be a widow!

I noticed also that some Old Testament passages that supposedly referred to the time of the second coming of Christ, in context, had people in various nations depending on primitive forms of transportation: riding horses, mules, and camels! -hardly a picture of modern times!

Some of the Old Testament passages we supposed taught a Jewish type millennium at Jerusalem, also included animal sacrifices (Zech. 14:21). In the light of the New Testament, Christ is the final and perfect sacrifice in God's program (Heb. 10:12). The age to come, then, cannot be a time when God goes backwards-to such things as animal sacrifices in a rebuilt Jerusalem temple. This would be religion in reverse.

Ultimately these studies became the basis for my book HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON published in 1977. In 1996 I spent considerable time going through this book, preparing a new edition, scanning pages into the computer for new type, proof-reading, etc. As I did this, I had to rejoice-these grand truths are just as real and vital today as they were in 1977!

From the Back Cover:

HIS TRUTH IS MARCHING ON is a fascinating, interesting, and easy-to-understand study on biblical prophecy, shedding light and clarity on Scriptures that are sometimes veiled or misunderstood. Though challenging some of today's popular prophetic views, in Ralph's characteristic use of biblical and scholarly principles of reasoning and research, his conclusions come forth in a "spirit of love an unity."

Though the basic message is the same as former editions, as I proofread this 1996 edition, I was stirred afresh at the reality of the powerful Kingdom truths presented. I seemed to sense the message is timely, and that this edition will go forth with a fresh anointing to bless the Church, the Body of Christ!

Chapters that especially ministered to me include: "The Kingdom of God-Postponed or Present?" and "Christ-King of kings-NOW!; enlightening truths that will cause one's walk with God to be more effective and vibrant-showing that Christ's Kingdom is present reality-that we rule and reign with Him in righteousness, not only in the future, but now!

An enlightening chapter is "Do The Scriptures Teach A Jewish-type Millennium?" Sometimes Scriptures have been applied to an age to come, when in reality they have already been fulfilled. To suppose that God will accept animal sacrifices for sin in a future rebuilt Jerusalem temple, would be religion in reverse. God does not walk backwards!

Additionally, this "must have" book includes: A close look at the history and folly of "date setting." It explores certain "future or fulfilled" questions regarding: seven women/one man, the coming of Elijah, the 144,000, Joel's prophecy, the "day of the Lord," and the battle of Ezekiel 38.

Seeing how prophecy has been fulfilled in the past, with renewed hope we can look forward to that grand and glorious Day when He who is King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, shall come again! -Arlene Woodrow (Mrs. Ralph Woodrow)

About this edition

• Publisher: Ralph Woodrow
• Publication date: 1977
• ISBN 10: 0916938034
• ISBN 13: 9780916938031
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 119