What I believe will become the generally accepted view of Bible prophecy in the centuries to come.

A short synopsis.
Daniel chap. 2 has a prophecy about 4 empires naming Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon as the 1st. In it the Messiah comes during the 4th empire and destroys it. Then the invisible kingdom of God illustrated as a great mountain fills the earth.

Daniel 7 repeats this prophecy and adds details to it. Notably. That the 4th empire will have, as yet 10 unspecified emperors, followed by an 11th that will start a war against the saints that overcomes them for 1260 days, (of years.) Or 1260 years. Then afterwards the meek inheriting earth. Becoming the dominate influence in it.

Daniel 8 names the 2nd and 3rd empires as the Medo\Persian and Greek empires. It also prophesies the beginning of time of wrath starting near the end of the Greek empire against ancient Israel. A time that has an appointed end.

Daniel 9 contains a prophecy of exactly when the Messiah would come. 490 years from the time of one of 3 decrees by the Medo\Persian emperors to restore and build Jerusalem. 490 years following one of these decrees was the year Jesus was revealed as the Messiah to ancient Israel, when John baptized him. It also contains a prophecy about the appointed time of the end mentioned in Daniel 8. That the end of that age would come when the Messiah came. The city and sanctuary would be destroyed by the son of the emperor.

Daniel 11, as prophecy, goes through all the emperors of the Medo\Persian empire and the Greek kings of Syria and Egypt's wars with the land of Israel stuck in between the belligerents. It provides more details of the beginning of the time of wrath when the Greek king of Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes enslaved and destroyed the Jewish people. It prophesies the rise of Herod the Great in verses 36-39. Then Octavian's, (Augustus Caesar's) march through Judea, to conquer the last part of the Greek Empire.

Daniel 12 is a prophecy mostly about the end of that age and the war that destroyed Ancient Israel. It also prophesies the deliverance of the believers from the war and their ministry of bringing people to the light of the Messiah.

Among many other prophecies in the New Testament. Matt. 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 speak of the war in Judea coming to that generation and the end of the Old Covenant age. The apostles letters to the churches contain interpretations of just how that was going to come pass and what would follow. These interpretations reflect the imperfect understanding of those events, future to them. Jesus directly told them this in Acts 1:6. That they would not be given an understanding of the times and seasons that lay ahead of them.

Revelations contains 2 or 3 separate visions of the four empires in Daniel with added details about the Roman one. Chapters 6:9-7:8; 14:1-5 speak of the murder of the prophets and the saints in ancient Israel, then its destruction in 70 AD because of this. Then the believers deliverance from that war. Both of these words are followed by prophecy of the great harvest of souls in the Roman Empire and the great persecution and tribulations visited upon the believers by the Romans. This is followed up by prophecies of 7 judgments against the empire. Specifically against city of Rome along with three woes against that city. (It was sacked three times and depopulated by invading armies.)

In Revelation the 4 empires are illustrated as four horseman. Then later again using the same animal illustrations as Daniel 7. John received these visions during the reign of the 6th emperor of Rome. Vespasian would be the 7th emperor. During his reign as per Daniel 9, his son, (the prince) destroyed Jerusalem. Titus become the 8th emperor. He is referred to as the "beast " because he personifies the age of the four gentile empires; as he like Nebuchadnezzar, the 1st emperor of the 1st empire destroyed Jerusalem. John is told the 10 and the 11th as of yet unspecified emperors of Daniel 2 & 7 lay out ahead of these first 8. If you start with the next emperor as the 1st of the ten after Titus, which is Domitian. The beginning of the reign of Septimius Severus in 193 AD precisely fulfills what Daniel 7 said about that 11th emperor. In case you did not know this. The Roman Empire did not end until what had been its capitol since 333 AD, Constantinople, was conquered and the last Roman Emperor killed in 1453 AD. It was 1260 years from the beginning of Severus's reign until 1453 AD. Three emperors fell before him in one year. He started the all out war against the saints. Made the worlds first blasphemy law. Death penalty for converting to Christianity. The number 1260 is repeated 5 times in Revelation regarding the reign of the Roman Empire over believers and its war against them.

