A Metaphorical Example - Psalms 18

 

A Metaphorical Example - Psalms 18

What is metaphorical?

Metaphorical means you use something else to stand for, or symbolize, another thing.

For example, in a poem, "a dark sky" might be a metaphorical representation of sadness.

Let us look at Psalm 18, which is a Psalm of David.

Psalm 18:7-17 reads:

7 Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.

10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.

15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.



Wow!! : Smoke from His nose, and fire from His mouth!!

Did it really happen? NO.!

Do you know what really happened?

Well, before you read into Psalms 18, it is written in the beginning of the Psalm "To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul." 

This Psalm is a song recounting how God delivered David from the hand of Saul and his armies (see 2 Samuel 22).

The earth didn't quake.

The oceans didn't break open and expose the channels of the sea.

God simply delivered David in a battle.

It was a very natural event but written in an exaggerated and metaphorical language to make a strong point.

This is called a Metaphorical Example.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

 

No One Knows That Day or Hour

The phrase "No one knows that day or hour" is found in 2 parallel passages of the bible i.e. Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32; 

Mat 24:36  But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 

Mar 13:32  But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

In Luke, there was a similar passage about "that day" in Luke 17, and the events that are going to unfold on "that day".

All these passages are a continuation of the conversation between the disciples and Jesus when the disciples asked Jesus the questions in Matthew 24:3.

It is interesting to note that the Strong's Concordance translate "that day" as "that one day", indicating a particular date and day, that these things are going to take place.

Modern day controversy:

Some bible interpreters indicate that "that day" refers to a future day or future date that Jesus was referring to (we shall call them futurists). 

Their explanation was that:

a. They agree that Matthew 24:3-35 was actually referring to the events of the destruction of Jerusalem, and 

b. that Matthew 24:36 was referring to a future event of the "day of judgement/apocalypse or a future 2nd coming of Jesus" that has yet to happen.

c. They call this a transition verse, where Jesus changed His topic or agenda.

My explanation:

I choose to differ from their explanation, because:

a. Jesus did not make a topic change or a topic transition.

b. The conversation of Jesus and His disciples did not change. It was the same thing that Jesus was talking about and conversing with His disciples.

In the parallel passage in Mark 13:4, we read:

Mar 13:4  Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when ALL THESE THINGS shall be fulfilled? 

and as an answer to their questions, Jesus said in Mark 13:32:

Mar 13:32  But concerning THAT DAY or THAT HOUR, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

Jesus answered verse 4 with verse 32. It was a continuous conversation. Jesus did not change topic or transition into another subject, nor talk about another era or time period. Jesus did not change audience. It was all within the same time, in answering to the disciples in front of them.


Qn: Did Jesus gave a clue as to the timing of That Day? 

That Day when all these terrible things are going to happen?

An: Yes, Jesus did. Two verses before Matthew 24;36, we read in Matthew 24:34:

Mat 24:34  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 

The timing indicator is "this generation shall not pass away".

However, the timing as to the exact "that one day" or "that hour", no one knows, not even Jesus knew.


Qn: Did Jesus himself knew of "That Day"?

An: Some may say that Jesus knows. But Jesus himself said that not even He himself knows.

Why is this?

When Jesus was physically on planet Earth, He was bound by certain limitations. For example, He can only be in 1 place at a time. He was not Omnipresent.

Based on Luke 2:52, we read that Jesus was 12 years old and He was having a discussion with the teachers of the Law in the temple, when His earthly parents were looking for Him. The the verse said:

Luk 2:52  And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. 

Note: that Jesus had to grow, to advance, to gain wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. He did not automatically knew everything. He wasn't born earthly to know everything from His Father (God).

Jesus in the physical was not Omniscient. He did not know everything. Jesus only spoke what He heard His Father said. He did what His Father said to do. He did not have all knowledge about every situation.

For example, in Mark 5:30, when a woman touched Him, Jesus did not know who touched Him.

Mar 5:30  And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 


That Day vs pregnancy Date

The speculation of the exact "that one day" can be roughly compared in a simple analogy for purpose of clarification.

In a woman's pregnancy, the doctor may give you a particular date of when the baby is going to come out, but we  know that the actual date may differ to several days before of after that stated date. You will not know the exact date or hour of when the baby will be born, but you will know that it will be within that period of time.

