Prophecy

What does the Greek word pharmakeia mean in Revelation 18:23? There is an idea circulating that Revelation 18:23 predicts our time because the Greek word pharmakeia appears in this verse. There it is said to Babylon, “For by your sorcery [ pharmakeia ] all the nations were deceived.” This is ...

This dissertation seeks to determine which of the three methods of interpretation mentioned in the title is the most appropriate hermeneutical method to interpret apocalyptic prophecy. To do so, Stander has developed an analysis model whereby the three schools of interpretation are critically eva...

In several places the gospels record Jesus’ Olivet discourse in which He describes events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the signs that will precede His coming (Matt 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; cf. Matt 17:20–37). Political and religious turmoil, earthquakes, and famines appear in the f...

The author of the books in this review is Edwin de Kock, who was born in South Africa in 1930, but has been a United States citizen since 2000. He graduated with honors from the theological course at Helderberg College in 1950. He also holds an MA in Afrikaans and Dutch literature, and a Licentia...

The purpose of this presentation is to analyze eschatological events mentioned by the gift of prophecy manifested in Ellen G. White: the United States and its identification as the second beast of Revelation 13, the union of all the churches, the Sabbath as the sign of God as opposed to the mark of the beast, and how these events have been confirmed throughout history to this day

Babylon is a major symbol in the book of Revelation, but what it represents is widely disputed. This presentation attempts to assemble biblical evidence of the symbol’s meaning in context of the book of Revelation. It will offer evidence that the harlot city Babylon is a much broader symbol than merely the papacy, which is one of the seven heads on which Babylon sits. The seven heads are shown to be seven successive major historical superpowers that come into an oppressive relationship with God’s covenant people, but Babylon reigns over them all, and she is held accountable for the blood of all the martyrs who have been slain on the earth.

This presentation highlights the importance of studying and obtaining a clear understanding of last-day events during these final stages of earth’s history. A proper biblical understanding of last-day events will not only protect sincere Christians from being deceived, but will also help prepare this generation for the soon coming of Christ. This presentation also intends to contribute to a unified understanding of Adventism’s doctrine of eschatology.

Seventh-day Adventists have believed that cosmic signs described under the sixth seal in the book of Revelation were fulfilled in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and their fulfillment served as landmarks for the nearness of the second coming of Christ. But recently, that view has been challenged within the church, stating that these are signs at His coming itself (that is, they did not occur prior to the second coming; they accompany the actual coming of Jesus). Using the historicist approach to interpret apocalyptic prophecies, this presentation re-evaluates both the traditional and the challenging view from a biblical perspective and the spirit of prophecy.

Dispensationalism is one of the most influential theological systems in this presentation of Christian eschatology. It is a movement of eschatological interpretation of biblical prophecy distinguished by its belief that a literal hermeneutic mandates a consistent distinction between Israel and the church. Its understanding of the signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ and of the fulfillment of these signs not only presents unique features of its understanding of the Bible prophecy but also expresses its particular characteristics. In order to have a sound biblical understanding of the signs of Jesus’ Christ’s second coming, the understanding of dispensationalism should be critically evaluated. This presentation will analyze dispensationalists’ understanding of the signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ and their fulfillments. Based on that analysis, it will provide a critical evaluation of their understanding on the subject.

The millennium issue is one of the most controversial in Christian eschatology. This presentation compares two approaches toward the millennium: the Orthodox and the Adventist. The understanding of the Orthodox position on this crucial eschatological problem is very important for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in countries that traditionally were under the strong influence and dominion of the Orthodox Church. Analysis and evaluation of two positions, and finding common ground and distinctions, will facilitate a constructive dialogue between Orthodox and Adventist believers.