Eschatology – A Comprehensive Analysis of End-Time Prophecy

467 Pages·2011·3.35 MB·English

by  David Scott Nichols

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David Scott Nichols MD
Eschatology – A Comprehensive Analysis of End-Time Prophecy

Table of Contents

Preface 3
Introduction 5
Christian Apologetics – Evidence of Biblical Veracity 7
Fulfilled Prophecies 7
Biblical ―Types‖ 43
Changed Lives of the Apostles 62
Jesus - Liar, Lunatic, or God 66
The Archeological and Historical Accuracy of the Bible 73
Thematic Consistency of the Bible 81
The Lives of Christian Believers and Their Testimonies 86
Understanding the Basics of Biblical End-Times Prophecy 91
Covenant Theology 94
Dispensational Theology 97
Preterism 103
The Millennial Kingdom 109
The Rapture and the Second Coming 159
Fifty Signs That We are Living in The Last Days 213
Biblical Eschatology 292
Zechariah 293
The Revelation of Jesus Christ 317
Final Thoughts 460
Bibliography 462
***Words of Jesus in red
***Remaining Words of Bible in blue ©DavidScottNichols2011
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Eschatology – A Comprehensive Analysis of End-Time Prophecy

Eschatology
Preface:

This will be my ninth treatise on topics related directly to the Holy Bible. I have written
six over the last three years. These range from an Old Testament Survey to the The Acts of the
Apostles and the New Testament Church. I had written two others, on the topics of Apologetics
and Job, during the previous decade. Not coincidentally, the topic I have chosen for what will be
my last planned treatise on a theological subject is that of eschatology… which is the study of
end-times prophecy. I have always found this to be a very fascinating topic.
This will be my attempt at writing a comprehensive treatise on this subject of biblical
eschatology. Certainly, with the events of the past several decades, the level of interest in this
topic has reached an all-time high. I believe this interest is well placed. As will be shown in the
pages that follow, there is good evidence to suggest that we are, in fact, living in the end-times.
It is important to point out that the information that is contained in all of these treatises is
used primarily for notes to allow me to lecture on these various topics. Power Point
presentations are developed to go along with these pages. Together they allow for me the
opportunity to teach on the subject that most interests me in my life… God and His Word, the
Holy Bible.
Although this subject is fascinating to so many, it is not without controversy. In fact, it is
just this controversy that has made this the most difficult treatise that I have written. When I
began to write on this subject I was not particularly aware of the multiple different views
concerning how to evaluate and understand biblical end-time prophecy. When I began to
research the topic, I realized that there are many outstanding and intelligent Christians who
simply have major differences of opinions on what is going to happen in the future. Their
methods of interpreting the Bible vary. Attempting to explain all of these points of view and
then trying to account for these various views in some reasonable fashion when commenting on
The Revelation was a very time-consuming and difficult challenge. In fact, I may have gone
overboard in this exposition in Section 2. For that reason, I suggest to those readers who do not
care to evaluate all of these varying positions in great detail to just skim over much of that
section – just hit the high points. However, for those who want to really understand the various
methods of interpretation of the Bible and eschatology, that section does present those views in
fairly significant detail.
It is important to make clear that the major point of view presented in this treatise is that
one day our world will experience the Rapture, followed shortly thereafter by a Premillennial
Tribulation lasting seven years. This will be concluded by the Second Coming of Christ with
His saints to defeat Satan and set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth. Many other viewpoints
will be presented in some detail as well. In fact, to a reasonable degree, even how some of these
varying views would change the end-time events will be noted during the commentary on The
Revelation.
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Undoubtedly, this is an intriguing topic to many people. It certainly has been to me all
through my lifetime. The very fact that Jesus will one day come for all of those who have placed
their faith in Him is exciting. He is now up in His heavenly home preparing a place for His
Church. We should always remember His words as He was about to give His life for those who
would only trust in Him. He said… "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe
also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. John 14:1-3
One last point should be made. It is very important to understand that even though there
are many views of just how the sequence of the final events will unfold on the earth, all do agree
on one critical point. When all is said and done, God will set up a beautiful New Heaven and
Earth where all who have placed their faith in Jesus will live for eternity in perfect peace, joy,
and harmony. That is the future that Jesus has for all who have placed their trust in Him.

