There is a common device that the Holy Spirit uses to communicate some truth, with both a current relevance (Near), and an expanded truth pointing to something further out in the future. (Far)

We are calling this a Near-Far or Telescopic prophecy. It is essential to understand this as it is used so frequently in the Bible, especially in the Psalms and Prophets.

Jesus in the Synagogue in Nazareth

In the early days of Jesus ministry, he visited his home town of Nazareth. (Luke 4) He went into the Synagogue and stood up to read from the Bible. He read from Isaiah 61:1-2. However, he stopped reading in the middle of verse 2, and closed the book. Why did he close the book? Because he knew about the gap of the Church Age, and he therefore knew that the last part of the verse was for a time yet future. Here’s what he read:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

And he interprets the part that he read: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Now read the rest of the verse that he was quoting from Isaiah:

“And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”

In Luke 21:22 Jesus defines the days of vengeance as the Tribulation period, as does Isaiah 34:8.

As the Church was not revealed in Isaiah’s day, the passage doesn’t reveal any gap of time in the middle of verse 2 of Isaiah 61.

At this point in Jesus ministry the Jews and their leaders had not yet rejected the Messiah. He was preaching the gospel and proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord – to the Jews in their synagogue. It was NOT YET time to discuss the days of vengeance.

The Antichrist and Antiochus Epiphanes.

Daniel Chapters 8 and 11 have some sections that are hard to distinguish between the historical figure Antiochus Epiphanes and the future Antichrist.

Chapter 8-11 – Both chapters mix details specific to the Greek empire and the Antichrist. Chapter 8 goes into Alexander the great, and Antiochus IV, who named himself Antiochus Epiphanes (god) during the Intertestamental period. He is seen as a type of Antichrist. Some prophecies from both chapters are hard to distinguish between Antiochus Epiphanes and the Antichrist.

Daniel 11:31 – Refers to Antiochus IV and what he did to the Jews and the temple. – Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. “

(Daniel 11:36-45 changes from Antiochus to Antichrist)

Daniel 11:36 – “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods.

This is not the historical Antiochus IV, but he is a type of the Antichrist, who goes against God directly.

v 44 – “he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. ⁴⁵“He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.”

The Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish temple just as Antiochus did. (Near-Far)

Daniel 12:11 – “From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days

Isaiah and the Day of the Lord

In Isaiah 13:1 the prophet writes about God’s judgement on Babylon – The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. – and by verse 6 the narrative changes to the future worldwide Day of the Lord of the Endtimes.

Some bible commentaries are helpful here due to all of the history during the times of the Prophets.

Resources

Bible Knowledge Commentary – Walvoord

The MacArthur Bible Commentary – John MacArthur