Posted by proplog2 [proplog2] on April 09, 1999 at 00:31:15 {qzNMJDwJ.20hi4VK0MIQlJ4aSwVkqg}:
In Reply to: *****May 1 Watch. New but dim light posted by You Know on April 08, 1999 at 15:53:17:
If a symbolic fulfillment is indicated in the context of a scripture then you can be certain that we ought to be "thinking" about a symbolic fulfillment. If a literal fulfillment is indicated then we ought to be using our senses to ascertain the events that are likely to coincide. However, if there is no mention of a symbolic level then one should look first for a literal fulfillment. It seems that symbolic fulfillments are preferred when there isn't enough information in the real world to make a determination. It is at least an attempt to explain. The scripture you quote as an example has an applications to certain situations in the life of all Christians. Is the situation in Matthew 24:15 parallel to the 91st Psalm. It certainly doesn't seem to be the case. At least you can't make a CERTAIN case for that idea. Matthew 24:15 tells the Christians in Jerusalem to flee physically, from a specific location. If they had interpreted their situation as the need to simply "trust in Jehovah" without the need to flee physically they would not have come under Jehovah's Protection. They would have died in Jerusalem.
Don't miss the point. Secondary fulfillments are not automatically "spiritual" fulfillments. To "act" in harmony with the command to take flight will require a decision in one's heart that taking flight is the right thing to do. Such a person will have mentally prepared themselves for the actual flight.
Calamity does befall the holy ones in connection with the Great Tribulation.
Daniel 7:25 "and he will harass continually the holy ones"
Daniel 8:24 "And he will actually bring mighty ones
to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones."
Daniel 11:33 "And they will certainly be made to stumble by sword and by flame and by captivity and by plundering for some days."
Daniel 12:7 "And as soon as there will have been a
finishing of the dashing of the power of the holy people to pieces, all these things will come to their finish."
Rev 6:11 "rest a little while longer, until the number was filled also of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were
about to be killed as they also had been."
Rev 11:7 "And when they have finished their witnessing, the wild beast that ascends out of the abyss will make war with them and conquer them and kill them."
Rev 13:7 "And there was granted
it to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them."
Rev 13:10 "Here is where it means the endurance and faith of the holy ones.
Rev 13:15 "the image of the wild beast should both speak and cause to be killed all those who would not
in any way worship the image of the wild beast."
We could argue about whether these things have been fulfilled or not. Until the May 1 1999 Watchtower came out you probably would have defended the idea that we saw the Disgusting thing standing in a holy place almost 80 years ago. Until 1996 you would have defended the idea that the separating of the sheep and goats was going on for close to 80 years.
Contrary to your erroneous claim that personal efforts at discerning the meaning of prophesy are a lack of faith, people who have faith are told that they ought to use discernment when they read books like Daniel. Jehovah doesn't drop food out of the sky to feed you physically without personal effort. Similarly he doesn't grant understanding and insight without an individual's personal effort. Effort alone is insuficient. But no effort will assure ignorance.
The Watchtower writers deserve to be criticized for their lack of
dialog with other in their household of faith who might contribute to an understanding of prophesy. Rather than attempt ot defend their beliefs they hide behind a cloak of exclusivity which is bad as claiming infallibility. Prophets are
often found in the wilderness away from the power centers. Kings and High Priests have always resented the prophetic function. Understanding prophesy has seldom been a respecter of conventional authority.