I hope that this study has demonstrated the potency of Jewish apocalypticism as a context for Bible study. To provide additional examples and reinforce the point, here is an assortment of individual verses, interpreted in light of Jewish apocalyptic expectation.
“And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3). God is speaking to Abraham, whom he promises to make into a great nation through which the rest of the world will be blessed. This has not been fulfilled yet. Israel has yet to become that great nation that will bring blessing to the other nations. Both Jews and Gentiles can look forward to the day that becomes reality.
“I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill” (Psa 2:6). Jesus the Messiah will be king in Zion. He will rule the nations from his throne in Jerusalem. We do not see this happening yet. Jesus is in heaven, not on the earth. He is not king in Jerusalem right now. But one day he will be.
“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Eze 36:26). Here God is speaking to the house of Israel. Even though they have profaned his name, he still promises to gather them from the nations, bring them into their land, and cleanse them of their sin. Moreover, God will put his Spirit within them and give them a new heart, enabling them to follow and obey him. Thus, the gift of the Spirit and newness of life that believers receive when they put their faith in Jesus can be regarded as an advance enactment of what Israel will corporately experience at the end of the age.
“They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them” (Matt 4:24). There are many stories of healing in the gospels. Healings did not merely prove that God exists or that Jesus is powerful; they also confirmed Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. They convinced the people that he really was the one appointed by God to bring the kingdom, raise the dead, and judge the wicked in the future.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt 6:33). What is the kingdom? Gentile Christians have come up with all sorts of ideas throughout the ages. Within a Jewish apocalyptic understanding, however, the kingdom retains its most natural meaning as an actual geopolitical entity, headed by a king, ruling over a people and land. When Jesus returns, he will set up a kingdom that will govern from Jerusalem to the nations. We are to seek first this kingdom by eagerly anticipating it and also by living our lives in a worthy manner, that is, by also seeking first his righteousness.
“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). We should be able to explain why we believe that in the future the Messiah will come and fulfill the promises God gave to Israel in the Law and the Prophets.
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Rev 1:7). Referencing Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10, this verse describes the coming of the Messiah and Israel’s profound repentance upon beholding the one whom they crucified. Revelation details the events leading up to this climactic conclusion to redemptive history and the glorious aftermath.