Similarly, the actual "that day" of when it shall be is not known, but it shall be within the timing of "all these things that will happen, will definitely take place within their time period, "their generation".


What is the meaning of "That Day"?

Luke 17 tells us the events that will take place on "that day". This is similarly recorded in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

In Luke 17:30-31, we read:

Luk 17:30  so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 

Luk 17:31  On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 

These verses quoting "in that day" is a direct reference to the fall of Jerusalem, and not some future event or day.

In his book John L. Bray called "Matthew 24 fulfilled", he said:

["That Day" is the culmination of "those days"]

Qn: What are "those days"? Or What are "those last days"?

An: Those days refer to everything that Jesus said from Matthew 24:3-35. These are the last days.

So verse 36 "that day" is  the culmination (highest or climatic point) of verse 3-35 "those days"

There was no indication that the events had changed from verse 35 to verse 36. We can conclude that we are dealing with the same events.


Note: When the disciples were told that it will happen in their generation, and that they did not know the exact moment. It was enough. It was not too vague or uncertain. Jesus did not leave them dangling in hopelessness because Jesus told them that they just need to know the signs, the landmarks or indicators that will happen in their generation along their way. And all these signs were very clearly foretold to them in all the parallel passages above.


John Lightfoot, an early Christian writer, wrote about "that day and hour".

[Of what day and hour? That the discourse is of the day of the destruction of Jerusalem, is so evident, both by the disciples' question, and by the whole thread of Christ's discourse - that it is a wonder, any should understand these words of the day and hour of the Last Judgement.]


Another prominent Christian writer John Gill, in his 1809 commentary on Matthew 24:36 (his commentary is freely available in e-sword app).

[But of that day and hour knoweth no man,.... Which is to be understood, not of the second coming of Christ, the end of the world, and the last judgment; but of the coming of the son of man, to take vengeance on the Jews, and of their destruction; for the words manifestly regard the date of the several things going before, which only can be applied to that catastrophe, and dreadful desolation: now, though the destruction itself was spoken of by Moses and the prophets, was foretold by Christ, and the believing Jews had some discerning of its near approach; (see Heb 10:25) yet the exact and precise time was not known; ]


Another early Christian writer, N. Nisbett in 1787 in his book title "An attempt to illustrate various important passages in the Epistles, etc. of the New Testament, from our Lord's prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem from some prophecies of the Old Testament." talked about Matthew 24:36

[ But though the time was hastening on for the completion of our Lord’s prophecy of the ruin of the Jews; yet the exact time of this judgment, laid hid in the bosom of the Father. Verse 36. ‘Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’ St. Mark has it: ‘Neither the Son, but the Father;’ but the sense is the same. Some men of great learning and eminence have thought that our Lord is here speaking, not of the destruction of Jerusalem, but of that more solemn and awful one of the day of judgment. But I can by no means think that the Evangelists are such loose, inaccurate writers, as to make so sudden and abrupt a transition, as they are here supposed to do; much less to break through the fundamental rules of good writing, by apparently referring to something which they had said before; when in reality they were beginning a new subject, and the absurdity of the supposition will appear more strongly, if it is recollected that the question of the disciples was, ‘When shall these things be?’ ‘Why,’ says our Saviour, ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only’” ]


In conclusion: The judgement on Jerusalem is about to fall soon. This judgement will come suddenly and without further warning like in the flood that occurred at the time of Noah.

Mat 24:37  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

Mat 24:38  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 

Mat 24:39  and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 

Fold the Old Garment

This judgement was about to fall on the Mosaic system and the Jews who crucified Jesus Christ. Just like in the flood, it came and took all of them away. That judgement (that physically and historically occurred in AD70) is going to be the same and to take them all away.

The whole Jewish system of Mosaic Law is going to be completely take away. In fact, to be folded up like a garment as described in Hebrews 1.

Heb 1:11  they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,

Heb 1:12  like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” 

Jesus spoke about an old garment and a new garment, and that you cannot put a patch on an old garment (Luke 5:36)

So what do you do with an old garment?

You just fold it up and put it away. You then put on a new garment, and that garment is Jesus Christ.

