Clifford Denton draws his series to a close by offering his own perspective on 'the Rapture' and other hotly anticipated end times events.

Having written this short series with the primary purpose of encouraging each of us to study the end time scriptures for ourselves, individually and in groups, it would be unwise for me now to promote my own interpretations of these passages using details gleaned from my own studies.

Nevertheless, a few further ideas are worth sharing to bring the series to a conclusion and to illustrate the method of studying we have endorsed through it.

The Overall Framework is Vital

The end time scriptures should be read in the context of the whole of Scripture. God is completing his covenant plan – and so the end of time should be seen in the context of the whole of time. When we realise this, and no longer dip into the end time scriptures in isolation, not only will they become clearer but we will also be less prone to error caused by taking passages out of context.

The path to the future is a walk with the Holy Spirit, during which details previously obscured to us are made clearer as they become more relevant. Nevertheless, there are principles we can study – broader themes in which the detailed events of the end are embedded - which reassure us, protect us against deception and help us to prepare.

These include principles of covenant, God's plans and promises for Israel, the Feasts of the Lord, types and shadows of world history (especially the prominent empires of Bible times) and the centrality of Jesus. These are the main threads of the tapestry into which all time, including the end times, is set.

The end of time should be seen in the context of the whole of time – end time scriptures should not be dipped into in isolation.

From Shadows to Fulfilment

For example, the Feasts of the Lord are shadows of the main events of covenant history. Year after year, Israel was to observe these Feasts as a preparation for what was to come. The seven Feasts are Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Shavuot (Pentecost), Rosh HaShannah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Tabernacles).

We know that these Feasts are shadows of covenant history because of the way the first four were fulfilled by Jesus. Passover and Unleavened Bread pointed to his sacrificial death. Jesus was the Firstfuit of those being saved and the giving of his Holy Spirit fulfilled Pentecost.

Many scriptures in the Old Testament (Tanach) shed further light on how God begins with types and shadows and ends with fulfilment at the right time. Passover relates to the types and shadows of Israel's experience in Egypt and deliverance under Moses. Moses becomes a type and shadow of Jesus. Pentecost relates to the giving of the Law at Sinai and gives us a framework for understanding the relationship between Torah and the fulfilment of the New Covenant in the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Yet to Come

The last three Feasts are shadows pointing to Jesus' return. If many Jews did not recognise his fulfilment of the earlier Feasts, how much more must we take seriously the entirety of Scripture in preparation for his return? Indeed, his return is the central event of end time scriptures, completing God's chief aim throughout all history – the reversal of the Fall.

It has taken many centuries for this plan to be outworked. It is easy to get lost in the details of everyday life and forget this priority during the short span of our individual lives. All of history, especially the history of Israel, with so many types and shadows to teach us, is a preparation for the coming Kingdom.

The Feasts of the Lord are shadows of the main events of covenant history – the first four were fulfilled by Jesus.

God's Purposes for the Church...and Israel

For 2,000 years, a prominent emphasis has been the spread of the Gospel to the entire world. So prominent has this been, that it is sometimes mistakenly thought that God's purpose for the Christian Church in the Gentile world is the only focus of the end times. Some Christian theologies have taken the New Testament out of context of the Old Testament, neglecting God's continuing purposes for Israel and his bringing about of the One New Man of Ephesians 2.

Could the detaching of our concept of 'the Church' from the full picture of God's purposes be the reason for so much anticipation by many Christians for 'the Rapture'? Many are expecting to be taken, soon, out of these times. But is there not a journey to go yet which will be for further refining and for opportunities for witness in a world gravitating toward the time of a final one world system?

For this reason, I would like to make a brief comment on my own view of the times of tribulation and the timing for God's intervention on behalf of his own people.

Rapture?

I prefer not to use the term rapture. For one thing, different Christians mean different things by it. For another, though I understand the reason for the choice of the word rapture, it is not a biblical term.

The closest we can get in biblical terms to studying what this event may look like is the protection of the Israelites in Goshen during the plagues of Egypt, the protection from the angel of death at the first Passover and the protection of Noah's family at the Flood when God judged the entire world. Such comparisons illustrate the extreme circumstances that we expect the world to reach prior to the return of Jesus, and the time when we will need special protection when God's judgments begin to fall on the world.

All of history, especially the history of Israel, is a preparation for the coming Kingdom.

Scripture clearly indicates that the world will reach a point when some will be taken and some left (the event of Matthew 24:40-41). This is emphasised in a different way by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (the trumpet call and Jesus' disciples being caught up in the clouds, meeting the Lord in the air).

The nature and timing of this event must be considered with caution as the future unfolds. If we see this event outside of the principle of the One New Man of disciples from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, I believe an error is likely, especially the idea that 'the Church' will be 'raptured' to leave God to deal with the Jews.

My personal view is that there will be a distinction between the difficult days of the Anti-Christ (the Great Tribulation, described in the earlier chapters of Revelation) and the time of woes such as fell on Egypt (the bowls of judgment) beginning from Revelation 15. This is because of the "Immediately after" of Matthew 24:29, which leads me to consider the events described after this verse as fitting after the difficult days of the Anti-Christ.

My view is that we will need to persevere through the days of the Anti-Christ (called the Great Tribulation) and then expect God's intervention when he protects us from the days of wrath, taking us to a place of safety.

Jesus warned us not to listen to deceiving words about his coming so we must be careful what we listen to in these days, especially when interpreting the times prior to his return. Paul also warned about this when he wrote to the Thessalonians. He said that we must expect a great falling away prior to Jesus returning for his people and establishing his rule on earth (2 Thess 2).

Many Christians overly anticipate 'the Rapture' – have we detached our concept of 'the Church' from the full picture of God's purposes?

How We Read Scripture Determines How We Live

The way we read the end time scriptures influences the way we prepare for the days ahead and live our lives today. This is still an era for witness, for the strengthening of God's people through days of trial on the earth, for pure living, for watching and praying.

Too early an expectation of deliverance from the world system will lead us to passivity, unreality and poor preparation, possibly through lack of vigilance. When our views of a soon-to-come rapture remain unfulfilled, we may find ourselves more like the foolish virgins than the wise ones, giving up on active watching and waiting because we feel confused or let down.

144,000 from the Tribes of Israel

My own searching of the scriptures has also led me to ask questions about the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, which are puzzling until one is given some keys of understanding. It is quite possible to resist the ideas of the Jehovah's Witnesses but still be left with a mystery! Are these literal numbers or figurative? Why is Israel singled out from the other 'tribes' of the world?

Surely God is reminding us that the Tribes of Israel will be retained in their pure (virgin) state, identifiable from the rest of the world, as a sign of God's faithfulness to his Covenant¹ - but what of the 144,000? With that question at the back of my mind I thought I had perceived a clue when I read about the 100,000 lambs that Mesha, King of Moab, gave to Jehoram (2 Kings 3:4). That is a large number of lambs, if taken literally, for a tribal King in Moab to give regularly to the King of Israel. However, a study of the Hebrew for one thousand, the word eleph shows that this can be a literal number or a large number of a more general kind – a word for a large group such as a flock.

