12. Bringing History Up to Date
Bringing History Up to Date
Horae Apocalypticae (E B Elliot, 19th century) provides details from the end of the second century to the 1870s. A large number of prophecies in Daniel and Revelation can be shown to have been fulfilled. The outstanding prophecies for the near future are now be addressed. The more distant future belongs to later generations. The following is the author's contribution to a prophetic understanding of what has happened since the middle of the 19th century to date.
The relationship between God and the gentile world post AD70 is provided in Revelation Chapter 6 onwards. A series of 21 judgements is presented (Chapters 6 to 16). Judgements 1 to 19 are described in E B Elliot's Horae Apocalypticae. This covers the period from the end of the first century to the middle of the 19th century. These are judgements are listed in the Appendix to the downloadable version of this text.
The Sixth and Seventh Bowls of Wrath (Judgements 20 and 21), the First Half of the 20th Century
'And the sixth angel poured out his vile of the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up. That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared'.
(Revelation 16:12)
The Euphrates was the traditional eastern boundary of Israel. The drying up of the Euphrates symbolises the gradual demise of the Ottoman Empire (which controlled the territory of Palestine at that time). The countries supplied by waters of the Euphrates fell away for the empire. It lost control of 'Palestine' in 1918. This provided for the eventual formation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948.
The picture of 'kings from the east' recalls the biblical stories of Ezra and Nehemiah restoring Jerusalem.
'For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth the unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty'.
(Revelation 16:14)
'The kings of the earth and the whole world' implies the world at war. 'The Great Day of God Almighty' is a 'day of judgement' which is more severe than what has gone before.
'And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.'
(Revelation 16:16)
'Armageddon' is foretold. The prefix 'arma' refers to a mound. 'Armageddon' refers to a mound or hill at Megiddo.)
Armageddon is regarded by Futurists as the final battle between good and evil; between Christ and Anti-Christ. This is also true in popular sci-fi culture. However, Armageddon was not a battle but a judgement: judgement 20 out of 21. And it is not a final judgement since more follow in Revelation.
A crucial battle took place at Megiddo during the First World War. At that time Megiddo was a heap of ruins (literally, 'Armageddon'). The battle brought about the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Armageddon took place between 19th-25th September 1918. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the subsequent possession of 'Palestine' by the British allowed for the 'kings of the east' to enter the new state of Israel. The 'kings of the east' who walked in the steps of Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem stand in stark contrast to the 'kings of the west' who created mayhem in Europe and around the world.
The Seventh Bowl of Wrath
'And the seventh angel poured out his vile into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne saying, 'it is done'.'
'And there were voices, thunders and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as the not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.'
(Revelation 16:17-18)
These words reflect Matthew 24:6 (and also Daniel 12:1), 'and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never there was since a nation even to that same time...'
The next historical event of great significance is the Second World War. This is the last of the 21 judgements. However, more wars are predicted in Revelation Chapters 17-18 and 20.