Fully one third to one fourth of the bible is prophecy. In the Old Testament much of it was describing the birth, life, and death of Jesus, but also they talked about the end times. Daniel is the most well known end times prophet from the Old Testament. But despite this prominent section of the bible, why is it hardly ever taught? Perhaps because it is full of just signs and we cant ever know for certain. Perhaps because people have had all credibility ruined when they predict the end of the world at a certain date but nothing happens. Despite these good reasons not to look much into this subject of the bible, we still need to look at it. Jesus said in Mathew 24:42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.* We need to watch out, therefore we need to know what to look for. This essay is designed to show how the world looks like it can be corroborated to biblical end times prophecy.
There are several differing theories as proposed about the end times as depicted from the bible. These theories however, all include four things depicted in the bible: the millennium, Armageddon, the rapture, and the Tribulation. For instance, the theory of Preterism holds that most of the events prophesized in Revelations took place in 60-70 A.D. which led up to the Roman destruction of the temple. Another popular view Amillennialism which believes that we are living in the millennial kingdom today, and God is on earth through the holy spirit, the bible, and Christianity. However, the most common sense and backed up currently is also the one which stick most to biblical prophecy is Dispensational Premillennialism which believes that the tribulation will occur then Armageddon then the millennial kingdom (Eschatology, End Times, and Millennialism: Competing Theories.). Dispensational Premillennialism is the one closest to the area that fundamentalists should have. The rest of this essay is to show how the many of the prophecies, particularly those of geological disturbances, worldwide hatred of Israel, a one world government, and the rise of Babylon.
Miscellaneous
To start off with, one of the areas Jesus warned about many times as a sign of the end of the age is pestilence. Luke 21:11 says There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places While disease can never be gotten rid of, and we have done much to stop the spread of disease and its fatality, it is supposed to be making a come back. Since 1977 there have been many different types of diseases to emerge. The most famous of these diseases are AIDS, Ebola, different strains of Hepatitis, West Nile Virus, SARS. In the years of 1977-1996 over 29 major diseases were found. Also many diseases are making a strong comeback, ones that were once not a problem are becoming a serious threat again. Diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, malaria and diphtheria are an example of these.
It is also logical to assume that these diseases will grow even stronger, and new diseases will be found. With the intense urbanization of the modern world, air travel, and population growth that diseases will be far more likely to spread. Another factor to consider is antibiotics. Diseases are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics, in the 1940s when antibiotics were first used, the disease was completely gotten rid of. Many diseases are finding ways around these medicines or building defenses up against them. According to The Third World Networks website, an article said By 1990, nearly every common pathogenic bacterial species had developed varying degrees of antibiotic resistance, often multiple resistances. They later said A strain of Staphylococcus isolated in Australia was resistant to 31 different drugs, including cadmium, penicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and trimethyloprim. With the effectiveness of antibiotics decreasing, it is likely to assume that old diseases will be making a comeback (Sowing diseases, new and old.).
Many of the new diseases also are incredibly contagious and most are incurable. AIDS can be transmitted sexually and will kill you eventually. Ebola liquefies your insides in a matter of days and can be spread easily. A new one from just last year is SARS which started out in Southeast Asia and was being spread all over the continent of Asia and into Canada, this disease killed over 800 people and was being spread airborne, which means just a cough in a crowd can lead to hundreds suffering the disease. These new diseases are popping up out of nowhere and are already resistant to our most used medicine, and killing many.
Disease isnt the only thing prophesized about though, verse quoted earlier, Luke 21:11 says There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places So apparently there will be great earthquakes. And while there have been great earthquakes throughout all of geological history, it is thought that earthquakes with more frequency than ever before. Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, reports that earthquakes in Algeria and Iran happen with more frequency and estimates that natural disasters affect up to 10 times more people per year than war and global conflict (Natural Disasters More Frequent Than Before).
It also promises more famine. Once again, famine has been a near universal problem throughout all of history, however increasing desertification is causing the once arable land to die. Which of course destroys the vegetation and the local communities struggle to survive. This can be seen most easily today in Africa, its is estimated that Africa is losing approximately 300-400 million tonnes of topsoil every year. Also it is figured that around one third of the planet is arid or semi-arid, which will, according to estimates, raise significantly over the next century.
