Conditional Futurism: New Perspective of End-Time Prophecy

By James Goetz

Conditional Futurism introduces a new perspective of end-time theology (eschatology). The book holds to Christian futurism while integrating the Apocalypse of John with the conditional dynamics of prophecy taught in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and various other books throughout the Old Testament. The new paradigm concludes that the final antichrist (also known as the man of lawlessness, the beast, and the eighth king) may read the apocalyptic prophecy of his doom while deciding instead to repent of evil and turn to the Lord, which is a biblical option that would fulfill the divine purposes of the apocalypse. This cutting-edge scholarship also develops new biblical models of angels appearing as humans, the descent of Christ into hell, and the kings in Revelation that incorporate with this end-time theology that encourages hope in all circumstances.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Jan 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781621891833

James Goetz

James Goetz is an independent scholar.

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Acknowledgments

I wrote this book for both a general audience and a scholarly audience. I used the reader-friendly New International Version for biblical quotations on behalf of the general audience while I strove for the accuracy of all biblical interpretation regardless of the Bible translation. I also avoided the use of most abbreviations and explained basic biblical concepts for the sake of the general audience. Moreover, my original contribution to theological scholarship involves the development of the end-time theology (eschatology) called conditional futurism.

I thank the staff at Wipf and Stock, my volunteer proofreaders, my volunteer reviewers/endorsers, Dale Brueggemann for important criticism of previous writings related to this book, Robin Parry for encouraging me in my writing and making an important suggestion for the direction of this book, Keith Wells for extensive copy editing of chapters 1–11, and Laurie Goetz for persevering two decades of my efforts at writing.

1

Conditional Futurism in Sum

Apocalypse means revelation or uncovering. Biblical apocalypses such as the book of Revelation describe divine visions or dreams filled with symbolism about important future events that involve miraculous intervention while a divinely appointed mediator helps to interpret the vision. ¹ Many Christian scholars hold to traditional futurism, which teaches that the apocalypse in Revelation prophesied unconditional judgments about the end times. ² For example, Revelation 19 prophesied that the beast and the false prophet would oppose the Lord and be thrown into the lake of fire forever. Traditional futurists teach that this prophetic judgment against the beast and false prophet is unconditional; that is, nothing could alter the general outcome of the beast and false prophet opposing the Lord and being thrown into the lake of fire forever. However, careful study of biblical prophecy indicates that the outcome of any prophetic judgment is conditional; this is, the disobedient audience of the prophecy could genuinely repent and alter the outcome of the judgment. ³ The word and purposes of the Lord never alter while the outcome of the word of the Lord can vary.

Biblical passages that teach about conditions in prophetic judgments include the apocalypse in Daniel 4 and classical prophecies such as Jeremiah 18:1–10 and Ezekiel 33:13–16. Daniel 4:19–27 describes Daniel interpreting an apocalypse dreamt by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar:

¹⁹

Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.

Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!

²⁰

The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth,

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with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds—

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Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

²³

"Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

²⁴

"This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king:

²⁵

You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

²⁶

The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.

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Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." (Daniel 4:19–27)

In these verses, Daniel interpreted the symbols in the apocalypse dreamt by Nebuchadnezzar. The Most High, who is God, decreed that Nebuchadnezzar would live like a wild animal for seven periods of time until he would acknowledge that God is sovereign over the kingdoms of the earth.⁴ This implied that Nebuchadnezzar would lose his throne for seven periods of time. Daniel in verse 4:27 also interpreted that Nebuchadnezzar could repent and alter the outcome of the decree of God in this apocalyptic judgment. Also, this apocalyptic dream included no explicit conditions for the judgment while Daniel interpreted implicit conditions in the judgment.

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The scenario in Daniel 4 agrees with Jeremiah 18:1–10 and Ezekiel 33:13–16 teaching that genuine repentance of a wicked nation or a wicked person alters the outcome of a prophetic judgment. For instance, Jeremiah 18:1–10 describes the Lord, who is God, teaching Jeremiah about the conditional nature of both prophetic blessings and prophetic judgments:

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This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

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Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.

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So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.

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But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

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Then the word of the LORD came to me.

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He said, Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does? declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.

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If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed,

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and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.

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And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted,

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and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. (Jeremiah 18:1–10)

In these verses, the Lord directed Jeremiah to observe the work of a potter. Jeremiah saw the potter make a clay pot with defects in the structure. Then, the potter used the same clay to start over and make another pot, which presumably lacked defects. Next, the Lord compared himself to the potter while the Lord compared the Israelite kingdom of Judah to the clay used to make pots. After that, the Lord in Jeremiah 18:7–10 expanded the illustration to include any possible nation at any given time. The Lord declared that any time that he announces a judgment of destruction against any nation, then that nation could repent and avoid the destruction. For instance, the Lord in Jeremiah 27:1–11 announced judgments against the nations of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Also, verses 18:1–10 teach that at any time that the Lord announces a special blessing in favor of any nation, then that nation could turn to evil and lose the special blessing. This teaching in 18:1–10 implies conditions in all prophetic blessings and prophetic judgments to the nations. Likewise, prophetic blessings and prophetic judgments to nations need no explicit statement of conditions while they always include implicit conditions. In all cases, the word of the Lord proves true regardless of the outcome.

