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Sin | The Occupation of Israel | The Suffering Messiah | The Scattering of Israel | The Conquering Messiah
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Eden |  | Babylon | Medo-Persia | Greece | Rome |  |  |  |  | Papacy | Europe | Great Babylon |  |  |  |  | 1000 Years |  | New Earth
Trap | Kidnapped and Enslaved! | Ransom Paid | The Exodus and Pursuit | The Rescue Mission
Old Prophets | Daniel | Moses | Daniel and John | Old Testament Prophets and John

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2 Timothy 2: 15 Daniel 1

Welcome to the interesting world of Bible prophecy. It tells the story of seven major world empires that God defeats before He takes His people to the Promised Land.

- The Occupation And Scattering Of Israel. Many prophecies tell us that the children of God are essentially under occupation, enslaved by evil forces which have lured us into a trap in Eden and then kidnapped us. We are now being held for a ransom while we are in slavery. Satan uses a series of seven nations as overlords during this occupation.
  In our lessons we will generally use the word "Israel" or "spiritual Israel" to mean all the children of God, Jews and Gentiles.
  We may use the term "physical Israel" to distinguish the actual nation of Israel.
- Messianic Prophecies. The Torah and most of the prophecies are devoted to the coming of the Messiah to rescue the children of God from slavery. At His first Coming, Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah), paid the ransom and purchased our freedom with His own life.
- The Exodus. Now that the ransom has been paid, we have a long, arduous trek home. Most of the New Testament prophecies record the events on this journey.
  The exodus of the nation of Israel from Egypt is a pattern of the events that will occur on this final exodus of spiritual Israel.
- The End Of The Age. Many prophecies tell us how this spectacular rescue will end. At His Second Coming, He has to rescue us by force because the kidnappers have refused to set us free and are in hot pursuit after us just as Pharaoh tried to recapture Israel.

The Prophets and Prophecies
This story of the future is told in several ways in the Bible. As we see God interacting with the nation of Israel and certain main characters, we get a picture of how God will interact with us as we travel through the ages. So the rules of the prophecies are mainly contained in the laws and how God applies the laws to us. In fact, what we regard as prophecies, or warnings about the future sent through prophets are really reminders of the terms of the laws.
Outside of the law, most prophecies after the appearance of the Messiah are contained in two major books, Daniel and Revelation (Apocalypse). Most of the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament cover events related to Israel as they were being captured by the next occupier in the series of seven evil nations. However, many of these prophecies still address the future rescue that will be the final solution to our problem.

The Messianic Prophecies
... all things written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. (Luke 24: 44)
The subject of the Messiah is the most prevalent topic of prophecy. The events of prophecy obey the law, even Jesus says so. Since words change meaning and emphasis over time, God placed some important knowledge about His Messiah, the Plan of Salvation and the schedule of salvation in the repetitive actions of the feasts, laws, customs and symbols because a proper understanding must be available for thousands of years.
His appearance is the pivotal event which will drive the completion of all the plans. He pays our ransom and leads us home. His appearance will cause anguish in the camps of the wicked because they have become accustomed to keeping and mistreating their slaves. So turmoil accompanies His appearance.
Almost all the laws in the Torah are Messianic.

The Law As Prophecy
All prophecies are governed by law. In some cases, certain laws that seemed so strange were because the law itself is a prophecy that was meant to be kept by the people so that the church would understand the actions of God in the future. Let us look at some unusual laws that skeptics tend to ridicule.

- The Blessings and Curses. Jesus suffered the pattern of the wrath of God for three days until His death.
- The Passover Seder. Jesus followed the order and pattern of all the symbols on the day He died.
- The Camp Sites. The names of the 12 sons, the location of the tribes around the sanctuary and the duties of the Levites in dismantling the sanctuary are a prophecy of the final week in the life of Christ.
- Animal Sacrifices. They could not cure sin. However, it shows that God would come in the form of a lower creature to take away our burden of sins and to pay the penalty even though He was not responsible.
- Clean Animals. Only certain animals could represent the work, life, death and resurrection of Christ because the physical structure and behavior that is unique to their group is a symbol of Jesus.
- Boiling a Young Goat in His Mother's Milk. This shows that Jesus would not continue His suffering as the sin offering until He had formally separated from His mother.
- Honeymoon for One Year. A groom should not work or perform military service during the first year of his marriage. Jesus interrupts the preparations for the war of Armageddon to enjoy His one thousand year honeymoon with the church before He judges and fights Satan and the wicked.
- Water of Jealousy. This test for infidelity is a prophecy about what would happen when Israel was rejected.
- The Cleansing of a Woman. This is a ritual that represents the time table and the manner in which the church will be cleansed from sin.
- Wearing Clothes of Two Materials. When the people of God come into the sanctuary dressed in linen that does not cause sweating, it is a symbol of their righteousness by faith not righteousness by works.
- Planting a Field with Different Seeds. This is a symbol of the difficulty of the harvest that is created by the enemy.
- The First Fruits Harvests. God demonstrates that He will save various groups in a particular order.
- Fruit Tree Harvest. The fruit is forbidden for three years, but is offered at the sanctuary of God in the fourth year. It symbolizes the harvest of the righteous and the time before they can physically come to the sanctuary in heaven.
- The Leper People and Planet. Critics mock the bible and its medical ineptness, claiming that the bible says that a leper can be cured with a piece of wood, a red string and two birds. The bible did not use these items to cure the leper, it used them after the priest examined the leper and concluded that he was healed.
  The ritual gives the procedure for accepting the leper after they have been cleansed. This ritual does not cure the person or property of leprosy without intervention by God. It shows how we will be accepted back into the community of heaven through the sacrifice of Christ, after a period of quarantine.
  In the Middle Ages, a doctor looked at the concept of quarantine that the bible used for leprosy and instituted that as a procedure during the ravages of the plague. It worked.
- The Leper Messiah and The Cursed Messiah. The Messiah will be scorned by His own people and torn down.
- Healed by Looking at a Snake. When Christ was seen as a sinner on the cross, He took our sins at that time.
- Changed by Looking at a Spotted and Striped Stick. If we will only look at Christ when He was bruised and battered on the cross, we will acquire all His characteristics, including His righteousness.
- The Law of Vengeance. God takes "eye for eye" vengeance, executing justice in the same pattern that the wicked punished us.