This makes more sense - not 100,000 lambs, but 100 large flocks. If we take the English of Revelation 7 back through the Greek from which it came back again to the Hebrew foundations, could this not be true for Israel too, that the 12,000 of each tribe are 12 large groups from each tribe (clans, say)? The picture clarifies if this is so: God will gather Israel as a nation of tribes and clans, just as it was in the old days. Our literal mind-set finds such figurative language hard, but this picture is compelling and reasonable.

The way we read the end time scriptures influences the way we prepare for the days ahead and live our lives today.

Yet the question still lingers at the back of the mind and one comes to another notable parallel. The times of Messiah in Isaiah 9 are likened to the times of Midian's defeat (Isa 9:4-5). This takes us back to Numbers 31, where Moses (a shadow of Messiah) was told to take revenge on Midian for what they did through the seduction of Balaam to cause Israel to intermarry with the Midianites. Such an act had the potential of assimilating Israel into the world. 1,000 warriors from each of Israel's 12 tribes was chosen to administer God's judgment on Midian.

This too echoes into the 12,000 from each tribe mentioned in Revelation 7 and 14, giving yet another emphasis on the imagery used by God. God will choose 12,000 from each of the Tribes of Israel as witnesses to his Covenant faithfulness. This time the victory is not over Midian but over the powers of satan, so that many will be redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus.

Perhaps both the above interpretations will prove true – and perhaps there is still more to see. My point is to illustrate that the whole of Scripture has light to shed on the topic of the end times – indeed, on whichever theme we are studying.

Finally...

If I were to select one final principle to have in mind as we proceed with our studies of the end times it comes from the very last chapter of the Book of Isaiah. In the context of proclamations concerning the end times, God said:

...on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word. (Isa 66:2)

The days we are entering will fulfil the final prophecies of the Bible. It is not a time for the headstrong. Let us listen to one another as we walk with the Lord, let us watch and pray according to Jesus' command, and let us test everything - being students of the whole of Scripture (more so than of the books being written by others today). Let us be those who tremble at his word.

Notes

1 There is a puzzle about the fact that Dan is not mentioned. I am still pondering on this, but it may be related to the situation right back in the days of the Judges, when the Tribe of Dan turned to idolatry (Judg 18) and so became treated by God like other idolatrous nations. This does not mean that the descendants of Dan are completely lost, but that they will hear the Gospel from a position of being mixed among the peoples of the world. Of course there may be other things as yet unseen that will shed light on this - or perhaps we must simply leave it in God's hands.

Clifford Denton continues his series on the end times by looking at Jesus' illustrative teaching.

In an earlier article we made the point that Scripture must be read in a meditative way, allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret what we read, rather than over-analysing it in our own strength. There is a stark contrast between the Hebraic faith-motivated life and the Greek philosophical mind-set that is of this world. Which way of thinking we adopt has a bearing on how we approach Scripture, including the end time scriptures and the illustrative language used by God.

Our God teaches us through visions, figurative language, parables, etc, speaking to our hearts through familiar images. Difficult though some of these are to understand, we must not consider them as puzzles to unravel - but illustrations that God uses on our walk with him.

Our Walk with God

Because the Western mindset can be over-analytical, it has led some to seek cut-and-dried formulae for the end times. This is not God's way. He speaks to us heart to heart to encourage us on a walk with him. Our God is near to us, and looks for our fellowship. Indeed, he abides in his people by the presence and power of his Holy Spirit. He is not a distant God who gives us formulae to live by independent of him.

Our New Covenant relationship is for the purpose of securing our walk with him. It is on this walk that we prayerfully study the scriptures pointing to the way ahead with sufficient clarity for today.

Our God is not a distant God who gives us formulae to live by independent of him – he is near to us and wants to walk with us.

Prophetic Insights Along the Way

The visions and dreams along the way sometimes seem to be engulfed in strange mystery that is hard to unravel. Some aspects might be revealed for the time in which the mystery is given, with other applications becoming clear later on. Kept in balance with our daily walk with him, however, we always have enough insight to encourage us for the present, warn us about where we might slip off track, and set a vision and a hope before us for the future.

If there is mystery to be unravelled, it will be unravelled by the Lord on our walk with him. If he revealed everything fully to us ahead of time, our walk would all too quickly become independent of him.

The Parables

As for all Scripture, in reading the parables we must resist the temptation of over-analysis and simply let the Lord speak, within the limits he intends. This too is part of the walk. Though parables are mysteries to those who are not given insight (Matt 13:11) the Holy Spirit gives understanding to Jesus' disciples. Parables bring a clear teaching on a certain theme for immediate application and also have ongoing relevance.

Each portion of Jesus' teaching through the parables is for a specific purpose, within intended limits and one aspect of the whole truth. On the one hand, his pictures are so carefully and appropriately chosen that it is good to read and re-read the same passages to deepen our understanding. On the other hand, if we try and push too hard we may add to what the Lord is saying, or create bias or even error.

Jesus' parables each had a specific purpose when they were told – but they also have ongoing relevance today as the Holy Spirit reveals understanding to us.

Multi-faceted Truth in Visions, Pictures and Parables

The end time teaching of the Bible contains a multitude of illustrations from God. Here are some of them by way of example:

• Horses among myrtle trees (Zech 1:8)
• Joshua the High Priest (Zech 3)
• Lampstand and olive trees (Zech 4)
• Flying scroll (Zech 5)
• Woman in a basket (Zech 5)
• Four chariots (Zech 6)
• A burning oven (Mal 4:1)
• Valley of dry bones (Ezek 37)
• Gog and Magog (Ezek 38)
• A sacrificial meal (Ezek 39:17-20)
• Nebuchadezzar's dream of a statue (Dan 2)
• Vision of a ram and goat (Dan 8)
• A sealed scroll (Dan 12:4)
• Seals, trumpets, bowls, woman and dragon, Babylon etc (Revelation)

There is much more we could add to this list, but it is sufficient to remind us that God uses a wide variety of images to speak to his people. Any individual illustration is a study of just one aspect of the whole truth. We must read everything in context of the whole and, in our walk with God into the future, allow him to bring further clarity at the right time.

The Wise and Foolish Virgins

Jesus' parables are among the clearest of Bible teaching and each have a particular emphasis. They include the parables of the unforgiving servant (Matt 18:21-35), the workers in the vineyard (Matt 20:1-16), the withered fig tree (Matt 21:18-22), the vinedressers (Matt 21:33-46), the growing fig tree (Matt 24:32-35), the wise and foolish virgins (Matt 25:1-13) and the talents (Matt 25:14-30). Like all illustrations in Scripture, however, they must not be taken beyond the point of his teaching, and must be kept within the context of the whole.

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins is especially important to us in these days. So let us be clear about what Jesus is teaching us through it - since it is a wonderful illustration for a particular purpose, but no more. Some modern Bible teachers have forced it to say more than was ever intended.

Because of its importance there has rightly been much attention drawn to it. Yet it is such a wonderful picture, pointing to the return of Jesus, that some have gone too far and extracted a formula for the end times from it.

Jesus' parables draw on familiar experiences of mankind, especially familiar in the days when they were first spoken. He draws our attention to what he wants to say by stirring our hearts and minds on matters that are meaningful and important to us – in this case the preparations that precede a wedding in ordinary human life. Jesus stirred the hearts of his listeners through a story of a bridegroom who had delayed his coming. Some of those waiting retained their watchfulness and expectation of his coming and some drifted away into apathy and sleepiness.

