“Is this the end?” Was the text I received from a dear American evangelical friend. The evangelical fascination with end-times prophecy is not new, but in recent years, it has been widely popularized. I often receive referrals and questions from frightened Christians worldwide about different publications by figures such as Amir Tsarfati, John Hagee, Joel Rosenberg, Jonathan Cahn, Greg Laurie, and David Jeremiah. These proponents often insist that we entered the apocalyptic times of the “end times,” citing various geopolitical events and linking them to ancient biblical prophecies. While their views captivate many (and terrify others) and turn books into best-sellers, it’s essential to examine these claims critically, considering their effect on the life and soul of the believer, especially concerning the scriptural basis and contextual interpretation.
The Statistical Reality
When it comes to interpreting biblical prophecies, especially those from the Old Testament, it’s crucial to acknowledge a fundamental point: the Bible was written in a very specific historical, cultural, and geographical setting. Unlike prophecies or predictions that could be applicable to any place in the world, biblical prophecies are centered around Israel and its neighboring regions.
Because of this concentration, it’s statistically very likely to find events in the modern world—particularly those occurring in or near Israel—that can be made to “fit” Old Testament prophecies. Remember, the Bible describes many events that took place over an extended amount of time, mostly in and around Israel, making it almost too-easy to find a verse that fits today’s events. This high probability is not proof of the fulfillment of biblical prophecy; rather, it’s a function of the specificity of the biblical text.
The Old Testament is saturated with events and prophecies that materialized and took place in and around Israel. Therefore, any contemporary geopolitical situation in that region could be made to look like a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. To take these texts and apply them willy-nilly to current events is not only a misunderstanding of the text but also a form of exegesis that is grounded more in convenience than in responsible interpretation.
This reminds me a lot of the “Texas sharpshooter fallacy.” In this analogy, a sharpshooter fires arrows at the side of a barn and then paints bullseye targets around wherever the arrows have landed, making it appear as though each shot was a perfect hit.
In the context of end-times prophecies, the Texas sharpshooter fallacy could be seen as taking current events and then finding biblical verses that appear to “predict” these events, making it look like a perfect match. However, just like the sharpshooter wasn’t actually aiming at any pre-determined target, these prophetic interpretations, more often than not, aren’t based on a responsible reading of the text but are instead manipulated to fit current events. This approach can be misleading and may not reflect the actual intent or meaning of the original text.
The Importance of Context
It’s crucial to note the importance of understanding biblical context. The Bible is a collection of texts written over millennia, addressing different cultures and circumstances. Plucking a couple of verses out of their context can lead to erroneous interpretations, and unfortunately, this is a common practice among some evangelical end-times theorists.
One popular text cited is the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, where Jesus discusses the signs of the end times. Proponents often quote verses like “you will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) as evidence that current geopolitical tensions indicate the end is near.
However, never mind wars and rumors of wars are always prevelant everywhere, many theologians will argue that a closer look at the text will show that Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, an event that occurred in 70 AD. Only a few verses later, verse 34 explicitly states, “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.” Clearly, the “generation” Jesus referred to was the one living at that time, not some future generation.
“666” and Nero
Another example is that many people associate the number “666” with all kinds of modern evils or future apocalyptic events. However, in the context of first-century Roman rule, many scholars argue that “666” was a coded reference to Emperor Nero, whose name, when transliterated into Hebrew letters, has a numeric value that totals 666. This is based on the ancient practice of Gematria, known to Jews, where each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a corresponding numeric value.
Scholars often interpret the book of Revelation as referring to Emperor Nero due to its timing and to Nero’s infamous persecution of Christians. Additionally, the symbolism and geographical focus of the text align closely with the conditions and challenges faced by first-century Christians under Roman rule- to whom Revelation was written and to whom it was supposed to make sense.
Daniel
Another frequently cited book is Daniel, particularly the prophecies related to kingdoms and powers. Yet, many scholars argue that these prophecies were fulfilled during the period of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. These scholars will contend that interpreting them as relating to modern geopolitical events is not only anachronistic but also disregards the original context.
Ezekiel and Gog and Magog
Ezekiel’s prophecy about Gog and Magog is also often misinterpreted. Some proponents claim that this refers to modern Russia and its allies attacking Israel. However, this interpretation ignores the historical and cultural settings in which Ezekiel wrote, often projecting modern geopolitics onto ancient texts.
Some interpret the prophecy as referring to events that have already taken place, pointing to historical invasions of Israel by foreign powers. Others view it as a prophecy yet to be fulfilled, associating it with end-times scenarios. Still, others understand it symbolically or allegorically rather than as a prediction of specific historical events.
Given the symbolic nature of the text, many scholars caution against a literalistic reading that ties it to any particular event.
Conclusion
Obviously, I can’t say definitively who is right and who is wrong. These texts can be extremely challenging, a testament as to why so many different interpretations exist. However, I frequently find that evangelical interpretations of Old Testament texts lack proper context and seem flawed. What concerns me even more is how certain authors, driven by the desire for “likes,” “views,” and sales, contribute to undue stress and anxiety among Christians, who become preoccupied with fears of imminent apocalyptic events. This not only misrepresents the intended messages of biblical texts, but it also distracts from the more pressing, real-world issues that communities of faith should be addressing.
While the Bible does contain apocalyptic literature that speaks to God’s ultimate plan for the world, it is both intellectually and theologically problematic to lift these texts out of their original contexts to make them fit contemporary events. By doing so, we risk trivializing the deep theological messages these texts contain and ignoring the immediate circumstances to which they were originally addressed.
Read my short article about the Rapture theory here.