The Structure Of Daniel
Daniel is really the first set of prophecies to show us that there is a pattern and organizition in the experience of Israel. Just as Joshua cleared out seven nations so that Israel could occupy the Promised Land, God clears out seven nations before we enter the real Promised Land.
Comparison Of The Visions Of Daniel

Power | Daniel 2 | Daniel 4 | Daniel 7 | Daniel 8-9 | Daniel 9 | Daniel 11-12
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
603/602 BC | 553 BC | 551 BC and 542 BC | 536 BC
1 | Babylon | Head of gold | Tree | Lion |  |  |
2 | Medo-Persia | Chest of silver | Cut down | Bear | Ram |  | Four Persian kings
3 | Greece | Belly and thighs of brass | Bronze band | Leopard | Goat |  | Mighty king
4 | Rome (pagan) | Legs of iron | Iron band | Terrible beast | Little horn grows horizontally | Kings (north and south)
5 | Europe | Ten toes | Roots | Ten horns | The host transgresses | King of the North
Rome (papal) | Little horn | Little horn grows vertically
6 | Secular-Atheist | Feet Of Clay | Clay Earth | Judgment | Truth trampled
7 | USA | Stone Cut Out | Clay Earth | Judgment | Transgression causes horror
Messiah | Rock | Holy One | Son of Man | Daniel 9 (542 BC) | Prince | Prince of the Covenant
Kingdom of God | Mountain | Judged | Judgment | Sanctuary restored | Prince | Michael stands up
Symbols | Metal man | Tree | Unclean animal | Sanctuary animals | Covenant Kept | Covenant Corrupted
Source | Pagan ages | Curses | Yom Kippur | Blessings and Curses
View | Military, political | Legal covenant | Religious | Satanic Attack
Dreamer | Nebuchadnezzar | Daniel | Daniel | Daniel | Daniel

The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are very relevant for the end of time. Jesus' parting words to his disciples are a warning to study the book of Daniel for ourselves.
"Therefore, when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
... But you pray that your flight is not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:" (Matthew 24: 15-16, 20)
The book reveals with uncanny accuracy the 2,500 years of human history since the time of ancient Babylon. Jesus warned the people of His day that the destruction of Jerusalem was imminent. And He commanded them to read and understand the book of Daniel. But Jesus' warning in Matthew 24: 15 also has application for the end of time because it is a prophecy which forecasts the end of the world and the Second Coming.

Comparison Of The Types Of Symbols
You will notice that the type of symbols used is related to the one who received the vision, and the detail introduced.

- Daniel 2 (Metal Man). This vision was the military history of the world given to King Nebuchadnezzar. In the transition from precious to common metals, God probably wanted to impress upon the king the relative greatness of his kingdom as compared to the kingdoms that will follow. Although the vision does not give any detail, the rock might have been a precious gem stone - more valuable than all the metals. God also took images from the religious beliefs of that period which were familiar to the Pagan king. The Greeks, Persians and Indians divided time into four ages and sometimes seven ages. Each age was represented by a metal that was inferior to the metal of the previous age.

  The Ages Of The World
  # | Nebuchadnezzar | Hinduism | Persian | Greek | Hebrew
  --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
  The Metal Image | Ages (Yugas) | Metals | Four Ages | Seven Ages | Hesoid | Ovid | Moses
  1 | Gold | Satya or Krita yuga | Gold | Gold | Gold | Gold | Gold | Head
  2 | Silver | Treta yuga | Silver | Silver | Silver | Silver | Silver | -
  3 | Brass or Bronze | Dvapara yuga | Copper | Steel | Brass | Bronze | Bronze | Bronze sky
  4 | Iron | Kali yuga | Dark or Iron Age | Mixed Iron | Copper | Heroes | Iron | Iron earth
  5 | Iron and clay | Tin | Iron | Tail: Rain powder and dust
  6 | Steel
  7 | Iron
  Rock Destroys | Reincarnation and Rebirth | Zeus Destroys | Destroyed

