Interpretations and Priorities

http://directors.tfionline.com/post/interpretations-and-priorities/
By P Amsterdam

Maria and I recently received several emails asking for our opinion on a set of two letters written and circulated by a TFI member regarding the 70th week of Daniel. This brother puts forth the possibility that there is no gap between the 69th and 70th weeks in the prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, and that Jesus already fulfilled those things foretold to happen before the end. This interpretation differs from the teachings of David and many other Bible interpreters about the 70th week representing the last seven years before Jesus returns. Before going further, I want to say that while I don’t necessarily agree with the interpretation put forth in these letters, I thought the presentation was well thought out and demonstrated humility. Also, those members who wrote us and asked what we thought did so with an open mind.

As we have said before, neither Maria nor I are experts on endtime scripture and interpretation. Of course, I sat in on many of David’s endtime classes and talks over the years, and have read all of his writings on the subject; but the endtime is not my main focus or expertise, as it is for some TFI members.

Having said that, after reading the two-part explanation in question regarding the 70 weeks, I was intrigued. It sounded interesting, so I did some of my own research. I read some of what David said about the 70th week, looked up material in the books I have available, as well as searched for scholarly material online in order to see what different interpretations are put forth by religious scholars.

Without going into a lot of detail, there seem to be five main views put forward by Bible interpreters regarding the interpretation of Daniel 9:27:
The view which sees the 70weeks of Daniel as fulfilled in 164 BC when Judas Maccabeus cleansed the Jewish temple.
The view of Jewish scholars that the 70th week was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
That the 70th week of Daniel is an indefinite period, beginning with Christ but extending the final fulfillment of the eternal state.
That the 70th seven represents seven literal years, beginning with the public ministry of Christ and ending about three and a half years after His death.
That there is a time gap between the 69th and the 70th week, and that the 70th week begins when a covenant is made between the “prince that shall come” (the Antichrist) and “the many” (the people of Israel). Three and half years later the covenant is broken, resulting in the desecration of the future Jewish temple and the stopping of sacrifices, which brings on the Great Tribulation.

The first four views, for the most part, present the concept that the fulfillment of the 70 weeks has already happened. The fifth view, which David taught, has the 70th week happening in the future. As far as I can tell, the view put forth by the Family brother is number four.

This brother’s explanation is presented well and seems to be in alignment with the Bible scholars who hold to the same interpretation. David’s interpretation is in alignment with number five and, from what I can tell, the majority of Bible scholars agree with this position. After researching and reading up on the various positions, I am in agreement with number five.

If you are unsure which interpretation to hold to, I would suggest you do some personal study and research yourself, in order to better understand the different interpretations. And, while you may disagree with someone else’s interpretation, it’s best to accept that they have a different point of view and to refrain from becoming judgmental and argumentative about it.

Something I have been made keenly aware of while writing series like The Heart of It All, The Stories Jesus Told, and now Jesus—His Life and Message is the extent to which Christians have varying interpretations of Scripture. There are brilliant Christian authors, theologians, teachers, preachers, evangelists, and Bible commentators who are tops in their fields, who disagree with one another’s interpretations. Even when they agree on the core beliefs of our Christian faith, they may have different outlooks on what this or that passage means. I come across this on a regular basis. I consult about 50 books when researching my posts on the Gospels, and while these authors agree on much, they often have differing explanations. And each side usually has good, clear, well-documented reasons for believing as they do.

Thankfully, many Christians understand that everything in Scripture isn’t “mission critical” to the fundamental message of the Bible. There are some things which are of lesser importance, and how you interpret these parts of Scripture has no effect on the fact that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and that through His death salvation is available to those who receive Him as their Savior.

Centuries ago, disputes over differences in doctrine led to Christians killing other Christians. Thankfully, those days are long gone. While in some countries preachers spend a lot of their time castigating other Christians with whom they disagree, and teaching others to do the same, for the most part, Christians today generally recognize that beyond the basic creeds that all Christians believe, there will be differing interpretations of some parts of Scripture, and that’s okay.

I have a Christian friend who believes in predestination. I disagree with him on this issue. I believe that individuals can make the choice of whether to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior; he believes that God has chosen those who will be saved, and those chosen can’t refuse while those not chosen can’t be saved. This is basic Reformed theology, and he has shown me from Scripture why he believes as he does, and likewise I have shown him from Scripture why I disagree.

However, despite our differing theological views, I consider him to be a dedicated Christian who loves the Lord, witnesses, and does his best to live according to God’s Word. I think he feels the same way about me, so we simply agree to disagree on this one matter. Regardless of the right interpretation of Scripture, the fact remains that salvation comes through Jesus. We both agree on that point. Our differing opinions of how to interpret certain scriptures don’t make a difference regarding the core of what we both understand, that those who believe in Jesus and receive Him as their Savior will be saved.

