Bully's Blog

Or Rich Jewish Rulers made Poor, Blind and Naked
Or The Bible Teaches Replacement Theology

According to James Jordan, there’s nothing much in Revelation that isn’t also elsewhere in the New Testament. We just don’t get Revelation because we don’t speak the language of the Old Testament with any confidence. Accordingly, his interpretation of the Apocalypse interprets the seven Seals as the release of the gospel. The Trumpets are the warnings of the Apostles to the Jews until the beginning of the Roman siege. [1]

The book of Acts shows how Rome was indeed a “guarding cherubim” for Israel, and we see this protection shift from the Jews to the Gentiles. [2] Roman officials begin protecting Christians from Jewish persecution. Jews are no longer able to cast out demons. A synagogue ruler has to leave his house to go to church – in a Gentile house next door. All of this is highly ironic, as are God’s warnings to His disobedient Covenant people in any age.

Sometimes the irony is quite subtle. Acts 13:44 – 15:35 follows the 7-point dominion pattern (all of Acts is structured this way [3]). But also, the apostolic speech in 13:46-49 itself follows the pattern. As in Revelation, it is a seven-sealed scroll as step 3 within a seven-fold book. It is a speech that steals the Covenant away from the unbelieving Jews like a thief in the night, and gives it to believing Gentiles.

In this speech, you can see the Creation week, the Tabernacle furniture, and the Feasts. Note the un-Passover at step 2, a new priesthood at step 3, the burning bush (Lampstand) at step 4, Gentile armies summoned at Trumpets as a warning to the Jews, provoking them to jealousy (step 5), and Gentiles appointed as the first goat at step 6, the Day of Coverings. Finally, the gospel flows out as the four rivers from a new Eden, as Shekinah within converted men.

“It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.

……….Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy
……….of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 

………………..For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,

…………………………‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
…………………………that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ 

………………..And when the Gentiles heard this, they began
………………..rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, 

……….and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 

And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.” 
(Acts 13:46-49)

This all makes the pumped-up politico-Passovers of the early AD60′s a high-handed rebellion against the wrath of God revealed from heaven by the apostles. [4]

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[1] Lectures available here.
[2] You can see a full outline in Totus Christus: A Biblical Theology of the Whole Christ 
[3] The Gentile empires from Babylon to Rome are four cherubim under a great throne of God. See James B. Jordan, The Handwriting on the Wall.
[4] See also  Un-Passover