  » Greek. We get the story of the Ages of Man described by Hesiod in the eighth century BC (gold, silver, bronze, heroes and iron). Another list from Ovid includes gold, silver, bronze and iron only.
  » Persian. The four ages are (gold, silver, steel and mixed iron), and the seven ages are (gold, silver, brass, copper, tin, steel and iron). In all these beliefs, each period is progressively worse. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar must have been delighted to learn that he was the king of the golden empire.
  » Hindu. They also have the same division and they may be the source of this belief that migrated to Babylon.
  » Hebrew. The blessings and curses are some of the symbols used to describe the fate of the world.
  Righteous Head. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will only be above, and you will not be underneath ... (Deuteronomy 28: 13)
  Wicked Tail. The heaven which is over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you, iron. The LORD will make the rain of your land powder and dust; from heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28: 23-24)
- Daniel 4 (Tree). This vision was given to Nebuchadnezzar. He was the tree that was planted and cut down.
- Daniel 7 (Unclean Wild Animals). This vision was given to Daniel. As a Hebrew, he was familiar with the concept of clean and unclean animals. This showed that God allowed the judgment of the Hebrews because of the broken covenant. They would be captured by wild beasts as the curse dictated.
  God illustrated that the earthly kingdoms are wild, inferior and corrupt and unclean and that His kingdom will one day prevail over them.
- Daniel 8 (Clean Sanctuary Animals). This vision was given to Daniel. It showed the religious devastation of Israel by these alien powers. This was different in that it used clean animals, specifically animals from the ceremony on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The reason might be tied to the details given about the attack on the sanctuary by the apostate church. We see sanctuary symbols from the Day of Atonement attacking the people.
  For the first time, we see the Roman kingdom operating on two levels. At first it grew horizontally, in the direction of the four winds (Verse 8). Then in verse 10 it grows up to heaven and does destructive damage to heavenly systems. Finally, a judgment convenes and the sanctuary is cleansed or restored to its proper place.
  The use of sanctuary animals would immediately signal a religious view of prophecy. That is what happened. The religious role of Rome is introduced.
- Daniel 9 (Covenant Kept). This vision was given to Daniel. The vision about the Messiah who came to fulfill the covenant was not to be shrouded in great symbolism and mystery. It must be clear and emphasize the covenant.
- Daniel 11-12 (Covenant Violated). This vision was given to Daniel in great detail that is largely non-symbolic. It shows the satanic role of the powers as they try to destroy the covenant and corrupt the sanctuary and people. It was also meant to supplement the vision of Daniel 9, which introduced the prophecy of the Messiah as the Prince of the covenant. Here, the vision gives great detail about the rulers during the time of the Messiah.

Daniel: The Man Chosen As A Prophet
The book of Daniel is not considered a prophetic book among the Jews because Daniel did not prophesy about them and their immediate concerns. His prophecies seemed to be far into the future. So the book was considered as one of the writings. A future generation will find the book prophetic. That generation will be the ones who face the judgment.
Daniel's name means "God is my judge" or "God vindicates me." Judgment is a favorable term because it means God will one day judge between good and evil and will rescue his people from captivity.
Technically, Daniel never saw any of his visions come through. He only saw the transition from Babylon to Persia but that was prophesied in more detail by Jeremiah. And he was obviously using the time table from Jeremiah when he expected the imminent fall of Babylon in Daniel 10. Daniel did not gain his fame because of the gift of prophecy but because of the gift of interpretation of dreams. All his prophecies said about the near future was that Babylon would be defeated by the Persian empire. But other prophecies said the same thing in more detail. So he did not contribute anything new to the understanding of the fall of Babylon.
God said that the prophecies of Daniel and his role as a great prophet would be fulfilled at the end of time.
But as for you, go your way to the end, then you shall rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age. (Daniel 12: 13)
An Unlikely Prophet
Daniel 1: 3 says that Daniel was under the care of the chief of the eunuchs who were the kings officials. It is amazing that Daniel became a major prophet because he was a eunuch who could not by law enter the assembly of God. If he could not enter the assembly of God, surely he could not be the chosen spokesman of God.
Eunuch. No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
Bastard. No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of his descendants even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 23: 1-2)
The same law also forbids Christ from entering the assembly. His birth was illegitimate. Did God break his own law? The prohibitions were made because the Messiah must have the following:

- A Name. The bastard has been denied a name by his legitimate father.
- An Everlasting Name. A eunuch can no longer have a family to carry his name. His name is cut off forever.
- A Foreigner. Jesus is sometimes symbolized as a foreigner from a far country.

But Isaiah tells us of a better promise and a more generous law. Anyone who is devoted to God can overcome any personal limitations that are out of his or her control.
Foreigner. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, "The Lord will surely separate me from his people."
Eunuch. Nor let the eunuch say "Behold I am a dry tree." For thus says the Lord, to the eunuch who keep My sabbaths and choose what pleases Me, and holds fast my covenant,
Everlasting Name. "To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off". (Isaiah 56: 3-5)
By being obedient and choosing what pleases God, God Himself will legitimize us by supplying what we do not have.
So that in a strange twist of fate we find that all the righteous will be given a name through an illegitimate bastard who was cut off at a young age at the crucifixion with no children to carry on His name.
You are doing the deeds of your father. They said to him "we are not born of fornication; we have one Father, God". Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not come of My own initiative, but He sent Me." (John 8: 41-42)
Although they mocked Him by inferring to His illegitimate birth, Jesus legitimized Himself by claiming to come from the Father of all fathers. Daniel also legitimizes himself by joining himself to God through obedience.
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the kings choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.
As for these four youths God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. (Daniel 1: 8-9, 17)
This says that Daniel and his friends chose to honor God by keeping His covenant and God rewarded them. Daniel was connected to the living waters of the Spirit of God and he was spiritually no longer a dry tree.
So through obedience to God, He gave Christ a better name and He gave Daniel an everlasting name. They can legally enter the sanctuary and serve Him.

Daniel: The Prophecy
The theme of the book of Daniel is introduced in the first few verses. It has three vital parts.

