Prophecy

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.

The historical application of the fourth beast in Daniel 7 has almost exclusively been interpreted by Adventist scholars with the emphasis on the western part of the Roman Empire. This is particularly noticeable when the end of the empire is linked with the territory where the little horn appears. This presentation attempts to demonstrate that taking AD 1453 as the end of the Roman Empire brings an opportunity for a much more historically precise application of Daniel 7 in regards to the fourth beast and a much more complete theological understanding of the identity of the little horn.

For several reasons, the suggestion sometimes offered that the “seven times” of Leviticus 26:18 (KJV) refers to a prophecy of 2,520 years cannot be accepted. The Hebrew term used in Leviticus 26:18 is sheva‘ which simply means “seven” and, from the context, is used adverbially to describe the i...

Vanderlei Dorneles The Last Empire: The New World Order and the Counterfeiting of God’s Kingdom (Tatuí, SP, Brazil: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 2015), 192 pp. US$7.99 (Kindle) This book is a must-read for anyone interested in biblical prophecy and end-time events. Its topic is Revelation 13:11, ...

Throughout history God has had faithful followers (Rev 12). By making such a statement we also acknowledge that the Old and New Testaments also recount the apostasy of God’s people (Ezek 23; Rev 17; 2 Thess 2:1-4). The faithful followers of God are called remnant. I. The End Time Remnant in Revel...

An expanded version of this article was published in Alberto R. Timm, “Miniature Symbolization and the Year-Day Principle of Prophetic Interpretation”. A basic hermeneutical component of the historicist school of prophetic interpretation is the so-called “year-day principle.” Those who advocate t...

We would not know about God, if He had not revealed himself to us. But God in his mercy chose to make Himself known. He did this to some extent through nature (general revelation) but specifically through the Bible, Jesus Christ, appearances of angels, prophets, etc. and also through personal exp...

A visionary cycle of Revelation that has proven to be one of the most difficult to interpret is Revelation 8–11, the seven trumpets. The language and imagery are complex; and its application to specific historical events has resulted in a variety of views. This interpretational uncertainty could ...

Courtesy of Pedro Simao In recent years a number of Seventh-day Adventists have begun to apply the time prophecies in Daniel 12:5-13 to the future. Rejecting the traditional Adventist understanding, which places the 3½ times, the 1290 days and 1335 days as prophetic time periods in the past, they...

Dr. Ekkehardt Mueller, deputy director of the Biblical Research Institute, has written an in-depth study of the book of Revelation in German. Der Erste und der Letzte: Studien zum Buch der Offenbarung ( The First and the Last: Studies in the Book of Revelation ) was published in the series Adv...