Another area predicted would be how the world treats Christians worldwide. Jesus said in Mathew 24: 9, Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. When he speaks of Christians, Jesus was probably talking about Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals. In America and Europe, Christians arent put to death that often, but they are in third world countries. There is a cultural war going on in America, between Christian fundamentalists and the rest of the world. Over the past few decades, the Christian right has been stepping up and being more vocal about their beliefs. But Christians are being persecuted all the time, no one would dare make fun a Muslims beliefs because that would be politically incorrect, but now Christians are insulted all the time by society.
However more was predicted than just these few geographic disturbances and a cultural war, a major situation is with the state of Israel. Israel is in the most volatile situation of any country in the world, with the whole world always looking to it, often with condescension. It also has the most nuclear weapons of any state not on the permanent seat UN Security Council. The cycle of violence that is seen in Israel is some of the deadliest, cruelest, and efficient destruction in the world.
Israel: A Centerpiece of Prophecy
Israel has a long history of this hatred against them (hereafter referred to as Anti-Semitism). The Babylonian empire conquered the Israelites about 603 B.C. They also destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem- the one that was built by Solomon. This was the beginning of Diaspora- which is the worldwide spreading of Jews. When the Babylonians conquered Israel and especially Jerusalem, they were taken captive and spread all throughout the Babylonian empire. Eventually the Israelites got there land back, including Jerusalem. The Israelites eventually built up another temple and worshipped their God in it again. Once again though, the Israelites were conquered. This time by the Roman empire. The Israelites also were given special privileges, that way they could live by they own religious laws and practices. However the Israelites tried to revolt several times, but that was quickly put to an end by the Romans. In AD 70 after another of these failed attempts at revolt, the Roman army ransacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple there. This was the final breaking moment, over the previous several centuries that Israelites had been leaving their land after being conquered, but after the Roman destruction of the temple and the sack of Jerusalem, Israelites were dispersed worldwide- mostly into Europe.
All end times prophecy (particularly Daniel and Revelations) talks about Israel being a state, and being its own people. Jesus return to earth could not have occurred if the nation of Israel did not exist. However, despite Diaspora, Israel was once again a nation in 1947. Due to wavering British foreign policy, both Arabs and Jews were being ruled in a colonial fashion for several decades prior to 1947. Once the U.N. was created, the British took the problem to international body and with a 2/3 majority, the nation of Israel became a Jewish and Arab state. The very same day that Israel declared independence, the Arab League Secretary, General Azzam Pasha, declared a jihad against the Jewish peoples. After a year of war the Arabs raged against the Jewish people, the Jews signed an armistice with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. It was this armistice that led to the formation of the modern Israeli state.
There are several differing theories as proposed about the end times as depicted from the bible. These theories however, all include four things depicted in the bible: the millennium, Armageddon, the rapture, and the Tribulation. For instance, the theory of Preterism holds that most of the events prophesized in Revelations took place in 60-70 A.D. which led up to the Roman destruction of the temple. Another popular view Amillennialism which believes that we are living in the millennial kingdom today, and God is on earth through the holy spirit, the bible, and Christianity. However, the most common sense and backed up currently is also the one which stick most to biblical prophecy is Dispensational Premillennialism which believes that the tribulation will occur then Armageddon then the millennial kingdom (Eschatology, End Times, and Millennialism: Competing Theories.). Dispensational Premillennialism is the one closest to the area that fundamentalists should have. The rest of this essay is to show how the many of the prophecies, particularly those of geological disturbances, worldwide hatred of Israel, a one world government, and the rise of Babylon.
Miscellaneous
To start off with, one of the areas Jesus warned about many times as a sign of the end of the age is pestilence. Luke 21:11 says There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places While disease can never be gotten rid of, and we have done much to stop the spread of disease and its fatality, it is supposed to be making a come back. Since 1977 there have been many different types of diseases to emerge. The most famous of these diseases are AIDS, Ebola, different strains of Hepatitis, West Nile Virus, SARS. In the years of 1977-1996 over 29 major diseases were found. Also many diseases are making a strong comeback, ones that were once not a problem are becoming a serious threat again. Diseases like tuberculosis, cholera, malaria and diphtheria are an example of these.