1. Sanctuary. Nebuchadnezzar attacks the city and the Sanctuary.
2. People. Nebuchadnezzar takes God's people into captivity.
3. Pagan Corruption. Nebuchadnezzar takes the sacred vessels of God's sanctuary dedicated to the true worship of God, and he places them in a pagan temple.

The Pattern of Satanic Activity. Nebuchadnezzar's attack on God's ancient people is a pattern of the Satanic attack of the Antichrist in history and at the very end of time.

Historical Background
Chapter 1 - 6: (History). This section is comprised of real stories of perseverance and faith that Daniel and his friends faced in captivity. They are prophetic because they provide vital lessons for God's people at the end of time. In these chapters Daniel and his three friends experience tests that are a foretaste of the kind of issues that will face God's people at the end of time. Chapter 2, 7 - 12: (Prophecy). These chapters are principally prophetic. They outline the rise and fall of great empires from Daniel's time all the way down to the end of human history. Each group of prophecies serves as a repetition and enlargement of the themes and history of the previous section.

Repeatedly the Bible warns us that a power that originates as the result of apostasy in the church will try to take the place of God in the church and corrupt and persecute the true children of God, just like Nebuchadnezzar. This power had already begun in the days of the apostles and will operate until the end of time.

1. The Antichrist.
   - He takes over the sanctuary or temple of God.
   - He deceives the people and leads them into lawlessness.
   - He replaces God and removes the Messiah.
2. The Little Horn. Daniel 8: 9-12. The little horn power does the same thing Nebuchadnezzar did.
   - He attacks the Sanctuary. Verse 11. He systematically destroys or replaces all the furniture.
   - He attacks God's people and Christ and removes them from the Sanctuary. Verses. 10-12.
   - The truth of the sanctuary is thrown down and corruption prevails. Verse 12.
3. The King Of The North. Daniel 11: 31-33: The King of the North does the same thing as the little horn.
   - He attacks the sanctuary. Verse 31.
   - He takes God's people into captivity. Verse 33.
   - He stops the service of the sanctuary and sets up his own counterfeit. Verse 31.
4. Babylon The Great. In the end Babylon the Great attacks the people and tries to destroy the sanctuary of God and build his own sanctuary. Why does God use the same symbols and the same name? The last world empire will act like this first beast and it is a critical beacon at the end of time. (Revelation 13.)
   - He attacks God and the sanctuary. Verse 6.
   - He takes God's people into captivity and forces them to worship a false God. Verse 14-17.
   - He sets up his own counterfeit covenant and changes the commandments of God. Verse 4,6,8,14,17.

Through the example of Daniel and his friends we also learn that God will take care of His people in captivity and how courageous His people must be at the end of time. Daniel and his friends surrendered to God, and they were blessed with wisdom and understanding of visions and dreams. When we surrender to God He will unseal the visions of Daniel so that we can understand as He has promised.
He said, "Go your way Daniel for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end of time. Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand". (Daniel 12: 9-10)

The Structure of Revelation

Outer Court | Holy Place | Most Holy Place
--- | --- | ---
(1-3) Passover | (4-5) Wavesheaf | (6-7) Pentecost | 8-10 Trumpets |  | Day of Atonement | 16-19 | Tabernacles (14, 20-22)
10 | 11 | 12-13 | 14-15
Covenant kept (Daniel 9) | Blessing | No Continual | Abomination | Time of Trouble | Desolation | Blessing
Lamb | Church | Accepted | Seals | Sealing | Judgment | Remnant | Legal Case | Satan | Warning | Destruction | Rescued
Lamb | Shepherd | Priest | King | Judge | Lawyer | Prosecute | Witness | Angel | Executioner | Groom
Shepherd Priest | King | Judge and Witness | Reaper | Bridegroom
Jesus Becomes King | Judge | Wrath of Satan | God's Wrath | Reward
Lamb of God (Seed) | Holy Spirit (Water) Comes | Growing | Children of God named
Barley Harvest | Rain | Wheat and Grape Harvest | Rain | Fruit Harvest
Seed Planted | Watered | Darkness (Seed Dies and Germinates) | Light (Leaf) | Reaping (Fruit)
Meat Butchered | Everyone Invited to the Wedding | Clothes | Wedding Feast
Exodus | Law Given | Judgment in the Wilderness | Census | Repeat Law | New Jerusalem

The Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by the apostle John while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. It begins with prophecies from the time of Christ and it uses the language and symbols of all the earlier prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Joel. He reveals the role of Jesus as each phase of the Plan of Salvation is fulfilled in history. He deals with all outstanding, unfulfilled prophecy and enlarges on the events at the end of time.
Revelation reveals Jesus, conquering the house of Satan and conquering sin.
While Daniel shows that God will keep His covenant by sending the blessings and curses; He also shows that God will also keep the covenant by sending the Messiah and resurrecting the righteous and punishing the wicked.
Revelation also shows how God will keep the covenant but it shows in detail how God does this through the feasts. The visions are presented in the order of the sanctuary and feasts, from the Passover Lamb to the feast of Tabernacles.

