Multi Dimensional Prophecy

ne of the reasons Bible prophecy teachers and scholars have consistently failed to successfully make predictions based upon their scriptural analysis is the almost universal refusal to recognize the non-linear nature of predictive knowledge. In the various scriptural accounts which deal with specific chronological events, such as the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, the kings passages in Daniel 7,8, and 11, and the Seal, Trumpet, and Vial movements in Revelation, we see such a massive amount of data that it cannot be distilled down to a single timeline.

The comic-book version of prophecy found in the ranks of the moronic "left-behind" crowd have almost completely obliterated the believer's ability to even think in a rational fashion. A good example of this two-dimensional quicksand is found in the so-called doctrine of imminency -- the rapture cult dogma that Christ could return at any moment without any necessary pre-requisites. Few stopped to think that since Revelation describes a 200 million man army fielded by "the kings of the East" (Revelation 16:12), that last generation could not have arrived (and Christ's return could not, therefore, be imminent) when the world's population didn't come close to that figure.

Another example is the Preterist nonsense wherein the "scholars" tell us the tribulation already happened in 70 AD. Although there are variations in the estimates of how many were killed in the Roman siege at Jerusalem, they top out at about 1.1 million. Since Jesus Christ said the "tribulation" will be "such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" (Matthew 24:21), how can the million or so dead then be considered more severe than, say, the black plague which killed 20 million a millennia later?

Oh, and never mind the great flu pandemic of 1918, or the 50 million murdered by Mao Tse Tung and "Uncle Joe" Stalin years later!

Another example of this superficial linear thinking is in order. Since the world is destroyed at the end of the seal judgments in Revelation 6, and the world is destroyed at the end of the trumpet judgments in Revelation 9, and the world is destroyed at the end of the vial judgments in Revelation 16, are we to believe the world ends three times? The obvious answer is these three sequences overlap and all conclude at the same time -- thus the world only comes to its retribution once more; yet the churches overwhelmingly reject this most basic of interpretive perspectives.

The author of Hebrews tells us as much when he writes "but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." (Hebrews 12:26). While the scholars argue over alleged contradictions in the chronological prophetic record, they never stop to think that God communicates from outside of the timestream. His perspective is eternal, so when Revelation says Lucifer was cast out of heaven in Revelation, it happened before the world was made, it happened at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and it will happen in the near future during the already underway tribulation. Indeed, it's happening right NOW.

The truth is, on this side of the temporal existence that God has engineered, we see through a glass darkly. However, the "then" when we will see Him "face to face" (I Corinthians 13:12) is just around the bend in the river.

August 3 2005 -- James Lloyd

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See Also

Apocalyptic Linguistics