Introduction
to Bible Prophecy
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E. Apocalyptic
Prophecies
Only the books of
Daniel and Revelation contain
apocalyptic prophecies. These
prophecies are chronological in
nature, that is, these prophecies
outline a specific sequence of events
that occur in their order over time.
An apocalyptic prophecy is identified
by two elements: First, there is a
beginning point and an ending point
in time. Second, the events given in
each prophecy occur in the order
given. This never fails. The
fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy
is unconditional. All that God has
said under the new covenant will
surely come to pass. An easy to
understand example can be found in
Daniel 2. King Nebuchadnezzar’s
vision outlines a sequence of seven
kingdoms which would rise to power in
their order.
Sometimes, the
sequence or structure of apocalyptic
prophecy is defined by numeric order.
This helps to keep everything in
chronological order. For example, in
Revelation 8, the second trumpet
occurs after the first trumpet.
Chronological order is always
maintained in apocalyptic prophecy,
otherwise no one can determine the
order of events. Think about this:If
God has not declared the order of
events in each prophecy, who on Earth
has the authority to tell the rest of
the world the order that God
intended?
I have introduced the
five types of prophecy in the Bible
for this compelling reason: Each type
of prophecy has a unique set of rules
and considerations. Each type
requires distinctive treatment. When
different types of prophecy are mixed
or merged together, the Bible becomes
unstable, internally conflicted, and
impossible to understand because each
type of prophecy requires a different
set of rules to reach its intended
meaning.
4. Valid Rules of
Interpretation Are Essential
Rules of
interpretation have nothing to do
with a person’s religious
beliefs. Valid rules of
interpretation are derived from
self-evident patterns that are
observed within apocalyptic text.
Patterns exist in every science. For
example, Dr. Georg Ohm discovered a
distinct set of patterns within
electricity and he quantified his
observations by writing down a set of
rules which we call “Ohm’s
law.” Dr. Ohm did not invent
electricity or the patterns he
observed; rather, he merely
discovered the architecture and
behavior of electricity and
Ohm’s law has proven to be very
helpful ever since!
Rules such as the law
of gravity or Ohm’s law are not
explicitly stated in nature. In fact,
the only laws explicitly stated and
written by God in the history of
fallen man are the Ten Commandments![18] Valid rules are
derived from careful research and
observation. When a pattern is
detected that has no exception, the
pattern becomes a rule. When it comes
to solving the unknown in science,
valid rules are required.
Consider one more
example: Sir Isaac Newton researched
the effects of gravity through
different experiments. After
observing that objects always fall at
the same rate of speed, Sir Newton
developed a mathematical formula
expressing his discovery. Sir
Isaac Newton did not make up the rule
that governs gravity. Sir
Isaac Newton merely discovered what
God had made and he expressed the
behavior of gravity in a manner that
allowed others to calculate and
understand the effects of gravity. I
have belabored the importance of
valid rules because this commentary
is based on four rules of
interpretation. If these four rules
are valid, one harmonious story will
unfold from the books of Daniel and
Revelation. The Bible is not
internally conflicted. One part of
Scripture does not cancel another
part of Scripture. Truth is proven by
the harmony that comes from the sum
of all its parts – if we are
willing to dig deep enough to resolve
the apparent conflicts
that veil truth.
5. God’s Timing
Is Not Arbitrary
Some people argue that
God’s sovereignty is eliminated
if we say that certain prophetic
events must be fulfilled before the
Second Coming occurs. This argument
has no merit if we understand that
God Himself is the source of
apocalyptic prophecy. He has declared
what will come to pass and the order
as well! God has set the time for the
end of sin according to His own
authority.[19] God has revealed
this schedule to the final generation
through the book of Daniel and we can
be sure that with God, timing is
everything! Some people argue that
the urgency expressed by ancient
prophets should not be taken
seriously. They say,“With God, a
day is as a thousand years and a
thousand years as a day.”[20] They bolster
their argument saying that words like
near and soon should be understood
from God’s perspective. They
conclude that a thousand years can
exist between two verses because with
God, time is nothing. Again, this
argument has no merit because God has
placed eighteen segments of time
within the seventeen prophecies so
that students of prophecy may align
them and understand the timing of His
plans. When the time arrives
for the fulfillment of a prophecy,
words like “near” and
“soon” mean exactly what
they say.