Symbols of Revelation
God Acts | Feasts | Jesus | Chapter | Topic | Discussion | Comments
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jesus | Passover | Lamb | 1 | Jesus | Introduction | The Passover Lamb and the church for which He died.
Shepherd | 2 - 3 | Seven Churches | The churches
Wavesheaf | Priest, King | 4 - 5 | Wavesheaf in Heaven | The offering of Jesus is accepted
The World Responds to the Holy Spirit and the covenant | Pentecost | Covenant Keeper | 6 | Seven Seals | The wicked reject the covenant | The history of the church and their political battles on the earth with the empires and leaders. God's reaction is that He judges His church and calls a Remnant.
7 | The sealing. The church is chosen
Trumpets | Judge | 8 - 10 | Seven Trumpets | The world is judged
The Legal Case for Reward or Punishment | Day of Atonement | 11 | The church is judged
Son of Man, Human | 12 - 13 | Dragon and the beasts | The church opposed by the world | The same period viewed as a spiritual battle of the church and God with the forces of Satan. God's reaction is that He rewards the church.
Census Taker | 14 | Three angel's message | The final warning to the world
Judgment | Rock | 15 | Seven Last plagues | Prayers of the church
Blood Avenger | 16 | The wicked are rejected
17 - 18 | Babylon falls | Babylon falls | The physical and spiritual worlds meet and executive judgment is given. God punishes the wicked.
Bridegroom | 19 | The church is rescued
Tabernacles | Executioner | 20 | Millennium and Hell | Fall of Satan. The church goes home
God Rules | King | 21 - 22 | The New Creation | Victory of the Church | God creates a new home for His children

The Criss-Cross Chiastic Structure of The Plan Of Salvation
The entire Bible is a chiasm between the Old and New Testaments with Christ at the center, tying Jews and Gentiles.

Old Testament (Head Tefillin) | Brain Jesus Christ | (Hand Tefillin) New Testament
--- | --- | ---
Earth | Paradise Lost |  |  |  |  |  |  | Paradise Restored | New Earth
Creation | Abraham | 12 Tribes | 12 Disciples | Jesus | Recreation
Adam & Eve |  | Sin | Flood | Israel | Babylon | Rome | Great Babylon | Israel | Fire | Righteous |  | Adams & Eves

Other Old Testament Prophecies
These are other Old Testament prophecies that are important for the end times.

Prophet | Writings | Discussion | Repetition |
# | Ezekiel | Revelation
--- | --- | ---
1 | Throne of God | 4-5
2-3 | Scroll eaten | 10
4 | Siege by Babylon | 12
5-7 | The curses sent | 6-7
8 | First four laws broken | 13
9 | Mark of God | 13
12 | No more delay | 10
13-33 | Nations warned | 14-18
34 | Sheep Judged | 11,19
37 | Dry Bones revived | 20
38 | Armageddon | 19-20
40-48 | Temple and city and the fate of the tribes of God | 21-22
Moses | Genesis - Deuteronomy | Messianic prophecies | Daniel 9, Isaiah
David | Psalm (16, 22, 41, 69)
Psalm 73: 17 | The Plagues | Revelation 16
Psalm 29 | The seven thunders | Revelation 10
Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Joel Zechariah | Isaiah, Ezekiel | The day of the Lord | Revelation 19-20
Isaiah, Jeremiah | Fall of Babylon | Revelation 18
Joel, Zechariah | Holy Spirit Comes | Acts
Ezekiel, Zechariah | Armageddon | Revelation 19-20
Ezekiel is interesting in that it discusses issues that start from 1844 to the Second Coming, Armageddon and the city and temple of God. Some of it is from the perspective of the righteous, while Revelation shows the same events from the perspective of the wicked. Ezekiel starts with a vision of the throne of God and the eating of a scroll that caused bitterness. It continues to discuss the idolatry in the sanctuary and the breaking of the first four commandments which causes the issuing of the Mark of God.

... all things written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. (Luke 24: 44)
Most Old Testament prophecies that are significant to Jesus and the end time are taught in the Sanctuary, Feasts of Israel and the exodus. You will notice that these prophecies emphasize the restoration of the righteous. The feasts show when and what event will occur, and what actions God will be taking. The Sanctuary shows where it will be occurring and what actions the saints will be taking. The covenant is the legal document that authorizes this plan.

Feasts | Sanctuary | Comments
--- | --- | ---
Passover | Outer Court | Altar of sacrifice | The crucifixion of Christ for the sins of the righteous
Pentecost | Holy Place | Menorah, table with the bread and wine, altar of prayer | The Holy Spirit comes to fulfill the covenant to make us righteous
Yom Kippur | Holy Place | The righteous are judged favorably as God permanently removes their sins.
Tabernacles | Most Holy Place | Ark of the Covenant | The righteous go to live with God

Other New Testament Prophecies
In addition to Revelation (Apocalypse), there are other prophecies given in the New Testament that cover the end times.

Prophet | Topic | Repetition
--- | --- | ---
Jesus | Matthew 24 | The fall of Jerusalem. The signs of the end of the world | The seven seals of Revelation 4 to 6
Mark 13
Luke 21
Parables | Israel Returns | They cover the end of time and the fate of Israel
Miracles | Israel Returns | Israel's blindness is healed and recognizes the Messiah
Paul | 2 Thessalonians 2 | The Antichrist | The Little Horn (Daniel 7 and 8). The king of the north (Daniel 11). The abomination of desolation (Daniel 11). The Beast (Revelation 12). The woman riding the beast (Revelation 18). Zechariah 5
1 Thessalonians 4 | The resurrection | Revelation 20, Daniel 12
Romans 11 | Israel Returns | Zechariah 12-13

The Prophetic Views
There are three major prophetic views and a fourth modern view used to interpret the books of Daniel and Revelation. The historicist view is used on this WEB site. It was also the view used by all the Protestant reformers and by Christ in Revelation 1. His prophecy addressed the past, present and future.
Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. (Revelation 1: 19)

