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 most notorious number in the Bible is the enigmatic number of the Sea Beast, 666 (Rev 13:18). After discussing the visual representation of this number in the earliest Greek manuscripts in light of recent numerical and papyrological research, I will explore the meaning of the verb ψηφίζω in 13:18 and other biblical and extra-biblical texts. I conclude that 666 is not a number to be understood as a series of three sixes, that the interpretation of the cryptogram must be understood from the standpoint of psephical calculations of the numerical equivalents the letters of ancient alphabets, and that the symbolic meaning of the number, or of its factor of six, is not primary to the text.

SDA identity is, to a substantial degree, grounded in the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. A crucial part of that identity is dependent on the time periods in those prophecies. Yet aspects of those time prophecies have not in the past been developed in relation to solid academic exegesis. This presentation is an attempt to provide a more exegetical basis for Adventist understanding some of the five 1260 day/year passages in Revelation 11-13.

Understanding and interpreting the last three chapters of the book of Daniel have always been a challenge to scholars and readers of the Bible. The central prophetic content of Daniel 11:2b–12:3 that refers to the mysterious kings of the north and the south has been particularly obscure. Though this section has been either studied superficially or totally ignored in Adventist literature, during the last twenty years there has been a change toward this prophecy. This presentation also evaluates new approaches to Daniel 11 facing Adventism. This study recognizes the basic importance of grammatical and syntactical work in the exegetical enterprise. Furthermore, it demonstrates that structural analysis provides better comprehension of the passage and the flow of thoughts contained in it. It also deals with the parallelism of the Danielic prophecies and hints the chapter itself provides for its interpretation. These guidelines offer a structure for understanding Daniel 10–12.

This study uses the biblical-historicist method of interpreting the prophecy of Daniel 11. The interpretation of this chapter follows a Christocentric, cross-centered interpretation where the first part (11:1-29) focuses on the great controversy before the cross, dealing with the literal history of kingdoms in geographic areas. The second part (11:30-45) focuses on the great controversy during the Christian era after the cross between spiritual Israel and apostate Christianity where kingdoms and places take on spiritual and global meanings. When interpreting texts in the context of the time of the end, these are not explained with its focus on literal Israel with its Middle Eastern background, but in the light of spiritual Israel with its spiritual and universal perspectives.

Timely applications of the predictions made by biblical prophets often eclipse their timeless qualities. This presentation points to a need to pay more attention to the timeless aspects of biblical prophetic messages, particularly those that relate to the end times. To this end, statements like “the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, the stars will fall from the sky” are surveyed in their original Old Testament contexts and genres. The presentation closes with a call to Adventist biblical scholars to give more attention to the timeless aspects of biblical prophetic predictions.

Although many prophecies in the Old Testament concerning Israel have had no obvious fulfillment, New Testament writers consistently speak of prophecies fulfilled. This paper shows how a sifting within Israel in response to the proclamations of John the Baptist and Jesus results in Israel’s “restoration” in relation to Jesus as its messianic King. Examination of the relevant terminology, together with a detailed consideration of crucial New Testament passages concerning Israel (Acts 15, Romans 9-11, and in Revelation), reveals the inadequacy of a strictly ethnic definition of Israel in light of God’s intention that “all Israel” be saved.