Journal 2019
There was a time in the 1970s and ’80s when prophecy conferences were all the rage. Fueled by Cold War anxieties and Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth, scholars dissected end time prophecies in the book of Revelation, comparing them to the book of Daniel and words by Jesus and His disciples. They created complicated charts, graphs, and timelines for each event and posited various theories for the rapture of believers. In the 1990s, Jerry Jenkins, who adheres to a pre-tribulation rapture position, became a millionaire with his Left Behind series. A quick Google search reveals several current popular leaders on eschatology.
Admittedly, at one time I joined the fray with verses to match each theory and was called heretical for my conclusions. But “Uncle Bill” O’Donovan, my favorite Bible teacher in junior high, taught us to hold our theories loosely. Today I shake my head at the dogmatic positions, camps, and conclusions many come to. Prophecy is proven in retrospect. I don’t want to be so blind as to make up my mind ahead of time and then have to eat my words.
I’m reading through the book of Daniel right now and note that in chapter 12 he refers to a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked at the same time. I can’t see anywhere in the book where there’s a separate resurrection or a rapture.
We may try to figure out Daniel’s prophecies, but no matter what happens or when, we can rest in the fact that God has the future all planned out—He knows the end and the beginning and everything in between. The critical phrase “at the appointed time” is repeated three times in the book (11:25, 29, 35).
Two verses intrigue me:
Some of the wise will stumble, SO THAT they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will come at the appointed time. (11:35 NIV, emphasis added)
Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. (12:10)
Rather than focusing on a future timeline, perhaps we would be better off examining our hearts to prepare for whatever the future holds.