It is also logical to assume that these diseases will grow even stronger, and new diseases will be found. With the intense urbanization of the modern world, air travel, and population growth that diseases will be far more likely to spread. Another factor to consider is antibiotics. Diseases are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics, in the 1940s when antibiotics were first used, the disease was completely gotten rid of. Many diseases are finding ways around these medicines or building defenses up against them. According to The Third World Networks website, an article said By 1990, nearly every common pathogenic bacterial species had developed varying degrees of antibiotic resistance, often multiple resistances. They later said A strain of Staphylococcus isolated in Australia was resistant to 31 different drugs, including cadmium, penicillin, kanamycin, neomycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and trimethyloprim. With the effectiveness of antibiotics decreasing, it is likely to assume that old diseases will be making a comeback (Sowing diseases, new and old.).
Many of the new diseases also are incredibly contagious and most are incurable. AIDS can be transmitted sexually and will kill you eventually. Ebola liquefies your insides in a matter of days and can be spread easily. A new one from just last year is SARS which started out in Southeast Asia and was being spread all over the continent of Asia and into Canada, this disease killed over 800 people and was being spread airborne, which means just a cough in a crowd can lead to hundreds suffering the disease. These new diseases are popping up out of nowhere and are already resistant to our most used medicine, and killing many.
Disease isnt the only thing prophesized about though, verse quoted earlier, Luke 21:11 says There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places So apparently there will be great earthquakes. And while there have been great earthquakes throughout all of geological history, it is thought that earthquakes with more frequency than ever before. Jan Egeland, UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, reports that earthquakes in Algeria and Iran happen with more frequency and estimates that natural disasters affect up to 10 times more people per year than war and global conflict (Natural Disasters More Frequent Than Before).
It also promises more famine. Once again, famine has been a near universal problem throughout all of history, however increasing desertification is causing the once arable land to die. Which of course destroys the vegetation and the local communities struggle to survive. This can be seen most easily today in Africa, its is estimated that Africa is losing approximately 300-400 million tonnes of topsoil every year. Also it is figured that around one third of the planet is arid or semi-arid, which will, according to estimates, raise significantly over the next century.
Another area predicted would be how the world treats Christians worldwide. Jesus said in Mathew 24: 9, Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. When he speaks of Christians, Jesus was probably talking about Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals. In America and Europe, Christians arent put to death that often, but they are in third world countries. There is a cultural war going on in America, between Christian fundamentalists and the rest of the world. Over the past few decades, the Christian right has been stepping up and being more vocal about their beliefs. But Christians are being persecuted all the time, no one would dare make fun a Muslims beliefs because that would be politically incorrect, but now Christians are insulted all the time by society.
However more was predicted than just these few geographic disturbances and a cultural war, a major situation is with the state of Israel. Israel is in the most volatile situation of any country in the world, with the whole world always looking to it, often with condescension. It also has the most nuclear weapons of any state not on the permanent seat UN Security Council. The cycle of violence that is seen in Israel is some of the deadliest, cruelest, and efficient destruction in the world.
Israel: A Centerpiece of Prophecy
Israel has a long history of this hatred against them (hereafter referred to as Anti-Semitism). The Babylonian empire conquered the Israelites about 603 B.C. They also destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem- the one that was built by Solomon. This was the beginning of Diaspora- which is the worldwide spreading of Jews. When the Babylonians conquered Israel and especially Jerusalem, they were taken captive and spread all throughout the Babylonian empire. Eventually the Israelites got there land back, including Jerusalem. The Israelites eventually built up another temple and worshipped their God in it again. Once again though, the Israelites were conquered. This time by the Roman empire. The Israelites also were given special privileges, that way they could live by they own religious laws and practices. However the Israelites tried to revolt several times, but that was quickly put to an end by the Romans. In AD 70 after another of these failed attempts at revolt, the Roman army ransacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple there. This was the final breaking moment, over the previous several centuries that Israelites had been leaving their land after being conquered, but after the Roman destruction of the temple and the sack of Jerusalem, Israelites were dispersed worldwide- mostly into Europe.
All end times prophecy (particularly Daniel and Revelations) talks about Israel being a state, and being its own people. Jesus return to earth could not have occurred if the nation of Israel did not exist. However, despite Diaspora, Israel was once again a nation in 1947. Due to wavering British foreign policy, both Arabs and Jews were being ruled in a colonial fashion for several decades prior to 1947. Once the U.N. was created, the British took the problem to international body and with a 2/3 majority, the nation of Israel became a Jewish and Arab state. The very same day that Israel declared independence, the Arab League Secretary, General Azzam Pasha, declared a jihad against the Jewish peoples. After a year of war the Arabs raged against the Jewish people, the Jews signed an armistice with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. It was this armistice that led to the formation of the modern Israeli state.