Revelation 13:11-17 prophesies the permanent split of the Roman empire into and eastern and western branches after the death of the emperor Constantine. The two horns of the lamb illustrate this. Its appearance as a lamb illustrates its claims of Christianity and it speaking with the mouth of a dragon illustrates its true nature. For instance. When the emperor Justinian codified Roman imperial decree's and laws in the 6th century. It was the death penalty to be baptized as an adult who accepted Christ. Christians were baptized into the imperial church as babies. To be re-baptized as an adult because you became what you thought was a true Christian was treason against the empire. The kings of Europe followed suit with their own imperial churches. These churches were set up exactly as the official churches of communist nations. Not to promote Christianity but to control it and subjugated it to the will of the king or emperor.

Revelation 19 prophesies the end of the age of the four gentile empires in 1453 AD. Revelation 20-22, the age of promise we now live in. The majority of these 3 chapters verses are taken out of the 100+ chapters of Old Testament prophecies about this age of promise. In it. Gog and Magog illustrate the nations and peoples, past, present and future since 1453 AD who seek to stop the growth of the influence of the invisible kingdom of God in the earth. They are defeated politically and in war in chapter 19. As in Daniel 7 the saints became dominate in the earth over the forces of evil due to their influence in the nations founded upon their ideals. The change that took place in the world that enabled this was the Bible getting into the hands of the general public for the first time in human history. This began to happen immediately following the end of the age of the four gentile empires. Since that time the nations most influenced by the Bible have come out on top in wars directed at stopping the growth of the free world founded by Bible reading peoples. The rest of highly illustrative statements in chap. 19 illustrate the happenings in the world since that time. Rev. 21-22 taken directly out of OT chapters like Isaiah 54, 60, 61, 65 and many others illustrate the bride of Christ, the wife of God, believers in the free nations of the world. The things made available to them during this time period as opposed to the ages beforehand. Given as promises. But, promises that have to be won in a world that is still hostile to their existence. Not wanting the dominance of their influence, and their judgments of right and wrong to prevail in the world.

http://wordservice.org/Bible%20Prophecy/bp3000.htm

rockytopva said:

Will there be centuries to come?

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Absolutely will be. Many.

Marilyn C said:

Hi Daniel,

May I suggest you look at Daniel 7 a bit closer. We notice that the 4th beast treads down the other 3 beasts. (Dan.7: 7)Thus these beasts have to be operating at the same time.

Then we see that the first 3 beasts are allowed to continue after the Lord deals with the 4th kingdom. (Dan. 7: 12) This again shows that they are at the same time, plus operating when the Lord returns.

regards, Marilyn.

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Marilyn. There is more than one vision of these empires. The first vision named Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon as the first empire. The 3rd vision in Daniel 8 named the 2nd and 3rd empires as Medo\Persia and Greece. The fourth empire and how it conquered the Greek empire is exactly what Rome did. Revelation also declares the fourth empire to be the Roman one.
When those empires were conquered there were always elements of them that survived. They did not just cease to exist.

There is no such thing as interpreting the Bible’s prophecy apart from the Bible interpreting its own prophecy.

Douggg said:

Parable of the fig tree, Daniel. Our generation. Not centuries away.

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Ever wondered what the penalties are for telling people the end of the world is upon us when it is not? Yet here you are and millions of others prophesying it.

The Bible is full of end time prophecy. The end time prophecy about the end of the ten tribes is end time prophecy about the end of the ten tribes. The end time prophecy about the destruction of Judea by Nebuchadnezzar is end time prophecy about the destruction of Judea by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. . Same with the end time prophecy about the destruction of Egypt and the rest of the nations in the Middle east by Nebuchadnezzar. Or the end time prophecy about the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians is end time prophecy about the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians.

All of that end time prophecy uses the exact same illustrative language as the end time prophecy about the destruction of Judea in the first century. No difference at all. Same thing with the end time prophecy about the destruction of the Roman Empire and the end of the age of the four gentile empires. But your making the Bibles end time prophecy about specific nations and ages....end time prophecy about the world. A tragic mistake. The tragedy is not just that your misunderstanding the Bible. The tragedy is your not able to fight the good fight of faith for the nations based on 100+ chapters the prophecy about the age, this age that was to follow the age of the four gentile empires. Generations of believers have now been robbed a scriptural vision for the future based on those 100+ chapters of prophecy about this age of promise. They do not agree with God on the matter of the future. They have no faith in him in regards to it based on the Word of God. Nor can they develop spiritually and intellectually in such a as to knowingly work with him in faith towards the scriptural vision.

