The End

A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days

Mark Hitchcock

• Publisher: Tyndale Momentum
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781496430298
• eBook ISBN: 9781414374215
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

A Comprehensive Guide to Bible Prophecy and the End of Days

The end times have seen a great amount of interest within the last two decades, but there hasn't been a comprehensive overview of biblical prophecy and eschatology for more than five decades. Mark Hitchcock's book is a thorough resource for the twenty-first century. The End will do for eschatology what Randy Alcorn's Heaven did for people's understanding of heaven. It will provide a solid biblical foundation for Christians to explore the essential truths around this topic—the end of the world.

In a clear and understandable way, The End lays out:

• How to interpret Bible prophecy
• The key prophecy passages in Scripture
• What you need to know about the Tribulation, the Antichrist, and signs of the last days
• The strengths and weaknesses of the different views on the Rapture, the Millennium, and the chronology of the end times events

The book of Revelation doesn't need to feel daunting. The End will give you confidence in and hope for the future as it points you toward the second coming of Christ.

PART 1

Foundations for the Future

Have you ever driven down a strange dark road in a blinding rainstorm? Every minute you wish you could see beyond the edge of the headlights to see what’s ahead. If only you could know what was coming next—could intuitively know what’s out there or predict what you’ll find at the next bend in the road. We long to see ahead, to know, perhaps to avert disaster.

Can someone see what’s ahead by intuition or a special gift? Can a prophet know the future because the path of our lives is part of a larger drama scripted ahead of time? This is what the prophets of the Bible claim. Can we know where we are in that pattern of events foretold by prophets, written in Scripture, or seen in apocalyptic visions of the future? . . . In the uncertain storm of the days in which we live, all of us yearn to see beyond the headlights—but can we?

JOHN F. WALVOORD, Armageddon, Oil, and Terror²

CHAPTER 1

Don’t Stop Thinking about Tomorrow

PEOPLE ARE FASCINATED with the future. Psychic hotlines, tabloid newspapers, and astrologers make a living preying upon people’s innate interest in the future. Like someone once said, “I’m interested in the future because that’s where I’m going to spend the rest of my life.” But is this the only incentive for studying Bible prophecy? Was prophecy given just to satisfy our curiosity about the signs of the times and the end of the world? With all the different interpretations, many wonder why we should even study biblical prophecy. Others have become disillusioned by date setters and other reckless speculators. So why is it important to study biblical prophecy?

Years ago the singing group Fleetwood Mac recorded a blockbuster song titled “Don’t Stop,” with the well-known line “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow.” The Bible tells us the same thing. God’s people are to think about tomorrow. We are to never stop doing so. While many reasons could be given for thinking about tomorrow and gaining a deeper understanding of biblical prophecy, ten key reasons stand out.

1. Prophecy Is a Major Part of Divine Revelation

A seminary student who was also a pastor explained that he didn’t preach on prophecy because “prophecy distracts people from the present.” One of his professors observed, “Then there is certainly a lot of distraction in the Scriptures!”

In Bible study there’s a principle known as the “Law of Proportion.” This law simply means that you can discern the importance of a subject in Scripture by how much attention is devoted to it. Few people have any idea just how much of the Bible is prophetic in nature. The following statistics shed some light on the amount of prophecy in the Bible.

1. Number of Verses in the Bible: 31,124
2. Number of Predictions in the Old Testament: 1,239
3. Number of Old Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210
4. Percent of the Old Testament that is Prophecy: 28.5%
5. Number of Predictions in the New Testament: 578
6. Number of New Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 1,711 out of 7,914
7. Percent of the New Testament that is Prophecy: 21.5%
8. Percent of the Whole Bible that is Prophecy: 27%
9. Number of Separate Prophetic Topics in the Bible: 737³

Consider these facts:

• Of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ, only 109 were fulfilled by His first coming, leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled in the Second Coming.
• There are over 300 references to the Lord’s coming in the 260 chapters of the New Testament—one out of every 30 verses.
• Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books mention the Lord’s coming.
• Jesus refers to His second coming at least twenty-one times.
• [There are] 1,527 Old Testament passages [that] refer to the Second Coming.
• For every time the Bible mentions the first coming, the Second Coming is mentioned eight times.
• People are exhorted to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ over fifty times.⁴

Applying the Law of Proportion, biblical prophecy warrants serious study. To disregard this much of the Bible is foolish. To say that Bible prophecy is unimportant ignores how much prophecy the Bible contains. Entire books such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation are prophetic. Many other books contain large sections of prophecy: Jeremiah, Joel, Malachi, Matthew, and the Thessalonian epistles.

Who would study American history and leave out almost 30 percent of the textbook? Who would go to medical school and call himself or herself a doctor yet fail to understand how over one-fourth of the body functions? Likewise if we call ourselves believers in Jesus Christ and followers of Him, it is critical that we understand at least the basics of Bible prophecy.

We see the importance of prophecy reflected in the lives of godly people in Scripture. The prophet Daniel, while he was in captivity in Babylon, carefully studied the book of Jeremiah and discerned that the seventy-year exile was nearly over (see Daniel 9:1-2). In Luke 2 an old man named Simeon and an elderly woman named Anna were both in the Temple when Jesus’ parents brought Him there. Simeon and Anna knew from Old Testament prophecy that the time of the Messiah’s coming was near. They were “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel” (Luke 2:25). “This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward” (1 Peter 1:10-11). We should eagerly follow the pattern of these godly men and women. We should be compelled to study prophecy if for no other reason than to follow the example of godly saints in Scripture who recognized its importance.

