An Amazing Fact: Fortune tellers have long beguiled people, blending mysticism and entertainment through the reading of tarot cards, palms, and crystal balls. Even in our age of religious skepticism, fortune-telling remains a thriving industry in the USA, generating over $2 billion annually. While some view this all as a novelty, many today still consult mediums in a futile attempt to know the future.
The ancient historian Josephus recounts a fascinating encounter between Alexander the Great and the Jewish people during his conquests. As Alexander advanced toward Jerusalem after defeating the Persians, the Jewish high priest, clad in sacred garments, led a procession of priests and citizens to greet him outside the city. Instead of attacking the parade, Alexander showed the high priest reverence, claiming he had seen a similar figure in a dream before beginning his campaign. The Jewish leaders then presented him with prophecies from the book of Daniel, which foretold that a Greek ruler would overthrow the Persians.
Deeply impressed by this revelation, Alexander, rather than imposing Greek customs on Israel or demanding tribute, granted them religious freedom and allowed them to continue following their own laws. He also extended privileges to Jewish communities across his empire, particularly in Alexandria, fostering positive relations between the Greeks and the Jewish people.
This isn’t the first time the accuracy of Bible prophecies has impressed those outside the Holy Land. When Jesus was born, “wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:1, 2). How did they know of this star except that they had studied prophecies in the Old Testament? (See Numbers 24:17.)
Does prophecy intrigue you—but also baffle you? You might be wondering how you can dive in and faithfully interpret end-time prophecies in Scripture. In this brief article, we’ll look at some keys to help you do that.
Types of Bible Prophecy
What is Bible prophecy?
Generally speaking, the word “prophecy” is defined as the inspired words of a prophet. Such revelations from heaven are often thought of as being always predictive. But prophets frequently spoke messages from heaven that didn’t “foretell”—but would “forthtell” a divine word of comfort, teaching, or chastisement.
Predictive prophecy, on the other hand, is designed to foretell future events to warn and build faith. Predictive prophecies can be divided into “classical prophecy” (found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets) and “apocalyptic prophecy” (found in Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation).
Classical prophecies are specific to the nation of Israel. For instance, Balaam’s prophecies, found in Numbers 23 and 24, speak of God’s plans for the local people of Israel. Samuel prophesied how a king would relate to Israel (1 Samuel 8:10–18).
Apocalyptic prophecies, however, are universal in scope. They speak beyond the local nation of Israel and address worldwide issues. Daniel 2, for example, deals with world history from Daniel’s time till the end.
While classical prophecy is conditional—meaning fulfillments depend on people’s response to God’s directions and rebukes—apocalyptic prophecy is not. It reveals God’s control over history itself. This is shown in Bible passages like Isaiah 46:9, 10—“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'”
Characteristics of Apocalyptic Prophecy
The word “apocalyptic” found in the first verse of Revelation comes from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means “unveiling” or “revelation.” The word has come to refer to any type of prophecy that focuses on the end times and speaks to the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom.
Messages in apocalyptic prophecy are given in visions, as though the prophet were watching a fantastical movie. They are typically presented with mysterious and profound symbols carefully designed to present a specific message for people throughout all times.
We see this in Daniel’s visions in chapters 2, 7, and 12. Each of these is concerned with the end of the current age and the beginning of God’s kingdom. Daniel’s evocative symbolism contains images and animals representing different kingdoms, while John’s visions in Revelation cover church history and end with the earth’s destruction and the creation of a new world. Again, both writers are focused on the “big picture”—the overarching theme of the great cosmic war between good and evil.
Four Ways of Interpreting Apocalyptic Prophecy
With so much symbolism to figure out, it can be easy for Bible students to come up with wildly divergent understandings of end-time prophecy. Go to any Christian bookstore, find the section on prophecy, randomly grab eight books, and you’ll see, for example, how many ways scholars explain the trumpets of Revelation 8. You will probably find 12 different interpretations!
However, there are generally four schools of interpretation when it comes to deciphering apocalyptic prophecy. Preterism, for example, is a method of interpretation that sees all apocalyptic events as having occurred in the past. Revelation, for instance, is believed to be speaking only about the first-century AD, depicting pagan Rome as the beast power and Nero as the antichrist. It was created in the 17th century by Luis de Alcazar, a Jesuit friar, to counter the Reformers who identified Babylon with the Roman Church.