Like the days of Noah

Like the days of Noah

This phrase "like the days of Noah" is taken from what Jesus said in Matthew 24:37

Mat 24:37  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Qn: What happened during the days of Noah?

An: It was the judgement of God on the people of the world and only Noah and his family were saved. The reason was that the whole world's system and its human morality has been corrupted to the extend that God had to begin a new human race with Noah and his family.

Note: The judgement and destruction was on the world's system and the immorality in the people. The planet earth was NOT destroyed, and God did NOT re-create a new planet for Noah and his family. We shall come to this later.


Matthew 24:37 is a continuation from Verse 35, where the phrase "heaven and earth will pass away" was a reference to Israel, the Mosaic system, the Jewish system and its religion, and not a reference to the physical planet Earth.

In fact, God was consistently speaking that the planet earth will NOT be destroyed. It will not physically pass away. See:

Psa 104:5  Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should NOT be removed for ever. 

Forever and ever and ever, it shall NOT be removed.

Ecc 1:4  A generation passes away, and a generation comes; but the earth REMAINS forever. 

The planet earth remains forever and ever. God is not fickle and go back on His word.

There are many, many events that have happened and have changed the human system of the earth, but the planet has never never been destroyed and will never be. During the big flood that happened at the days of Noah, the planet was never destroyed, but the human system has been changed forever. 

During the Roman horrendous attack on Jerusalem as a sign of God's judgement, a confirmation of all the warnings given by the prophets and Jesus, the entire Israel's system of traditional worship and culture have literally been changed significantly, BUT the planet earth was not destroyed.

It is absurd to think like the futurists and dispensationalists that proclaim the entire physical earth will be destroyed with fire, and God will re-create a new earth, which is then a contradiction to the scriptures that confirmed that the planet earth will remain forever. 

This is their escapism mentality that have put fears into ignorant believers, who do not want to be left out (or left behind) in their escape track from God's judgement on planet earth.

In 2 Peter 3:1, we read of the passage that speaks about the day of the Lord and how it will be compared to the days of Noah. Sounds familiar?

Yes, Peter was teaching exactly the same thing that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24. How did Peter know all this? It is because Peter was there among the audience listening to the warnings of Jesus. 

It could even be said that Peter might be one of them that asked Jesus the 3 important questions in Matthew 24:3 i.e. "when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

In Matthew 24, Jesus answered Peter with a full interpretation of their last days leading to AD70, where the Old system (Old Covenant) was destroyed and a New Covenant was ushered in through the finished work of Jesus.

In 2 Peter 3:1-2, Peter starts off by reminding them to remember the words of the last days as foretold by the prophets and Jesus.

2Pe 3:1  This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,

2Pe 3:2  that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Peter was telling them what will happen in the last days. He said in 1 Peter 4:7 that "the end of all things is coming very soon." These are their last days. The events are coming very soon.

2Pe 3:3  knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

You can read that there were people during those days that were scoffing at Peter and the Christians for proclaiming that the day of the Lord is coming in THEIR last days.

Note: Peter was NOT speaking to scoffers that are going to come more than 2000 years later from the time of the audience. It is absurd because it does not mean anything to them, the hearers. In 2000 years from then, all of them would have died and long gone. There is no need for Peter to warn them at all. 

Peter was speaking of scoffers in their last days. Whose last days? Peter's and the audiences' last days. Peter said, the end of all things is already at hand. It is happening very very soon. Peter was just reiterating what the earlier prophets, Jesus and the apostles have been preaching all along.


Audience relevance

If you want to understand audience relevance, 2 Peter 3:4 has the key.

2Pe 3:4  They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 

What did the scoffers say? They said, where is his coming? Who are these scoffers anyway?

a. Historically, the Gentiles do not speak of the beginning of the planet earth in terms of God's creation. It is the Jews who referred the beginning of the earth to the creation work of God. The Torah (or Old Testament) have always described how God created the earth in Genesis 1.

b. Secondly, the Gentiles do not refer to their ancestors or historical figures as "fathers". This is a term that is only used by the Jews throughout the Torah to describe the genealogical history of Israel.


2 Peter 3:4 does not refer to 21st century people who are scoffing or mocking them. It does not refer to the Gentiles living in their days who were scoffing or ridiculing them. It refers to the Jews who were living in their days that were scoffing them.


