There
are 17 prophecies in Daniel and Revelation that
are apocalyptic in nature. In other words, these
two books contain 17 prophecies that deal with
the end of the world. Some of these prophecies
have been underway for more than 25 centuries and
others have not yet begun to come to pass.
However, these 17 prophecies lock together to
form a comprehensive matrix so that we can be
certain of our chronological position within
them. In short, we can clearly determine which
events are before us.
The
word apocalyptic comes from the word apocalypse.
According to Webster, an apocalypse is a divine
or glorious revelation. For this reason, the last
book of the Bible is called The Apocalypse or
The Revelation. The title of the book,
Revelation, suggests a revealing of something
that is otherwise unknown. However, in a larger
sense, the other 65 books of the Bible qualify as
“revelations” for they reveal wonderful
things about God and His works that would
otherwise be unknown.
The
books of Daniel and Revelation are unlike the
other books of the Bible. These two books contain
a special kind of prophecy not found elsewhere.
There are 17 of these special prophecies and they
are distinguished from the other prophecies of
the Bible by their unusual operation. For this
reason, these two books are often separated from
the others as the apocalyptic books of the Bible.
Five types of
predictions
The
Bible contains a minimum of five distinct types
of prediction.
These
include:
1.
Messianic prophecies: These prophecies
specifically relate to the person of Jesus either
His first or second coming. There are more than
450 Messianic statements or prophecies. Two
excellent examples of first advent prophecies are
found in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.
2.
Judaic prophecies: These prophecies relate to
promises of prosperity or destruction for the
ancient nation of Israel. These prophecies have
conditional elements in them most of the time. A
good example of this type of prophecy is found in
Ezekiel 37 through 48. Judaic prophecies contain
important object lessons and principles for all
generations of people, for God’s unchanging
interest in man is clearly revealed in these
prophecies.
The
prophetic group also presents a special
challenge. The problem is that God gave Israel a
number of prophecies that were based on the
contingency that the people to whom they were
given did not meet certain conditions; these
prophecies will not be fulfilled. The point is
further discussed in Appendix A.
3.
Day of the Lord prophecies: These prophecies
are numerous and are scattered throughout
Scripture. They relate to the vindication of God
and/or His people. Elements within these
prophecies are often general enough that they can
have parallel applications at different times.
Ultimately though, these prophecies predict the
triumph of God and/or the vindication of His
people in a contemporary setting. For example,
Isaiah 24 and Ezekiel 7 contain parallels between
the final days of Israel and the final days of
earth’s history. Sometimes, “Day of the
Lord” prophecies have conditional elements
embedded in them if they are given as a warning.
Matthew 24 is a “Day of the Lord”
prophecy. This prophecy applies both to the end
of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the end of the world.
Calamitous events from each are mingled together
in one prophecy because there are ominous
parallels.
4.
Local prophecies: Local prophecies apply to
specific people, places and times. For example,
the prophecy concerning Nineveh (Jonah 1) was a
local prophecy. Local prophecies require a
messenger to explain or proclaim the prophecy.
Before the flood, Noah was chosen as such a
messenger. At the first advent of Christ, John
the Baptist was appointed as a local messenger.
Even
though the messages of local prophecies are
specific to people at certain times, universal
principles and/or conditions underlying their
messages remain applicable as we approach the end
of the age.
5.
Apocalyptic prophecies: In this volume, the
apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation
are defined as structural prophecies; that is,
prophesies that outline a specific sequence of
events. An apocalyptic prophecy is identified by
the presence of a beginning and an ending point
in time. Both the fulfillment and sequence of
apocalyptic prophecy are unconditional. A
clear-cut example of this type prophecy can be
found in Daniel 2. There, Nebuchadnezzar’s
vision outlines a sequence of kingdoms that occur
in the order in which they were given.