Futurism was the brainchild of Spanish Jesuit Francisco Ribera and was again designed to distract from the Reformers’ attack on the Roman Church—teaching that all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation apply to the future. Futurism was later refined by John Nelson Darby and teaches that Christ will rapture the church before the tribulation and establish a millennial kingdom before His coming in glory. Futurism, a comparatively recent interpretation method, has become the prevailing view among evangelicals because of books and movies like the Left Behind series.
Another school of interpretation is idealism, which sees the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as being merely spiritual lessons, suggesting that the symbols in them have no connection to actual history or any specific events. Undoubtedly, this method is favored among non-believers who doubt the miraculous power of Scripture.
Last but not least is historicism, the first and oldest school, a system that sees an overarching unfolding of history across the Bible’s apocalyptic prophecies—some have come to pass, while others are still on the horizon. It was the method used by Protestant reformers and is best illustrated in Daniel chapters 2 and 8. Daniel interprets the symbols of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:31–45) as successive kingdoms, beginning with Babylon (Daniel 2:38), while an angel later identifies the ram and goat as Medo-Persia and Greece (Daniel 8:20, 21). This establishes that the animal symbols in Daniel’s visions refer to successive kingdoms. This method is best seen as prophecy unfolds across real-world history, and it has been so successful that skeptics accuse Daniel of having written down its many stunning prophecies after the fact, a claim that the Dead Sea Scrolls refute.
In my view, historicism is the most trustworthy and proven method for unveiling apocalyptic prophecies because it has plainly demonstrated its accuracy and deeper meanings many times over. The grand time prophecy of Daniel makes sense only when seen through the lens of historicism.
Proper Ways to Interpret Apocalyptic Prophecy
As you are no doubt aware, countless books have been written to help people understand apocalyptic prophecies, but how can you study these on your own and draw your own conclusions about which school of interpretation works best? Here are some key tools to keep in mind.
Always begin with prayer. Just as the Holy Spirit guided the prophets of old, we should ask for God’s help. Remember, “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Jesus promised that the “Spirit of truth … will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Let the Bible be its own interpreter. A careful Bible student will acknowledge that Scripture usually interprets itself. One Bible verse will often tell us the meaning of another verse. For instance, the ram and goat in Daniel 8:3 and 5 are explicitly named as the kingdoms of Medo-Persia and Greece in Daniel 8:20, 21. And when we read about the harlot sitting “on many waters” in Revelation 17:1, we find the meaning of waters in verse 15: “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.”
Learn the meaning of images. Daniel and Revelation are filled with symbols. To correctly interpret them, first consider interpretations within the passage in which they are found. For instance, the “great, fiery red dragon” of Revelation 12:3 is explained in verse 9 as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan.” Using a concordance, you can sometimes find explanations of symbols in other parts of that book or even in other books of the Bible. For example, Revelation 5:6 describes a lamb that was slain. We read in John 1:29 that when Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized, John the Baptist identified Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Learn the meaning of numbers. Most numbers in Daniel and Revelation (but not all) have symbolic meaning. For example, the number six in Revelation symbolizes the number for man. Adam was created on the sixth day. We see this realized in Revelation 13:18, where the “number of the beast … is the number of a man: His number is 666.” Seven is the number of perfection or completeness; this is often seen in Revelation’s many sevens—seven churches (chapters 2 and 3), seven seals (chapters 5 and 6), seven trumpets (chapters 8 and 9), seven thunders, seven plagues, etc.
The Day-for-a-Year Principle
Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 are vital clues to understanding symbolic time periods in Daniel and Revelation. Both verses explain that when interpreting prophecy, one day stands for one year. Many Bible students have used this principle to properly interpret the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, which refers to the 490-year span between the Medo-Persian reign and the time of Christ’s baptism (70 weeks X 7 days = 490 days = 490 years).
A word of caution when it comes to understanding as yet unfulfilled prophecy: The focus of prophecy is to build faith. Jesus’ desire for His followers is that “when it [prophecy] does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29). Before a prophecy comes to pass, we may not always understand every detail perfectly. Looking back on fulfilled prophecy often does more to strengthen our faith that unfulfilled prophecies, such as Christ’s return, will surely come to pass.
