Ten Things the Bible Predicts About the Future
Here are 10 predictions the Bible makes for the future. Take a look at the world around you and see if you think they could come true!
The last few years have been a whirlwind, leaving many confused. It seems as if the rules have changed, and nobody is telling us what the new rules are! This search for understanding has led to a newfound interest in the Bible, and more specifically, in what the Bible has to say about the end times.
Here are ten things the Bible predicts about the future. Before we dive in, I need to preface the discussion with the acknowledgement that this interpretation is one of several different ways of interpreting Biblical prophecy. We are going to fully investigate all of the different schools of interpretation in future posts, but for the purposes of this specific post, we have chosen the one that best explains the world that has emerged within the last few years!
1. A global coalition of seven nations and ten rulers will arise and dominate the world.
A great portion of future prophecies come from the books of Daniel and Revelation. Daniel is in the Old Testament and was written in the 6th Century BC, while Revelation is in the New Testament and was written by the Apostle John in the 1st Century AD.
In the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel has a vision of “four great beasts coming up out of the sea.” An angel tells Daniel the beasts are kings and kingdoms, but the fourth beast is strange and “it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.” Daniel is then told the “as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise.”
Almost 600 years later, the Apostle John was given more information while he was exiled on the island of Patmos. In the Book of Revelation, John has a vision of a beast emerging from the sea. This beast, mirroring the imagery from Daniel, has seven head with ten crowns. We are told the beast represents seven kingdoms. The ten crowns “are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive their authority as kings with the beast for one hour.”
Together, these prophecies paint a picture of a coalition government that will arise in the future. It will be comprised of seven nations and have ten rulers. While the rule of this government does not seem to be absolute everywhere, it will dominate or influence the entire world. This global coalition is referred to as a beast in the Bible, but it is sometimes called the One World Order, the New World Order, or the Kingdom of the Beast.
2. The global coalition will become the most violent and authoritarian government in the history of the world.
While many believe a global government would be a good thing, this government will not be benign or benevolent. It will be violent and totalitarian on a scale never seen before. In Daniel’s vision, the fourth beast was “exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet”.
The imagery Daniel uses, “devoured, crushed and trampled” describes a global regime more in line with Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union under Stalin. Other parts of Revelation tell us the time of the world government will be characterized by wars and violence, oppression and persecution on an unprecedented scale.
3. A charismatic ruler commonly known as the “Antichrist” will arise as a false savior, eliminate three of the world rulers, and seize control of the global coalition.
The despotic rule of the global coalition is relatively short lived. Soon after the 10 rulers come to power, another ruler will emerge from within their midst. This 11th ruler will swiftly rise to power, eliminating three of the rulers before seizing absolute power.
This new ruler will initially be viewed as a savior but will ultimately reveal himself as the most despotic and violent dictator in the history of the world. In Daniel, the ruler is referred to as a “little horn.” In Revelation he is identified with a “beast coming out of the sea,” and in 2 Thessalonians he is called the “man of lawlessness” and the “son of destruction.” Among students of prophecy, this charismatic dictator is known as the “Antichrist,” although he is not specifically referred to by that name in the Biblical passages.
According the Daniel, the Antichrist will be “boastful” and will speak out against God. He will persecute and murder Christians, and after 3 /12 years of false peace with Israel, he will persecute and murder Jews. He will rule over a violent government and conquer many nations. According to Revelation, he will “amaze” the world and people will willingly follow him, at first. When his true nature is revealed, he will seek absolute control, limiting commerce only to those who swear allegiance.
4. This Antichrist will establish an international treaty with many nations.
The Antichrist will rule for a period of seven years; his reign will start with a “firm covenant with many,” which many scholar believe will be an international treaty, and his reign will end when he is defeated by Jesus Christ. This timeline is revealed in one of the most important prophecies in the Bible, the Seventy-Weeks Prophecy.
In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prayed to God, asking when his people would be returned to the land of Israel from exile in Babylon and when the promised Messiah would arrive. In response to Daniel’s prayer, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and told him there will be a period of 70 “weeks” of seven years, or 490 years until the Messiah presented himself to the nation of Israel. The prophecy also predicted the Messiah would be rejected and killed. This prophecy was fulfilled with entry into Jerusalem and the subsequent crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth.
The killing of the Messiah would place a temporary hold on the final “week” or seven-year period of the prophecy. This final seven-year period, known as the tribulation, would restart with the appearance of the Antichrist. The final portion of the Seventy-Weeks Prophecy says the Antichrist “will make a firm covenant with many for one week, ” although a more literal translation is he “strengthen” the covenant. While the language of the text does not specifically say so, many propose the covenant involves a peace settlement between Israel and many formerly hostile nations.
A peace treaty between Israel and the surrounding Muslim nations has been an elusive goal since the founding of the nation of Israel. By accomplishing the seemingly impossible, the Antichrist will establish his credentials as a world leader and present himself as a savior and ally of Israel.
The peace Israel gains will be false and short lived, however. It is probably this treaty that the prophet Isaiah wrote about in Chapter 28, calling it a “covenant with death,” and a pact with Sheol, which is the Hebrew term for Hell. This period of false peace will last 3 ½ years and then the Antichrist will turn on Israel and unleash unprecedented death and destruction.
5. After 3 ½ years of relative peace, the Antichrist will declare himself a god and demand the world’s population worship him.
The seventy-weeks prophecy then continues, “but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, and on the wing of abominations will come one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”
The Apostle Paul also wrote about the Antichrist, but called him the “man of lawlessness.” In 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, describing the end times. “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.”