Daniel | Historicist | Daniel and Revelation
--- | --- | ---
The Wild Kingdom | Passover | Pentecost | Trumpets | Yom Kippur | Tabernacles
Babylon | Persia | Greece | Rome |  | Rome | Papacy | Europe | 1844 | Now |  | Persecution Great Tribulation |  | 1000 Years |  | Trial | Hell
1 | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Iron |  |  | Trumpet 7 (Judgment) |  | Second Coming |  |
Head | Chest | Belly | Legs
Nebuchadnezzar's Statue | Legs of Iron | Feet of Clay |  | Rock Mountain
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Satan in Prison
|  |  |  |  | Sanctuary and People Trampled | Sanctuary Restored | People Restored (One Nation of Israel)
2 | Jewish Era (˜ 2000 Years) |  | Christian Era (˜ 2000 Years) | 3½ Years | 3½ | Christ and Jews reign
Daniel | Gap (Futurist) (Prophecies suspended) |  |  |  |  |
|  |  | 1000 Years |  | Trial |
- | Antichrist |  | Millennium of Peace
3 | Daniel | Antichrist | No more prophecies fulfilled (Praetorist) | Revelation 20-22
4 | Almost all prophecies are fulfilled outside of human history (Spiritual)
| Seven Churches |  | Seven Trumpets |  | Seven Seals |  | Four Horsemen |  | Battle of Armageddon |  | Plagues |  | Hell Fire

All prophetic interpretation except the historicist came as a result of the counter-reformation. They all portray the period of papal supremacy in the Dark Ages as irrelevant by placing the Antichrist before or after this period or claiming that all prophecy is irrelevant.

The Cosmic Deception
If there are cosmic forces who are trying to deceive you, then they would convince you to ignore these prophecies. The praetorist and spiritual theories do this. The futurist theories postpone your natural curiosity in a more subtle way. For hundreds of years it has convinced people that there is nothing prophetic about their time. It could delay you in the same way today. These were proposed by the Counter-Reformation movement to divert suspicion from the pope. But if you believe that the prophecies are continually unfolding, it is a signpost for you to look confidently at the past and expectantly towards the future as you examine current events.

1. Historicist. Prophecy outlines the span of world history as it relates to God's people all the way down to the end of time.
   This view is both moral and true. God is portrayed as a being who comforts and protects His people at all times. And it agrees with how God dealt with prophecy in Daniel and Revelation 1: 19. Daniel 2 and 8 were also interpreted by God as a continuous struggle between the people of God and conquering empires until God rescues His people. The scope of the first prophecy in Daniel 2 clearly shows that God outlined prophecy from the time of Daniel to the Second Coming. This is our view, the view since Christ and the view of most Protestants and reformers around 1798.
2. Futurist. The view that prophecy is only for the distant future was proposed by the church to fight the reformers. A monk named Francisco Ribera (1537 - 1591) of Salamanca, Spain proposed the futurist method which asserts that these prophecies refer to a future supernatural individual, who would be in power for three and a half years.
   This is a false view of prophecy. It portrays a God who is disinterested with the pain and suffering of His people in history.
   » The Gap Theory. Futurists insert a gap between Daniel and Revelation in which no prophecies were fulfilled after Christ until the Antichrist. They believe that everything after Revelation 4 is for the future when the Antichrist appears. This is the view of most evangelicals and their popular novels.
   » Futurist Beliefs. They tend to believe in the secret rapture, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, Jews evangelizing the world after the rapture and Russia and China persecuting the Christians.
3. Praetorist. Prophecy is for the past. Most prophecies were fulfilled by the Roman empire in the past.
   This false view denies the supernatural nature of prophecy to predict the future. It is presented mostly by agnostics and atheists. These people claim that the prophecies were written after the events occurred. This suggests that God is a liar and the Bible is deceitful because it encodes history as prophecy.
   This was another view proposed by the Jesuit Luis de Alcazar (1554-1630) as a response to the reformers.
4. Spiritual. Prophecy outlines cosmic conflicts in the spiritual realm. Some may be fulfilled in human history.
   This is a false view of prophecy because it is useless for God to give us cryptic prophecies that have nothing to do with our lives or our understanding of Him. This view is supported by the news media and mainline churches, those who do not want to deal with prophecy as they denounce the "fables of the literal interpretation".

» The Importance of Prophecy.
Being accurate about prophecy prepares you for the future but it will neither get you into heaven nor keep you out. Accuracy is not a moral issue. The disciples were inaccurate, yet this was not why they sinned. The disciples sinned because they were cowards. The priests sinned because they broke the moral laws. They offered bribes and false testimony to pervert justice.
Being inaccurate about prophecy might lead to prejudice towards an innocent group by ascribing behavior you believe they will do, not on what they have done. Reliance on conspiracy theories and speculation about secret behavior or hidden agendas arise when actions do not meet expected prophetic behavior.
When one is unprepared to meet a prophetic fulfillment, one is left open to all the conspiracy nuts and rumors that abound in chaotic times. If you are caught unprepared for a major prophetic event, remember that God loves the moral, merciful and compassionate person and this is what should always guide your behavior.

» Prophecy Is Proof Of God.
Prophecy is proof of God because His predictions see human decisions thousands of years into the future.
None Like God. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (Isaiah 46: 9-10)
Critics deny that this is possible, instead they claim that the prophecies were written after the events. So here are some long ranging prophecies and facts that they cannot deny.