Warning Against False Prophets
When studying prophecy, also remember Christ’s warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). God told Jeremiah, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision” (Jeremiah 14:14).
We can’t trust everyone who claims to speak for God. Thankfully, the Bible provides us with four tests of a true prophet:
1. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). The “law and testimony” was an Old Testament expression for the Bible. When people claim to have a word from God, it should be compared to Scripture. A true prophet will align with what the Bible already says.
2. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2). A prophet of God must acknowledge and teach the truth about Jesus—that He was God in human form. True prophets will exalt Jesus, not themselves. Most false prophets seek to draw attention away from God’s Word toward their own ideas.
3. “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). While it is true that God’s prophets have human flaws, there should be consistency in their teachings and how they live their lives.
4. “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jeremiah 28:9). A true prophet will not make false predictions—the things he or she says will come to pass. However, accuracy alone does not automatically qualify a person as a true prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1–3 warns that false prophets can give signs that will come to pass and then use their influence to lead people to follow other gods. A true prophet must lead people to worship God according to the Bible.
Dual Prophecy
When studying Bible prophecy, it’s important to recognize that some prophecies have dual applications—they are fulfilled more than once. A well-known example is when David desired to build a temple for the Lord. The prophet Nathan told him that his son would build a house that would endure forever (1 Chronicles 17:11, 12). On one level, Solomon, David’s son, fulfilled this by constructing the physical temple. Yet the prophecy pointed beyond Solomon to Jesus, the “Son of David,” who established a spiritual temple that will last forever—His church. Jesus declared, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), speaking of His body.
Another example is found in the prophecy of Joel, who foretold that God would pour out His Spirit in the last days (Joel 2:28, 29). The apostle Peter explained that this prophecy began its fulfillment at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit empowered the early church (Acts 2:14–18). Yet its complete fulfillment will come in the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit—the Latter Rain—just before “the great and awesome day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).
Similarly, in Matthew 24, Jesus described both the coming destruction of Jerusalem and events leading to His return. These parallel prophecies were intentionally blended, as many of the warnings and fulfillments would apply to both the Jewish nation and Christian believers throughout history.
The Main Purpose of Prophecy
Why has God given us prophecy? The primary purpose of prophecy is redemptive. It is to reveal Christ, the center of all prophecy. The book of Revelation does not begin with “The revelation of secret future events,” but rather, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). The book of Daniel is not about Babylon’s success in overthrowing Judah, but rather God’s sovereignty. “The LORD gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand” (Daniel 1:2).
Bible prophecy shows us that God is deeply involved in the affairs of our world. As Sovereign of the universe, the Lord wants us to be aware of His plan to end sin and establish justice. His prophetic words are not empty predictions like astrology quips in the newspaper. Bible prophecy reveals supernatural authority and tells us how to live holy lives in light of Christ’s soon return.
The divine predictions of Scripture help us know that Jesus’ coming is soon and that we should make ourselves ready in faith. Prophecy is not meant to discourage us or make us afraid but to reveal how much God loves our fallen world and wants to save us. Properly understood, Bible prophecy shows us we can trust God’s Word.
Abraham Lincoln, known for his unwavering honesty, earned the nickname “Honest Abe.” During his career as a lawyer, Lincoln once represented a client in a case where he realized mid-trial that his own argument was incorrect. Instead of proceeding with the case in bad faith, he immediately informed the judge that his position was wrong and withdrew. This act of integrity demonstrated that his word was not just rhetoric but a principle he lived by.
Later, during the Civil War, Lincoln repeatedly assured the American people that he would see the conflict through to preserve the Union. Despite immense pressure and personal hardship, he kept his promise, guiding the nation through its darkest days and ensuring that his word remained solid.
When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the first thing He did was to direct their attention to the fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah’s suffering and resurrection (Luke 24:27). Later, when Christ appeared in the upper room to the apostles, once again He opened their understanding to the prophecies (Luke 24:44–48). This understanding turned their sorrow into joy and their doubt into unwavering faith. Prophecy reminds us that in our darkest moments, God is still on His throne, His Word can be trusted, and He will deliver His children.