And The House Came Tumbling Down

There are certain beliefs about end-times prophecy that are cornerstones supporting the greater edifice. If any one of those cornerstones were to be removed the whole house would come tumbling down. In the process of re-examining prophecy, unfortunately, it is the very cornerstones that must be discarded. And when they are removed the whole house will collapse. You cannot save the stain-glass windows, the gabled dormers, or the stone faced fireplace.

If you have ever played the game of Jenga you just know that there are certain blocks that cannot be pulled out or the whole tower will come crashing down. Whether it’s a Jenga tower, or a collapsed house, it is impossible to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again.

Allow me to describe my experience of re-examining prophecy. It was certainly not my intention to collapse the entire structure. But whenever one piece was removed then other pieces lost support, and then more and more pieces came tumbling down.

The first cornerstone belief that I examined and had to remove was the belief that Revelation 13 was a description of the Antichrist. I came to realize that the beast was a nation, the seventh head of the beast-motif that originated in Daniel 7. It became clear that the feet of clay mixed with iron (Daniel 2), and the little horn were describing America as well -- the world-ruling nation of the last days. Without Revelation 13 as a valid description of Antichrist, then, I realized that the caricature we cherish was bogus. No one-world government ruler, no miraculous healing or coming back from the dead, no covenant with Israel then destroy their temple, no larger than life madman. No more main character for the “Left Behind” series.

The second cornerstone to be removed was the seven-year Tribulation. I came to see and understand that the seven trumpet warnings were events that have been unfolding throughout the last 100 years. Clearly, these events are what was prophesied both in the trumpet warnings and bowl judgements. I determined that Daniel 9, the vision of the seventy weeks, gave absolutely no indication that the 70^th week was intended to be separated from the 69^th week by 2000 years. That, too, was bogus. And with the removal of the Great Tribulation cornerstone then the pre-tribulation rapture could no longer be supported either. That meant that the Church was going to be around for a lot of turmoil and destruction that Christians were taught they would escape.

Here's what I think. American theologians and scholars are afraid to re-examine the cornerstones of end-times prophecies. Because if they did they would have so much to lose – their credibility, their popularity, their rapture escape before the Tribulation, and their peace, safety and tranquility. And all they have to gain, in exchange, is telling Christians that they were wrong, that in fact we should plan on enduring the sword, plague and famine.

Prophecy must be re-examined. With new cornerstones in place the whole of Revelation takes on new meaning. If we are courageous enough to do so then we can prepare for what truly lies ahead.