Jesus' parables draw on experiences that are familiar to us – he emphasises his message by stirring our hearts with matters that are meaningful to us.

The story prompts us to the context of his coming. It will be as wonderful as the best of human marriages, but the emphasis is not so much on the wedding as on how we should wait for him. The message to us is to "watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matt 25:13). This is our great teacher at work, emphasising his message and giving us a picture to emphasise the importance of it.

This could not be more important for the days in which we live, because we all can be prone to giving up and misinterpreting what we heard about his return. We are encouraged to watch and wait prayerfully for the wonderful final point of the end times.

Yet, for all its importance, this is not a formula for the end times. It is one of a number of images likened to his coming: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." not "The Kingdom of heaven is...". Some have pushed this parable so far as to make it a formula. Because the picture is in the context of a coming wedding and because the imagery of a wedding is used elsewhere (for example, the picture of Jesus preparing a place for us likened to many mansions (John 14:2)), some have used it to construct a detailed picture of the end times based on the order of events in a Middle Eastern marriage of Jesus' day, even to the extent of predicting the time of Jesus' return and supporting certain rapture theories. This fascinates those who are drawn in but perhaps extracts from the parable more than Jesus intended.

Even though there is plenty of teaching on aspects of the end times, we must be careful not to use a parable given for a specific purpose to draw more from it than was intended. This is true of every other aspect of Jesus' illustrations preparing us for his coming - whether spoken plainly or in mysteries.

Learning to Read End Time Scripture for Ourselves

Even through mysteries, God does not send us a puzzle to solve when he speaks to us through symbolic or visionary means. He often relates what he wants us to know with something familiar like a marriage, a fig tree, a sealed message, etc, as an anchor for his teaching. He wants us to understand – not to be confused!

Whether it be the symbol of a bridegroom returning, an owner returning to his vineyard, an investor returning to retrieve his investment or a fig tree blossoming, let us read the scriptures through the Spirit and let the key truth achieve the Lord's purposes, within the limits he intends.

Our Lord is coming. Let us watch and pray both individually and together as for a wonderful event like a wedding. Let us walk into the future in the Spirit of God, prayerfully considering all aspects of what the Bible says as we go, dependent on him, not according to a formula that we have sought to extract, or one passed on to us by others.

Next time: Some personal perspectives.

How does Revelation relate to other Bible passages on the end times?

The Prophets of the Old Testament spoke out of the context of God's dealings with Israel and Judah. Much of what they said echoed back to the Great Flood or to Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and much was in the time-frame and context of the Babylonian captivity.

Their message was directly applicable to those difficult days but also carried with it a sense of fulfilment yet to come. Today we can see the types and shadows of Israel's experience more clearly, especially when we seek insights concerning the days ahead.

Jesus Fulfils the Prophets

The key to understanding how the Prophets spoke in veiled terms about the end times is revealed in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, when Jesus spoke of the signs of his return. He brought clarity to what the Prophets proclaimed accurately but which had hitherto been understood only in vague visionary terms.

The Book of Revelation came later. Hence, it is wise to study the end time prophecies of the Old Testament first, so that the Book of Revelation is read in context. Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 act as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments.

Jesus brought clarity to what the Prophets had proclaimed about the end times.

The Book of Revelation: Why?

The early disciples did not have the Book of Revelation for at least 35 years after Jesus' death and resurrection. They had enough from the Tanakh (Old Testament) and what Jesus had told them prior to his death to prepare for his coming. Yet John was given substantially greater insights whilst on the Island of Patmos, which he passed on to Jesus' later disciples. There must be a reason.

One reason, surely, was the persecution of Jesus' disciples under the Roman Empire, and the scattering of Israel around 70 AD. Further comfort was needed: the same sort of comfort afforded by Paul to the Thessalonians (1 Thess 4-5; 2 Thess 2). Another reason is because of the difficult times that lie ahead as the end times draw near. These times are likened to Israel in Babylon and the world under Rome - also the time of Noah.

When we read the Book of Revelation, therefore, we must read it as further insights on what had already been revealed to God's people by the earlier Prophets and by Jesus. Taking Matthew 24 as our reference, let's see how it all fits together.

Revelation provides further insights on what had already been revealed through the Prophets and through Jesus.

First: An Overview

John's revelation on the Island of Patmos was as powerful as the heavenly visions given to Isaiah (Isa 6), Ezekiel (Ezek 1) and Daniel (Dan 7-12). At times through angelic presence, at times through direct communication from the risen Lord Jesus, at times through vision (whether symbolic or literal), John was given what Jesus wants his disciples to know.

Revelation 1 is the beginning of Jesus' communication from Heaven to earth, demanding a profound encounter with John, and then proceeding in the down-to-earth description of various Church congregations (with which John would have been familiar), with warnings and commendations.

Seven congregations are addressed directly (Rev 2-3). Jesus showed that his presence was among his people in their congregations and that nothing was hidden from him - whether things worthy of commendation or things deserving criticism.

Surely we, in later days, were intended to know that these things are also true of our own congregations. The Book of Revelation puts our down-to-earth church experience in the context of what John was shown of the heavenly realms. Jesus has shown us these things because we too will need these reassurances and pieces of advice.

The early disciples heard these truths in terms of the persecutions of Rome. We hear them in the context of a coming world empire likened to Babylon. Chiefly, then, we read Revelation in the context of the Old Testament Prophets and the teaching of Jesus.

Revelation puts our down-to-earth church experience in the context of the heavenly realms.

The World to Come

As we develop a picture of the world to come, although we will not have the full understanding until the time comes, God cultivates within us a joyous expectation of final victory. The end chapters of Revelation are rich with symbolism, the meaning of which is not always obvious, but when read as God intends, they still convey to the heart a sense of truth and expectation.

Some things, as Paul said, are like looking through a glass dimly (1 Cor 13:12). We see the general form and have an idea of the vague outline, but our understanding will only be clarified as these things unfold – as our experience of eternity is made real.

From Chapter 4 onwards our attention is drawn to heavenly perspectives – the awesomeness of the heavenly throne-room and the activities and perspectives that are going on there, particularly in relation to our earthly experience. In the midst of life on earth, how easily we forget how close the Lord is in the unseen heavenlies!

We need a vision of this heavenly reality in order to put the coming pressures of our earthly experience into their true context. We are not alone. The coming events on earth will be totally within the purposes and Sovereign control of God, despite the powers of evil holding sway for a short time.

We need a vision of the heavenly reality to comfort and reassure us through the coming trials.

Heaven and Earth in Our Day

Jesus, in Matthew 24 (and parallel passages in Mark and Luke), described the way we would experience this on earth. Now, through Revelation, we see it from the heavenly perspective. That is what the Book of Revelation adds to what we already learn from the rest of the Bible.

The descriptions of the Seven Congregations and the Throne Room in Heaven give us this contrast, and shows us the seriousness of the experiences we will go through on earth. They are neither random, nor in the hands and purposes of man, but under the authority and sovereignty of God.

The Seals symbolise God's release of the prophesied final events of earth's history. The possibility for their release is because Jesus has now given himself as a sacrifice for sin so that the entire world can, for the time allocated by God, hear the Gospel (Rev 5) prior to the final judgment.