2 Peter 3:5-6 says that the Jews purposely and willfully chose to forget that God had at one time destroyed the world with a huge flood as in the days of Noah.

2Pe 3:5  For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 

2Pe 3:6  and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 

Even though Peter did not use the phrase "days of Noah", but the audience can understand that he was talking about the flood during the days of Noah, because Peter said that "the world was flooded with water and perished". Peter is telling them that they deliberately forget that judgement had happened before during the Noah's flood. They are not remembering their history lesson.


The Noah Story

The Noah's story is important. The Noah's story does not tell you about the end of the physical world, but only the end of their world system. The granite, the stones and the material earth were not destroyed. The planet earth continued to exist. God did not start all over again with a new planet but God destroyed the system of that day.

So what did Peter do? He grabbed hold of their Noah's story, a story of a system being destroyed, and reminded them of the similarity between that story and the end of their world and their system.
 
In Matthew 24:37, Jesus himself did the same thing when He compared the days of Noah to their last days - the end of all things, the end of their way of doing things, the end of their Age. Jesus used the same story, similar to 2 Peter 3:5.

In 2 Peter 3:7, we usually find that futurists like to take this verse out of its context and said that God will destroy the world with fire, just like the days of Noah, when it was destroyed with water. They claim that God will give them a new heaven and new earth after completely destroying this one,

2Pe 3:7  But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 

We need to understand that 2 Peter 3:7 is figurative language and not literal. God did NOT destroy planet Earth in the days of Noah so God is not going to destroy planet Earth with fire just to start all over again. God only destroyed the system of that day during the days of Noah.


An example of figurative language. Look at Luke 3:5

Luk 3:5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways.

This verse was talking about John the Baptist who will do all these things in verse 5, as a preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. John was preaching from the book of Isaiah 40:4. John was referring to Jesus who came to fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of bringing salvation to many.
Now, was John talking figuratively or literally? Of course, it was figuratively.

Question: Did Jesus physically changed the mountains and valleys of Palestine?

Answer: No.! It was a metaphorical expression that was commonly used by Hebrews during those days.

But if we do go through "spiritual" valleys and mountains, Jesus' salvation will fill our valleys and bring low the mountains. Jesus will straighten our "spiritual" crooked roads.

So in 2 Peter 3:7, it was the world system of the ungodly that will be destroyed and not the planet Earth.


In Don Preston's book "The late great kingdom", on page 38, it refers to 2 Peter 3 as follows:

[... We understand from Peter, that in Noah's days, the moral world or society perished. We understand that Peter foresaw the coming dissolution of another society, the Jewish world. This is exactly what happened in AD70.  ]


Another good author David Pete Cruz, wrote "Prophecy Fulfilled" in 1994, subtitled "God's perfect church" in page 96:

[... The heavens and earth were simply the Jewish religious political authorities in the land of Palestine, and in the people who lived there. They were the ungodly men. Ungodly because they had rejected and killed the Christ and still rejected Him who was being kept by the gracious mercy of God, who wanted all to repent and come to Him, and not unto the day of judgement and destruction. This phrase tells us that this is another day of the Lord, just like the ones we see exampled in the Old Testament.. ]


Let's go on:

2Pe 3:8  But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 

2Pe 3:11  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 

2Pe 3:13  But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 


In verse 8-9, Peter is highlighting to his listeners who think that they still have lots of time before anything will happen. God is giving them a span of time to change their minds, He is going to act. They do not have a thousand years. The Lord is not slow to act and do what He had promised. Time is running out.

In verse 10-13, Peter is using the same imagery as Jesus and Paul, where the "heavens and earth will pass away". This is covered in my earlier chapter.

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2021/01/heaven-and-earth-will-pass-away.html
 
Peter is speaking the same as Jesus in Matthew 24. The old heaven and earth has to pass away, before the coming of the new heaven and earth. The old heaven and earth refers to the Israel's old system, the old covenant, the Mosaic system, the old practices of temple sacrifices and observation of the laws of the Old Covenant.

The new heaven and earth refers to the New Covenant, the new life that came through the finished work of Jesus at the Cross, the union of God living in us, the temple of His Spirit.


This "passing of the heaven and earth" is also described as the "day of the Lord" (2 Peter 3:4). And this day will come upon them like a "thief in the night", that means at the moment that they least expect it to happen. They need to get ready.

