Eschatology (the study and discussion of Biblical prophecy) is, for many, a hot topic.
For many others it’s a so-what matter because “Who cares about what the Bible says?”
I care; I have for more than four decades. Many of the predictions in both Old and New Testaments being literally fulfilled transformed my arm’s-length relationship with God to an intensely personal one. That was in the late 70s when Hal Lindsey’s international best-selling The Late Great Planet Earth opened my eyes to how quickly Biblical prophecies were literally being fulfilled. 43 years later the pace of prophecy fulfillment has sped up; the sheer volume of fulfilled prophecies astonishes anyone willing to examine them with an open mind.
The board is set; all of the pieces are in place. We are on the precipice of something massive.
That’s the big picture.
What I want to do here is pose four basic questions whose answers set fundamental parameters for understanding Bible prophecy.
Who? The Bible is full of predictions. Whether the Bible records God saying it, or telling someone (such as a prophet or a follower of Jesus) to say it, it’s all God. It’s His message. So the first major pillar of eschatology is understanding that God is speaking, not just David, Isaiah or Elijah.
What? J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy identifies 1,817 verses of prophecy (1,239 Old Testament and 578 New Testament verses) out of the entire Scriptural total of 8,352 verses, or almost 27%. Scripture is full of prophecy. Biblical prophecies are predictions that a variety of events will happen. It’s that simple.
When? By definition, Biblical prophecy is future-oriented. This is important because God is keenly interested in a revelatory relationship with each and every person in all times and ages. But it all depends on where you are in the timeline of a particular prophecy’s fulfillment. Over two thirds of the Bible’s prophecies have already been fulfilled. The remaining third is either in the fulfillment or soon-to-be fulfilled stages. Notable prophecies from Daniel, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Revelation are just over the fulfillment horizon, i.e., imminent. Are you ready?
Why? The Author of the Bible, God, is a Person. He’s not a “force”; neither is He anything like a “principle” or something similar to which numerous philosophers have wanted to reduce Him. As a Person, God has made many predictions in the Bible for the purpose of declaring His intentions for individuals and groups regarding His purposes for them, His redemptive desires and plans for them, and—ultimately—leading every hearer and reader of Bible prophecy to the One upon Whom the entirety of recorded history turns: The Son of Man, Jesus Christ. As we read in Revelation 19:10: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit (the living, animating essence) of prophecy”. All prophecy in the Bible, whether Old Testament or New, is meant to point toward the Person and work of Jesus Christ. So: Where do you stand regarding the Biblical Jesus, Who paid the penalty for your forgiveness and rescue for yourself, and Who is coming soon for His own?
.Next: Interpreting Bible Prophecy in Three Easy Steps