Part VI: What meaning does history have?

* The Bible is a book of history ; its main theme is the kingdom of God; it follows that the meaning history holds is the kingdom of God.

Circular or Linear time?

Most non-christian world views have a circular view of history. They see history as a never ending cycle. Time just goes on and on, ever repeating itself.

The Biblical view of time is linear. It has a definite starting point and progresses eternally. Events can be repetitious, but no moment is the same as the first. History could not have any purpose or meaning without a linear view of history. Thus there have been many attempts to imitate this Christian principle: Marxism, Evolution, etc., and these have been the only world views that have held history in any significant standing. But since these imitations do not include a personal and sovereign God who rules history, they place very little emphasis on truth in history, and will rewrite it according to their own whim. They see man as the ultimate interpreter of history, not God. What does the Bible emphasize in its history?

Is it the history of the gospel?

This view sees the Bible revolve around the gospel . Everything the Bible has to say is squeezed into a " salvific " interpretation. The problem with this view is that no one can escape a metaphysical interpretation of reality, conscience or unconscience. The resulting metaphysics of this view of Biblical history is that the world was created to be redeemed, it has no meaning apart from this and thus salvation becomes an end in and of itself.

This is a common view amongst Christians today, they will readily go and seek converts to the gospel, but once they are in, little is done to give their lives any true meaning or purpose , except, perhaps, waiting for an escape from a meaningless history such as an any minute rapture.

This interpretation of history will also tend to ignore the Old Testament since the Old contains so little of the gospel message of the New Testament. These people will readily cut their Bibles in half in the name of the gospel.

Is it the history of the Kingdom of God?

This view is the position of the historic Christian Church, of both the early Catholic Church and the early Protestant Church. It views the Bible to have something to say about everything, not just salvation.

The resulting metaphysics of this view, in contrast to the gospel view, is that the world was created for another purpose, for a kingdom . Sin hindered man from accomplishing this task as God's vice-regent, but the original commission to man from God was never repealed. Salvation is no longer viewed as the central them of Scripture but becomes a detour, the only detour man can take to accomplish his God-ordained tasks.

Jesus came to declare the Kingdom of God. A kingdom is far-reaching and broad, you have many vocations and occupations involved in a kingdom, and we are called in various places. The gospel gives man only one vocation: evangelism But from the perspective of the kingdom there are a multitude of vocations, all our work is sacred before God; thus evangelism takes on new forms: it is revealed in how we conduct ourselves, in how we steward what is entrusted to us, and how we view the world. All of life is seen is lived out before God, not just certain parts (i.e. gospel proclamation, church, etc.) All science, art, literature, philosophy, theology, business, and culture must be conformed to Scripture. Salvation of individuals is not the primary theme of Scripture, to interpret it as such is to squeeze Scripture into the hyper-individualism of this age. There is a reason why people interpret the Bible strictly from the gospel, but it is not a noble nor well thought out nor Biblical reason.

Interpreting the Bible.

Literal verses Contextual

Literalist method: Takes what the Bible says literally what is meant to be taken literally, and figuratively where it is suppose to be taken figuratively.

This method sounds nice, but never defines how to discern what is to be taken figuratively and what is to be taken literally. This method finds itself in want time and time again.

Contextualist method: Defines between poetry, history, parable, and teaching. This method tries first to define what style the passage is written in; is it poetry, or prophecy, or history. It then proceeds to interpret the passage in its proper context of writing style. It allows Scripture to be interpreted according to Scripture.

This method takes more time and learning than the first, but it tries to best interpret Scripture without allowing wrongful divisions entering in a text. Before a passage is given the status of dogma, the questions of who was it written to, why was it written, and what were the intentions of this writing initially, must be answered.

It is important to see these two distinguished to better understand what the Bible says about history.

{One} generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. Ecclesiastes 1:4 (NKJV)

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)

How do we understand these two seemingly contradictory passages?

If we interpret what Ecclesiastes says to us in context of it being wisdom literature (generations pass away, but the earth does not), and take 2 Pet 3:7 in context of 2 Peter 3:1-6, we arrive to a clear understanding of Peter's meaning.

So where do we find Peter's meaning for heavens and earth? Like Peter had implied, from the prophets:

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. Isaiah 51:6 (NKJV)

How will His salvation be forever if heaven and earth perish like smoke, and those who dwell in it will perish? Or is He speaking of something else?

Later, in the same chapter, Isaiah gives us when these heavens and earth were laid down and what he means by their destruction:

But I [am] the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared -- The parting of the Red Sea The LORD of hosts [is] His name. 16 And I have put My words in your mouth; Giving of the Law on Mt Sinai I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Reference is to Israel in the Old Lay the foundations of the earth, Covenant And say to Zion, 'You [are] My people.' " Isaiah 51:15-16 (NKJV)

Order of the old heavens and earth.

'But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that [belongs] to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people. 21 'Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, [such as] human uncleanness, [an] unclean animal, or any abominable unclean thing, and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that [belongs] to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.' " Leviticus 7:20-21 (NKJV)

Ceremonial uncleanness is what spread. There was a certain degree of bondage all creation was subject to, because of this.

Thus Christ's casting out unclean spirits and Peter's dream of unclean animals has a lot of significance for the reversal, the ushering in of the Kingdom of God in the New Covenant.

In the Old covenant, the Lord's dwelling was with one people, and one nation, the word was " touch not the unclean thing" In the New, the Lord's dwelling is among all men, all nations, and the word is " fear not the unclean thing" but "go and disciple all nations teaching them all I have commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

Structure and Direction

This ties in with Structure and Direction we discussed in the last message. Christ has come to change the direction of all created structures We are to cast out the unclean spirits in all structures from pagan individuals to the pagan institutions.

"But if I cast out [unclean spirits] by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:28 (NKJV)

History in the New Covenant is the story of Christ's redemption overtaking all creation so that creation reaches the intended goal it was created for. . . to glorify God.