Sometimes,
the sequence or structure of apocalyptic prophecy
is defined by numeric order. For example, the
second trumpet in Revelation 8 occurs after the
first trumpet. The critical point here is that
chronological order is always maintained in an
apocalyptic prophecy, otherwise we could not know
which event could be next.
Distinctive
treatment necessary
Each
of the five prophecy types deserves distinctive
treatment. Mixing the prophecies or merging their
respective rules of interpretation makes
understanding impossible.
Rules of
interpretation
Rules
of interpretation are inseparable from the study
of prophecy, for conclusions are directly
connected to the methods used for interpretation.
If we interpret prophecy using faulty rules, we
end up with faulty conclusions. It’s that
simple.
Rules
are not biased toward any religious denomination.
We must rely upon consistent rules to help solve
the unknown. This is true in every science. For
example, the simple equation 2x +3 = 13 can only
be solved by using mathematical rules. Since
rules of interpretation are not written down in
the Bible, they must come from careful research
and observation.
This
is critical: Rules of interpretation cannot be
made up; rather, we can only discover the
presence or operation of rules. Rules are
detected when we find consistent behavior within
prophetic elements. Once consistency is
recognized, we can then define the rule. In other
words, if we observe certain things to always be
true, only then can we identify the presence of a
rule.
Consider
this example: Sir Isaac Newton researched the
effects of gravity. He studied the behavior of
gravity using different experiments. After
observing that gravity behaved in certain
consistent ways, he wrote down a formula
expressing its operation. Sir Isaac Newton did
not make up the rules governing gravity. God
did that. But, Sir Isaac Newton was able to
discover the rules of gravity in such a way that
the effect of gravity could be calculated and
understood by others.
The
study of apocalyptic prophecy is very similar to
the study of gravity. We reason from the known to
the unknown. Before we can interpret those parts
of prophecy that are unknown, we have to discover
the rules by which fulfillments occurred in the
past. By carefully observing the behavior of
apocalyptic prophecies that have been fulfilled,
we can then discover the rules by which they
work. After we understand how the rules apply to
those prophetic elements that have been
fulfilled, we can then begin to solve those
portions of apocalyptic prophecy that are in the
future by using rules of interpretation that are
consistent.
World of
difference between truth and faith
One
more point. There is a world of difference
between prophetic truth and prophetic faith.
Prophetic truth refers to those prophecies or
portions of prophecy that qualify as
fulfillments. Prophetic faith, on the other hand,
refers to those prophecies that are yet to be
fulfilled. Since no one can prove something that
hasn’t happened, our prophetic faith should
be carefully built upon the truth that comes from
solid principles of interpretation.
What is a
prophetic fulfillment?
So,
how can we know if an apocalyptic prophecy has
been fulfilled? A fulfillment is full filling of
the prophecy. In other words, a fulfillment
occurs when all the specifications of a prophecy
are met. Every detail of the prophecy must be
satisfied before a fulfillment can be declared.
This also means that the chronological order of
the prophecy must also be satisfied. For example,
some people may claim that the fourth trumpet of
Revelation 8 has already been fulfilled. If their
claim is true, they not only have to demonstrate
that all the details of the fourth trumpet have
been met; they also have to demonstrate the
orderly fulfillment of the first three trumpets.
The four rules
Four
rules have been detected in the operation of
apocalyptic prophecy. Keep in mind, there are
different types of prophecy and each type has its
own rules of interpretation. But, regarding the
apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation,
these four rules appear to operate consistently:
- Apocalyptic prophecy is
defined as prophecy that predicts a
chronological sequence of events.
Apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning
point and ending point in time. Elements
within the prophecy mark progression
towards fulfillment or completion.
Consequently, elements within apocalyptic
prophecy do not occur more than once and
they chronologically occur as predicted.
- Other types of prophecies
are subordinate to apocalyptic
structures. A fulfillment of an element
or a prophecy occurs when both the
specifications and the chronological
sequence are met.
- If a prophecy contains
symbolic language, the Bible must explain
the meaning of the symbol with relevant
scripture.
- God measures apocalyptic
time in two ways. (a) a day for a year,
and (b) as literal time. The presence or
absence of the Jubilee calendar
determines how God measures time.
Supremacy of
apocalyptic prophecy
Because
apocalyptic prophecy is unconditional, all other
prophecies of the Bible are subordinate to
apocalyptic sequencing. This means that
apocalyptic prophecy determines the chorological
placement of non-apocalyptic prophecies. For
example, Amos, Ezekiel, Joel, Obadiah and many
New Testament prophets believed that the great
and awful day of the Lord was “near”
and plainly so. (See Appendix B.) There’s no
question that what they saw in vision led them to
conclude that the “Great Day of the Lord”
was at hand. In Revelation, John also indicates
that the fulfillment of the things he saw was near
or soon. The problem is that the ancient
prophets did not understand how their visions fit
into the overall chronology of God’s larger
plan.
No one
prophet was shown everything that God
intends to bring about. No disciple of Jesus
expected that time would last another 2,000
years. Paul sums up the process of prophetic
revelations saying, “In the past God
spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at
many times and in various ways…. For we know
in part and we prophesy in part.” (Hebrews
1:1, 1 Corinthians 13:9) So, each time God spoke
to a prophet about the end of time, more details
were provided. But, without understanding the
sequences of events, that is, the backbone of
apocalyptic prophecy, prophecies about the “Great
Day of the Lord” cannot be chronologically
placed nor can their content be fully
appreciated.
Is God
restricted by His own word?
Some
argue that imposing the fulfillment of certain
prophetic events before the Second Coming can
occur restricts God’s sovereignty. This
argument stands without merit when we understand
that it is God who gave prophecies in the first
place. It was God who originally set the
time-schedule according to His own authority. It
was God who revealed the schedule to man. And,
God will keep the schedule He has set. Acts 1:7
clearly says that the Father has set appointed
times and seasons.
Some
also argue that the words near and soon should be
understood from God’s perspective, that is,
with God, a day is as a thousand years and a
thousand years as a day. These will often show
that a thousand years can exist between two
verses because with God, time is nothing. Now
think of this point. What rule of
interpretation consistently explains when a
thousand yeas exist between two verses and when a
thousand years does not exist between two verses?
If a thousand years exist between verses that
appear to be adjacent, then we are left without
any means of knowing when the end of the world is
due.
On the
other hand, some claim that the last days began
at Calvary. What sense does this make? If the
past 2,000 years can be termed, “last days,”
then we would be justified in saying that another
2,000 years could also qualify as “last
days.” The reader is encouraged to read
Appendix B for more discussion on these points.
The
point here is that apocalyptic prophecy serves as
an organizer for understanding God’s
timetable. Because His chronology has not been
correctly understood in times past, a number of
people across the centuries have declared
prophecies to be fulfilled, when in reality
fulfillment did not occur. Remember, fulfillment
requires two affirming actions: first, all
specifications of the prophecy has to be met; and
secondly, the event must happen in its
chronological order. If little system of checks
and balances is ignored, the result will be
nothing less than prophetic confusion and
uncertainty.
Supporting
information
The
books of Daniel and Revelation also contain
additional information that supports their
apocalyptic prophecies. This information includes
historical settings and apocalyptic parallels.
For example, in the book of Daniel we learn how
Daniel got to Babylon, how the three Hebrews were
tested on the plain of Dura and a host of other
things. Of course, there is discussion about the
contents of the visions, but it is the visions
themselves that declare the order of events. For
this reason it is important that we establish
where each vision begins its story and where it
ends its story. For example, apocalyptic story
one begins in Daniel 2:29 and ends with verse 35.