Jesus used this first in Matthew 24:43-44. Peter used this in 2 Peter 3:10, and Paul used this in 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

1Th 5:2  For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 

I talked a bit about this "day of the Lord" in previous chapter.

https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/signs-in-heavens-day-of-lord.html


The day of the Lord is the coming and pending judgement in their generation.

Old Testament prophets and authors always refer to the "day of the Lord" when they spoke of God judging a people.

For example, Ezekiel prophesied about the judgement that is coming upon King Nebuchadnezzar in Ezekiel 30:3,

Eze 30:3  For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 


This is bible figurative language and symbolic terminology. Old Testament and New Testament both speaks the same Hebrew metaphorical language.

When Peter speaks about the coming day of the Lord in 2 Peter, he was referring to the coming judgement and destruction on Israel as a nation and its religious system. This destruction on the Mosaic system took place in AD70 when the Roman armies destroyed them.

Jesus foreknew this would happen, when He said in John 4:21,23.

Joh 4:21  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."

Joh 4:23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 

This is good news.

Heaven and earth will pass away

 

Heaven and earth will pass away


This phrase "heaven and earth will pass away" is in Matthew 24:34-35,

Mat 24:34  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Nowadays we often hear from others that when they talk about "heaven and earth pass away", generally they are referring to an apocalyptic catastrophe or phenomenon that is going to happen in the end of the Age.

It has been interpreted to mean a universal worldwide event where God destroys the heavens (or heavenlies) and the earth.

But what is important is what does it ACTUALLY mean that "heaven and earth will pass away"?

Qn: What does it meant to that generation during the time of the New Testament? What does it mean to the Jewish audience (meaning audience relevance) who were standing there listening to Jesus?

Qn: Could this phrase "heaven and earth shall pass away" meant differently to what we would have interpreted in this 21st Century?

We need to take note particularly with THEIR understanding of the Old Testament together with all their "imageries" and "figurative Hebrew language".


Let us look at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:17-18

Mat 5:17  Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 

Mat 5:18  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (fulfilled). 

According to verse 18, there are 2 things that MUST happen. They are:

1. Heaven and earth is going to pass away

2. All those details of the Law will be fulfilled (or accomplished).

That means all the smallest details of the Law (the iota, dots, jots, tittles, details) of the Law are fulfilled, when heaven and earth pass away.

Qn: Firstly, when was the Law fulfilled?

An: Jesus was the one who fulfilled the Law.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law for our righteousness. Jesus did what we could not do. We cannot live by our performance to achieve the righteousness of God. Jesus did it on our behalf. Jesus fulfilled ALL the demands of the Law.

Paul said in Galatians 3:24-25

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the Law.

The author of Hebrews 8:13 wrote:

Heb 8:13  In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one (old covenant) obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. 

It means the Old Covenant was growing old, and was ready to vanish away. The Law was the Old Covenantal Law between God and Israel. So the Law together with the Old Covenant is obsolete at the time of writing of Hebrews, and it is ready to disappear completely.


My question to ponder is: What would the Jews have understood, when they hear the term "heaven and earth".?

The Jews would only understood this from their Holy Book, which is mainly the Old Testament. This was the book that they were familiar with from birth till death.

Then let us look at their book in Deuteronomy 32, the famous "song of Moses". (Note: This song was again repeated in the book of Revelations).

Deu 32:1  “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth."

In verse 1, Moses was singing this to Israel, and directed the entire song to Israel.

Moses interpreted "heavens and earth" as towards the nation of Israel. He was NOT singing out into the skies or the whole earth so that they can hear his voice or song.

Moses was dealing with the "heavens and earth" standing right in front of him, that is Israel.

Continuing the song of Moses,

Deu 32:22  For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains. 

In verse 22, God is now speaking through the song of Moses, that He will devour the earth. This is a statement of the judgement of God. What does this mean?

God is angry and the judgement of God will come upon Israel if they break covenant or disobey the laws of God.

What is the nature of this judgement? It is spelt out in Deuteronomy 28:45-57.

Verse 49 says another nation like the eagle will destroy them.

Verse 52 to 57 says there will be "destruction, cannibalisms, wars, persecution" that will befall them just as it was fulfilled in AD70.

