In 2012, since the Mayans had predicted the end of the world, I decided to preach through the book of Daniel. I figured my church would benefit from the familiar and encouraging stories in the first half, and then lots of people would be away for the second half of the summer so there wasn’t much to lose with preaching some tricky prophecy.
I learned a lot through that series – for one thing, that in every generation there are predictions about the end of the world. For another, it turns out the Mayans didn’t actually predict the end of the world, just the end of one phase of history and the start of another. So that was Y2K all over again.
The results of my research were compiled into the following presentation. Peruse at your leisure. Use any of the tables or slides that are helpful to you. My main encouragement in this area is to follow Jesus’ example and trust completely in the Father’s timing.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” Matthew 24:36
It is also important to hold our view on this subject in their proper place. These are not cardinal doctrines based on clear biblical teaching. They are secondary or even tertiary theories based on some complex prophetic and apocalyptic material. So I don’t think there is room for firm dogmatism. I like to say that the pre-trib rapture is just crazy enough that it might be true.
So whatever your view, hold on to the two truths that Dr. Kantzer (founder of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) insisted on with new professors: 1) Jesus is coming back and 2) He will defeat all of His enemies.