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Introduction:
This treatise will be divided into four sections:
1. A great variety of evidence will be given to show that we can trust the Holy Bible when it
predicts future events.
2. A review of the differing methods that have been used throughout history to evaluate and
interpret the Bible, with emphasis on end-times prophecy, will be presented.
3. Fifty different examples will be given to show that it is very reasonable to conclude that
we are now living near the time of Christ‘s return.
4. The future Rapture, seven year Tribulation, Christ‘s glorious return, and the Millennial
Kingdom will be studied in detail via an analysis of the books of Zechariah and The
Revelation of Jesus Christ along with other apocalyptic sections of the Bible (including
those in Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many other books of the prophets).

Certainly, it will be important to spend at least some time to demonstrate the incredible
accuracy of Biblical prophecy. Of course, since the Bible is ultimately written through the
inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, perfection is exactly what one would expect.
However, it is still worth pointing out several of the many impressive examples of this predictive
accuracy that have already come true. This will be done in the first section. In doing this,
hopefully great confidence will be gained as we look at the many biblical prophecies of future
events. If the writers of the Bible have been unfailingly accurate in predicting hundreds of
events that have subsequently come true… and they have… one can logically believe that those
prophecies that concern future events will also come true in the fullness of time. Not only is the
Bible demonstrably true when one analyzes its prophetic passages, but there are several other
reasons that an objective person should conclude that Christianity is the one true religion. Given
that this additional important evidence only adds to the confidence that the Bible‘s end-time
prophecies should be believed, several of these other classic assurances for biblical veracity will
be noted in the first section as well.
The second portion of this treatise will present and evaluate the various methods that
theologians, down through the centuries, have used to interpret biblical prophecy. There is
actually quite a wide range of opinion on this subject. These will be discussed in some detail. It
is important to take a close look at the specific reasons why I have chosen to interpret prophetic
passages in the manner presented in the last section of this book.
Section 3 of this book will be concerned with the many reasons so many prophecy
scholars believe we may well be living in the ―terminal generation‖ (Hal Lindsey coined this
term several years ago). Literally dozens of books have been written on this topic, the most
popular being the best-selling non-fiction book of the 1980s (excluding the Bible), The Late,
Great, Planet Earth. This book was written by Hal Lindsey at the onset of that decade. Of
course, there have been people from soon after the resurrection of Jesus Christ who have held
similar beliefs concerning the end-times. In fact, there have been people in every century who
have believed that they would be alive on earth to see the return of Christ in all of His glory.
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Having said that, I will present a great deal of evidence to show that this generation of mankind
has lived through the fulfillment of many prophecies that suggest strongly that the end is near.
Dozens of examples will be given to show how the events that the Bible predicts will occur just
prior to the return of Jesus Christ have been coming to fruition at an amazing pace in recent
decades. Obviously, this fact makes it all the more interesting and important that people study
and learn what to expect upon the return of the Messiah, Jesus. Not only that, but recognizing
these truths is an excellent opportunity to build one‘s faith; it is always impressive to see the
power of God as evidenced by the fulfillment of His Holy Word.
In the last section of this treatise, the main topic will be addressed in detail. That is,
exactly what does the Bible say will happen at the time of Christ‘s return and following that
time? First, a commentary on a very important Old Testament prophetic book concerning
eschatology, Zechariah, will be presented. This will lead us to a detailed discussion of The
Revelation of Jesus Christ as told to the Apostle John while he was exiled on the island of
Patmos off the southwest coast of Asia-Minor. John was given a vision by God that enabled him
to see what would happen during the last years on the earth, just prior to the infamous war,
Armageddon. He was also told the outcome of this colossal battle and given information
concerning what the world/universe would be like after that time. All pertinent biblical
information, from the Old and New Testaments, will be referenced to thoroughly explain these
end-time events. Before getting to this study of Revelation, let us begin by showing why we can
be so confident about what that amazing prophetic book tells the faithful bible student…