In AD70, the Roman empire (the nation that comes as the eagle flies, whose language they could not understand) came against them as per Deuteronomy 28.

This is the song of Moses warning Israel (heaven and earth) of the pending judgement of God that if they do not keep the covenantal laws with God, God was going to consume the earth with fire (Deut 32:22).

So in Deuteronomy (part of the Pentateuch books of Israel), we have the phrase "heaven and earth" to refer to the people of Israel.


[ Interesting note: that in Revelations 15, after the defeat of the beast, after the victory over the beast, after the role of the beast is finished, Israel once again sings the "song of Moses" AND adds to it the "song of the Lamb". The Lamb refers to Jesus.

Revelations 15:1-3 brings Jesus into the picture after that Age and generation had passed away. ]


Another example:

Let's look at another Old Testament passage familiar to the Jews in Isaiah. This may not be familiar to the modern Christians in this Century, but this is very familiar to the Jews listening to Jesus in Matthew 24.

Isa 51:13  and (you) have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? 

It says God stretched the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. 

Does this mean that God was doing the same creative work similar to Genesis 1 thousands of years ago.

Look at verse 16:

Isa 51:16  And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing (planting) the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people'.

It says God planted the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. He was ACTUALLY referring to the people of Zion (i.e. Israel). God was not referring to some cosmic body somewhere in the universe. Isaiah 51 is not the same as in Genesis 1, where God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).

God is specifically referring "heavens and the earth" to His people, and not the planets.

Qn: Who is God dealing with here?

An: God was dealing with the Jews, Jerusalem, His people, Israel, Zion. The same group of people that were standing in front of Jesus, when Jesus quoted "heaven and earth will pass away" in Matthew 24:35.

The Old Testament has always been a historical record of how God deals with His people (Jews, Hebrews, Israel) and how they responded to His laws and covenant. It then leads them to Jesus as per Galatians 3:24.


Another example:

Isa 24:1  Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants. 

This verse speaks about the coming judgement on the nation of Israel. 

Further in the same chapter,

Isa 24:19  The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. 

Isa 24:20  The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. 

It wasn't the physical earth that is drunken and going to be broken. It was Israel that was going to receive judgement from God written in a figurative language. It is saying Israel will fall and not rise again.


Another example:

Isa 34:4  All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

Isa 34:5  For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. 

The rotting of the heavens, the rolling of the skies, the falling of the host of heaven is referring to the judgement upon the people of God, Israel, in Edom. Israel will receive destruction.


We have seen that there are many other passages that speaks about the destruction of the heavens and earth, the passing of the heavens and earth, and the judgement that was coming upon the heavens and earth.

If God was indeed speaking about the physical cosmic heavenly bodies and the physical planet earth, then the literal heavens and earth would had been destroyed many many times, again and again.

Did God destroyed the literal "heavens and earth" many times over and over again?

Of course not. But throughout the history of Israel, God sent judgement to Israel again and again, because of their not keeping the covenantal laws of God. 

Many prophets and leaders of God had tried to coax the Jewish people to return to their Covenant with God, but they failed. That was why God continually used the phrase "judgement on the heavens and the earth" to mean destruction of Israel.

This was the figurative interpretation of "heaven and earth" that all the Jews know from their holy book.

Removal of the heaven and earth

Look at another verse from Hebrews 12:26-28

Heb 12:26  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 

Heb 12:27  This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 

Heb 12:28  Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 

Where did the author of Hebrews get this passage? He got it from Haggai 2:6

Hag 2:6  For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.

The author of Hebrews was quoting Haggai and added his own interpretation.

In verse 26, he quoted Haggai 2:6

In verse 27, he tells us what Haggai really meant, the true interpretation.

In verse 28, he tells us the timing of when these things will happen, and that we will be receiving the kingdom that is not going to end, an everlasting kingdom, a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

This is the same prophecy in Daniel, where the Son of Man who stood before the Ancient of Days, was given a kingdom that will never pass away.

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 


Hebrews 12:26-28 is therefore a repeat of the same prophecy in Haggai and Daniel, that once the "heavens and earth" are shaken and removed, then that will usher in a kingdom that cannot be shaken and will not end.


Qn: Who will be receiving this everlasting kingdom that will not be shaken?

