A SMALL STATEMENT ON TRUE HERMENEUTICS

by Nyron Madina

The Elijah Messenger

1. All scriptures - the whole Bible is given to the church for religious instructions, both old and new testaments are for the religious instructions of the whole church (II Tim 3:15-17; Rom 15:4; I Cor 1-12).

2. While many of the events of the Bible are past, their spiritual lessons are applicable to all of us living today, because we are reliving the same principles that operated in ancient history.

3. When studying the old testament we can know what applies to the incidents of this modern times by understanding the character of the people, things and incidents employed. For example, Paul identifies Christians as spiritual Jews (Rom 2:28,29). Palestine as a type of the new earth (Rom 4:13), circumcision as a type of the cutting off of the old carnal spirit and its replacement with Righteousness by faith (Rom 2:28,29; Rom 4:11), Hagar, Mt. Sinai and the earthly ancient Jerusalem as a type of the old covenant and the unrenewed man, while Sarah and the new Jerusalem as a type of the born again Christian (Gal 4:21-31), those who died in the 40 years sojourn in the wilderness as those who while once being called of God turn away into unbelief (Heb 3:7-19; Heb 4:1-3), Melchizedex as a type of Christ the High Priest (Heb 6:20; Heb 7:1-3). Almost the entire book of Hebrews is allegorical, like the book of Revelation written by John. In this book John employs many old testament names, places, cities, beasts, incidents and symbols to teach the prophecies of that book. The nature of the allegories used are based upon the characters that were portrayed or implied in the old testament writings. It is this way God expects us to use the old and new testaments at times. Christ himself used the same method, read Matt 24:15. The "abomination of desolation" is the Papacy which would develop much later to the time period Christ was speaking of, but Christ used it to typify the Roman Empire an attack upon literal Jerusalem of old, because the Papacy would attack spiritual Jerusalem (the church) when it would be developed (Dan 7:8,24,25; Dan 8:10-12,24,25). (This shows that Christ knew the future).

4. Mrs. White who was specially inspired by God, in the Review and Herald 1892 - May 7th, allegorizes Jones and Waggoner as Joshua and Caleb, and the stones of the spies as the "sarcasm and ridicule" hurled at the two young men. This incident that took place on the borders of the promise land she typified as the rejection of the message of Righteousness by Faith in 1888 by modern Israel, and ancient Israel's turning back into the wilderness as modern Israel 's (the Seventh-day Adventist Church) turning back into unbelief, selfishness and worldliness.

5. With divine sanction for this method of allegorizing, we can now go to the scriptures to understand many wonderful things.

WHO IS MODERN ESAU OR THE EDOMITES?

1 Who is Esau? Who are the Edomites of modern times, who do they typify?

2. Isaac was married to Rebekah (Gen 25:20), in due time God gave seed to his wife (Gen 25:21 ). She was pregnant with twins (Gen 25:24). In due time she gave birth to the twins. One came out first which was named Esau (Gen 25:25), and the other, the younger came out last and was named Jacob (Gen 25:26; Deu 21:15-17; 1 Chr 5: 1,2).

3. Esau sold his birthright (which is his right to inherit his father's possessions (Gen 25:5,6) for a single meal (Gen 25:30-34; Heb 12: 16). Thus his name was changed to Edom (Gen 25:30).

4. Jacob had to flee from his home because of the evil he did to his brother (Gen 27:1-34; Gen 27:41-45). After a duration of exile, Jacob headed back to his home in Palestine. When Esau got knowledge of this he came out after Jacob to destroy him (Gen 32:3-6). But God interposed to save Jacob after his night of wrestling, and his name was changed to Israel (Gen 32:24-30; Gen 33:3,4).

5. The descendants of Jacob (Israel) were called Israelites and they of Esau (Edom) were called Edomites. The Edomites lived at the borders of Israel, they constantly cherished hatred against the Israelites. The Edomites united with Babylon in the destruction of ancient Israel (then called Judah). (See Obad 10-14; Ps 137:7-9. Eze 25:12-14).

6. God says that He "hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. . . " (Isa 34:6). Bozrah was the capital of ancient Edom, both Bozrah and Idumea refers to the same Edomites (Teman, Dedam Mount Seir, Esau (Jer 49:7-13; Gen 32:3; Gen 36:1,8,9; Deu 2:4-5).

7. Who therefore could be called modern Edom?

8. One thing is certain, and that is that modern Israel is the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Eph 5:22-33; Rev 12:17; Rev 14:12).

9. If this is so, who then is the elder brother of modern Israel, being born a little before her? Who sold their birthright for love of self or love of the world? Who it is that despises modern Israel because she has the birthright? Who will unite with modern Babylon (the Roman Catholic Church) to attack modern Israel?

10. The answer is obvious, it is apostate Protestantism. They were born just a little before Adventist, (Dan 11:34; Rev 12:17), they sold their birthright or their right to inherit the new earth for the love of self (Dan 11:35; Rev 3:1-3), they despise Adventism because we claim to have the true way to heaven exclusively. In the final crisis, apostate Protestantism will join up with modern Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church in an attempt to overthrow modern Israel (Rev 13:11-17; Rev 16:13,14).

11. But God will destroy them as He did to ancient Edom. Modern Edom, apostate Protestantism will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ (Isa 34:5,6; Isa 63:1-4; Joel 3:19; Amos 1:11; the whole book of Obadiah, Rev 19:20; Jer 49:7-22; Eze 35).

12. That modern Edom is apostate Protestantism is proven by this text Ps 137:7,8. Here she is called "daughter of Babylon." This term applies to the churches that came from Babylon but still follow her corrupt practices (Rev 17:5). This text shows the allegorical nature of Edom.

13. As Israel (Jacob) approached the promise land, Esau (Edom) came out with men to slay him; so, as modern Israel approached the promise land, modern Edom will come up into the hills with men to destroy her. As Jacob's night of wrestling with the angel caused him to be delivered from Esau and his men, so modern Israel's night of wrestling (the time of Jacob's trouble) shall cause her to be delivered from Edom Great Controversy, p. 540-545).

14 As all those messages of the old testament applied to ancient Edom, so they all apply to modern Edom, for modern Edom is the apostate Protestant churches.

A voice soundeth from the east, a voice soundeth from the west . . ."

"Get ready, get ready, get ready!! The wheel has begun to spin, the final series of events has started . . . we have come to the end . . .

The Elijah Messenger

siracus@idirect.com