To illustrate how this fits with the rest of end times Scripture, let us see how the events described in Revelation are very similar – even the same as those Jesus described from an earthly perspective in Matthew 24.

A comparison of Revelation 6-8 with Matthew 24 (not definitive).
Comparing the Two Lists and Their Purpose

It is no coincidence that these two lists are so compatible - Jesus' description of the signs of his coming is repeated in Revelation from a heavenly perspective, which shows us that all is in the awesome hand of God. We will need this assurance as the times move forward and events intensify. It will give us sufficient insight to comfort us through those days.

Revelation 10-19 puts these same events in the context of our world largely taken over by the powers of satan until such a time that God brings an end to it. satan is only working under God's permissive will.

A world power will come to the fore with the power of satan behind it, also within God's permissive will, with the end he has in view then finally coming to pass. The signs of Jesus' coming are put into the context of evil taking hold of the world, an evil from which Jesus' disciples must withdraw whilst watching and prayerfully waiting patiently for him.

Much of the heavenly revelation in these chapters is symbolic and dramatic to show us that there is much happening in the unseen heavens, behind and beyond our earthly experience.

Revelation reassures and comforts us that the events to come are all in the awesome hand of God.

The Return of Jesus – The Certain Climax of it All

In the end there will be the dramatic return of Jesus with authority to judge all people, when his victory over death will be made real to all that have faith in him and when his Lordship will be revealed to all (Rom 14:11; Isa 45:23).

Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are clear down-to-earth descriptions of those times. The Book of Revelation introduces us to the fact that there is an awesome heavenly perspective behind the scenes of what will be experienced on this earth. Our response to this awesome picture is to hold in faith for the final outcome, rather than to work out a detailed formula ahead of time predicting all that will take place.

Next time: The Parable of the wise and foolish virgins

Clifford Denton considers Jesus' teaching on the end times - and how it sheds new light on Old Testament prophecy.

Messianic expectation is a thread that weaves its way through the entire Old Testament. However, until Jesus the Son of God came to earth, the Messianic scriptures were open to interpretation - as were the scriptures that described the world situation at the end of time.

The interpretations of the chief Rabbinical schools could be so wide of the mark that the Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection after death (Matt 22:23). There was much down-to-earth expectation that the prophetic scriptures would be fulfilled on this earth.

For instance, many would have wondered if the occupation of Israel by Rome was the fulfilment of many of the end times passages in the Prophetic books, including the last chapters of Ezekiel and Daniel. This strong belief contributed to Jesus being rejected as Messiah and crucified as a false prophet.

Before Jesus, scriptures about the coming Messiah were open to interpretation – as were those about the end times.

New Light on the Prophets

In the plainest of language, Jesus' explanation of the signs of his return (recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21) sheds new light on the end time prophetic scriptures. Christians tend to read these scriptures in a forward-looking way, but the first disciples would also have looked back to understand in a new way what the Prophets had spoken. So in speaking of the signs of his coming, Jesus prompted his disciples to reconsider the Tanakh (Old Testament) in a new way and a new context.

It was at last possible to interpret the Old Testament prophecies with clarity and connect them up with New Testament prophecy. This is profound! It is as profound as the re-interpretation of the Passover from the exodus out of Egypt to the new birth of the New Covenant. It is as profound as an interpretation of end time scriptures from a focus on an earthly Kingdom in this age to the coming Kingdom of God in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Connecting Prophecy Across the Testaments

Ezekiel 37-39, for example, can be re-read in the context of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. For some Israelites these chapters built an expectation of fulfilment at the time of Rome's rise to power under the Caesars, their world Empire and their domination of Israel. Israel's Messianic expectation was for release from this dominant world empire.

The same is true of Daniel 11-12. Whilst the rise of the abomination of desolation of Daniel 11:31 might once have been attributed to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Hellenistic Seleucid conqueror of Israel, Jesus pointed to a greater fulfilment yet to come (Matt 2:15).

With Jesus' revelations, it became possible to interpret the Old Testament prophecies with new clarity.

Within the command to watch and pray would be the expectation that Jesus' disciples would continue to seek understanding of the times when all these prophecies would be fulfilled.

How far removed Jesus' disciples were from this understanding can be seen in Peter's suggestion when Jesus was transfigured (Matt 17:4) that three tabernacles (sukkot) be constructed, one each for Jesus. Moses and Elijah. He seems to have thought that this was the time of fulfilment of the Feast of Tabernacles - the time when Messiah would come to rule on earth.

Thus Jesus' answer to the question about the signs of his coming (Matt 24:3) would have put a context to all the Messianic scriptures and their fulfilment. While the message of the biblical prophets was couched in mystery, Jesus made their interpretation plain, and caused the disciples to begin to read them afresh and look forward to what would come upon the earth.

Jesus Interprets the Prophets

God prepared the way in the prophecies of the Old Testament for what would come upon this earth at the end of time – and Jesus made these earlier prophecies clear. The events that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24, all in the context of Old Testament prophecy, are:

• Times of deception (24:4)
• False Messiahs (24:5)
• Wars and rumours of wars (24:6)
• Famines, plagues and earthquakes (24:7)
• Great tribulation upon Jesus' disciples and upon his people (24:8-9)
• Division, hate and betrayal (24:10)
• False prophets (24:11)
• Lawlessness (24:12)
• Lack of love among people (24:12)
• A call to endure through these trials with promised salvation to those who hold firm to the end (24:13)
• The Gospel being preached to all nations prior to the end and prior to Jesus' return (24:14)
• A warning sign of the abomination of desolation (24:15)
• Continued warnings of troubled times and how to respond to them (24:15-28)
• Post-tribulation signs in the universe (24:29-30)
• The sign of the Son of Man (24:30)
• Post-tribulation gathering of the elect (24:31)
• Parable of the fig tree, symbolic of the restoration of Israel (24:32)
• Some taken and some left (24:36-42)

Jesus also made it clear how his followers are to behave in the midst of these events, emphasising the importance of watching (24:42) and of maintaining faith, persevering through trials (24:42-49). He also emphasised the surprise element, explaining that nobody will know the exact time of his return – only the signs (24:42-44).

In summary, Jesus told his disciples clearly what to expect and how to respond to the circumstances coming upon the world. He did not give them a time-line so much as a set of events - some of which overlap, others of which are in sequence. Verses 3 to 14 contain the first statement of the events. Verses 15 to 28 address those same events and (following the therefore in verse 15) show us how to respond when a specific sign is seen.

Jesus told his disciples clearly what to expect and how to respond – but he did not give them a time-line.

Verse 29 indicates that Jesus will not return until after this great tribulation. At that time, it will be comparable to the time of Noah (24:37) and this is the time that some will be taken and some left on the earth.

We know from God's covenant with Noah that there will not be a judgment by flood (Gen 9:8-11), so we are left to wonder what the fate of those left on the earth might be.

End Time Fulfilment of Old Testament Prophecy

Our first priority in reading Matthew 24 is to relate it to what the Prophets had already said about the end times. Later, after Jesus had left to be with the Father, further prophecy was given to John, recorded as the Book of Revelation. Just as Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 interpreted prophecies of the Old Testament, so they also interpret Revelation.