- Daniel. Critics claim that Daniel was written after the Greek empire fell (197 BC) not during Daniel's captivity (597-530 BC). The Septuagint was written 250-200 BC and the Dead Sea scrolls date to 250-50 BC. The book of Daniel was included in both these works. So any prediction after 250 or 50 BC must be a prophecy even by their standards.
  - Fall Of Rome. Prior to Rome all the world empires emerged by totally conquering the previous empire. However Rome fell by a slow disentegration as Daniel predicted.
  - Capital Of Rome (334). Rome transfers its capital and throne to the church and moves to a new location.
  - Roman Reunification. Several failed attempts will be made to reunify Rome, including marriage.
  - Eastern And Western Rome. Rome will be broken up into two distinct halves which will be fragmented.
- Crucifixion. How could David write about a crucifixion (Psalm 22: 16) in 1000 BC which was fulfilled in 31 AD when curcifixion was invented around 300-400 BC or 600 BC?
- Great Cities Destroyed Permanently. God predicted the manner of destruction and said that these fallen cities would never be rebuilt. Tyre (332 bc) Ezekiel 26: 14. Babylon (539 BC) Jeremiah 51: 26,37. Nineveh (612 BC) Nahum 1: 9, Zephaniah 2: 13. Sodom (Jeremiah 50: 40).
- Temple In Jerusalem. Jesus predicted its destruction. Luke 21:24

The Scientific Nature of Prophecy
Proponents of predestination point to prophecy as evidence that God determined everything beforehand and we have no control. This is why God is able to predict with such accuracy, they say.
However, as you learn from our lessons you will discover that all of prophecy is based on obedience to the law and its time tables.
God Makes Agreements. I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known;
God Enforces Rules and Agreements in Time. then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
We Break Rules. For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze.
God Will Enforce the Covenant. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, "My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them". (Isaiah 48: 3-5)
By law, God has to act within a specific time. By law He has to respond in predetermined ways. So based on our behavior, not God's predetermination, we trigger these automatic responses.
So as you learn that these prophecies are based in law and are reproducible and predictable, you will discover that prophecy is a mathematical, predictable and scientific construct that is as reliable as any equation.
However, it takes someone with the knowledge of the right formula, access to variables and power to trigger or suppress these reactions Who can accurately predict the future. Only God can do this.
Modern Science is Based in Religious Laws. When you have completed these prophecies, discover that these laws are also written into the structure of the universe, the arrangement of subatomic particles, the structure of the periodic table of elements and in our DNA!

The Principles of Prophecy
Before you begin, there are a few basic principles that you should understand and a few tools that you will need. Christians have understood how to interpret Daniel because God Himself interpreted the first group of prophecies given to Daniel and the king. From that we understand several things:

1. Symbols and Tools. God often used symbols to communicate the details of prophecy - especially those that are far into the future because it preserves the meaning. We have a separate page that discusses the meaning of many symbols. However we will list a few here.

   Symbol | Meaning |
   Prophetic Time | Real Time
   --- | ---
   1 Year | 360 Years
   360 Days
   1 Time
   1 Month | 30 Years
   1 Week | 7 Years
   1 Day | 1 Year
   1 Hour | 15 Days
   ½ Hour | 7½ Days
   About ½ Hour | 8 Days
   Day | One year in real time is one day in prophecy. All time prophecies are based on the thirty day month. The most common time prophecy is the 1260 years of Papal domination from 538-1798 AD known as:

2. 42 months
3. 1260 days
4. 3½ years
5. Time, times and half a time
6. Time, times and the dividing of time
   Beast Political power. Parts of a beast (horns, and head) also mean a power
   Woman Church. A good woman is the true church. A prostitute is an apostate church
   Sea, water People. A spring or fresh water is the righteous. A turbulent sea is the wicked
   Grass, Tree People. A green, watered tree is the righteous. The wicked are a tree cut down
   Colors White: purity. Black: sin. Red: death. Green: heaven. Blue: law. Yellow: perfect character
   Tools
   1. Prayer. Always invite God to study with you. It is the Holy Spirit who will guide you.
   2. Bible. Use a version that is a direct translation of the original language, not a paraphrase.
      There is a criticism of the newer versions (NIV, NASB) that they deliberately lower the status of Christ so that evidence of His divinity is unclear. So compare any modern version with the King James Version.
   3. Concordance. For in depth, personal study, use a concordance instead of commentaries.
7. Principles. There are certain features of prophecy that sometimes lead to confusion. The best way to understand all related prophecies is to identify the similar elements and go back and forth until you have established the sequence of events and their details. Prophecy must conform to the law and to the covenant.
   - Torah and Laws. The sanctuary, feasts, covenants, laws, law of vengeance, blessings, curses, oral traditions, the journey of Israel from Egypt to Canaan and the heroic examples of faith are the source of all symbols and patterns. The prophecy will address all the issues from the source of a symbol and will follow the order of that source.
     The crucifixion, seven last plagues and seven seals are examples of the curses.
   - Patterns and Types. Different prophecies can have the same symbols because the law imposes a recognizable pattern on prophecy. When history reaches the conditions described in the curses, God appears to act in a prescribed pattern because He is acting according to His agreements. So, history or prophecy might appear to "repeat itself", so there is a remarkable similarity between different prophecies that are fulfilled at different times.
     One example is the terms of the curses which consistently show up as elements in prophecies.
     Another example is the common time period of three and a half years or 42 months for the wicked and 40 months for the righteous which are based on the second commandment, the agricultural law for harvesting fruit trees in the fourth year and the perfect gestation period in the womb.
   - Repetition and Enlargement. These are separate eye witness testimonies about the same event in prophecy. You will see this principle operating throughout all of prophecy. God will always repeat a prophecy in later visions or through other prophets, using different symbols and adding more detail or emphasizing a particular section. Each prophecy is related to a previous prophecy so that none stands on its own. However, the different symbols might cause you to think that it is a different prophecy.
     The prophecies of Daniel demonstrate this quite remarkably.
   - Wheel Within a Wheel. Repetition takes the same prophecy and uses different symbols to emphasize a different view of the same time in which the prophecy is fulfilled. But the "wheel within a wheel" takes a prophecy and repeats the same symbols or pattern of events at different points in time in its fulfillment.

