The Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Church

Real Historical Characters

Jesus, in His complete and wholehearted acceptance of the ancient Scriptures, certainly regarded the historical characters as real men and not mere personified ideals or mythological heroes. When He referred to the patriarchs He spoke of them as men who played their part in the things of life and in the work of God. He would never have said to the Jewish leaders of His day, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: ... and was glad,” if Abraham had been unreal, connected with a folklore or mythology of those ancient times. He would never have said that Moses “Wrote of me” (John 5:46) if Moses had not written the books assigned to him; neither would He have spoken of David when David called Him Lord (Matthew 22:45) if the Psalms had not been written by the sweet singer of Israel. BSPC 25.2