This gives us a method of reading Revelation - reading it in the context of both Jesus' clear description of the events of the end times and also what the Old Testament Prophets revealed.

With markers in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and by cross-reference to the prophecies of the Old Testament, we see how the mysterious visions of John echo what Jesus had already told his disciples in the context of what the entire Bible says.

Read the Book of Revelation for yourself and let's look at it together next time.

Next time: Comparing the Book of Revelation with Matthew 24.

What is the best way to study Bible passages on the end times?

There are many reasons for reading the entire Bible over and over again. One reason is to ensure that we find all its references to whichever theme we are studying, including the end times. More important, however, is that we cultivate a biblical worldview.

Instead of reading and interpreting the Bible through the lens of our worldly experiences and what others have told us, we look out on the world and judge what we see through the lens of Scripture, ingrained into our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we study carefully and prayerfully.

Today, particularly in the West, we live busy lives and have access to a wealth of information on all subjects, including Bible themes. Such information is no longer contained in Christian bookshops but also proliferates online. Without realising it, we can end up taking shortcuts in our Bible studies, gleaning from others rather than studying for ourselves. In so doing, we are in danger of imbibing the mindsets of others, rather than working out our own through a personal walk with God.

Instead of reading the Bible through the lens of our worldly experiences, we should look out on the world and judge what we see through the lens of Scripture.

This surely is a major reason for many of the conflicting views on the end times. Would it be different if our attitude was like that of the Bereans (Acts 17:11), who searched the scriptures for themselves to see if what they heard was true?

Biased Perspectives and Their Consequences

For example, perhaps even without realising it, we may still retain an element of Replacement Theology in our thinking, leading us to concentrate overmuch on God's plan for the Church in the Gentile world. In turn, we easily lose a balanced perspective on his designs for Israel and therefore his overall covenant plan.

We might also cultivate a habit of seeking to select verses of Scripture – often out of context - as 'proof texts' for our hopes for the future of the Church. Surely this is why there is so much contemporary emphasis on an expectation of the 'rapture', when the Church will be taken out of the difficult circumstances of the world, and when this will occur. 'Proof texts' used in support for this are Matthew 24:37-41 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.

If we focus too much on this hoped-for event, out of context with the rest of Scripture, we begin to read every other aspect of end times Scripture through this lens. We become more and more concerned to find the best estimate of where to place the 'rapture' – and others do the same, with different conclusions, resulting in conflicting views of 'pre-', 'mid-' and 'post-tribulation' rapture.

Though Paul told the Thessalonians to comfort one another with an expectation of the Lord's return (1 Thess 4:18), I do not think he would have had them take his dramatic description of the way it will happen so out of context, as many today seem to have done.

If we lose a balanced perspective on God's overall plan, we can end up taking Scripture out of context.

The Background of the Covenant

The context of the end times (and all the events leading up to the return of the Lord) is the overall covenant plan of God. 'Covenant' and 'end times' are two intersecting themes that weave through Scripture, overlapping to become totally dependent on one another. If we read the entire Bible with this in mind, we cannot also fail to see that there is another theme bound up with these two – namely, God's purpose for Israel. A biblical mindset holds all this in balance. We find these overlapping themes behind the writings of all the Prophets, e.g.:

• The promised New Covenant proclaimed to Israel and Judah (Jer 31) is within the context of God's end times plan for Israel.
• The end time passages in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are in the context of the re-birth of Israel in Ezekiel 37.
• The great end time deliverance of Israel shown to Daniel (Dan 12) is in harmony with the other Prophets and with the Book of Revelation.
• Jesus, in speaking of his return (Matt 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), was talking to his disciples in the Land of Israel, to where he will return.

Harmony of Scripture

In reading the scriptures as a whole, we find that there is balance and harmony in all the major Bible themes. But without realising it, we often read one set of scriptures and put it in one compartment of our mind and another set and put it in another compartment, as if there are parallel worlds to which they apply.

This applies to reading the New Testament and Old Testament in isolation from each other, as much as to reading certain passages and Books in isolation. All the scriptures build together to emphasise one period of end time history. Ezekiel and Daniel, for example, both speak of the same time and circumstances, as do Jesus in the Gospels and John in the Book of Revelation.

The context of the end times is the overall covenant plan of God, including his purposes for Israel.

If we study the scriptures in a balanced way, we will find themes echoing across the whole of the Bible that will help us prepare, understand the signs of the times and have a sense of God's timing. For example:

• The 'sacrificial meal' and its context in Ezekiel 39:17-20 is echoed in Revelation 19:17-21. These surely are descriptions of the same event.
• Could we consider before God whether the sealed scroll of Daniel 12:4 was the same one opened by Jesus in Revelation 5:9-10? It is reasonable to assume this, since the last things on this earth could only be released after the Sacrifice of Jesus opened the way for the Gospel to go out to the entire earth, prior to the final judgments.
• Also, surely, the events so clearly revealed in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are precisely the same events proclaimed more mysteriously in the Book of Revelation. All these things line up in harmony.

Haggai Speaks of the End Times

Many of us believe that, over recent years, God has spoken to us concerning the fulfilment in our day of the great shaking of Haggai 2:21-22, repeated in Hebrews 12:25-29. This is not independent of all else that is prophesied for the end times but fits into the overall picture, helping us to understand where we are on the final run-up to the return of Jesus.

This also focuses our attention on the covenant priorities of our age - completion of God's purposes for Israel and the strengthening of believers across the world.

All the scriptures on the end times build together in harmony.

Our Purpose

This short series on the end times is not intended to bring yet another formula, but to encourage the reading of the entire Bible afresh, with prayerful desire to understand the times. At four chapters a day this would take about a year, by which time world affairs will have moved on and it will be wise to consider it all again. There is no substitute for this prayerful study on our own and in our local prayer and study groups.

When the disciples asked about the signs of the Lord's coming, they were told to watch and pray. That command has been passed down to us. In so doing, we will be drawn closer to the Lord and to one another as the events unfold before us. We will achieve a stronger biblical worldview and we will learn to find harmony in all the scriptures.

Next time: An overview of Matthew 24.

For other articles in this series, click here.

Clifford Denton's second article on the end times emphasises the importance of reading Scripture through the right lens.

The Masterpiece of the Bible

The Bible is like a tapestry. A multitude of themes trace their way through the scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. These themes intersect and overlap so that they are both single themes and part of a whole.

The picture of the end times is one of those themes. Echoes from Genesis are in Revelation. The plagues of Egypt remind us of the woes that God will pour out on the entire earth right at the end of time. We learn about the heart and mind of God, the separation of the saved from the unsaved, judgment on sin and much more.

So, to understand the end times, we must read the entire Bible.

Greek versus Hebrew

How, then, do we approach the reading of Scripture with the end times in view? We must beware of an overly-analytical approach. Western philosophy and scientific analysis emerged from ancient Greece. This has fostered methodical, 'logical' attitudes to world issues based on human rationality, but as far as the scriptures are concerned another mindset is needed.

Western education, influenced by those Greek patterns of logic, has unfortunately trained our minds away from the biblical, Hebraic mindset through which we should approach Scripture. This has even influenced our theology, including perspectives on the end times, contributing significantly to the divisions and conflicting conclusions on the topic which exist among Christians today.

