KEEP A BALANCED VIEW OF BIBLE PROPHECY

 

“And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:11-13)

“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” (Acts 1:7)

Christians should occupy till Jesus comes and stop obsessing over things they do not and cannot know; the Bible does not teach any visible or verifiable signs that precede the Second Advent. It is important to remember that the schedule or timetable for the fulfillment of prophetic events is God’s business, not ours. We should also keep in mind that when Christ does return it is likely that we will learn that we were all wrong on at least a few points.

All too often preoccupation with theories about the timing of the return of Christ leads to neutrality and isolation regarding community affairs and the culture and society in which one lives. Regardless of when Christ returns Christians must occupy till He comes and when He returns the redeemed will be judged regarding what they have been doing while He is not physically present. (Luke 19:11-13; I Corinthians 3:13-15) Salt cleanses, purifies, preserves, and makes people thirsty, and light dispels darkness; government corruption and social maladies are signs of a lack or decline in Christian influence or an increase in exposure of corruption. Regardless of when Christ returns, Christians are supposed to be a cleansing and illuminating influence, impacting society and culture for righteousness. (Matthew 5:13-16. Prophecy preachers and theorists often predict a world where demonised and satanic people hold public offices after the rapture, but this has been a characteristic of the world for thousands of years; consider Matthew 4:8-10. A careful study of history reveals that changes for the better were the result of Christian influence.)

Whenever a preacher reminds Christians that Christians have a duty to impact society and culture for righteousness there are usually professed Christians insisting that Christians should not do that or be concerned about that because there isn’t time to accomplish anything or because this would contradict their pet theories and speculations about things they do not and cannot know. It is often difficult to convince modern Christians that God is not obligated to submit to any schedule they have set for Him.

Many modern theories promote a neutrality or isolation that rejects or prevents interaction between Christianity and culture and encourage believers to withdraw from society and be neutral because of preoccupation with speculations about things which they obviously do not and cannot know. (Consider Acts 17:6-7) Those who study Bible prophecy merely to find a schedule of future events have missed the purpose of prophecy: Prophecy (even prophecies fulfilled long ago) teaches us about God and His truths, principles, standards, and Providence. (Ephesians 1:11) Rather than seeing history as HIS story and recognising God as the present ruler of the earth Who intervenes in human history and ultimately controls everything, many have adopted a worldly view of history, such as the Humanist, Cyclical, and Marxist views of history. (Romans 12:2; Colossians 2:8) Many even believe that Satan rules the Earth; Satan rules in the hearts of unbelievers, "the wicked world system," but God is the present ruler of the Earth and nothing in the Bible ever indicates that God has ever abdicated His throne and turned rulership over to Satan. (I Chronicles 29:11-12) Using theories about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy to justify apathy ignores the implications of the arguments being used to justify the apathy being promoted: The longer you keep a sinking ship afloat the more time there is left to rescue the perishing.

The alleged signs of the second coming or signs of the end times have no Scriptural basis. For example, where does the Bible explicitly say that the establishment of the modern nation of Israel relates to the second coming or the end or fulfillment of "the times of the Gentiles?" Fulfilled Bible prophecies are often applied to the Second Advent (e.g., Return from Babylonian captivity, destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, etc.). When someone makes a ministry of making predictions and one or some of his predictions come true it is often assumed that this puts him and his teachings above scrutiny. (Making a correct prediction amidst wrong predictions could be considered inevitable if someone keeps making predictions. This certainly is not rightly dividing the Word of God but is putting men and theories of men above God’s Word.)

Let us take a closer look at passages often used to support the view that the New Testament says we can know the Second Advent is near:

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) “The day approaching” obviously refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. Hebrews was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD; note that the temple was still in operation when the Epistle of Hebrews was written. (Hebrews 8:4; 13:10)

What is the basis for insistence that Philippians 4:5 does not say “the Lord is at hand” in the sense that God is near His people? (Psalm 46:1; 145:18)

What is the basis for insistence that “the end of all things” in I Peter 4:7 is not an obvious reference to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple around which the Jewish world revolved in the first century?

