Every now and then it is breath takingly enlightening to cease looking at bible prophecy sites and reading about the latest signs of the approaching end, and take a long step back.

You know, in America, Bible prophecy is to a degree, an industry in itself, and discernment is necessary. We humans have a tendency to think any individual, author or church with a large following must be successful and on the right track, but referring back to Bible based teaching on what success truly is, usually reveals that they are in fact on the WRONG track.

This may seem like a strange thing for a person like myself, who runs a site about prophecy amongst other things, to say, but here's why I do so.

Sensationalism, speculation and the associated promotion of same will always attract a vast number of excitable people out there. The pure and simple word of God as found in the Bible however attracts very few readers. It's a bit like the trashy newspapers featuring page three scantily clad girls, far outselling the journalistically sound publications.

There is a seemingly endless flow of sensational speculation emanating from many prophecy scholars of renown, particularly American ones it seems.

It is so easy to get emotionally caught up in a whirl of expectation when so many supposed new proofs that we are indeed at the end of this age are thrown around. But the fact is, most of these proofs in books and DVDs are really speculation and no more, made to sound a certainty by many, sometimes well meaning but often irresponsible public figures in the Bible prophecy community.

The hype created by these theories in often best selling books is astounding. Even I am caught up in it at times.

It is inevitable however that some of these speculations WILL prove to be correct, through the law of averages alone, if not the occasional correct diagnosis of Bible passages and current events. Let's look at a few.

 

The Blood Moons.

Supposedly the current series of lunar eclipses portend the imminent return of Christ. This is SPECULATION.

 

The Torah Codes.

The contention that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) contains intentional words or phrases appearing as letters with equal spacing between those letters. This is SPECULATION.

 

Nephilim Armies. 

The idea that Antichrist's troops will be made up of hybrid beings, which may even now, be walking amongst us. This is SPECULATION.

 

Strange sounds in the atmosphere.

Reports that unusual trumpet like sounds in the atmosphere are angelic beings activities slipping through into our dimension. This is SPECULATION.

 

A muslim antichrist.

The idea that the antichrist will be a muslim, based on islamic eschatology that predicts their coming Mahdi to rule the world. This is SPECULATION.

 

Prophecy of the Popes.

Based on an old catholic writing, that states that the current Pope is the last Pope, and possibly the false prophet. This is SPECULATION.

 

America is Babylon.

The assertion that Mystery Babylon referred to in Revelation is in fact modern America. Whilst America certainly fits the bill in most ways, this is SPECULATION.

 

Prophecy of Elam.

An idea that Iran's current nuclear ambitions fulfil the prophecy of Jeremiah 49. This is SPECULATION.

 

ISIS is the precursor to Psalm 83 being fulfilled.

Based on the idea that the ISIS phenomena will usher in the supposedly future war described in Psalm 83. This is speculation.

 

Psalm 83 war and Israeli expansion.

The reasoning and assertion that Psalm 83 speaks of a prophesied future war which Israel will win and as a result, hugely increase its size, wealth and world influence.  Whilst certainly possible, this is SPECULATION.

 

The Rapture will coincide with a Jewish Feast Day.

A position that the rapture will occur on a particular Jewish feast day. This is SPECULATION.

 

Near death experiences.

Whilst not directly related to prophecy, although some of these claim to reveal the future, more and more of these near death experiences are being written about. But the conclusions drawn from these profitable novels are SPECULATION.

 

The Harbinger.

The idea is that America's future from 9/11 was foretold in Isaiah 9:10-11. It certainly appeals to the ingrained American pre-occupation with itself, but is it not SPECULATION?

 

The fig tree generation.

Based on Matthew 24:32-35, is the idea that those born around 1948 constitute the LAST generation, be it forty, seventy, eighty or one hundred and twenty years, and it will be the one that sees the second coming of Christ. This is SPECULATION.

 

The Shemitah.

This links the Jewish Shemitah with economic or some other form of judgement on, you guessed it, America. This is SPECULATION.

 

The Jubilee year.

The approaching 70th Jewish Jubilee year, which is the year at the end of seven cycles of shmita (Sabbatical years), somehow points to the nearness of the end. This is SPECULATION.

 

 

Quite honestly, I could continue for pages in this vein. Lets remember that speculation is not proven fact, but is does attract large audiences and make for highly saleable products.

The point I am making is that while there is certainly nothing wrong in mulling over these ideas, as even I myself do, and while some of them may well prove to have merit or be correct, unless one of them is particularly intriguing to you, think twice before supporting the prophecy industry by forking out your hard earned money on every book and DVD that comes out with a NEW revelation.

That money would be far better spent on supporting those who preach the basic message of salvation through Jesus Christ, particularly in under evangelised countries like Asia, China and Africa.

All one really has to do to realise that the return of Christ is nearing is step back, refocus on the big picture, and see that:

 

Israel is back as a nation after 2000 years, as foretold in the Bible.

The Ezekiel 38 and 39 alliances are coming together.

Isaiah 17 prophecy is well and truly in the mix of current events.

Homosexuality has become acceptable and legal.

Morality on all levels, particularly sexual, has plummeted.

A New World Order is openly being promoted.

Israel has become isolated and abandoned by her former allies.

Anti-Semitism is increasing again, exponentially.

America has long been finished as the world's moral superpower.

Jerusalem's status is an ongoing source of disputes, as per bible prophecy.

The world today has the ability to destroy itself, as prophesied.

Apostasy is the norm in most churches and Christendom in general.

 

There you have it. No new revelations or SPECULATIONS needed, so let's not get pre-occupied with them. End of story, and indeed, the story of man's rebellion against God is almost ended. And that's no new idea.............

that's a fact.