CHAPTER 7
Now that the foundation of the covenants has been laid, we turn our attention to the End Times. The first task will be introducing the dominant characters and events of those days. The next nine chapters will provide additional background which is necessary for unlocking the mysteries of the Book of the Revelation.
If shelf space is any indicator, the interest in End Time prophecy is at an all time high. Bookstores are overflowing with titles proclaiming one coming prophecy or another. What's more, Bible teachers are flooding the airwaves with startling predictions of the soon coming of Messiah.
The problem is that we've heard it all before. Three times in the 1980's the modern day prophets did their calculations, predicting with great certainty the time of His coming. In 1981, 1988, and again in 1989, we were told that Messiah was definitely coming. Although they meant well, the fact remains—they were wrong. As a result, the world was given still more reasons not to take seriously the Bible or its messengers.
If the study of End Time prophecy is to be of value, some changes must be made. A good place to start is with a correct understanding of Biblical signs. Like the Jews of Messiah's day, we too want signs. We aren't content with the plain truth that Messiah is coming again. We require signs to tell us WHEN He is coming! On one occasion Messiah responded to His generation's demands for signs by calling them an evil and adulterous people. Modern day prophets might do well to respond in the same manner.
What exactly is a Biblical sign? It is a prophesied, specific event. A true sign will be so clear that it can be identified by anyone—that is, anyone who is watching for it. Its purpose is to mark a turning point, a beginning or an end. For example, on Pentecost after Messiah was resurrected, His disciples did something miraculous. Supernaturally, they all began proclaiming the gospel in foreign languages. Peter identified that as the sign which had been predicted by the prophet Joel. "And it shall be in the last days that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and daughters shall prophesy" (Acts 2:14-21). That sign positively linked their time to "the last days," and marked a turning point in Biblical history.
The Bible gives us few signs, but many conditions. A condition is a general statement which describes circumstances at a given time. Because it is subjective and lacks the definiteness of a sign, a condition should never be used to mark a turning point or a new era. To illustrate the difference, consider I Timothy 3. It says that in the last days men will be lovers of money. Based on that prophesied condition, could you identify when the last days begin?
A lot of embarrassment has resulted from failing to distinguish between signs and conditions. Drawing conclusions based on prophesied conditions is a risky practice. To determine where we are on God's prophetic clock, we should never use Biblical conditions.
Observing some prominent prophecy ministries, a common approach is seen. Current world events are examined, then they are compared to a host of Biblical conditions (which are mistakenly called signs). That's when the predictions start to flow. Here are some of the conditions which dominate today's prophecy discussions.
To illustrate the problem with this approach, lets look at an interpretation that was widely broadcast during 1992. First a current event was cited. In this case, it was the fact that the European Economic Community (EEC) had signed a treaty which was to take effect on January 1, 1993.
Based on that information, it was claimed that a chain of prophesied events had been set in motion. With great certainty teachers assured us that the EEC would quickly make another treaty—one which would guarantee Israel's safety. That event, we were told, would mark the beginning of a seven year Tribulation, which in turn meant Messiah would return seven years later. In other words, we were led to believe that the January 1, 1993 treaty was a true Biblical sign. In any other discipline the supporting evidence for such a conclusion would have been scrupulously examined. Unfortunately, because prophecy has assumed the stature of grocery store tabloids, no one takes it seriously, and its claims are never investigated.
By the way, the problem with the European treaty conclusion is that two conditions were combined and then reported as signs. The first condition arose from the Book of the Revelation, where it is mentioned that Antichrist would control ten kings. In the 1960's Hal Lindsey lifted a quote from Secretary of State Dean Rusk, "...the Common Market (of Europe) could some day expand into a ten-nation economic entity whose industrial might would far surpass that of the Soviet Union."1 From that day on, the identity of the 10 nation confederacy of the Bible has been etched in stone; everyone agrees it is the European Economic Community (EEC). Never mind that the EEC has twelve members, not ten, with seven others being considered for admission.
The second condition has even less substance. Worldbook says that as of January 1, 1993 all nontariff barriers among EEC members will be ended, thus achieving a unified market. Another agreement known as the Maastricht accord will supposedly create a common foreign and security policy by the end of the century. As of this writing, the EEC is deadlocked over a currency crisis and has yet to formulate a policy on Serbian aggression in Bosnia. Needless to say, there has been no mention of an EEC treaty concerning Israel's security.
Nevertheless, the prophets declared, "close enough!" According to them, all the "signs" pointed to the Lord's coming again in the year 2000!
How has prophecy fallen to such a state? The press briefings of the Persian Gulf War provided some insight. Once the major stories broke, there wasn't much to report. So meanwhile, the press tried (some might say pitifully) to find new story lines to hold the public's interest. Today's prophecy teachers suffer a similar plight. In between rare Biblical signs there is simply nothing to report. Therefore, to sustain interest (and donations?), Biblical conditions are sensationalized and re-packaged as Biblical signs.
This is not to say that Biblical conditions should be ignored. Taken as a whole they serve to confirm where we are. But they should never be presented as Biblical signs. When that happens, the results are altogether predictable. As promised events do not occur, prophecy falls into disrepute, and the "converts" quickly disappear.
The unfolding of prophecy should be among the most compelling topics of our day. Most, however, are no longer interested. Prophecy teachers have been discredited so often, the public has thrown the baby out with the bath water. That is why temptation to embellish must be resisted. If the Bible doesn't address a specific event, teachers should not suggest that it does.
As mentioned, the Bible does not promise many signs. Ironically though, when we are given signs, WE IGNORE THEM! Consider the last time you heard a sermon on these important Biblical signs?
These signs are the most significant End Time warnings in the Bible. Yet, they are rarely, if ever, addressed. Instead, we are inundated with discussions about bar-codes, 666, the European Economic Community, and sundry other conditions. Just emphasizing the signs we've been given might do wonders for non-directed churches.
Notes on Chapter 7