Expert: Marvin Howard - 10/18/2010

Question
[[From this question and answer!]]]]
Tyler, that you are only 14 and seeking truth is highly commendable. You must understand something before this answer will do you any good. Since the Bible is the Word of God, it must be followed even above personal beliefs. This is regardless of the source of what you may have previously heard; whether that may be previous study, the teaching of your parents, or the teachings of a preacher that teaches differently from the Bible.

Before we go further, I need you to paint a mental picture. If the event of which I speak is not familiar to you, I ask you to read Exodus 3:3-40:38. I want you to understand all facets of this. There is a reason. A prophecy will be compared to these events in due time. If you do not know these events, please lay this answer aside until you have read the verses: it is too lengthy for me to paste in this answer with a 65,000 character limit.

What points can you gain from this lengthy reading? Did God speak? Did God give a new law? Were miracles performed during the wilderness wanderings? The answer to all these is, "Yes."

There is one more point you must gain from Exodus. Before I present that point, here is the prophecy you must consider.

Micah 7:7-20, "Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets. In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for

The context of this passage is the fulfillment of the promise to the patriarchs: the promise of the seed; Christ. This is the time when sins will no longer be rolled forward year by year; it is the time when all sins can be cast into the ocean forever. Notice specifically verse 15:

"According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things."

What are the "marvelous" things of which this speaks? Listen to the words of the experts:

פּלא
pâlâ'
paw-law'
A primitive root; properly perhaps to separate, that is, distinguish (literally or figuratively); by implication to be (causatively make) great, difficult, wonderful: - accomplish, (arise . . . too, be too) hard, hidden, things too high, (be, do, do a, shew) marvelous (-ly, -els, things, work), miracles, perform, separate, make singular, (be, great, make) wonderful (-ers, -ly, things, works), wondrous (things, works, -ly).

The marvelous things are miracles. Yes, miracles were promised. There was a condition. These miracles were to be just like the miracles performed after Israel left Egypt. Being "just like" these "days" means the period of miracles at the coming of the Christ would be like the "days" of miracles from Egypt in every respect; not just some.

What other point can you glean from the Exodus? In what other way would the miracles of Christianity be just like the "days" of the Exodus? How many "days" did the miracles of the Exodus last? If anyone is honest they will say, "40 years." Christian miracles would only last this long; from the beginning of Christ's ministry (30 A.D.) until the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.).

Pentecostals claim miracles still exist in contradiction to God and the Bible. Pentecostals claim to hear the voice of God (a miracle) telling them miracles still exist. Since miracles do not exist, if the pentecostals hear any voice at all, it is not that of God. Since the "gospel" is the good news of God and His salvation, if news comes from another source, it is not gospel, for it is not good.

Instead of following God, they get caught up in feelings of ecstasy. They may think they feel something. Those that don't follow the crowd and lie about feelings to be accepted; not caring whether they follow God or not.

Tyler, this is why I said the phrase, "Full Gospel," is not proper for pentecostals. They teach other than the gospel of Christ. Instead they teach their own teachings (c.f., Romans 16:16-18); perversions of the gospel. Only the one church bought by Christ (Romans 16:16) is full gospel, and that is not the pentecostals. If you have any further questions or follow-ups, please do not hesitate to ask.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
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Mr Howard you have taken your doctrine from the OT, and have left out the new covenant teaching of Jesus Christ.. The Book of John,as one, clearly explains that Jesus was going to send the Holy Spirit for all beleivers to receive, and the Holy Spirit would teach them all things.... Sir, the Holy Spirit is still the miracle worker, even as Jesus stated to His miracles... He really meant, His Sheep Know His Voice, Mr Howard... Try 1 Cor. 12 for starters.
Mr B."

and was asked on 10/12/2010

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Answer
Hi!

I did not take a doctrine from the Old Testament. I took a prophecy of the Old Testament and showed its fulfillment. If this is something the early church did not do, then they did not prove Jesus was the fulfillment of 333 OT prophecies.

Besides, 1st Corinthians 13 doesn't give a timeline, but it does support the fulfillment of that prophecy with a specific event; the completion of something perfect. This cannot be the return of Christ for a simple reason. When Christ comes, faith will no more be faith but sight. Hope will no longer exist, for it will be realized. Yet, that passage says both of those will survive after the miracles end. The only perfect thing I can see coming between that writing and the return of Christ is the completed Bible. It says it will make us perfect (2nd Timothy 3:17), and something imperfect can hardly make someone perfect.

Yes, the Holy Spirit was promised to come in John. What was He said to do? It is only said that He would do two things. One, He would "bring to remembrance" those things which Jesus said. If we were not present, we cannot remember; we can only learn. Therefore, this is not written to anyone not alive at that day. It was also not written to any that did not accompany Jesus during His ministry for the same reason. The only people who meet both these qualifications are the Apostles, so this promise of miraculous guidance could only be given to them. Other than that, He was to bring "comfort." How does He do this? We do have another example of when He did this.

Romans 15:4, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

The Holy Spirit gives comfort through our hope of what's written in the Scriptures. He brought to remembrance the things Christ said so they could be written in Scripture and learned by us. The early church did not have Scriptures; not New Testament, anyway. They needed other confirmation of Christ's work: in the form of miracles.

Those miracles ended as prophesied. If they did not, God is a liar (Deuteronomy 18:22) and we have no business trying to please him anyway.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard