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APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

The uncertainty of the future often produces fear and disorientation in many lives. The ancients attempted to deal with such existential anguish by developing methods to predict the future or to avert suspected future evils. They sought to find ways to control the unknown in order to enjoy the present. Yet the future has remained elusive.

The Bible provides a vision of the future that has filled the lives of millions with inexpressible hope and expectation. The God who created and who acted on our behalf in human history through the ministry of Jesus and His saving death on the cross is about to consummate His work of salvation in a way and magnitude that the most fertile imagination cannot begin to fathom. It is particularly through apocalyptic prophecies that God has revealed to us some details of His loving plan for the human race.

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WHAT IS AN APOCALYPTIC PROPHECY?

The term apocalyptic comes from the name of the book of Revelation (apokalupsis, “disclosure, revelation”).
It designates prophetic writings written in the same style as Revelation or that convey a similar message or theology.

The term apocalyptic comes from the name of the book of Revelation (apokalupsis, “disclosure, revelation”) and designates

prophetic writings written in the same style as Revelation or that convey a similar message or theology. We find in the Bible different types of literature, all of them inspired by God. Some biblical writers used stories or narrated the way the Lord led His people in the past in order to strengthen the faith of their contemporaries (e.g., 1, 2 Kings). Others communicated their messages through sermons in the form of poetry (e.g., Isaiah 40-66), songs (e.g., Psalms), wisdom sayings (e.g., Proverbs), or letters (e.g., Romans). But Daniel and Revelation stand apart from those in the complexity of the images and language used to receive and communicate the divine revelation. Let us explore some of the basic characteristics of apocalyptic prophecies.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Use of Visions and Dreams.

Jacob’s ladder – saw a dream (Gen. 28:12-21)
Calling of Jeremiah – heard a voice (Jer. 1:4)
In Daniel and Revelation, visions, and in few cases dreams, are the primary means of divine revelation.
At times supernatural manifestations accompanied the vision, it validated the revelation’s divine origin in the eyes of those around the prophets. (Dan. 10:7)

God used visions and dreams to reveal His message to His prophets (Gen. 28:12- 21; 1 Kings 22:19), but more often they simply heard His voice speaking to them (Jer. 1:4). In the books of Daniel and Revelation, though, visions, and in a few cases dreams, took central stage as the primary means of divine revelation.

The Holy Spirit took the two prophets beyond the common world to a reality that escaped their full comprehension. This mode of revelation emphasized the fact that what the prophets received was of a transcendental nature not accessible to any other individual. The stress on visions also indicated that the communication was a private one between God and those of His servants empowered by the Spirit to receive it. They were God’s chosen agencies to function as mediators of a divine message. Since at times supernatural manifestations accompanied the vision, it validated the revelation’s divine origin in the eyes of those around the prophets, sometimes even instilling fear in them (e.g., Dan. 10:7).

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Daniel 10:7

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Abundant Use of Symbolic Language and Images.

Verbal, visual, and many other types of symbols are part of our daily life as we seek to communicate with each other.
A symbol challenges us to think. God used apocalyptic symbolism to challenge us to spend time with His Word, to explore its meaning, and to understand the message that He placed there for us.

This is obviously one of the most basic differences between prophecy in general and apocalyptic prophecy in particular. Almost every scene in a vision contains strange symbolic images and language: a winged lion, a flying goat with a prominent horn, a dragon with 10 horns and seven heads, the seal of God, etc. In some cases the images are almost bizarre and difficult to understand (e.g., “And out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword” [Rev. 1:16; cf. It prompts us to explore the reason for such widespread use of symbolism in apocalyptic prophecies. God probably employed them for several possible reasons.

First, verbal, visual, and many other types of symbols are part of our daily life as we seek to communicate with each other. For instance, a sound is a symbol whose meaning is usually determined by its connection with other sounds. The sound “dr” is meaningless by itself, but when we add another sound to it, such as “ess,” we immediately find significance in it because it conveys a particular idea—namely “dress.” Symbols surround us, and we use them almost unconsciously. The Lord was using a human structure of communication in order to reach us with His message.

Second, a symbol challenges us to think. The more prominent or dramatic the symbol is the more curious we tend to become as we feel our need to understand it. Therefore, a symbol stimulates us to search for the meaning being communicated

through it. God used apocalyptic symbolism to challenge us to spend time with His Word, to explore its meaning, and to understand the message that He placed there for us.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Abundant Use of Symbolic Language and Images.

Symbols sometimes emphasize the importance of the message they try to communicate.
Symbols not only reveal something, but also conceal meaning.