In the
book of Revelation, we find some information that
is not apocalyptic. For example, there is
historical data, some information about Jesus in
heaven, why John was on the isle of Patmos, the
condition of the seven churches in Asia Minor at
the time of John’s vision, and some
commentary. In fact Revelation 17 is entirely
devoted to commentary and Revelation 22:6 begins
with an epilogue. Even though there is more to
Daniel and Revelation than their prophetic
content, only those portions of Daniel and
Revelation that lay out a sequence of events that
qualify as apocalyptic prophecy.
Supporting
doctrines
The
reader must understand that apocalyptic prophecy
requires a clear understanding of the five major
doctrines. If these doctrines are not correctly
understood, the climax of Revelation’s story
makes no sense. In fact, the major reasons for
prophetic denominations today are doctrine not
rules of interpretation! For example, if a person
holds to the doctrine of an eternally burning
hell, then Revelation 20 makes no senses
whatsoever. In short, here’s the problem.
Suppose Julius Caesar went to hell at his death
in 44 B.C. Why would God resurrect him at the end
of the millennium only to burn him up in the lake
of fire that follows? To make matters
worse, how could Julius Caesar already be in hell
when the judgment of human beings takes place at
a specific point in time? Even more, if
the wages of sin is burning in hell for eternity,
then Jesus didn’t pay the penalty for sin.
He was only dead for three days. My point is
this: a correct interpretation of Revelation
requires a sound doctrinal position on five
eternal truths. They area:
The
authority of God
The
appearing of God
The
temple of God
The
salvation of God
The
condition of man in life and death
These
wonderful themes are closely examined in my book,
The Revelation of Jesus.
Start and stop
It is
most important that we identify when in time each
apocalyptic prophecy begins and ends. For this
reason, all 17 apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel
and Revelation are chronologically presented in
the chart at the end of this study.
The
reader is reminded that the original manuscripts
of Daniel and Revelation did not include chapter
and verse designations. These “helps”
were added centuries after the manuscripts were
written, to facilitate the study of the Bible. By
using chapter and verse notation, students can
quickly find a sentence or group of sentences for
further investigation. These well-intentioned
helps can create a minor problem. Since we
normally think of a chapter in the Bible as a
complete unit, it is easy to overlook the 17
prophecies because they are grouped differently
than chapter units. So, do not be confused by the
fact that prophecies can begin and end anywhere
within a chapter.
Watch for the
signs
Read
this sentence twice: One prophecy ends and
another begins when the next event
chronologically occurs before the previous event.
For example, suppose you are reading about the
six seals in Revelation 6. As you read verses
12-17, the sixth seal is described. This seal
describes the second advent of Jesus and this
prophecy ends with verse 17. After you finish
reading verse 17, the following verse begins
talking about four angels holding back the four
winds. See Revelation 7:1. Since the four angels
hold back the four winds before the second
coming of Jesus, the beginning of a new prophecy
is detected. (It just so happens in this case
that a chapter break also occurs at the end of
the six seals prophecy.) Remember though, a story
does not begin because a new chapter ends or
begins. A new story only begins when the next
event chronologically occurs before the previous
event. This simple process never fails.
Here
is another essential point: The elements of each
prophecy happens in the order in which they are
given. This means that each prophecy progresses
from its beginning point to its ending point just
as it is written. On a few rare occasions, the
order of a prophecy is momentarily broken so
important details can be given to the reader.
However, these momentary breaks do not affect the
obvious sequence of the prophecy.
Big points and
little points
This
writer cannot accurately explain every detail in
Daniel and Revelation. And I will not be
surprised if I wrongfully interpret some of the
prophetic elements. No one human can know
everything there is to know about the Bible. But,
I also believe it is possible to come close to
understanding the truth by careful investigation.
Prophetic truth has several dimensions. For
example, we may correctly place the occurrence of
the fifth trumpet but wrongfully interpret the
event. Or, we may correctly interpret the fifth
trumpet and wrongfully calculate the time of the
occurrence.