There are numerous other examples of points which Christians disagree on, such as whether or not you have to be baptized; and if you need to be baptized, do you have to be fully immersed or just have water sprinkled over your head? Does one become filled with the Holy Spirit upon getting saved, or only when one specifically prays to receive the Holy Spirit? There is the difference between cessationist and continuationist belief—with continuationists believing that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation, and the cessationists believing that the miraculous gifts—such as tongues, healing, prophecy, and miracles—have come to an end.

Even among continuationists there are disagreements, such as regarding the gift of healing. While continuationists believe that the gift of healing functions within Christianity today and that God miraculously heals, there is some difference in belief regarding whether God will miraculously heal in every instance. There are also disagreements between new and old earth creationist views, as well as the question of whether salvation is eternal or can be lost. Clearly, between Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, witnessing individuals who are dedicated to the teachings of Scripture, there are differences of opinion on some points of doctrine.

When I look at the presentations about whether Jesus already fulfilled the 70th week, or whether the Antichrist is going to sign a covenant which will usher in the 70th week that will begin the last seven years before the rapture, clearly both of these interpretations can’t be right. But frankly, in the overall picture of living according to Jesus’ teachings and trying to follow Him, I don’t think that this detail matters so very much.

What we know is that the Bible tells us that Jesus will return, that the dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.1 The exact timing and the interpretation of how the events will unfold are secondary to the biblical truth that Jesus will return. As David often pointed out in his teachings on the endtime, we cannot know for certain or be dogmatic about details regarding the timing of Jesus’ Second Coming, the events surrounding it, and other details of the prophecies and how they will play out.

While we may or may not be alive to see the events of the endtime, we know that when our own life comes to an end, we will stand before the Lord and give account for how we lived. This should help us stay focused on the majors. So while trying to understand biblical prophecies regarding the future, Christ’s return, the Millennium, and the new heaven and earth is exciting, interesting, and worthwhile, I feel it should be secondary to doing our best to live our faith in our daily lives.

We may feel strongly about a certain doctrine, as my Reformed friend does about predestination, or as I do against that doctrine. But since we are both able to use Scripture to defend our position, we must both humbly admit that this is something we won’t know definitively until we are with the Lord.

I believe that if he and I were to become angry with each other, or if we were to speak negatively of each other because we don’t agree on secondary doctrine, we would be acting in a very un-Christlike manner. I feel that when such things happen, it hurts the cause of Christ. If I were to gather with other believers and speak against my friend and his belief; or if I were speaking with others who believe as he does and I were to go out of my way to show them how I feel they are in error and try to convince them that they are wrong; if I were to become so adamant about my beliefs that I criticized him verbally to others or in my heart; then I should seriously question whether I was truly living in accordance with Christ’s teachings. (To clarify, I’m not speaking about standing up to someone who is preaching outright false doctrine; that, if necessary, should be done—still with love and humility. I’m referring here to positions regarding minor doctrine on which many Christians disagree, as mentioned above.)

It is spiritually unhealthy to have an attitude of absolute certainty when it comes to secondary doctrines. Whenever we exhibit deep dogmatism, it breeds intolerance and judgment, which are the opposite of Christlikeness. Dogmatism is generally harsh and condemning. It is usually arrogant and repellent. It pushes people away rather than drawing them close. When we are dogmatic we become rigid, which leads to being critical of those who don’t agree with us, and creates an “us against them” scenario that hurts the cause of Christ. When we find ourselves spending time in heated face-to-face or email discussions on secondary points of doctrine, it distracts us and can easily drive us away from the more important aspects of our faith, such as applying Jesus’ teachings in our day-to-day lives or reaching others with the Gospel. It damages our testimony as Christians when we exhibit such a lack of love and tolerance.

As I said earlier, those who presented the question regarding the 70 weeks did so in a non-dogmatic way and with a humble attitude. Likewise, those who have written us asking for our view on the matter did so in a loving and open manner. I was inspired to see their Christian maturity, their understanding that others may disagree with them, and their lack of dogmatism. As Christians, it’s healthy for us to walk humbly, to realize that some of our personal beliefs will differ from those of other believers, and that some of our interpretations of secondary doctrine may be wrong. We’re all Christians, we believe the same things regarding the core of our faith, and we should show love and respect for those who may not interpret some scriptures the same way we do.

As the beautiful “love chapter” says:

If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing … As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away … For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.2


1 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17.




2 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8–10, 12–13 ESV.