One silly argument
often used to diminish the importance
of apocalyptic prophecy is this:
“The last days of Earth’s
history began at Calvary; therefore,
we have been living in the last days
since Jesus was on Earth.” This
2,000 year old argument makes no
sense. The book of Daniel was not
unsealed at the cross. If Daniel had
been unsealed at the cross, the
apostles would have understood
important dates like 1798 and 1844.
We know from their writings that they
had no idea that 2,000 years would
pass before Jesus returned. Jesus
kept them in the dark on this matter.
He said, “I have much more
to say to you, more than you can now
bear. But when he, the Spirit of
truth, comes, he will guide you into
all truth. He will not speak on his
own; he will speak only what he
hears, and he will tell you what is
yet to come.”[21]
From time to time,
people accuse me of being a false
prophet, a kook, a cultic leader,
etc., because I insist, on the basis
of apocalyptic prophecy, that we are
living in the last days of
Earth’s history. History says
that twenty-one civilizations have
come and gone, and the fact
that our present civilization is in
shambles does not prove that Jesus is
coming soon. Even though it
is a fact that civilizations come and
go, the rise and fall of
civilizations have nothing to do with
God’s predetermined timetable
for this planet. Outside of
apocalyptic prophecy, it is
impossible to know God’s plan
for planet Earth.
Rightly understood,
apocalyptic prophecy is a firm
foundation. Through the centuries,
many people have declared prophecies
to be fulfilled, but many such claims
have proven to be false. Remember, a
fulfillment requires two affirming
actions: First, all of the
specifications concerning the event
must be met, and second, the event
must occur in the order given in the
prophecy. If this system of checks
and balances is ignored, the result
will be prophetic confusion and
uncertainty.
6. Differences between
Prophetic Truth and Prophetic Faith
There is a distinct
difference between prophetic truth
and prophetic faith. Prophetic truth
refers to those prophecies or those
portions of a prophecy that have been
fulfilled. Prophetic faith, on the
other hand, anticipates events that
are yet to be fulfilled. Since no one
can prove that a particular
interpretation will come to pass, our
prophetic faith must be carefully
built upon valid rules of
interpretation. Let me state this
again. Until prophecy is
fulfilled and prophetic faith becomes
prophetic fact, our prophetic faith
must be built upon valid rules of
interpretation.
How can we know if an
apocalyptic prophecy has been
fulfilled? By definition, a
fulfillment is a full-filling of the
specifications. A fulfillment only
occurs when all of the specifications
of a prophecy are met. Every
specification must be satisfied
before a prophecy can be declared
fulfilled, including the
chronological order stated in the
prophecy. For example, some people
claim the fourth trumpet of
Revelation 8 has been fulfilled. If
this claim is valid, not only would
the advocates of this assertion have
to demonstrate how the specifications
of the fourth trumpet were met but
they would also have to demonstrate
how the specifications on the first
three trumpets were fulfilled!
Remember, Rule Two states a
prophecy or prophetic element within
a prophecy is not fulfilled until all
of the specifications are met. This
includes the order of the events
given within the prophecy.
7. Additional
Information Is Included
The books of Daniel
and Revelation also contain
information besides apocalyptic
prophecy. They include historical
information, discussion regarding the
visions, and stories of personal
experiences. For example, we learn
why Daniel was taken to Babylon and
how his three young friends were
tested to the point of death for
refusing to bow down to a golden
image. In the book of Revelation, we
also find information that is not
apocalyptic such as historical data,
information about Jesus, reasons why
John was on the isle of Patmos, the
condition of the seven churches in
Asia Minor at the time of John’s
exile (See Appendix C.), and
commentary on various aspects of
John’s visions. Even though the
books of Daniel and Revelation
contain information other than
apocalyptic prophecy, only the
portions that have a beginning point
in time and an ending point in time,
with a sequence of events between
these two points, qualify as
apocalyptic prophecy.
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