To understand the end times, we must read the entire Bible.

The Hebraic mindset is founded on faith and leads to a seeking after God through a prayerful walk. It is a mindset that encourages questions - but not questions of the philosophical kind that expect straightforward, rational answers. We must not approach God with our questions expecting to walk away with the single answer that ticks all the boxes of our theology.

Instead we find ourselves enquiring about aspects of a larger truth. Our questions are held in the background, in our spirits, and are part of an ongoing communication which results in God feeding us, edifying us and gradually revealing something richer and clearer on questions that are deeper than we first thought. Sometimes God hears one question and raises another as an answer. We find this in the biblical record of Jesus' own teaching.

A Walk of Discovery

For this walk God has provided us with Scripture, that wonderful tapestry of intertwining themes that builds into an overall picture.

The walk is both personal and corporate, so we each have a testimony that we share with others as they also share with us, as we sit prayerfully together with the scriptures open and as we share our questions.

Through Word and Picture

There are two main ways in which God communicates prophetically. One is in pictures; the other is in words. These are not independent. As we often say, 'a picture paints a thousand words'. Language gives rise to pictures in our imagination, and pictures can be described, interpreted and celebrated in words.

Nowhere are these connected forms of communication clearer than in the created universe, which God created in all its visual splendour to speak of himself. Psalm 19 expresses this profound truth: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard" (NKJV).

There are two main ways in which God communicates prophetically: pictures and words.

While scientific enquiry has revealed much about the laws of nature and the structure of the universe, giving many people of faith further understanding through which they praise God all the more, science has never proven or disproven the existence of a God of Creation. Indeed, more and more scientists in our day have become side-lined by theories of evolution that seemingly do not require a Creator. Far better to prayerfully gaze with wonder on Creation and let God speak of himself to us in his own way, by faith unspoiled by too much logical analysis.

Communicating Heart to Heart: Illustrations from the Arts

God made mankind in his image, so we (in a limited way) are able to express ourselves through words and pictures. Though we are all human and prone to impurity, through the expressions of the various creative arts, we can begin to understand how Creator God communicates to us.

A painted masterpiece will hang in a gallery and one can look at it for hours, seeing the overall picture, while from time to time focussing on a detail that makes up the whole. If the picture were broken down into individual details the overall impression would be lost.

Poets use words to convey their thoughts in the same way that artists use paints on canvas. Many of us fall short of understanding poetry if our scientific mindset seeks to over-analyse the structure of the poem, which was often (for some of us) how we learned to approach poetry at school. We were taught to dissect it through metre, rhyme, structure, figures of speech and so on, rather than just reading it.

C Day Lewis described this error in reading poetry, where the reader "doesn't take off his critical controls and allow the poem to pass direct to his imagination".¹ Lewis was considering what makes a good poem and how it should be read. He understood that a good poet communicates from his heart through particular choices and combinations of words – that is his craft. We, the readers, are intended to trust the poet as a communicator and allow him to speak to us through the end result of his writing.

How much more so than any human artist or poet does God, the Creator of language and all visual expression, seek to communicate truths to us heart to heart. And so to the key point of this article.

How much more so than any human artist or poet does God, the Creator of language and all visual expression, seek to communicate truths to us heart to heart?

God the Creator Communicates

The Hebraic way to approach Scripture's words, pictures and visions, including the passages relating to the end times, is to simply read them in a prayerful attitude as part of our walk with God. He is less concerned that they be scientifically analysed and more concerned to reach into our hearts and minds, to plant there the message behind the words and pictures – rather like C Day Lewis explained that poetry should be read.

This will not leave us with the overall picture alone, as a general abstraction. From time to time we will find ourselves focussed on a particularly relevant detail. However, this is not so we can reconstruct scientifically what God is saying, such as many have done with various time-lines of the prophetic scriptures, only to find that they have pushed the idea too far and into disagreement with someone else's system – or indeed into conflict with factual events as they unfold.

Let us trust God, the Greatest of all Communicators, and read together what he has said of the end times. Perhaps some of us should start afresh and read the scriptures with this renewed mindset. Simply read the entire Bible and see what God says. Do it the Hebraic way.

Next time: Harmony among the prophetic scriptures.

For other articles in this series, click here.

References

1 Introduction to A New Anthology of Modern Verse 1920-1940. Methuen, 1941 p XV.

Clifford Denton begins a new teaching series on this controversial topic.

Much is said of the end times, and rightly so. Whether in veiled terms or in clear statements, the theme runs right through the Bible. We must study what the Bible says about the coming days as we seek to obey Jesus' command to watch and pray.

But the other side of this coin is that we must carefully and continually test our understanding. Often pre-emptive judgments about how to interpret some passages lead people to suggest watertight formulae for every step through the last years of Earth's history. The conflicting perspectives, timelines and interpretations have made the topic of the end times very divisive, segmenting Christians according to their views on pre-, post- and mid- tribulation rapture, the place of Israel, and questions about the millennial rule of Jesus. All this when events are rapidly proceeding in the world around us!

Whether in veiled terms or in clear statements, the theme of the 'end times' runs right through the Bible.

Careful Focus Needed

This division often means that the subject is relegated to the background. Instead, emphasis is put on other fundamentals of the faith which unite us all, including the task of evangelism we all must accomplish together.

Yet, as the days move forward and evident signs of the end increase, it is surely time to find a way to walk in unity into that future, not compromising but watching and praying together. Peter's question, asked so long ago, is still relevant today: "Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...?" (2 Pet 3:12)

In this new series, we will seek to contribute to the task of establishing a careful focus on this subject. We invite our readers to take this journey with us and join in the discussion, praying afresh for the Lord's own guidance in this important matter.

Before we begin, it is important to establish our prime focus.

The Return of Messiah

With the biblical prophets to study, including the Book of Revelation, we can soon be immersed in discussions about the various signs of the times, their ordering and how they will impact our lives on Earth and beyond. But this is not the central issue.

When Jesus' disciples talked with him on the Mount of Olives prior to completion of his earthly ministry, they asked this question: "What will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt 24:3).

The conflicting perspectives, timelines and interpretations have made the topic of the end times very divisive – but no less important to study.

These were the men who had been with the Lord for the years of his earthly ministry and had grown to love him and rely on him. They realised that he was about to leave them and they did not want him to go. We all have this sort of experience when a loved one departs from this world, a bereavement, a deeply emotional time of personal loss, a desire to continue to be with the one we love.

Or we have the experience of a friend going somewhere else in this world, perhaps a family member leaving home or a friend moving away. We desire them to come back to us and renew those activities we love to do together. We hope for special times of coming together in the future, to share holidays or family times together around the meal table.

This helps us to understand what was in the heart of Jesus' disciples when they were soon to be left alone. They did not ask for a theology of the end times - but how they might be helped to prepare for the return of their Lord and Saviour – and personal friend.

This should be our priority too, as we study the end times. There will be enormous disruption both in this world and in the universe as a whole, but the focus is on the wonderful expectation of the Lord's return. The enormity of the signs that will precede the Lord's coming is the way God has chosen to emphasise the event of all events.

Jesus' disciples did not ask for a theology of the end times – their heart was to prepare for the return of their Lord, Saviour and Friend.