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20; etc.) While many use this and similar passages to support their theory about an assumed nearness of Christ’s return, Bible skeptics point to passages like this as evidence of error in Scripture since this was written nearly two thousand years ago. It could appear to be an error and could appear to be saying when Christ will come until you examine the meaning of words and grammar. For example, “quickly” (Greek: Tachu) does not necessarily mean that the action will take place immediately or even soon but can also be a description of the speed or suddenness of the action once the action has been initiated. It is a mistake to get so involved in the debates and controversies over the interpretation of the Book of Revelation that one misses the main points or truths unveiled by the Book of Revelation: God is sovereign, Jesus Christ is the present ruler of the Earth, and this world is not the ultimate reality.

Do references to the “last days” give signs or conditions to indicate to people of our generation that the end of the world is near, or does the term "last days" refer to the Christian era? (Compare Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:16-21; II Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 1:1-2; II Peter 3:2-3. Christ was upon the earth during the “last days.”      -Genesis 49:1 & 10; Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 9:26. The instruction "from such turn away" indicates that the previously described conditions in chapter three of Second Timothy existed at the time this epistle was written. -II Timothy 3:5)

If II Timothy 3:2-5 is a list of signs or conditions prior to the rapture, then how many times has the rapture occurred over the last two thousand years?

If God wanted II Timothy 3 to be a warning or reminder that the advance of Christianity would be accompanied by efforts of enemies of the Gospel to thwart the Lord’s work, through persecution from without and corruption from within, and a warning of perilous times resulting from conditions that have been characteristic of the world in greater and lesser degrees throughout Christian history, how would he have changed the wording of II Timothy 3?

How do you reconcile the teaching that in Matthew 24:4-33 Christ gave signs of the Second Advent to be seen by people living centuries later with Matthew 24:34? (After verse thirty-four the subject changes to the second coming of Christ and the discourse does not give us any visible signs or verifiable events to precede the Second Advent except people carrying on with their lives unaware. -Matthew 24:36-39)

What is the basis for insisting that “This generation” in Matthew 24:34 did not refer to people then living? (Consider Matthew 11:16; 12:39; 17:17; 23:36)

If Christ wanted Matthew 24:34 to mean that Matthew 24:4-33 would be completely fulfilled within the lifetime of people then living how would he have changed the wording of Matthew 24:34 and the context thereof?

How is Matthew 24:14 the Great Commission given in Matthew 28:18-20? (In any language words often have various possible meanings which depend on context. Matthew 24:14 is part of a prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is saying the gospel would be preached throughout the Roman Empire before the destruction; compare the use of word "world" elsewhere. For example, did Caesar Augustus tax everyone on the entire planet or everyone in the Roman Empire? [Luke 2:1] Matthew 28:18-20 refers to the entire inhabited earth and verse twenty refers to the Second Advent as Christ began with "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore ...." Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. [Romans 1:8; 16:25-26; Colossians 1:5-6, 23])

If Matthew 24:30-31 refers to the Second Advent why is the Greek word Erchomia (“coming”) used in the Greek text of Matthew 24:30 instead of Parousia? (Christ used figurative language to say that people would see the evidence or sign of His coming in judgment against Jerusalem in 70 AD. Followers of Christ were destined to occupy all nations and gather the elect from all peoples, and Christianity did spread and prevail after this period.)

For a long time in Christian circles a popular trend in the study of eschatology has been to interpret the historical and poetic books of the Old Testament and the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament in the “light” of pet theories about the interpretation of passages of prophecy in prophetic books (especially Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation), interpret passages of Bible prophecy through the lens of current headlines, distort facts and scriptures to make every passage of Bible prophecy appear to be a literal narration of end time events, try to make every current event fit the mold of pet theories about the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and support theories and predictions by cross referencing unrelated passages of Bible prophecy. What is wrong with this? Scripture itself, comparing Scripture with Scripture, is the key to understanding Scripture: Bible passages must be understood in relation to context and the whole Bible, and difficult passages must be understood in relation to clear passages. (Psalm 119:130; I Corinthians 2:13; II Timothy 2:15)

Many assume that their pet theories and the assumed relation of current events to their interpretations of passages of Bible prophecies are above scrutiny and make their pet theories into criterion for Christian fellowship and base their plans, goals, and decisions on things they obviously do not and cannot know and are not revealed in Scripture, and this tends to detract from important truths and issues and make Christianity look silly. (Consider Acts 1:6-8; Matthew 23:24; Romans 14:1; I Timothy 1:5-7)