Third, symbols sometimes emphasize the importance of the message they try to communicate. It seems that the more unusual the symbol is the more vital the message it seeks to express. What He intended to say was so important that He did not want us to overlook it and, therefore, underlined it by using a variety of symbols. Apocalyptic symbols have as their purpose emphasizing the significance and urgency of what God presented through them.

Fourth, symbols not only reveal something, but also conceal meaning. It is necessary for the reader to decode the symbol in order to understand the message. In English speaking countries the word “dress” is meaningful because the community or culture associates a particular idea with it. But for a French-speaking person “dress” is just a sound. For those outside the group the symbol could be meaningless or could even express a different idea (e.g., “red” in English designates a color, while “red” in Spanish designates a fishing tool [English, “net”]).

God used many symbols that were common in the time of the biblical writers but in some cases invested them with meanings known only to the community of believers. In this way He protected them from attack by enemies whose identity was concealed within the symbols. Because symbols could reveal and conceal at the same time, it is important to interpret them in light of the biblical text. It is there that we find the meaning that God Himself attached to them.

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Daniel 7:2, 3

Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Unconditional Nature of Apocalyptic Prophecy.

Apocalyptic prophecies describe God’s universal plan for the human race and His people, and therefore they are unconditional.

70-weeks prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27)
Four world kingdom followed by the kingdom of God (Dan. 2 and 7)
Final judgment (Rev. 20)

Many biblical prophecies have a conditional nature.* That is to say, their fulfillment depended to a large extent on the human response to the prophetic message. This is understandable if we remind ourselves that the prophets functioned within the covenant established by God with Israel. His plans for them were directly related to their covenant faithfulness.

Therefore, how they reacted to the covenant relationship made their fulfillment conditional. Of course, sometimes the prophets proclaimed unconditional prophecies as, for instance, the role of Cyrus in bringing to an end the exile of the Israelites (Isa. 44:28; 45:1-6). The unconditional nature of this prophecy rests on God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty.

Apocalyptic prophecies describe God’s universal plan for the human race and His people, and therefore they are unconditional. The sovereign Lord of history, He leads it, without violating human choice or free will, to a particular goal, namely, the establishment of His eternal kingdom on earth. Consequently, apocalyptic prophecy has an element of determinism based on the fact that God’s plan will triumph in spite of any opposition.

Hence, we find nothing conditional in Daniel’s announcement of the coming of the Messiah during the 70 prophetic weeks or in the prophetic announcement of the four world kingdoms to be followed by the kingdom of God. Neither is the prophecy of the final judgment conditional nor the destruction of God’s enemies or the salvation of the holy ones. The Lord has determined that those events will take place, because He is the Lord of history.

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Revelation 20:11-12

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Centrality of the Cosmic Conflict.

The concept of the struggle between good and evil, or great controversy, becomes a central one in apocalyptic prophecies and develops along universal lines rather than national ones.
Fundamentally messianic prophecy in that God fulfills His plan through the work of the Messiah who as king defeats the enemy and establishes God’s kingdom on earth.

The concept of the struggle between good and evil, or great controversy, runs throughout the Bible as one of its unifying theological topics. Scripture often describes God as a warrior fighting against the enemies of His people and bringing salvation to them by delivering them from some oppressive power. This topic becomes a central one in apocalyptic prophecies and develops along universal lines rather than national ones.

Nations may fight against each other in their search for supremacy. One power after another rises to play its role in the arena of human history as either God’s instrument or that of the enemy. But apocalyptic emphasizes their willful and irrational attack against God and His people and the need for Him to overcome such forces by bringing eternal and permanent deliverance to His people. He does that through the Messiah.

Apocalyptic prophecy is fundamentally messianic prophecy in that God fulfills His plan through the work of the Messiah who as king defeats the enemy and establishes God’s kingdom on earth. The great controversy concerns the efforts of the Messiah on behalf of God’s people. He is the decisive figure, the Deliverer whose coming and ministry of sacrifice and mediation Scripture predicts with amazing precision and detail (Dan. 9:25-27). The centrality of the cosmic conflict in apocalyptic prophecy rests on the fact that the Messiah Prince is the one facing the forces of evil, defeating them, and bringing in everlasting righteousness by atoning for the world’s sins (verse 24).

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CHARACTERISTICS OF APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Centrality of the Cosmic Conflict.

Places special emphasis on the final aspects of the great controversy and on Christ’s ministry on our behalf.

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Principles of Interpreting Apocalyptic Prophecies

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Communion With God.

Only the One who gave us the prophecy can provide us the correct interpretation.
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” – 1 Cor. 2:14

While this may sound more like personal spiritual preparation than a principle of interpretation, it is an indispensable element for a proper understanding of apocalyptic prophecy. When Nebuchadnezzar forgot his dream, Daniel and his companions prayed to God who then revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel (Dan. 2:18, 19). Confused by the prophecy of the 2300 evenings and mornings, Daniel studied the Scriptures and prayed for light. An angel came and said to him, “As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you” (Dan. 9:23).

Communion with God through prayer and the study of the Scriptures is indispensable, because only the One who gave us the prophecy can provide us the correct interpretation. We must strive to understand “spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:13), and this requires that we get in deep touch with the source of divine wisdom.

Paul adds: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (verse 14). In the apocalyptic book of Daniel we find the prophet both studying for himself as well as asking God to give him the proper interpretation of the prophecies. He is an excellent example for those of us living in the time of the end.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Historical Perspective.

It is necessary to understand the point of view or perspective of the prophecy itself.
The Bible acts as its own interpreter.

Daniel requested help from the angel interpreter who provided the proper way of reading those prophecies.
The angel revealed to him that they contained God’s plan for the human race from the time of the prophet to the time of the end.

As we interpret apocalyptic prophecies it is necessary to understand the point of view or perspective of the prophecy itself. What is it that the prophecy is trying to accomplish? Is the prophet writing only to his contemporaries, or does the prophecy address future generations? How do we know or how can we find out? In answering those questions we should remember that the Bible acts as its own interpreter. We must allow the biblical text to provide its own answer.

Daniel was usually confused after receiving or even while experiencing a vision and was unable to understand them (e.g., Dan. 8:15, 27). Instead of speculating about their possible meaning, he requested help from the angel interpreter who provided for both him and for us the proper way of reading those prophecies (Dan. 7:16). The angel revealed to him that they contained God’s plan for the human race from the time of the prophet to the time of the end (cf. Dan. 2 and 7).

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Daniel 7:16

I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

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...You are this head of gold.”

Daniel 2:38

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Daniel 7:17-18

‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

We find the same pattern in Daniel 7: “The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever” (Dan. 7:17, 18).

In other words, apocalyptic prophecies cover the whole span of history from the prophet’s time to when God finally establishes His kingdom on earth. This is what we have called the historicist method of interpretation. The prophecies were not only about what was happening during the lifetime of Daniel or John, but also what would occur at the end. They described God’s plan from the period of the prophet to the consummation of salvation at the end of the great controversy. This particular historical perspective is indispensable for properly interpreting apocalyptic prophecies.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Visionary Circles.

Apocalyptic visions are self-contained units with their own particular message.

Daniel 7
Daniel 8 to 9
Seven Churches of Rev. 2 and 3
Seven Seals of Rev. 6 to 8
Seven Trumpets of Rev. 8 to 11
Seven Plagues of Rev. 16

Apocalyptic visions are self-contained units with their own particular message. It would be wrong to read Daniel 8 just as the continuation of Daniel 7. The text itself informs us that Daniel 7 opens and closes a vision and that Daniel 8 is thus a new vision with its interpretation extending to chapter 9. We have here two visionary circles. The same principle is also at work in Daniel 2 and Daniel 10-12.

In the book of Revelation we find several visionary circles, some of them organized into a pattern of sevens (e.g., seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven plagues), or around the theme of the great conflict between good and evil (Rev. 12-14). Because they are units in themselves, we should not read them sequentially. Mixing the visionary circles and interpreting them as a single long chain of events leading to the end distorts and confuses the message of each individual unit.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Use of Recapitulation.

This principle points to the connections between the different circles of visions.

the visions cover the same historical period.
through recapitulation the parallel account adds new information not found in the first visionary circle.
often the visionary circles provide a different perspective for the same historical period.

Closely related to the previous one, this principle points to the connections between the different circles of visions. Even though each vision is a self contained unit, they are related to each other in several ways. A study of the different visionary circles usually helps the interpreter to understand the particular purpose of the new vision through the use of the principle of recapitulation.

By recapitulation we mean, first, that the visions cover the same historical period, that is to say, they move from the time of the prophet to that of the end. We saw this already with respect to Daniel 2 and 7. In both cases each vision took us from the time of Daniel to the end under the symbol of four kingdoms followed by the kingdom of God. We have in those chapters two parallel accounts of the same historical period. Second, through recapitulation the parallel account adds new information not found in the first visionary circle of Daniel 2. Daniel 7 has richer symbolism, particularly with respect to the fourth beast and its little horn. When we compare the different visions and study their parallels we gain a more complete picture of God’s plan for the human race and His people.