This event is known as the “abomination of desolation,” when an image of the Antichrist is placed in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. We know from Revelation chapter 13 that the world will be forced to worship the image. This abomination will start a period known as the Great Tribulation, a period of unprecedented violence, oppression, and persecution.
The abomination will be a repeat of a historical event that occurred in the 2nd Century B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruler of Greek descent, was infamous for desecrating the Jewish temple with an image of Zeus and sacrificing a pig. While the abomination performed by Antiochus IV may be viewed as a fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, Jesus told his followers it would be repeated in the future, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15)
6. A Jewish temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
If an image is placed in the temple in Jerusalem, there must be a temple in Jerusalem. The problem is there is no Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and there hasn’t been one since the Romans destroyed the last temple in 70 AD. The Temple Mount, the historical site of the temple is currently occupied by the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque, a site considered sacred by Muslims.
While at this time, the construction of a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount would most likely spark widespread violence from the Muslim world, plans for a new temple have been in progress for years. The Temple Institute (templeinstitute.org) has made almost all of the necessary preparations and is ready to begin construction as soon as permission is given.
Bible commentators have hypothesized the treaty negotiated by the Antichrist will allow Israel to rebuild the temple. If a treaty is in the near future, we would expect construction on the temple to begin soon afterwards.
7. Millions of Christians will vanish in an instant.
In the rapture, Jesus Christ returns in the clouds, but not yet to rule as king. Instead, he “snatches” up the true believers, removes them from the earth in an instant, and returns to heaven with the Church. This event is known as the rapture, from the Greek word “harpazo,” or to snatch up.
The rapture is a controversial subject, even among Bible-believing Christians, mostly because the term and the doctrine is not explicitly stated in the Bible. However, the most literal, plain-language interpretation of certain passages of the Bible seems to support the rapture will occur. The best support for the rapture comes from Paul’s letters to the churches in Thessalonica and Corinth.
1 Thessalonians describes an event where Jesus returns in the clouds, but does not set foot on earth. He first resurrects the dead believers and then the living believers will be “caught up,” to join Jesus in heaven. Paul repeats this claim in 1 Corinthians, chapter 25, claiming believers will be removed from the Earth in a “twinkling of an eye.”
The rapture does seem to be separate from the Second Coming of Christ, when he returns to earth, defeats the Antichrist, and rules on Earth for a thousand years. The Second coming occurs at the end of the 7-year tribulation. 2 Thessalonians says the man of lawlessness cannot be revealed until the restrainer is removed. Many commentators believe the restrainer is the Holy Spirit that lives in the church. If this is so, the Church must be removed by the rapture before the tribulation can begin.
If the rapture is true, then at some time in the future, millions of Christians will disappear from the earth suddenly and without warning. One moment they will be there, and the next they will be gone. The rapture will occur before the Antichrist is revealed by negotiating the treaty, and it will occur before the start of a seven-year period known as the tribulation.
8. A series of natural and man-made disasters will decimate the world over seven years.
One of the recurring themes in both the Old and New Testaments is that God is merciful and patient, but eventually judgment always comes. In Revelation, God’s judgment is released on the world in 3 sets of judgments known as the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments. Together, these judgments result in unprecedented destruction and death. While many of these disasters could be from natural causes, some are clearly supernatural.
Many find it difficult to accept that God will judge the inhabitants of the earth. The uncomfortable truth is God is just, which means he always punishes sin, and as the book of Romans says, “the wages of sin is death.” Fortunately, God is also merciful, which means he wants to spare as many people as possible from judgment. The second part of the quote from Romans says, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s promise is that is you believe in Jesus, then you will be spared judgment and granted eternal life. This is one reason why the Rapture will likely occur prior to the start of the tribulation, as Jesus has promised the Church it will be spared his judgment.
9. Satan will be the power behind both the global coalition and the charismatic ruler.
While one of the most difficult ideas for some people to accept is the existence of an actual Satan, the Bible is very clear he exists. In the Old Testament, he is probably manifested as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Isaiah described how Satan wants to replace God. In the New Testament, Satan tempts Jesus and in Revelation he is known as the dragon,
“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” (Revelation 12:9)
In Revelation chapter 13, John wrote that Satan would give his authority to first the global coalition and then the Antichrist. Speaking of the One World Order, John wrote, “and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.” He then wrote of a beast as a symbol of the Antichrist, “they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast.”
10. And the end of the seven years, Jesus will return to Earth, defeat Satan and the charismatic ruler, and reign as king on Earth for a thousand years.
The Bible paints a very dark picture of the end times, but there is always hope, and in the Bible, the hope is Jesus Christ. Both Daniel and Revelation say that the messiah will return at the end of the tribulation and save the surviving believers. He will defeat the Antichrist and cast him into a lake of fire. He will also defeat Satan and bind him for a thousand years. Jesus will then take his place as the prophesized ruler and reign on earth for a thousand years. This period is often called the Millennial Kingdom because it will last a thousand years. During this period, believers will rule alongside Jesus and recreate a paradise resembling the Garden of Eden.
Summary
There are many more predictions the Bible makes about the future. You can read more about them in the books of Daniel and Revelation, but these are ten, testable predictions we can study and analyze. This post is merely the briefest of summaries. Going forward, this blog will lay out the Biblical text that supports these views. We’ll also discuss the different schools of thought for interpreting Biblical prophecy and analyze each of them. In the end, you’ll be able to see how these 10 predictions have emerged from the Biblical text.
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