October 2007 - Beginning of the End?

It is common knowledge that the writings of the prophet Daniel, who lived over four centuries before Christ, and John the apostle’s Revelation both cover overlapping accounts of the cataclysmic final days of this age of grace. One of the most compelling elements linking the two is the detailed, albeit mysterious, references to the timing of various events prophesied to occur in these times. Without digressing into particulars, they specify things that are to occur over periods of time ranging from 3½ to 2,300 days, with other marks including 10, 1,260, 1,290 and 1,335 days, 42 months, and 3½ years.

While all of these references give great insights into how long various events will last or occur after other events, they don’t answer precisely when anything will happen until the initial indicators are manifested. For instance, Revelation 11 speaks of the “two witnesses” who will prophesy for 1,260 days and then be killed. When they are manifested, those who recognize them will be able to mark on their calendars precisely when they will die. Until then, however, all that can be known is the duration of their ministry, not the timing.

So, then, since the beginning of all these references are unknown points in the future, it is not possible to anticipate the date of any until some direct link to past or current events can be identified. Thus, these prophecies provide a true and somewhat detailed schedule of events that is intended to be understood and even serve as a litmus test dividing true believers from everyone else living in the times described.

Neither Daniel nor John, nor even Yahshua himself in the apostles’ day, could answer the question, ‘when?’, but the seal on this knowledge was never intended to be permanent. Rather, when the prophesied events marking the onset of these things happen, those who recognize them as such would be able to discern what the ancient prophets could only see from afar. Their predictions were like a mystery lacking enough information for even them to resolve, but they wrote knowing that time would supply the missing pieces to those who would really need the truth in a time of many strong delusions.

This naturally directs attention to the first mysterious marker in time referenced by these prophets, for everything else is ostensibly measured from there in some way. According to most pop theologians, no specific time schedule of events precedes the advent of the kingdom of God in the world more than seven years, but that isn’t how Daniel saw it some 2,500 years ago. In chapter 9, he wrote of a 490 year decree which, interpreted, indicated a virtual resurrection of the church founded by the apostles out of the ashes of its demise in the years following their deaths.

With this in view, the events marking the beginning of this time period must now be a matter of human history, else the end of this age must be at least 490 years or more into the future, which is an untenable conclusion for many reasons. History marks several such occasions, like the children of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, the times of restoration following their Babylonian captivity, the beginnings of the Church in the apostles’ time, and one more that actually falls within a reasonable time frame for these purposes, the Protestant Reformation.

The correlation between this remarkable turnabout in the course of human events and Daniel’s prophecy are obvious, but the nature of the decree it arguably marked is not: It is a mission for God’s people to complete the work ordained by the Christ, founded by the apostles, and framed by the New Testament; that is, building up the one true Church of the one true and living God according to the teachings of His Son, Yahshua. Moreover, this mission not only came with the opportunities afforded by the Reformation and the mandate of scripture, it also came with a deadline of 490 years. Like Noah and his family alone knew and believed that God had decreed 120 years to build the ark, those who heed the word of God would, in the last days of this age, know the number of days given to the household of God to prepare for His judgments against everyone else.

The history of the Reformation is a remarkable story in its own right, but coupled with the foresight of men of God like Daniel and John, it is a key marker in time for those who believe and heed the word of God. The scriptures had been literally held captive for over 1,200 years, deliberately kept from the view of all but the Roman Catholic clergy, who, instead, continually poisoned them with their error-ridden teachings.

The Reformation changed all that, though. Thereafter, men gained the opportunity to not only hear the apostles’ teachings for themselves, but to interpret and apply them according to their own individual consciences. Those who willingly declare Yahshua ‘Lord’ made themselves a part of those called to do the work of building upon the apostles’ foundation of a single, unified Church.

This work is the subject of the decree set forth in Daniel’s ancient prophecy, and the deadline for judgment is rapidly approaching: The 490th anniversary of the commonly recognized birth of the Reformation is scarcely a year away, October 31, 2007. I see no reason to think the judgment of the “household of God” in the world will linger many days thereafter, and that, according to Peter, is where judgment will begin. Neither do I see any reason to diminish the Lord’s pronouncement of “woe” upon the entire world because of the offenses that will be found amongst the churches.

The clock on mankind’s time in this world has been ticking since before God said, “Let there be light,” so the pertinent question here is, at what point does the sound of its chimes become audible to those dwelling in the world? Noah heard it 120 years before all his contemporaries did, and they didn’t get it until they were drowning in the flood. While allowing room for further evidence to alter my assessment, it seems to me that the first chime began ringing late in the year of 1517, and a very loud alarm is most likely set to wake up the whole world within the next couple years.