Common “End-time” Prophecy Mistakes

Common mistakes people make about “End-time” Prophecy (Eschatology), and the false teachings of fictional movies like “Left Behind.”

“Test Everything. Hold on to the good”–1 Thessalonians 5:21

1. THE ERROR OF LIFTING “THE LAST DAYS” OUT OF THEIR 1ST CENTURY HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND ATTEMPTING TO RE-APPLY THEM TO OUR TIMES, TODAY.

Comment: The problem, every mention of “the last days” or equivalents [last times, last hour, etc.] in the New Testament Scriptures refers to the 1st Century CE. There are no exceptions. Check: Hebrews 1:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3; Jude 18; 1 John 2:18.

2. THE ERROR OF SEPARATING DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK FROM HIS OTHER 69 WEEKS, INSERTING A TIME GAP OF INDETERMINATABLE LENGTH AND CALLING IT A FUTURE, 7-YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.

Comment: Daniel’s 70 Weeks of years [490 years] were literally, perfectly and sequentially fulfilled, within the time fame of his four world empires. Its starting point was the Decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC. Its finishing point was in 34 AD, when the time determined exclusively upon the remaining Israelites in Palestine was over and the gospel was free to go to the Diaspora (lost 10 tribes of Israel). There is no scriptural warrant or precedent for inserting a gap of any kind or duration.

3. THE ERROR OF CLAIMING THE “THIS GENERATION” IN YAHSHUA’S (JESUS’) OLIVET DISCOURSE, WHICH WOULD EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING HE DESCRIBED, MEANS SOME OTHER FUTURE GENERATION.

Comment: Every New Testament use [36 times] of the phrase “this generation” always refers to the generation then-and-there present in the 1st Century CE. See, for example: (Matthew 23:36; 11:16; 12:41, 42; 16:4). Yahshua’s usage in Matthew 24 was no different. He never mentioned nor inferred any other generation different from that of those he was addressing. (Note: The Scriptural generation is approximately 40 years)

4. THE ERROR OF ASSUMING THE BOOK OF REVELATION [OR MOST OF IT] IS A FORECAST OF FUTURE WORLD EVENTS STILL UNFULFILLED.

Comment: This assumption violates what the book of Revelation says about itself and to whom the book was written. In its prologue and epilogue, it states, concerning the whole of its prophecy that it was: “at hand,” “obey-able” and, finally, “not to be sealed up.” Revelation’s total relevance (in Old Testament Scripture’s Poetic Picture language) starts and ends in the lifetime of its original hearers, and to those who were originally addressed, “the seven assemblies that are in Asia”, Rev, 1:4. If you are not of these Assemblies, living during the times of the address of the letter (book), the Prophecy in Revelation is NOT for you.

5. THE ERROR OF SPINNING OFF ATTRIBUTES OF DANIEL’S FOURTH WORLD EMPIRE, INSERTING A TIME GAP AND CALLING IT A FIFTH WORLD EMPIRE…A YET-TO-COME,”REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE.”

Comment: Daniel’s two visions (Daniel 2 & 7) portrayed four successive world empires, not five. They were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the old Roman Empire. Daniel places the coming of one like the son of man [the Messiah] and the establishment of His everlasting kingdom during the time of this fourth world empire, the old Roman Empire. This was all fulfilled, exactly, without gaps, gimmicks or any interpretive high jinks.

6. THE ERROR OF TEACHING THAT 1ST CENTURY SOCIAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS MUST BE RE-ENACTED FOR ENDTIMES FULFILLMENT TO OCCUR, – AGAIN.

Comment: It is the failure of interpreters to recognize the significance of the historical events surrounding the predicted destruction of Jerusalem by Messiah, of the Temple of Herod and of cultic sacrificial system in 70 CE — This was the real “End-times”, also referred to as the “end of the World”, with the meaning “the end of the formal ceremonial sacrificial Religious system”.

7. THE ERROR OF POSTPONING ALL OR PART OF THE COMING [I.E. CONSUMMATION] OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Comment: Daniel prophesied the coming of ONLY ONE, everlasting Kingdom* of God. It was to take place in the days of the fourth world empire [the Roman Empire]. That kingdom is THE kingdom which John the Baptist and Yahshua proclaimed as “at hand.” What’s more, Yahshua’s coming in power and glory consummated that kingdom when the old Israelite cultic system was completely destroyed (70 CE). All this occurred exactly as, and when Yahshua said it would–within the lifetime of those then living (Matthew 10:23; 16:28; 24:30-34; 26:64). * Note: In Aramaic, the word “Kingdom” also means “Counsel” since in ancient Middle-East culture, Kings were also councilors

8. THE ERROR OF MISUSING YAHSHUA’S STATEMENT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE “DAY OR THE HOUR” OF HIS COMING TO IMPLY NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW THE MONTH, YEAR OR EVEN THE GENERATION.

Comment: Scripture is precise in its use of time statements. For 1st Century believers, not being able to know the “day or hour” was no excuse. Yahshua emphatically warned, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies…get out” (Luke 21:20-21). Armies surrounded Jerusalem four times in 66, 67, 68 and, lastly, in 70 CE…. Those who read this sign and acted in time, escaped, (were saved by believing in Yahshua). Those who didn’t leave, or refused to leave, suffered the wrath of YHWH’s judgment at this particular, time-restricted and end-of-the-age coming (the nearness) of Yahshua.

9. THE ERROR OF SUBSCRIBING TO A PAGAN, “END-OF-THE-WORLD” PARADIGM.

Comment: Do you know what the Bible says about an “end of the world?” NOTHING. What do the historic creeds say? Again NOTHING. What the Bible actually says is: The earth remains forever — Ecclesiastes 1:4 End of the age — Matthew 13:39, 49; 24:3.

10. THE ERROR OF CONCEDING BY DEFAULT THAT ALL-1ST CENTURY IMMINENCY EXPECTATIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS, THE EARLY BELIEVERS AND YAHSHUA HIMSELF PROVED FALSE.

Comment: If our 1st Century ancestors in the faith, and even Yahshua Himself, were mistaken about something as important as the coming again of Yahshua and about “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Peter 4:7) as being imminent in their lifetimes, how can we now trust them for passing on any other aspects of the faith? The answer is, they were not mistaken.

11. THE ERROR OF BUYING INTO A NEW TEACHING IN CHURCH HISTORY [ONLY THE LAST 150 YEARS] OF AN ESCAPE FROM THIS PLANET, FROM THIS LIFE’S TRIBULATIONS AND FROM KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITIES.

Comment: The relatively new teaching of a “rapture-removal” or ‘Left Behind’ from planet Earth is a distortion of key scriptures historically interpreted to refer to a general resurrection. Yahshua specifically prayed against the human weakness ‘for removal’ (John 17:15). And His prayer is still in effect. This is the most dangerous of all corrupted teachings, because it attempts to remove the believer, from his responsibility of ruling with Messiah as the body, over this world. It leaves a void of righteous believers in Civil and Governmental affairs, which are subsequently filled by Pagans, with obvious results. Wake up believer, only you have been given the knowledge, and the wisdom to rule with Messiah as King, get involved, get elected, START RULING!

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