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Christian Apologetics – Evidence of Biblical Veracity:

There are many different ways to show why people can trust what the Bible says. Since
the whole point of this treatise is to analyze the end-time prophecies as laid out in God‘s word, it
certainly would be valuable to demonstrate that there is every reason to believe that these
prophecies will actually come to fruition… just as the Bible predicts. In order to do this, let us
review some of the arguments people have used through the centuries to prove the veracity of the
Holy Bible.
Actually, there are many different methods used to show that the Bible is the actual Word
of God and that Jesus is God incarnate. Let me list the following six:
 Hundreds of God‘s prophecies can be shown to have come true exactly as predicted in
the Bible (in the Old and New Testaments). None have proven false! This is obviously
evidence for the Bible being the Word of God. Who else but God can accurately foretell
the future with 100% accuracy?
 There are dozens of intriguing types in the Old Testament that found their actualization
in the life of Jesus (the concept of types will be defined in a later paragraph). These
interesting Old Testament examples are another mechanism that God uses to show that
His word in true.
 There are certain changes in the lives of the apostles that give excellent evidence for the
divine nature of Jesus Christ as well as His resurrection from the dead. These will be
reviewed to show just how they point to Jesus being the Son of God.
 C.S. Lewis popularized an excellent logical argument concerning Jesus that also leads to
the conclusion that Jesus must be the Christ… and God the Son.
 Historical and archaeological evidence suggest strongly that the Bible is true.
 An analysis of the human writers of the Bible and certain intriguing aspects of the
content that runs through the entire length of the Bible leads to additional evidence that
it is the Word of God. These concepts will be discussed as well.
 The lives, words, and testimonies of many great Christians lead credence to the truth of
the Bible.
I will write in some detail on the first four topics above. As the point will have been
already made after that review – i.e. that we can trust the Bible, I will then only briefly comment
on the last three areas of evidence.

Fulfilled Prophecies: In showing why people can trust the end-time prophecies of the
Bible, it is certainly appropriate to spend a significant amount of time writing about some of the
already amazing fulfilled prophecies of the Scriptures. It is not reasonable to list all of these
prophecies as they run into the hundreds! However, I will point out several dozen to show that
the God of the Bible is the one and only true God. I am reasonably certain, that an open-minded
person will view the prophecies noted in the next few pages as excellent evidence that these
biblical predictions could only have come from God.
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The Bible predicts the future on a wide variety of different subject matter. I will divide
up those prophecies that will be mentioned below into five different categories:
 Prophecies concerning the future of Israel
 Prophecies concerning other nations
 Prophetic events relating to Israel and their relations with other nations
 Messianic prophecies (those that relate to the coming Messiah)
 The prophecies of Jesus

Prophecies Concerning the Future of Israel: There are scores of prophetic verses in
the Old Testament predicting with 100% accuracy what will happen to God‘s ―chosen people‖,
the nation of Israel. Many of these prophecies relate to what will happen to the people and the
land of Israel in the latter days. These will be reviewed in some detail in the following portion of
this treatise. A selection of approximately ten of God‘s prophecies relating to Israel will be
featured below to demonstrate why we all can have the utmost faith in His Word – it has always
proven to be true.

