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BIBLE PROPHECY
The Holy Bible is filled with prophetic statements. With limited knowledge on the subject, I will narrow the topic to the Book of Revelation, the last chapter in the Bible. The Book of Revelation is filled with strange and awesome imagery that is interpreted by many in different ways. Early in the book, it discusses the state of affairs among seven churches in Asia Minor. Then, the book starts dealing with the prophetic vision John (a servant of Jesus Christ) received from God.
John appears before the seat of God surrounded by angels of depicted in strange ways and one of the angels representing Jesus grabs a scroll with seven seals from the one who is sitting on the right hand of God. Only Jesus is worthy to open the scroll. At that point the prophecies of our future begin to reveal themselves.
From the Book of Revelation
6:1 I looked on when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a thunderous voice, “Come!” 6:2 So I looked, and here came a white horse! The one who rode it had a bow, and he was given a crown, and as a conqueror he rode out to conquer.
6:3 Then when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” 6:4 And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.
6:5 Then when the Lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” So I looked, and here came a black horse! The one who rode it had a balance scale in his hand. 6:6 Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat will cost a day’s pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!”
6:7 Then when the Lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” 6:8 So I looked and here came a pale green horse! The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind. They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.
6:9 Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given. 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?” 6:11 Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.
6:12 Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red; 6:13 and the stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a fierce wind. 6:14 The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 6:15 Then the kings of the earth, the very important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 6:16 They said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 6:17 because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?”
The amazing symbolism runs throughout the rest of the book and of course it is highly debatable as to what is to be taken literally or symbolically. Further judgements are released upon the earth in the form of seven trumpets, two witnesses, a dragon (the devil), the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet, and seven golden bowls. The judgements passed on to the Earth and it’s inhabitants include:
- Plague
- Earthquakes
- Hailstorms
- Fire
- Famine
- Meteor storm
- Lack of drinking water
- And more
Eventually the prophecy leads up to the antichrist assuming world domination with his false prophet overseeing the one-world religion. The antichrist rules the world for a period of time until the battle of Armageddon. At this point, Jesus Christ returns to earth and destroys the armies of the antichrist. Then the false prophet and the antichrist along with the devil are thrown down into the lake of fire. Interestingly enough, the story continues to state that the devil must be released one more time after Christ’s 1000 year reign. At this time a final battle takes place with the devil losing and being vanquished into the lake of fire forever. At this time God’s kingdom is setup for eternity and all who accept Jesus as their savior are allowed access to the kingdom of God.
The summary above is brief and this book alone can be studied over and over in order to digest all the symbolism and meaning behind the words. The book of Daniel and Ezekiel contains many prophecies as well. Bottomline, it all has to do with the battle between good and evil, the sides people pick and the ultimate fate of their choices. Following evil leads to permanent separation from God and accepting the salvation through Jesus Christ gains entry to a eternal life with God.
Bible Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation
