End of the End Times?

The first "antichrist" described by Scripture was in the Old Testament. This was Antiochus Epiphanes (left). It was about him that "Daniel" wrote: "He shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall make sacrifice and offering cease; and in their place shall be an abomination that desolates, until the decreed end is poured out upon the desolation. (Dan 9:27; New Revised Standard Version)

The "abomination" which "desolated" was the statue of Zeus which Antiochus had erected in the Jewish temple.

The Book of Daniel contains a style of literature known as "apocalyptic." The same style is also found in the Book of Revelation. Apocalyptic is the literature of crisis. Suffering people always turn to future hope in an effort to ameliorate their current travails. When reading apocalyptic literature, we need to understand the worldview of people suffering oppression, hardship, or persecution. Biblical examples: Daniel was written with the aim of comforting and supporting the faith of those suffering under Antiochus Epiphanes; Revelation was composed close to the year 70 CE to assist those who were suffering under the persecution of Nero. What these writings share is the idea that people were to look to the future rather than now for the day of their deliverance.

What then is "prophecy?" The dictionary says: 1: an inspired utterance of a prophet 2: the function or vocation of a prophet ; specifically : the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose 3: a prediction of something to come Most people focus on the third definition.

The primary definition of "apocalypse" is: "One of the Jewish and Christian writings of 200 BCE to 150 CE marked by pseudonymity, symbolic imagery, and the expectation of an imminent cosmic cataclysm in which God destroys the ruling powers of evil and raises the righteous to life in a messianic kingdom.

It is worthy to note, in English versions of the Bible, the Book of Daniel is found among the Prophets. In the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, Daniel is found in the third division, the Writings (Kethuvim.) The editors of the Tanakh did not consider Daniel a "Prophet" but something else. This is correct, because Daniel is not prophetic literature, but apocalyptic. The first six chapters of the book contain stories of the dream interpreter and faithful servant of G-d in difficult times. Chapters 7-12 contain the apocalyptic visions written under the name of "Daniel" during difficult days. These "visions" are simply intended to show that faithful men and women that, in spite of the power of their enemies, G-d was still the king of the universe, and that they need be unafraid.

The early Christians were mainly Jews who were familiar with their Scripture. They were people who found themselves in similar straights as their forebearers in the time of "Daniel." The genius in the Book of Revelation is that it was written in the same style as Daniel, but adapted to the author's time and place. Here the evil tyrant was Nero (left) and the rest of the "prophecies" were but thinly veiled social commentary. The original readers of Revelation understood the content in the context of their world.

With this in mind, the Book of Revelation should not be seen as a book of prophecies. It is evident down through history that much mischief has been made of this book when viewed this way. In today's world, not only is it stupid to see the Book of Revelation as containing prophecies for our time, it is also dangerous.

Although "evangelical/fundamentalist" branches like to believe they are the only true Christians in the world, thankfully, there is no one "Christianity" today. By the time the full consequences of their theology are made manifest, Nero down in Hell will be laughing at their expense. It will be the responsibility of the remaining branches of Christianity to denounce Dispensationalism as a heresy and engage in appropriate damage control.

For the last eight years we have endured yet another "antichrist" in the form of President George W. Bush. He was a "Christian antichrist;" therefore most of the evangelical/fundamentalist crowd did not recognize the hour of his coming. As of now, it appears the time of Antichrist Bush is drawing to a close. For those who were not deceived, they may rejoice that they have lived and remained faithful to the end. Yet it can not be emphasized enough that the kingdom Jesus spoke of was not of this world. The kingdom is within. Therefore, don't go looking for New Jerusalems to be dropping out of the sky.

The end of the end times can be a bit of a let down; especially if you're looking for some kind of cosmic justice. Perhaps a new revelation is needed.

Let me offer this. Daniel and Revelation were written during and about the times their authors lived in. They were written in a style that is vague and hard to understand today. A revelation written today will not need to be written in the same way. A revelation today will not gain immediate acceptance, but gain credence over time.

Here is what I propose to reveal. The United States is an empire. It is presumed to have a democratic form of state, but this is questionable. For the last eight years the United States Empire has been ruled by an idiot who is likewise the enemy of G-d and the entire human race. I speculate that he will meet his doom from alcohol-related causes. Those who were faithful and resisited Bush's evil will be rewarded by inheriting the world he created; they will have to make the best of it.

G-d save us all.

Amen.