Getting Our Priorities in Order

Over the series we will be considering some of those signs and expectations – but before we begin, let us pause and ensure we have this priority in view. It is the same priority that lies at the heart of sharing the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper together – to remember his death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). Nothing could be more central - and keeping our priorities centred on this will naturally keep us in focus on all other things.

The Lord's return is likened to the coming of a bridegroom. For those of us who are included in this wedding party we have the most wonderful fulfilment of our lives in view. For those who are asleep and not waiting with anticipation, instead of joy there is warning (Matt 25:1-13).

Let us pray about this as we go on to study those Scriptures that talk of his coming. Let us ensure our priorities are in order. Do you sense a prayer welling up?

...Come Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:20)

Next time: How to approach Scripture relating to the end times.

For other articles in this series, click here.

Paul Luckraft reviews 'Babylon in Europe' by David Hathaway (2006, 74 pages, New Wine Ministries)

David Hathaway is well known as an evangelist who has ministered worldwide for over 60 years. He is also the founder and president of Eurovision Mission to Europe and the Editorial Director of Prophetic Vision magazine. This small book remains one of his most important contributions to a wider readership and one that would repay serious consideration as we approach the EU Referendum.

David makes no claim to be a prophet but he does insist that God has "given me a revelation which I believe to be not only scriptural but vitally important for today" (p7). If that was the case ten years ago, then how much more so today?

He starts by looking into what was behind the formation of a single European State and why pressure came in the 21^st Century to create a 'European Union' which had never previously existed.

He accepts that there are political, social and economic reasons but also asserts that there is a biblical background to this in terms of prophetic fulfilment. He gives a brief historical summary of the road to the European Union but his major purpose in the book is to make three significant links between the EU and Bible prophecy.

Hathaway starts by asking why pressure came in the first place to create a 'European Union' which never previously existed.

The EU in Prophecy: Hathaway's Interpretation

The first is that the European Parliament building in Strasbourg bears strong resemblance to the shape of the Tower of Babel (as depicted in the oil paintings of Bruegel the Elder, and cleverly merged with the parliament building on the book's cover) which was a symbol of rebellion against God. The EU "want to restore and finish what God destroyed" (p16).

The author also points us towards the vision of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 which showed five world empires, the last being interpreted as the restored Roman Empire which, according to David, "is the EU, exactly as we have it today" (p16).

His third link is that 'Europe' took its name from Europa, who in Greek myth was raped by Jupiter who took the form of a bull. She became the 'Queen of Heaven' and the EU constantly uses the image from Revelation 17 of this woman on the beast.

Banning God

Whether or not you agree with David that "the EU is part of the preparation for the rise of the False Prophet and the Antichrist" (p19), what is clear is that the EU deliberately set out to remove God from any of its foundational principles. The author shows how the decision to ban God from the Constitution was taken "behind closed doors, by an unelected group" (p47). All reference to God was removed leaving only the values of godless humanism and exalted human reason to undergird the whole Constitution of Europe. As such it is the spirit of Babylon that operates at the centre of Europe.

The EU was set up with God deliberately excluded from its foundational principles.

Being an evangelist at heart, David inevitably concludes that there is still a chance for change, and he offers his vision of a Europe won for Christ by those with a zeal to pray and preach the gospel. But these spiritual weapons can only be used effectively if it is clearly understood where the main challenge lies and what kind of battle we are in. To this end, David's book remains an important contribution today.

'Babylon in Europe' is available for £5 from David Hathaway's website, Prophetic Vision, or for £4.99 from RoperPenberthy.

Its accompanying documentary film, The Rape of Europe, is available on Youtube and has been reviewed recently over at Heart Newspaper.

 ***Event notice***

David Hathaway will be speaking at this year's Christian Resources Exhibition, at 2pm on Friday 20 May. For further information click here.

Truth and justice have at last prevailed with the Hillsborough enquiry verdict. But where was God in the terrible events in Sheffield 27 years ago?

Everyone in Liverpool is relieved that truth and justice have at last prevailed with the enquiry verdict that 96 football fans were not responsible for their own deaths. But where was God when the terrible events in Sheffield happened, 27 years ago?

Clifford Hill looks back at his own ministry notes of a team event in Sheffield 28 years ago to shed some light on this. This is what he recorded:

MINISTRY NOTES: SHEFFIELD 1988

In the autumn of 1988 we did a week's ministry in Sheffield, with meetings at a number of different churches as well as some united events. On the final day the organisers had arranged a gathering of ministers, pastors and leaders of all the churches in the city who had been participating in the mission. Several other clergy whose churches had not participated in the meetings also accepted invitations to attend this team event - either out of curiosity or possibly to confirm how right they had been not to participate! There were about 80 clergy and lay leaders present for this final session.

Members of the team had been staying at various addresses in and around Sheffield. Monica and I stayed in the home of a suburban vicar. On the morning of the final meeting I drove the Ministry car to pick up some of the team who were staying in other houses. Edmund Heddle took the front passenger seat and David Noakes and Monica were in the backseats. Edmund usually occupied the front seat as he was rather large and needed the additional room, but he was hopeless at navigation so Monica usually had the map and gave back seat directions. On this occasion we were driving through heavy rush hour morning traffic when suddenly Edmund said, "Stop the car! Stop the car!"

I was busy thinking of what I should say at the forthcoming meeting and I was quite startled to hear his voice. Moreover, I had no idea why he should give such a command. It was not easy to respond as we were in the outside lane surrounded by slow-moving traffic but there was an urgency I could not ignore. I assumed he was unwell. I stopped as soon as possible, putting on the hazard lights at the same time. We were right opposite the Hillsborough football ground.

Edmund was making strange groaning noises which convinced me that he was ill. All three of us looked at him anxiously and asked what was the matter. He was unable to reply and appeared to be robbed of the power of speech, which increased our concern for his health. He signalled us to be quiet and after what seemed to be ages, but was probably no more than a minute or two, he indicated that he was seeing a picture and receiving a message.

It was not unusual for Edmund, an elderly Baptist minister, to see pictures with a message and after a number of years working together we had learned to respect his integrity. When Edmund said he was receiving something from the Lord we gave him space and we paid attention. On this occasion he was clearly going through a deeply traumatic experience that had a strangely emotional effect upon him. He was groaning and weeping and breathing heavily. He was trying to describe what he was seeing but he simply could not articulate the experience. Eventually he began falteringly:

I see a most terrible tragedy in that football ground. There is an immense crowd that overflows the stands. I see people stumbling and others treading upon each other in the crush. There is panic! There are bodies, children, young people and adults being trampled upon. The noise of their cries and their suffering and fear and panic is unbelievable and indescribable. I hear such a tumult and see such disorder and bewilderment. No one knows what to do. Everywhere there is panic and many lives are being lost. The authorities are powerless to deal with the situation and no one knows what to do. The cries of the dying are too much to bear.

His voice tailed off and he lapsed into a heavy silence; his whole body being shaken with emotion. For a long time, he could do no more than groan and weep helplessly. We had never seen Edmund so disturbed in all the years that we had worked together as a team. We knew that he was not given to emotional outbursts and this was something very special. So we simply sat there in the car surrounded by traffic with no words spoken. We didn't even look at each other. We were in silent prayer, trying to deal with something we didn't understand.

