Signs Of The End Of The World
Signs of the End of the World is a continuation of our study on End of the World 2012. In the first, we examined a couple of texts from the Old Testament which suggests that God will not destroy the physical world. In fact, he promised just the opposite. It is recommended that you read that. We understand it is not an exhaustive study, but the points are significant just the same.
The message we want to cover today strikes at the very heart of these prophets of imminent doom and gloom. By what authority do they claim to know the signs of the end of the world? The ability to prophesy is “the gift of prophecy.” Does that gift exist today or are these charlatans?
We are very conscious of those who would claim that we are making arrogant claims and are being uncharitable. Our reply is that such is not our intention. It really saddens us to know that many are not better informed on some of these matters. Worse however are the innocent victims who lose their money, houses, jobs, health and other valuable resources by giving in to the hype of these false predictions.
It is hard to recover the loss of a lifetime of savings and assets that are so whimsically thrown away as a result of “Jesus-is-coming-soon” hysteria. It’s not as though we don’t have historical evidence.
Signs of the End of the World – The Office of Prophecy Is Sealed Up
Daniel records that 70 weeks were determined for the sealing up of vision and prophecy:
Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. (Daniel 9:24)
There is no doubt that the 70 weeks prophecy of Daniel encompasses the death of Christ for it speaks of making an end of sins and reconciliation for iniquity. Christ would be cut off (crucified) in the seventieth week, i.e. after 7 weeks, and 62 weeks, (Daniel 9:26) which according to any mathematical calculation equals 69 weeks. Therefore, Christ is crucified in the 70 week.
That means that the 70th week encompasses the ministry of Christ, and finds its fulfillment in the first century. Further, the vision also includes the bringing in of everlasting righteousness (the gospel, Romans 1:16-17; Revelation 14:6). However, Paul makes it clear that the gospel had in fact been preached to the inhabitable world, to all the land (Romans 10:18 and to all nations (Romans 16:25-26) within the first century.
Jesus prophesied that when the gospel had been preached as a witness to all the nations, then the end would come, (Matt. 24:14). This text is written in context with the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, which was fulfilled before the first century generation passed, Matthew 24:34.
We must then understand that the judgment upon the city pronounced, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city…” is parallel to the city of Matthew 24. Consider the elements of the text. Matthew 24 predicts the preaching of the gospel to all the world (inhabited earth) and to all the nations before the first century generation passed. The time is the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. Very few informed Bible scholars or students would deny that.
Now, consider the parallel in Revelation 14. The gospel is preached to all the nations, (Rev. 14:6) and the great city, Babylon falls? Can you not see the correlation there? Does not John write in Revelation 11:8, that the great city called Sodom and Egypt is the city where also our Lord was crucified? That is incontrovertible evidence that the great city Babylon of Revelation is first century Jerusalem and equates with Matthew 24.
Now that we have identified the time of the bringing in of everlasting righteousness as 70AD, we can now see the time of the sealing up of vision and prophecy.
Vision and Prophecy Sealed Up In 70 AD
We are yet working within the framework of the 70 weeks of Daniel, as all the six blessings would be fulfilled within that time. In other words, Daniel prophesies that the sealing up of vision and prophecy is the same time that the city and sanctuary (Daniel 9:26) is destroyed by a “flood”, i.e. the destruction of Jerusalem.
This accords well with Paul’s statement that the charismata, inclusive of the prophetic office would only continue until the end of the age/parousia of Christ, which we defined above as 70AD, (Matthew 24:3).
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in every thing by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed by you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:4-8).
As we see from this verse, the parousia (revelation of Christ) is contextually joined to the time of the end and consummation of the charismata (spiritual gifts).
The charismata confirmed the saints until the parousia (coming of the Lord).
The coming of the Lord occurred at the fall of Jerusalem 70AD, fulfilling Daniel’s 70 weeks, (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:3-34)
Therefore, the charismata (sealing up of vision and prophecy) ended in 70AD.
The only proper conclusion to draw is that those who claim to prophesy the signs of the end of the world as we know it are fabricating lies. How do we know? It’s because of the above and the words of Moses.
Moses Warns Against Prophetic Speculation
Any prophecy which does not come to pass cannot be of God. Moses gives us the litmus test for a true prophecy.
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophecy shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’– when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.” (Dueteronomy 18:22)
Note: God said, “if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.”
In conclusion, there are no signs of the end of the world prophecies that can, or will ever come true at any point and time since the first century. None ever related to the geo-physical world. We suggest you study this material carefully and compare it with the facts of failed May 21 2011 end of the world prophecies, and the woeful failure rate of every so-called prophet who has ever predicted the signs of the end of the world since the close of the apostolic era in the first century.
In our next study on the signs of the end of the world we discuss the covenantal concepts of the language used by the prophets.