But
the exciting point for me as a student of Bible
prophecy is that I don’t have to wait long
to see how my conclusions compare with reality. I
believe events of global consequence are soon to
take place. Obscure prophetic matters will soon
become clear as events unfold. But the essential
matters will be understood in advance, for the
purpose of apocalyptic prophecy is this: God
desires that His people understand His actions in
advance so that when fulfillments occur, our
faith might be strengthened.
Plan on
frustration
Every
student of prophecy experiences frustration at
first. This frustration may be compared to
learning to play the piano. At first, the sounds
are not very beautiful. However, persistence pays
off. In time, melodious music (more or less) will
come from all who practice and put effort into
their music. The same is true of the study of
prophecy. It takes considerable time and effort
to find and understand the harmony of the sum of
all the parts. But, harmony and beauty will be
found if you persist. For those who already
closely studied my teachings over the years, you
will notice a few minor changes. I mention this
because many people are unwilling to update their
prophetic views. This is sad, because truth is
ever unfolding and if we are unmovable, we shall
be left behind. In short, truth is eternal
and unchanging, for God is both eternal and
unchanging. But, man’s perception of truth
is finite and faulty and there is no greater joy
than climbing a little higher in understanding
the truths of God. If we become content with what
we know, we are left with no other alternative
than to be stagnant. Stagnation leads to
fermentation and mental fermentation leads to
stupidity.
Given
the diversity of minds and beliefs, many will
disagree with my conclusions. And, it is not
necessary that the reader agree with me. But,
those who seek truth go through a very
fascinating experience. The closer people get to
correctly understanding truth, the more similar
their views. There is a sequence that shall bring
us to the end of the world and there is only one
correct explanation of the events that shall come
to pass. The prophecies within Daniel and
Revelation have the answers.
Let your
interpretations be your own
Therefore,
I ask the reader to consider my conclusions-not
to accept my interpretations. Let your
interpretations be your own-after all, you’ve
got to face the events ahead by yourself.
Remember, the prophetic equation is not complete
until all the pieces of the puzzle are correctly
placed. This is perhaps the most difficult part
of prophetic study: You have to understand the
whole thing before you can be certain about the
elements of the conclusion. For this reason,
I am often accused of saying things without
substantiation. I freely confess to doing this
because some subjects are substantiated by other
facts not involved with the matters at hand.
Given the breadth of some themes, it is not
helpful to explore supporting tangents at the
time of presentation because the matter becomes
so tedious or expansive that it can be
overwhelming. But, there are two ways to
comprehend. First, the determined student can
read and reread this study. The second and third
reading of this study will be more helpful than
the first reading because the threshold for
understanding the harmony of these things is
quite high. Secondly, if the student is not able
to comprehend the material presented in this
study, there is solace knowing that time is going
to reveal the truth anyway. And given the events
before us, some exposure to the prophecies of God
right now is better than hysteria and terror
then. Anticipating what God is about to
do, understanding why He is going to do it
and timely preparation for His actions is
our privilege. These are the profound functions
of Bible prophecy.
The interlaced
column
According
to Webster, a paraphrase is an attempt to clarify
the meaning of the author’s words by
restating his original idea in different words.
On the other hand, a translation is quite
different from the paraphrase in that a
translation is a direct conversion of the
equivalent sense from one language to another.
This
study is neither a paraphrase nor a translation. The
purpose of this study is to explain the 18
prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, as I
currently understand them. So, I have taken the
liberty of interlacing the verses of the Bible
with my own words and thoughts so that the
student might quickly grasp the comprehensive
story that comes from the 17 prophecies. I
realize that some will heartily disagree with
this practice. But, whether my opponents will
admit it or not, all students of the Bible
practice interlacing. What scholar ever presented
an exegesis without interlacing his own thoughts
or findings into the meaning of a text?
The
better we understand the Bible, the more clearly
we comprehend the larger meaning of its verses.
Even though it is not a common practice to
present Bible texts with our own words interlaced
within them, such a process may have some
merit-for what appreciable difference is there
between thinking interlaced thoughts and writing
down interlaced thoughts?