We must have sat there for at least 10 minutes listening to Edmund's dramatic description; then asking the Lord to show us what to do. Eventually we remembered that we had a large number of church leaders from across Sheffield waiting for us. We all agreed that Edmund must report his experience to the local church leaders. We moved out into the traffic heading for the church where the meeting was to take place.

The meeting began with worship: we gave our report on the previous week's meetings and there was a good time of feedback followed by intercession. We then briefly described our journey that morning and told them that Edmund had received a picture with a message which we believed to be a significant revelation.

Having set the scene, I asked Edmund to describe his experience. He did so without the dramatic emotion that he had experienced in the car outside the football ground and everyone listened intently. It was difficult to gauge the reaction but no doubt many were sceptical and others simply felt that there was nothing they could do about it. We had a time of open prayer when many voices were raised asking God to show us the significance of this picture and that if it were a true word of warning, God would show what action should be taken. We returned to London leaving them to seek further guidance.

On Saturday 15^th April 1989, the nation was stunned by news of the worst tragedy in the history of British football. Liverpool Football Club was due to play a semi-final match in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough Sheffield ground. Thousands travelled from Liverpool to support their team in this important match and many thousands also travelled from Nottingham. The Liverpool end of the ground was vastly overcrowded and insufficient precautions were taken to limit the number of fans entering that section. The crush was so great that barriers collapsed and metal fencing was broken down. People stumbled and were trodden upon. The resulting panic increased the problem. 96 people lost their lives. The youngest was a boy only 10 years old. Five boys were aged 14. Most of the casualties were young men in the age range 17 to 24 while the oldest were two men in their 60s. The sense of bereavement and loss in the City of Liverpool was intense. The whole City mourned the loss of their children, young men and fathers.

Immediately after this event many of the clergy in Sheffield telephoned our Ministry office or wrote letters recalling the vivid picture that Edmund had received. There were many expressions of regret that no action had been taken. No one had gone to the football authorities and warned them of the danger that God had revealed. Of course, it is quite likely that the football authorities would have dismissed the warning but many of the ministers expressed a sense of guilt that they had not taken the warning seriously.

An Important Lesson

The people of Liverpool have had to wait 27 years to hear the truth about what happened on that fateful Saturday. At last the lies and cover-ups have been exposed: truth and justice have been established. But the ministry notes above show that there is another revelation which ought to be made known to the people of Liverpool: it is that God cared so much for their sons and daughters and husbands and fathers that he gave a special revelation to one of his servants – one who was listening to him regularly and was sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit that God was able to speak to him as we drove past that football ground some six months before the event.

God gave that revelation to Edmund so that lives could have been saved! I am not blaming the Sheffield clergy for their lack of action because I too did nothing more. As team leader I should have followed up our visit by ensuring that the football authorities were contacted and given the warning. I was busy going on to other meetings around the country; but that is not a valid reason for not taking the revelation seriously enough.

There are lessons here – for those in church leadership and for ordinary believers. If church leaders do not take prophetic warnings seriously we cannot expect secular authorities to do so.

All committed Christians have access to God through the Holy Spirit and all can learn to listen. At Prophecy Today UK we often hear of believers receiving words from the Lord, giving them to their pastor but having them rejected or not taken seriously. Leaders should take care not to dismiss words of revelation lightly, but to weigh them carefully and thereby encourage the whole fellowship to be a listening as well as a praying people.

'The Return of Jesus Christ' by Mark Dunman (New Wine Press, 2015, 208 pages, available from the publisher for £10.99, or from the author's site for £10. Save £2 when you buy with 'Has God Really Finished With Israel?')

This is Mark's second book and continues the excellent standard of writing and analysis demonstrated in his first (Has God Really Finished With Israel?).

The author has skilfully navigated his way through the many issues and complexities surrounding the return of Jesus and we can follow him with confidence. He demonstrates a maturity and honesty over his own thinking on these matters, being prepared to say where he has changed his mind or is no longer certain.

Refreshingly he has allowed the study of the Scripture to overrule any emotional responses he may previously have had. He now knows what he believes but he still understands the tensions between various opinions and does not downgrade genuine views that have some Biblical support. He is always fair-minded; persuasive without being argumentative.

In this second book, Mark skilfully navigates many complex issues surrounding the return of Jesus, with refreshing honesty and devotion to Scripture.

Another Book on the End Times?

Mark is open enough to ask why there is need for another book on this topic - though clearly he believes there is. His main concern is that most Christians avoid this area because there is such a multiplicity of views which can be off-putting. He admits this state of affairs cannot be avoided but offers to help us grasp the principal views and then build on these once a basic understanding becomes established. Here is a real teacher at work.

He does not insist on a single view on everything, but will leave some things open to further insight. He recognises it is unrealistic to always expect a unanimous view but asserts it is possible to narrow down the options, clear away the weaker arguments and to indicate one view to be more likely than another. That, he states, "is what I hope to do" (p15) - and this he certainly does.

Topical Approach

His introductory chapter leads us confidently into the analyses that follow. His approach is mainly topical. He tackles the Millennium first, as it is his conviction that what we believe about this will affect other areas, such as the tribulation and rapture. This gives the book a sound structure that is easy to follow.

His second chapter is an excellent exposition on the various views on the Millennium with a very helpful summary chart at the start and other diagrams to guide us as we read on. We then move on to consider the tribulation, Antichrist and the rapture, all handled with expert ease.

Here is a real teacher at work – who admits the complexity of the situation and then helps us build up a basic understanding, without insisting on a single view on everything.

Eventually we work our way into the Gospels and the signs Jesus mentions, and inevitably some attention is given to the various views on the book of Revelation and the conundrums it contains. However, he does not go into these in great detail. His main concern is to show how Revelation ties in with similar Old Testament prophecies. Two other chapters worth a special mention are those on the mystery of Babylon, and the day of the Lord and God's wrath.

Improved Resources

As in his first book there are excellent endnotes to each chapter, which helps keep the main text uncluttered. However, unlike before, this time the appendices, glossary and indexes are placed within the book - not on his website; a definite improvement and worth the extra £1 and additional pages! There are also five appendices. Particularly illuminating are those on the Biblical measurement of time, the interpretative rule of double fulfilment and Ezekiel's temple.

There is one slight overlap with his first book - the chapter where he explains his approach to Scripture and how to interpret it. The material here is very similar but it is necessary to repeat within this book. The only question is why it is left until chapter 7 and not placed earlier on.

Fresh and Relevant

Recent events and dangers regarding the Middle East provided Mark with the motivation to write another book to ensure that Christians are not overtaken by events and to urge them to pray into these situations. Certainly there is a great need for teaching on the return of Christ, whether imminent or not. Christians have a duty to keep this theme in the forefront of their faith and to pass it on to each generation. This book shows how this can be done. We no longer have any excuse to shirk our responsibility or be scared of it.

Overall, this is a superb piece of work that cannot be recommended highly enough. It has to be one of the best recent books on the return of Christ. Every page is thoughtful and well-written. Read it at whatever pace you wish: quickly to get a clear overview if you are not yet familiar with the ideas, or repeatedly and at leisure to build up more understanding. It will remain fresh and powerful however many times you revisit it.

This is a superb piece of work – it has to be one of the best recent books on the return of Christ.