     Prophecy | Prophetic Time | Long Period (Big Wheel) | Short Period (Little Wheel)
     --- | --- | --- | ---
     Length of Papal Rule | 1260 Days (3½ Years) | 1260 year rule (538-1798) | 3½ Years of French revolution
     Last 7 Days of Christ | 70 Weeks (490 Years) | Last 7 Years for Jews | Last 7 days of Christ
     Last 3 Days of Christ | 3 Days of wrath | He suffered in a repeating cyclic pattern that grew worse
     Fall of Babylon | 7 years | 2520 years (7 x 360) | Last 7 years

     Usually a prophecy that occurs over a long time period ends with a period of real time and events that matches the long period. This helps to identify the beginning or end of the prophecy or to mark important events or signposts in its fulfillment. This connects the events of the prophecy in the mind of the people. One error that occurs is that different groups could take these intermediate events and declare them as the total fulfillment or completely ignore their value. This is where the praetorist view is short sighted and this is why the Jews missed the significance of the First Coming of Christ and His death.
     There is only one fulfillment in long time prophecies, but there is more than one "sign of fulfillment" in time. All the events are related so that they must be seen as one great fulfillment.
     You will eventually understand this as you study the prophecies. The prophecies of the seven trumpets, Daniel 11, the First Coming of Christ and probably the ten toes of Daniel 2 are also examples.
   - Global Fulfillment. The real events to which local signs and patterns are pointing.
   - Local Fulfillment (Signs of the Times). In a creative way, God uses symbols that are familiar to the local people who will experience the beginning or end of a long prophecy. This gives the church confidence in the historical fulfillment of prophecy when each generation sees events being fulfilled. Ultimately, the primary fulfillment must lie within the sanctuary and the Hebrew culture and will only be properly recognized at the end. But God sometimes develops local applications as subliminal messages and beacons to generations that must be awake to witness important prophetic signposts. It appears that these points in time highlight a time or event that is a part of the global fulfillment.
     The number 666, the rise of Babylon the Great and the French Revolution are examples.
   - Time Dilation or Compression. The language sometimes includes events that span hundreds or thousands of years in a single sentence. This might lead one to assume that the events occur as one set of historical events in a short period of time. The mystery can be solved by looking at repetitions that have a time and event sequence.
     The prophecy of the resurrections in Daniel 12 and the events of the Second Coming are examples. The resurrection of the righteous and wicked appear to occur on the same day in Daniel 12, but Revelation 20 shows us that 1000 years separate both events.
   - Multiplicity. A single concept is fulfilled as multiple layers. Confusion occurs when the first revelation of the plan does not meet all expectations. The contradictions in the symbols will unravel the layers.
     For example death is actually three concepts: sleep, a first death and a second death.
     Next, the work of the Messiah is done in three comings. This fact became a stumbling block to the Jews.
   - Sealed Prophecy. Some prophecies are not meant to be understood until a particular time or people have arrived or if the truth would be too much for the present generation to bear. These are generally far into the future or contain news that will not be accepted.
     The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of the law. (Deuteronomy 29: 29)
     The identity of the Messiah was deliberately made difficult for the Jews to accept at that time for strategic reasons. It was concealed in many types and symbols. The timing of the Second Coming was not to be revealed to the disciples because it would be about 2000 years in the future.
   - Unsealed Prophecy. They are understood when the generation that needs it arrives because the circumstances reveal the meaning or a prophet is sent to interpret it. In either case, God gives knowledge to understand.
     Surely the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3: 7)
     Some prophecies of Daniel 11-12 were meant to be sealed until the end of time. One prophecy of John was sealed until the time before the Second Coming.
   - The Nation of Israel. Since the laws of prophecy apply to all children of God, how can we know if an ambiguous prophecy is strictly related to the Jews and not to the larger spiritual children of Abraham?
     It appears that the sealed prophecies roughly correlate with the covenant in the hands of the Gentiles and the unsealed prophecies when Israel has the covenant or has been officially grafted in.
   - Jesus. All prophecy is ultimately about the roles of Jesus as He executes a plan to conquer sin.
8. Church (Israel). His church or His people are the central focus of all the prophecies. Therefore, a political power or empire is important because they affect the people of God, not because of their size or other influence and accomplishments. Our historical analysis shows that the other great empires came around the time of the Roman empire, after the empires named by Daniel, but they were never the subject of prophecies because they did not rule the chosen people who were the people with the covenant.

Study to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2: 15 | Time: 50 minutes Print: 11 pages
Copyright Updated : July 2010 Credits: Author: Laverna Patterson. Editor: Patterson (January 2008) Everything, including the observation about the different types of symbols in each vision are mine with the following exceptions. • All the principles, except "pattern and types" and "repetition and enlargement" are mine. • Definition of the first three views of prophecy and "Daniel: the Prophecy" is taken from a bible study lesson at my church.