A well known commentator on Jewish history has said that most Jews do not understand the Tanakh (Old Testament) because they only study the Talmud and Mishna. He suggests that one of the early reasons for blindness is that the Jews don’t understand their own scriptures. What is your understanding?
I think he’s right. The Talmud and the Mishna are commentaries and don’t substitute for Bible Study. Luke 19:41-44 tells us Jesus held the Jewish leaders accountable for not knowing He was the Messiah. He could only do this because His life and ministry had so clearly been foretold in their Scriptures. When they failed to recognize the day of His coming, He said it would henceforth be hidden from their eyes and their city would be destroyed. And so it was.
Unfortunately the same can be said about most Christians today. The signs that His return is near are all around us, and yet most Christians haven’t a clue because they don’t study the Bible. They may read Christian books and listen to sermons that are often only loosely related to the Bible, but for all intents and purposes they remain Biblically illiterate, especially where prophecy is concerned.