2. Special Blessing Is Promised on Those Who Study Prophecy and Pay Attention to What It Says

In Revelation 1:3, the Lord promises a special blessing on those who study the book of Revelation: “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.” This is the only book in the Bible that contains this specific, unique promise. For this reason the book of Revelation has often been called the “Blessing Book.” The inclusion of this blessing seems to anticipate that many would be tempted to neglect the study of Bible prophecy, especially the book of Revelation.

Revelation contains seven blessings scattered throughout its pages (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14). The blessing in Revelation 1:3 is the first and most comprehensive one. It is a blessing that anyone reading can enjoy.

Notice the blessing in Revelation 1:3 is threefold.

The one who reads. In the early church, few people had a personal copy of the Scriptures, so someone would read them aloud to the people. Today this blessing extends to all who read this grand climax to God’s prophetic program.

All who listen. Just to hear the book of Revelation—and other prophecies of the Bible—read is a great blessing in troubled times like our modern world.

All who obey. It is not only important to read and hear Bible prophecy but also to obey what is written. We should diligently pay attention and watch for signs of the end times.

Any believer in Christ can receive the unmitigated blessing of God by simply reading, hearing, and paying attention to the things written in Revelation and in the other Scriptures that reveal the consummation of human history. Why would anyone want to miss out on this blessing?

3. Jesus Christ Is the Subject of Prophecy

Prophecy is all about Christ. It begins and ends in the person and work of the Savior. Revelation 19:10 says, “The essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.” The truth of this verse is certainly borne out in Scripture. The very first prophecy in the Bible in Genesis 3:15 promises a Deliverer who will crush the head of the serpent. Enoch’s ancient prophecy recorded in Jude 1:14-15 prophesies the second coming of Christ. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is filled with prophecies that ultimately point in some way to the Savior. Look at some of the ways Jesus is revealed in prophecy.

1. the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15)
2. Shiloh (“the one to whom it belongs”) (Genesis 49:10)
3. the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7)
4. the star from Jacob (Numbers 24:17)
5. the Great High Priest (Psalm 110)
6. the prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18)
7. the King (2 Samuel 7; Luke 1:32-33)
8. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
9. a righteous king (Isaiah 32:1)
10. “My servant” (Isaiah 53:2)
11. a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)
12. the smiting stone/the smashing rock (Daniel 2:31-35)
13. the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13)
14. the Anointed One (Daniel 9:25-26)
15. the Son who will rule the world (Psalm 2)
16. “My shepherd,” “My partner” (Zechariah 13:7)
17. the Lord of the Temple (Malachi 3:1)
18. the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-27)
19. the glorified, risen Savior (Revelation 1)
20. the Lord of the church (Revelation 2–3)
21. the Lamb of God (Revelation 5:6ff)
22. the judge of the nations (Revelation 6–11)
23. the miracle-born man-child (Revelation 12)
24. the coming King (Revelation 19)
25. the Lord of heaven and earth (Revelation 20–22)

The Names and Titles of Christ in Revelation

1. Jesus Christ (1:1)
2. faithful witness (1:5)
3. firstborn of the dead (1:5, NASB)
4. ruler of the kings of the world (1:5)
5. Alpha and Omega (1:8; 22:13)
6. who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (1:8, NASB)
7. Son of Man (1:13)
8. the First and the Last (1:17; 2:8; 22:13)
9. the living one (1:18; 2:8)
10. the one who holds the seven stars in His right hand (2:1)
11. the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands (2:1)
12. the one with the sharp two-edged sword (2:12)
13. the Son of God (2:18)
14. the one whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze (2:18)
15. He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars (3:1, NASB)
16. the one who is holy and true (3:7)
17. the one who has the key of David (3:7)
18. the Amen (3:14)
19. the faithful and true witness (3:14)
20. the Beginning of the creation of God (3:14, NASB)
21. the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah (5:5, NASB)
22. the Root of David (5:5; 22:16, NASB)
23. the Lamb (28 times)
24. their Lord (11:8)
25. a son who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron (12:5, NASB)
26. Faithful and True (19:11)
27. the Word of God (19:13)
28. King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16)
29. the Beginning and the End (22:13)
30. the bright morning star (22:16)

Studying Bible prophecy is vital because its very essence gives witness to Jesus.

4. Prophecy Gives Us a Proper Perspective in Life

There is a story of an airplane lost over the ocean in the middle of a hurricane....

Table of contents

• Cover Image
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Part 1: Foundations for the Future
• Part 2: Setting the Stage in the Current Age
• Part 3: When Will the Believing Be Leaving?
• Part 4: The Judgment Seat of Christ
• Part 5: The Marriage of the Lamb
• Part 6: The Worst Is Yet to Come
• Part 7: The Beginning of Birth Pains
• Part 8: The Antichrist Takes Over
• Part 9: The Great Tribulation
• Part 10: The Second Coming
• Part 11: Satan’s Chain and the Saints’ Reign
• Part 12: The Second Coming of Satan
• Part 13: The Great White Throne
• Part 14: The Best Is Yet to Come
• Appendix 1: A Proposed Chronology of the End Times
• Appendix 2: Recommended Books for Further Study
• Notes
• Index
• Scripture Index