Typically a heedless person would about now call me a heretic. One wonders what God's response is towards that heedless person if I am right and they are pitifully wrong. Might he not judge them with the judgement they judged a teacher that was faithful to Gods Word?

Jesus prophesied who, what, why and when his prophecy in Matthew 24. You are torturing it to get the who what when and why of your tradition.

Jesus told many of the people he was speaking to, including the apostle John, that they would live long enough to see the coming of the Lord? Here Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the same scene when Jesus tells a group of his disciples that some of them will live long enough to see his coming.
Matthew16: 27. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28: TRULY I SAY TO YOU. THERE ARE SOME STANDING HERE, WHICH SHALL NOT TASTE OF DEATH, TILL THEY SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN HIS KINGDOM.
Mark 8:38 Whoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. 9:1 And he said to them. TRULY i SAY TO YOU. THERE BE SOME OF THEM THAT STAND HERE, WHICH SHALL NOT TASTE OF DEATH, TILL THEY HAVE SEEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME WITH POWER.
Luke 9:26 For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 BUT I TELL YOU OF A TRUTH. THERE BE SOME STANDING HERE, WHICH SHALL NOT TASTE OF DEATH, TILL THEY SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Here Jesus tells John that he will live long enough to see his coming but tells Peter he will not.
John 21:18. (Jesus speaking to Peter) Truly, Truly, I say to you, When you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where ever you desired: but when your old, you will stretch forth your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you do not want. 19. This he spoke, signifying by what death he (Peter) should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, Follow me. 20. Then Peter, turning around, seeing the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) following...... 21. Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22. Jesus answers him, IF I WILL THAT HE REMAIN TILL I COME, what is that to you? Follow me. 23. Then this saying abroad went out among the brothers, that this disciple (John) should not die: yet Jesus did not say to him, He shall not die; BUT IF I WILL THAT HE REMAIN TILL I COME, what is that to you?

Then Jesus tells the High Priest and the other religious leaders of Israel that some of them would live long enough to see his coming.
Mark 14:61 ...Again the high priest asked him, Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62. And Jesus said, I am: AND YOU WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN SITTING ON THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER AND COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.

Then of course there is Jesus's prophecy about the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. It is very important to note that the only place in his whole prophecy that he used the emphasis "truly truly I say to you;" to command their attention, and ours, was concerning when this prophecy would come to pass.
Matthew 24:32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is close: 33. So likewise, when you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34, IN TRUTH IS SAY TO YOU, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED. 35. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36. But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mark 13:28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near: 29. So in like manner, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that it is close, even at the doors. 30. IN TRUTH I SAY TO YOU, THAT THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE DONE. 31. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 32. But of that day and that hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Luke 21:29. And he spoke to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30. When they now shoot forth, you see and know of your own selves that summer is now close at hand. 31. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is close at hand. 32. IN TRUTH I SAY TO YOU. THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS AWAY, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED. 33. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

This is all in exact accordance with Daniels prophecy that when the messiah comes the city and the sanctuary would be destroyed. In fact the destruction of the temple and the city was one of the major signs that Jesus was indeed the messiah. Just like his death and resurrection were.
Daniel chapter 9 verses 25-27. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: AND THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE THAT SHALL COME SHALL DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolation's are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

So why do so many Christians and pastors not pay any attention to all these scriptures that say when Jesus would come and instead place it in our future? Mostly because they have no incentive to notice them. They accepted a teaching called the "second coming" as gospel long before they became familiar enough with the scripture to observe anything contrary to it. In the Greek, the phrase second coming doesn't even occur one time in the entire New Testament. The acceptance of these pop culture end time teachings has quite naturally caused a spiritual and intellectual laziness around the subject of the coming of the Lord. Yet the scripture is replete with these great days of judgment where the Lord literally and physically came to earth to oversee great days of judgment or calamity. This isn't the only one the New Testament prophesied either. There are a dozen chapters of end time prophecy about the great judgments of the end of the age of the four Gentile empires in the OT and book of Revelation.

Every single sentence of Jesus's prophecy in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 came to pass in the first century. You'll not find a more complete account in a more easy to read format like the article linked below. Please take the time to read it. There is extremely good news about our future, not apocalyptic news.
http://wordservice.org/Bible%20Basics/bb3000.htm