1). "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and
you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Gen 12:2-3
In the early chapters of Genesis, God called out Abraham (named Abram originally) to
take his family and move west from the region called Ur of the Chaldees to a land that God
would show him. That land was also referred to as the ―land of promise‖ and eventually became
known as Israel. God promised Abram, later Abraham, several things:
 God would make Abraham‘s name great
 Abraham would be a blessing to the world
 All the people of the earth would be blessed through Abraham
 God would bless those nations and people who blessed Abraham (and his seed) and curse
those who cursed Abraham (and his seed)
Certainly no one would seriously argue that the name of Abraham is not great and that he
has not been a blessing to the world through his offspring. King David, and more importantly,
Jesus, is from the line of Abraham. Please take note of how nations from the times of Abraham
to the present day have been blessed or cursed based to some degree upon how they have treated
Israel… the seed of Abraham. That is, all four of the prophetic statements in the verses above
have come true.
2). ―it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the
maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring." Gen 21:12-13
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In this communication to His servant Abraham, God tells Abraham that He will make a
special nation from the seed of his son Isaac… not from Ishmael. Abraham was concerned about
the future inheritance of his first son, Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar the Egyptian. God
promised him that He would make a nation from this offspring as well, only not the promised
nation that would eventually produce the Messiah. Many Arab people and Palestinians trace
their heritage back to Ishmael.
3). As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came
over him. Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers
in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I
will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great
possessions. Gen 15:12-14
God tells Abraham in a dream that his descendents will one day be slaves in a foreign
country. This country was, of course, Egypt. After spending the predicted four hundred years in
that foreign land, Moses led Israel out of Egypt, eventually leading them back to their land of
promise. They were able to take much with them as promised in this prophecy. Egypt suffered
the consequences of their mistreatment of Israel. Many historians say that Egypt reached the
zenith of their world power during the time when they began the enslavement of Israel.
However, after this gross sin, Egypt saw their power progressively lessen. Never has Egypt
regained their position of world dominance since that time. Remember that God will curse those
who curse Israel.
4). if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and
decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Deut 28:15
The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your
fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. Deut 28:36-37
Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There
you will worship other gods--gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have
known. Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot.
There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart.
Deut 28:64-65
God warns the Israelites to be careful not to reject Him and His commands. God tells
them specifically what will happen should they not continue to follow Him… they would be
scattered to other nations. The last prophecy above had its fulfillment several hundred years
after these words were written as the people of the divided kingdom were captured and scattered
by both the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Not only that, but ever since Rome leveled
Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the Israelites have been wanderers throughout the world. Nearly twenty-
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five hundred years went by (since they were captured by the Babylonians) before they were
officially given back the home that God had promised them over 4,000 years ago.
5). ―Behold the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have
accumulated, until this day, shall be carried to Babylon, nothing shall be left.‖ Isaiah 39:6
This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to
you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I
have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future. Jer 29:10-11
Here in Isaiah, is the prophecy that everything in Judah will be captured and brought to
Babylon… this included both people and possessions. This verse actually implies that the
Temple will be totally destroyed… and it was. Nothing was left. The Lord also told the
Israelites in Judah that they would remain under captivity for seventy years. After this amount of
time, God would come and bring them back to Jerusalem. This is what happened. Judah was
captured by Babylonia is 606 B.C. They were given the decree to return to Jerusalem
approximately 70 years later. The Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C., and the rebuilding of the
new Temple was complete by 515 B.C. – also about 70 yrs later.

6). "This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to
subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, Isaiah 45:1
I am the Lord…….who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."'
Isaiah 44:28
Here are two incredible prophetic verses found in the book of Isaiah. That great prophet
of God wrote over 150 years before the actual event occurred in history that a king named Cyrus
would be responsible for allowing the Temple of God to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. This prophetic
word came long before the Israelites were captured and taken to Babylon. Isaiah wrote these
words over 100 years before King Solomon‘s Temple was destroyed! Most amazing was the
naming of the actual king who would send out the Israelites to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem.
Almost 300 years later, the history of these events was written in the Old Testament…
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of
Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he
made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says
Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And
He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. 2 Chron 36:22-23

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