An: According to Isaiah 65:1, it will be you and me, those who have put their trust in Jesus and His finished work at the cross.

Isa 65:1  I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name. 

We are that "nation that was not called by His name". We are not Jews. We were not God's covenantal people, the nation of Israel. This scripture refers to us - the Gentiles that were not named as God's own people.


What happened to the Jews? Isaiah 65:9 said that God did not forget them, but brought forth a remnant from the "offspring of Jacob".

Isa 65:9  I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah possessors of my mountains; my chosen shall possess it, and my servants shall dwell there. 

And true enough, in AD70, the Jewish believers who believed Jesus and heeded His warnings in Matthew 24:16, fled from Jerusalem to the mountains of Judea. Isaiah 65:9 was fulfilled in Matthew 24:16. 

In the same manner, Revelations speak of the 144,000 that fled to the mountains to escape the judgement of God. 

See: https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/flee-to-mountains.html

and https://advancingtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/144000-and-666-revelations.html

Isaiah 65:13-15 tells us that God is changing Israel to another people, and not the same people that He had. He is giving His name to another group of people, and the Gentiles will be called sons of God.

Paul said that those who are in Christ are the new Israel of God.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any strength, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. 


John Gill in his commentary said of verse Isaiah 65:15:

[  ... and call his servants by another name; a new name, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; the name of the people of God, the Gentiles formerly were not called by; but now all that believe in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, are His people; the name of the sons of God, a name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentate;  ]


This new group of people will be called new heaven and new earth. The old heaven and earth was Israel. The new heaven and earth is the new Israel of God.

Isa 65:17  For see, I am making a new heaven and a new earth: and the past things will be gone completely out of mind. 

Qn: Where is this fulfilled?

An: In Revelations 21:1,5

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is. 

Rev 21:5  And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

So Revelations 21 is not a futuristic event in another millennium. The new heaven and earth was ushered in when Jesus brought in the New Covenant through the finished work of Jesus at the cross.


Hebrews 8:13 tells the audience in that generation that it was going to happen.

Heb 8:13  In that He says, A new covenant, He has made the first one old. Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away. 

and Heb 12:28 above tells us that the shaking will take place, and His kingdom will come and remain forever.


In recap, Isaiah prophesied that a people who did not know His name would find Him, and that is us, and we did.
God will bring a people out of Jerusalem, and He did.
God will create a new Jerusalem, a new heaven and earth, and He did.
And Revelations 21 tells us what the new heaven and earth is.

So when Jesus in answering to His disciples questions in Matthew 24:35, told them that "heaven and earth will pass away", He was using the Hebrew language in the way that they could understand. It was in the Context of the nation of Israel.

Through the passing of the old "heaven and earth", God has created a new Covenant, a new system through Jesus Christ.

No more the Old Covenant. No more the old temple system. No more animal sacrifices. God has made all things new with the New Covenant.


Peter and Paul used the same figurative language

When the apostle Peter said "the elements will burn with fire", he was also using the same language, and together with the same words of Paul who said "enslaved to the elementary principles of the world".

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Then, all these things being about to be dissolved, what sort ought you to be in holy behavior and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  looking for and rushing the coming of the Day of God, on account of which the heavens, being on fire, will melt away, and the elements will melt, burning with heat? 

Gal 4:3  In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 

Gal 4:9  But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 


When Peter looked towards his future (not our future), he saw that there will soon come upon them the melting of the elements by fire, and the "heavens and earth will pass away". Peter saw the judgement that was soon coming upon the nation of Israel and the house of God. The house of God was their Temple. God's judgment was coming upon their Israel and their Temple.

We are now passed THAT judgement that happened in AD70.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul calls us as living in the "age to come" where we are living in the age of the grace of God, and God has made us as the new Temple, the living house of the living God.

Mark 10:30  who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Luke 18:30  who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.

Ephesians 1:21  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Minor note:

Some contemporaries have referred to the Temple as both "heaven and earth" and that is ok. The judgement of God upon the nation of Israel, is not only on its breaking of God's covenantal laws, but also the demolition of the Temple, that stands for Judaism, and the performance base religion of sacrifices to please God. So both Israel and its Temple suffered the judgement of God in the term "heaven and earth passed away".