ESCHATOLOGY on Our Horizon

If you have had an opportunity to read one or more of the eight series I’ve written and posted pertaining to the coming Eschatological (End Times and Last Days) events as prophesied in biblical scripture, then you are familiar with the structures and details that await our collective future. (“Eschatology” is the study of ‘End Times, or Last Days’. It is pronounced [S Kah Tol Ah Gee].
 
If not, or if you desire to embrace an abridged version that better fits into your busy schedule, I invite you to read on. This series is written to illuminate the crux of eschatology as it is unfolding in our lives. This specific series posting will be an entrée into events we are witnessing and their direct relation to the contextual prophetic warnings the bible gives.
 
The Lord opens eyes and minds to an understanding of His words again and again. In this manner additional clarity is often the result. While it is often easier to grapple with a prophecy in isolation, difficulties can arise in ascertaining more direct and/or more subtly indirect relationships between one or more prophecies. Although the ‘links’ may be there, they can be hidden in plain sight and often at the same time be camouflaged. This is particularly evident when trying to tie together prophesies from different people, who lived in separate eras, as recorded different books of the bible.
 
One of the great and mystifying elements surrounding prophesies (particularly End Times events) is they were transmuted and recorded over two thousand years ago. As such, prophetic descriptions by John the Apostle (as well as other OT writers and NT followers of Christ) may be read as confusing. Allow me to give you a brief example; In Rev 6:13 John describes “stars falling from the sky”.
 
This visualized concept can be as hard for us as readers to comprehend as it might have been for John’s contemporaries to discern. Through our knowledge of celestial objects (stars, planets, moons) we are aware of the normal inviability of such an event happening. Celestial objects exist in fixed orbits. For an intersection by one or more of these in earth’s orbit, or a collision with the earth directly would most likely mean extinction of all life. Hardly part of a survivable series of events as portended by the bible’s End Times activities.
 
So how do we reconcile and understand the validity of John’s words with the astronomical knowledge we possess n the twenty-first century? John’s prophetic description might be labelled as a reference to ‘shooting stars.’ Currently in earth’s orbit are active and inactive satellites, other manmade objects, space debris, and remnant pieces from previous collisions. Numbers of these objects reportedly range in the thousands for pieces, eight to ten centimeters and larger, all of which are potentially dangerous should they fall from orbit and return to earth at high velocity.
 
Space debris ‘falling’ out of orbit to earth has a high degree of burning up upon reentry. When we observe this type of phenomenon (as was seen in May 2021 when part of a previously launched Chinese rocket ‘fell out of orbit’) it resembled a “‘falling’ or ‘shooting’ star.” With these observed facts in mind, were a multiple number of orbiting manmade objects or pieces thereof to ‘fall’ from orbit simultaneously their burning appearance could certainly be construed as “stars falling from the sky”.
 
When we read of prophetic events, we must relate the description being proffered two thousand years ago with its application for our day and time. When we understand a prophecy for and within our time, we can better understand its truth of validity by its original contextual foretelling. If you’re willing to accept this fundamental pillar, we can build a structure upon which our knowledge of specific prophecies can be illuminated for our recognition in the relationship as they appear in our world.
 
Let’s look briefly at the other three pillars of biblical prophecy. Bible prophecy is a foretelling of future events related to God’s Word. First, it must therefore come to pass as foretold. Second, it must be understood in the context of Jesus Christ as man, commission, role, or purpose. And third, every prophecy is part and parcel of a tapestry recorded by at least forty different individuals, woven over thousands of years’ time span.
 
Here’s an interesting side note for non-believers as well as for those who desire to know more but need ‘a little more evidence.’ Consider this; in the sixty-six Canonical books of the bible there are 31,124 verses. Of which 8,352 describe1,817 specific prophecies. Fully one-quarter of the bible is prophetic.
 
The odds of one person fulfilling only eight specific prophecies is, one in ten to the seventeenth power. That number looks like this; 100,000,000,000,000,000. To give a different perspective, if we took that many silver dollars and marked one with an X, then placed it somewhere among the others they would cover the state of Texas, to a depth of two (2) feet statewide.
 
Next, you are tasked with finding the one with the ‘X’. Those are the same odds of eight prophecies being fulfilled by one individual. Now consider this, the fulfillment and veracity of every biblical prophecy has so far come to pass as foretold. As believers in Christ and His Holy Trinity we can take comfort in His truth, and prophesies about Him as truthfully valid.
 
Join me for Part 2, when we hear what Jesus said about our times being eschatological.
 


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