Why are there so many strange interpretations of prophecy? For example, why do so many fierce literalists maintain that Mystery Babylon will be the seat of a new world order rising out of the sands on the site in Iraq where Babylon once stood? Why do so many believe Israel will one day bull doze the sacred shrine of Islam, the Dome of the Rock, to rebuild its temple on the Temple Mount? (Several hundred million Arabs in the surrounding area might have something to say about that.)

I believe it is because they have done what the Bible never does. They have wrenched prophecy from its historical moorings and like an untethered hot air balloon their fantastic interpretations soar and travel along the winds of their fancy. This is not to say that they do not have scriptural reasons for their interpretations. They do. In some cases an impressive amount, while in others the connections are as tenuous a spider thread being used to anchor an aircraft carrier. But whether or not their scriptural justification has many citations or few, the end result is the same: once history is decoupled from prophecy any interpretation is possible.

This is because of the elastic nature of their source material. Prophecy is typically delivered in images that are open to many interpretations. But these interpretations, when limited by history, are not only limited they are also focused in a way that supports the truth. Prophecy should be limited and interpreted in the light of history because they are one. Prophecy is merely history stated in advance by a sovereign God.

The case of the end times is particularly instructive. Daniel states that the fourth kingdom, Rome, will be at war with the saints of God and will be in existence until the kingdom of God is established. Revelation updates this and describes the Great Beast, Rome, in ways that mirrored the then living Emperor Domitian who used to execute those who refused to sacrifice to his image, and who used to demand being referred to as "our Lord and God." This is the historical setting of the prophecy of the end times. It is between the saints, now Christians and clearly described as such in Revelation, and Rome. It is not between the Jews and Rome, or the Jews and Assyria, or the Jews an anyone else. They rejected Jesus and, as the parables, indicated, heir kingdom was given to another people who honored the Son.

Does this mean God no longer loves the Jews? Some may see this as being suggested by the above, but I don't. I believe their will be a dramatic conversion of Jews to Christianity before the end times arrives as the apostle Paul foretold. However, I do not think there will be a rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount. If there is to be another abomination of the desolators occupying the holy place it will likely be in a Christian temple like St. Peter's basilica in Rome. But it may not be. After all, this prophecy that Jesus restated after its fulfillment by Antiochus Epiphanes was later fulfilled by Rome in the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD by the Roman general Titus.

Once we remove the end times prophecy from the historical parameters set by God's prophets and apostles, we end up developing scenarios that make no sense when viewed at from a secular-historical perspective, or from a prophetic-historical point of view. In my book, The Template of Time: Our Destiny Decoded, I show how Rome and its prophesied conflict with the saints has perfectly unfolded on a grid of dates and what that suggests for our time when this history is viewed in the light of prophecy.

"Where are we headed? When will we get there?" The template offers forecasts that are now being realized. It forecast the removal of Mubarak and the rising of a militarily aggressive anti-Israeli state in Syria and Egypt. The Egypt part of the forecast is stunningly accurate and the Syrian forecast will likely be a result of the Arab Spring of unrest now going on. What else does it forecast? My website offers some of the suggestons of time, while the book reserves the main story line that people cannot yet see. Europe is the main event, and this should become clear in ten years if not sooner.

Grace and peace,

Tom 
 


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