I
certainly don’t intend to corrupt the true
meaning of the Bible. In fact, I read in
Revelation 22:18,19 that if any of us corrupt the
message of Revelation by adding to it or taking
away from it, God will deal accordingly with us.
I’ve though about these verses for a long
time and I understand them to mean that if we willingly
alter the true message in the book, God will hold
us responsible.
As a
minimum, there are three ways to interpret the
meaning of Revelation 22:18,19. First, the text
could be applied to ancient scribes. Since there
were no duplicating machines back then, the
warning could be interpreted as a threat to those
who made copies of the original document.
Secondly, the warning could be applied to the
translators of the original text. However, every
bilingual person knows that it is not possible to
translate directly from language to language. For
example, the English translation of Revelation
has more words than the original Greek. Perhaps
the best application of these verses can be
understood in this sense: When the prophecy of
Revelation is fully understood, its testimony
must be muted or altered by any person. Penalties
and consequences aside, let the truth say what it
must. I also find in Revelation 1:3, a special
blessing for everyone who will study and try to
understand what Revelation means. So, consider
this study a stepping-stone toward your
understanding. This study is by no means, the
final word on the meaning of Daniel and
Revelation.
Inherent
danger
The
greatest danger with interlacing is that some of
my interlaced verses will either say things
contrary to what you already believe to be true
or things you don’t yet understand. Because
people rarely explore things they believe to be
full of error, I’m sure many copies of this
study will end up in the trash. However, to those
who are open-minded enough to read this study
through, I would like to share a secret. The
second time you read through, you will appreciate
the content much more. You will be amazed at the
harmony within the 17 prophecies. You will also
understand so much more about each prophecy and
its role in the larger picture. The third time
you read through this study, you will be amazed
at how tiny details in one prophecy align with
little elements in other prophecies to form the
prophetic matrix. This matrix will then enable
you to understand things that cannot be seen
otherwise. Thereafter, each time you study the 17
prophecies, you will be amazed at how the 17
prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are dependant
and integral to the entire Bible. No
pleasure on earth compares with understanding God’s
great love and His purposes for His children.
Additive
nature
The
study of apocalyptic prophecy is additive in
nature. This means that you have to accept some
things as possibilities before you can
proceed to understand the matter at hand. For
this reason, I highly encourage the reader to
read this study in a chronological fashion. Don’t
succumb to the temptation to jump around looking
for this or that until you clearly understand the
operation of the rules of interpretation and the
chronological placement of essential elements.
When you find something disagreeable or different
than what you have believed, go to the
apocalyptic chart in the back of this study and
notice the chronological location of the event
under discussion. Compare my conclusions with
other items that are occurring at the same time.
In fact, you should often refer to the
apocalyptic chart so you can see the
chronological progression of each story. Even
more, you will behold the intricate relationships
between the prophecies. For example, see if you
can locate the opening of the fourth seal in
Prophecy 7 and the casting down of the censer in
Prophecy 9.
By
reading this study in a sequential manner, the
reader should be able to see how the rules are
applied in simple prophecies before trying to
understand how the rules apply in more difficult
situations.
If you
disagree with my conclusions, don’t waste
time arguing with me. Direct your energy into the
ultimate prophetic challenge: Draw your won
prophetic chart and then, clearly outline your
prophetic conclusions in a study. Properly
identify where every prophetic element belongs.
Most who disagree with my conclusions refuse to
do this and I am quite puzzled by their eagerness
to condemn my views and their reluctance to
openly reveal their position. As my sales manager
Court McLeod, used to say, “The proof is in
the pudding.” So, if you have a better
conclusion, tell everyone what you believe.
Distribute several hundred copies of your
findings. Time will reveal, by the absence or
presence of the things we predict, the
truth-full-ness of every prophetic position.
In fact, this study is my response to you as
required by the challenge.
Larry
Wilson
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