Third, often the visionary circles provide a different perspective for the same historical period. For instance, the message to the seven churches reveal God’s concern for His people throughout the history of the church (Rev. 2; 3), but the seven trumpets portray His historical judgments on sinful humanity during the same historical period. They both move from the beginning of the Christian era to the time of the end (Rev. 8-11). As we study the visions we look not only for the parallels but also for the different perspective that each one offers and for any further development of themes already present in previous visions.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Symbols.

interpret symbols by their use in the Bible.

if the context does not explain the symbol, we must study its use elsewhere in the Bible.

We should interpret symbols by their use in the Bible, thus avoiding dangerous speculations and unsound personal opinions. Apocalyptic prophecies often provide the meaning of some of the symbols used, but at other times the vision will offer no explanation. Therefore, it is important, first, to pay particular attention to the context of a symbol within a vision.

In Revelation 17:1 the great prostitute “sits on many waters,” but the passage does not inform us what the “many waters” symbolizes. By paying special attention to the context we realize that verse 15 gives us an important clue: “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.”

Second, if the context does not explain the symbol, we must study its use elsewhere in the Bible. Usually we will find more than one usage or meaning for a symbol. One must select the one that seems to fit better the context of the particular

apocalyptic prophecy. We should be able to justify our preference by explaining how the context appears to support it.

Deciphering symbols is one of the most risky aspects of dealing with apocalyptic prophecies, and the interpreter must always be open to corrections based on a growing understanding of a symbol.

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Revelation 17:1

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

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Revelation 17:15

Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.

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Numbers 14:34

According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

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Ezekiel 4:6

And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Historical Fulfillment.

Apocalyptic prophecy provides a general outline of God’s plans for the human race and not a detailed map of all events to take place in human history.

We should also keep in mind that the history of the interpretation of apocalyptic prophecies shows that only their fulfillment helped us understand them better.

How can we identify the historical fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy? In order to answer that question we should keep in mind that apocalyptic prophecy provides a general outline of God’s plans for the human race and not a detailed map of all events to take place in human history.

The interpretation the angel interpreter gave to Daniel offers an excellent guide when searching for the fulfillment of those sections of the prophecies in which Scripture does not clearly provide a meaning. The Bible itself interprets the four empires in Daniel 2 and 7, and they provide the foundation that will assist us to identify the fourth kingdom, its subsequent division, and the little horn image.

We should also keep in mind that the history of the interpretation of apocalyptic prophecies shows that only their fulfillment helped us understand them better. Until then Bible students found themselves struggling with contradictory interpretations or expectations, but after a prophecy met its completion a more unified interpretation would begin to emerge. Therefore, we should be very careful when interpreting prophecies whose fulfillment still awaits the future.

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Christ as the Center.

Christ should be at the very center of any interpretation of apocalyptic prophecy.
Every interpretation should answer the question How does it testify about or point to Jesus?

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INTERPRETING APOCALYPTIC PROPHECIES

Christ as the Center.

In Daniel 7 the Messiah is the Son of man.
In Daniel 8 He is the priest.
In Daniel 9 He is the sacrificial victim.
In Revelation depicts Him as the high priest. The lamb, the mediator, and the Saviour.

In Daniel 7 the Messiah is the Son of man; in 8 He is the priest; and in 9 the sacrificial victim. The rest of the book portrays Him as the prince of the covenant who stands for His people and fights against their enemies. The book of Revelation depicts Him as the high priest working on behalf of His church (Rev. 1:13), the lamb (Rev. 5:6), and the mediator in the holy and Most Holy places (Rev. 8:3, 4; 11:19). He is also the child who defeated the dragon; the Saviour of His people who was victorious over the serpent (Rev. 12:4-6, 10, 11); the lamb slain from the creation of the world (Rev. 13:8); and the one who

dwells on Mount Zion and protects His people (Rev. 14:1). Christ is the King of kings who overcomes and punishes all His end-time enemies (Rev. 15-19) and the divine warrior (Rev. 19:11-20:15). John saw Him dwelling with His people in a world fully restored to perfect harmony with God (Rev. 22:3-5).

The books of Daniel and Revelation concentrate on Him as the exalted Lord who mediates for us in heaven. The moment He finishes that work the cosmic conflict will come to an end. It is that glorious moment that the apocalyptic prophecies anticipate with expectation and great joy.

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