If 1st Century Jews couldn't interpret prophecy, what makes you think anyone else can?

Question

Some people claim the bible (Old Testament) prophesied Jesus.

If that is true, why was "Christianity" (as we know it) invented by a pagan Roman Emperor in the 4th Century?

Why didn't Hebrews recognize their own prophecies?

And, if they couldn't, what makes you assume you or anyone else can?

Thanks, guys.

Pangel, it's my "Moses" look. :-)

Clarification (?):

Paul took the message to Gentiles because Jews rejected Christianity. That's bible history as taught by all major Christian denominations.

1st Century Jews rejected Jesus & "Christianity."

I specifically stated "Christianity as we know it." There were literally dozens (???) of different "Christian" sects, but Constantine was instrumental in establishing doctrine that is still practiced today, specifically, the "Trinity" (Father, Son, Holy Ghost are one person).

Those who cite the New Testament's version are ignoring the question.The New Testament did not exist in the 1st Century so it can hardly be considered "prophetic," or, part of Hebrew prophecies.

Answer 1

What? What prophecy couldn't they interpret?About Moshiach? How is that not clear, all Jews have a good understanding about who the Moshaich will be. I don't get it?

Answer 2

The ancient scriptures prophesied the coming of the Messiah. See Psalms 22, as an example. The book of Isaiah is also a good book to find prophecy. There are many more as well. Hebrews didn't recognize Jesus as the Messiah because they were expecting a king such as the world was used to, not a poor carpenter whose kingdom is of another world. Constantine adopted Christianity as the official religion and incorporated many pagan customs to make the transition easier for the pagans. That was the beginning of Catholicism. Christianity has existed since Christ. The gospels and letters were written during the first century and were eyewitness accounts for the most part. Therefore, I have no problem with my belief. I have a hard time figuring out why so many people still do not believe.

Answer 3

Main question: I really don't put any faith in prophecy interpretation. I have used that very same reason many times. According to the bible, most prophets didn't even understand their own prophecies correctly.

Followup question #1: That pretty much sums up why I became a (non-orthadox) Jew, although I do still recognize Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah.

Followup question #2: The bible quotes Jesus as indicating that the Pharisees traded the truth for their own traditions. Traditions which may just be what is now the Talmud.

Answer 4

The Jews are waiting for the messiah, they claim the Jesus want the messiah, Christians do claim he is the Jewish messiah.

Your statement that Christianity was invented by a 4th century roman emperor is inaccurate. I suspect your taking about Constantine, he did not invent any thing he simple promoted Christianity within the roman empire.

some of the Hebrews did they became Christians some did not, they remain Jews.

your logic is faulty because they also thought the world was flat , we now know and recognise that is round , consequently proving that the 1 st century Jews belief system or ability to recognise facts is irrelevant to our current ability to see or recognise facts

Answer 5

The council you speak of only decided that Jesus (before the incarnation) was co-eternal with the Father. Christians had already known and believed in the Trinity for hundreds of years before Constantine.

Likewise, the "books" of the Bible had been in use for hundreds of years before the church finally determined the official "canon" of scripture.

The myth of Constantine was promoted heavily in relation to the DaVinci Code ... both the book and the movie. You and Dan Brown must use the same biased and seriously flawed history sources.

The simple fact of history is that Constantine and the entire Roman empire was eventually converted by the work of a Jewish carpenter and a dozen ordinary guys from Galilee.

The empire is long gone, but the Church of the living God remains.

As for the Hebrews (I would have thought a history scholar would have known this) the religious leadership of the Jews had been seriously corrupt for over 200 years, by the time Jesus walked the earth.

The original Levitical, hereditary priesthood had been replaced by a system of political appointments, and finally, an auction.

The office of high priest was literally put up for bids. The highest bidder won the job and all the related concessions.

The Pharisees and Saducees were much like today's big city political "machines".

They admitted nothing that might cost them money, prestige, or power.

Their "bogeyman" excuse for all this was of course, the Romans.

It should be noted that they also failed to heed Christ's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD ... and that cost many of them their lives.

No Christians died in that event. The Christians knew the signs, and they high-tailed it out of town before the Romans encircled Jerusalem.

God left a prophetic calling card behind, too: The Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and wrecked the first temple on Pentecost, 586 BC. The Romans had encircled Jerusalem, but they inexplicably waited one extra day to attack, just so they could (unwittingly) destroy the second temple on Pentecost, 70 AD.

Even most atheists can't ignore God's exquisite sense of timing!

But I do agree with you on one thing: Much like the chain of events leading to a plane crash, it's very difficult for people to recognize prophetic events, as they unfold.

It's only later, after we've had a chance to assess the damage and analyze precisely what happened, do we sometimes manage to figure out what went wrong, and why.

Answer 6

"Christianity" was first called that in Antioch in the first century. When the church of Rome made an unholy alliance with the empire that portion of Christianity took a big hit and fell far away from the sound doctrine that was provided in the Bible.

As to why I think that a person could interpret prophesy that the Jews couldn't back in the first century, I can give you two reasons. The first is that the Jews didn't recognize that the prophecies they had referred to the Messiah at two different times in history. They were looking for the conquering King who is yet to come and not the suffering servant that has already been.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit gives people understanding of the Scriptures just as He gave Simeon the temple priest the understanding that the baby Jesus was the Messiah. Not all of the Jews in the first century failed to recognize who Jesus was. Just the hard hearted ones who wanted God's salvation on their own terms and according to their own understanding.

That's why at one point Jesus had to get away from them when they wanted to make Him their King and why we have this scene reported in the pages of Scripture.

Matthew 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Answer 7

Yes it did prophecies the coming of a Savior
most prophecies were made in the common langue of common people who were mostly farmers and herders rather than rabbis or theologists.
the Hebrews were expecting a mighty warrior who would lead them into battle with the roman empire. nor a rabbi who preached peace and love and understanding.
in order to interpret prophecies you have to think like the people who lived in that time thinked . not like they lived in this time.back then they were mostly semi-nomadic yet .with permanent towns and cities just starting to form.
As far as Christianity is concerned . It was started by the apostles of Jesus in loose form. and yes the roman emperor would have been a converted pagan. as was all of roman Empires before then.

Answer 8

Heck, I don't have to interpret them, the Bible already has done that.
I'm sorry that you don't seem to believe in our Christ.
As for the non-christian Jews, they wouldn't because, just as in modern day politics, they didn't want to rock the status quo, which kept them at the top of the chain.
Not everybody believes. I understand that, and can only feel sympathy for those people.. I know where I'm going to be on Judgement Day, and it's going to be a lot cooler than where a lot of other people are going to be.
I hope that one day you too will see the error of your ways, and hopefully, before it's too late...
Because Jesus even loves YOU.

Answer 9

The first century Jews could interpret prophecy however they were to busy reading the Old Testament than to realize that the prophecies were being fulfilled right before their eyes!!

Answer 10

Some Jews are blind like you that's why Jesus sent out his disciples to other nations like the gentiles which are Christians. They saw Jesus and still didn't believe. We are more blessed than you can imagine because of our faith therefore we can interpret and foresee things to come. These are not claims but facts and we don't make assumptions but present God truths!

ACTS 2:17-18

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Answer 11

The people that Jesus spoke to were listening from a pagan's perspective. If I spoke of deep spiritual issues with a non-believer they wouldn't make any sense to that person, they don't have the Holy Spirit in their life to help them understand these principles. The same thing happened to those who heard Jesus, it wasn't until Jesus had risen back to heaven that even the disciples fully understood some of the concepts He spoke of.