Ezekiel 33:13–16 parallels Jeremiah 10:1–10 by teaching about the conditions of prophetic blessings and prophetic judgments to individual people:

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If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done.

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And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right—

¹⁵

if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die.

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None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live. (Ezekiel 33:13­–16)

Ezekiel 33:13­–16 teaches that the Lord could prophesy that a righteous person would surely live, but the righteous person would lose the special blessing of life if he turns to evil. Also, the Lord could prophesy to a wicked person, You will surely die, but the wicked person could turn away from evil and live. These verses also imply that particular prophetic blessings and prophetic judgments need no statement of explicit conditions while they always include implicit conditions.

The Bible includes many other cases of conditional prophecy. For example, the book of Jonah taught that God pronounced a judgment of destruction against the city of Nineveh. The prophetic word of judgment against Nineveh included no explicit conditions while repentance of the people of Nineveh altered the outcome of the prophetic word.

This book introduces a paradigm-shifting interpretation of the end times called conditional futurism. Conditional futurism proposes conditional judgments in end-time prophecy including conditions in the apocalyptic judgment of the final antichrist, also called the man of lawlessness and an eighth king.⁶ Likewise, the proposal of conditional end-time judgments challenges the unconditional judgments of traditional futurism. And the proposal of a final antichrist challenges other end-time theologies such as preterism and idealism. For instance, full preterism says that events from AD 30 to 70 completely fulfilled all prophecies in Revelation while idealism says that the prophecies in Revelation apply to all periods of time with no focus on the return of the Lord.

Conditional futurism also works with the belief that Jesus Christ inaugurated the kingdom of God on earth during his first-century ministry while Christ will consummate the kingdom when he returns. For example, Christ associated the kingdom with his preaching of God’s word while he also taught about fulfilling the kingdom when he returns.⁷

The next chapter outlines principles of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics). Then, the book interprets selections of the Christian Bible from Genesis to Revelation that focus on topics related to the end times including (1) conditions in divine covenants and prophecy, (2) messianic prophecy, (3) the kingdom of God, and (4) end-time judgments.⁸ I show biblical evidence supporting that conditional futurism is the best interpretation of end-time prophecy. I also show that most of the evidence agrees with traditional futurism, while critical points distinguish between traditional futurism and conditional futurism.

1. Scholars debate the definition of apocalyptic literature while most definitions include the elements of a divine vision or dream filled with symbolism about important future events that involve miraculous intervention and a divinely appointed mediator who helps to interpret the vision.

2. The term end times refers to events leading to the end of human history, which climaxes with the return of the Lord. And the academic term eschatology involves the study of end-time prophecy.

3. See Kearley, The Conditional Nature of Prophecy.

4. The seven periods of time could mean seven years or seven indefinite periods of time.

5. I introduced this interpretation of Daniel 4:19–27 in The Conditional Apocalypse of King Nebuchadnezzar, TheoPerspectives (blog), February 11, 2009, http://theoperspectives.blogspot.com/2009/02/conditional-apocalypse-king.html.

6. See the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 and an eighth king in Revelation 17:8–11.

7. See chapter 10 and Ladd, The Presence of the Future.

8. The Christian Bible divides into the Old Testament written by Jews (Israelites) before the earthly life of Jesus Christ and the New Testament written during the lifetime of the first followers of Christ. Messianic prophecy is Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah (Christ) and the messianic age.

2

Interpretation of End-Time Prophecy

Conditional futurism includes many mainstream principles for interpreting end-time prophecy and the rest of the Bible. For instance, conditional futurism assumes the original manuscripts of the Bible are the authoritative written word of God. The Spirit of God inspired the writing of the Bible while all of the teachings are true within the original ancient Mediterranean context.

¹

Conditional futurism also assumes that some biblical prophecies have multiple fulfillments. For example, Revelation 17:9–11 teaches about multiple fulfillments of the beast who has seven heads:

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This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.

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They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

¹¹

The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. (Revelation 17:9–11)

A mind with wisdom can understand that the seven heads represents both seven hills and "seven kings." The seven hills in Revelation 17:9 refers to the Seven Hills of Rome while the seven kings in 17:10 refers to Roman emperors. Also, 17:11 teaches that the beast also represents an eighth king. Likewise, these verses teach that the prophecy of the seven heads includes at least three fulfillments: (1) Rome, (2) a series of Roman emperors, and (3) a final eighth Roman emperor.

This reference to Rome and Roman emperors also illustrates the biblical concepts of prefiguration and postfiguration. A prefiguration foreshadows a future person, place, or event while a postfiguration analogizes a previous person, place, or event. In this case, Revelation 14–18 on six occasions figuratively refers to Babylon as the capital city of governmental persecution that opposes Christians. This Babylon was the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which in 597 BC sacked Jerusalem and in 586 BC destroyed Jerusalem.² However, Revelation 17:9–10 identifies Rome as the capital city that opposes Christians. Likewise, Revelation conflated symbolic references of both Babylon and Rome to describe governmental persecution that opposes Christians. Babylon was a prefiguration of Rome while Rome was a postfiguration of Babylon. Some scholars alternatively use the terms type for prefiguration and antitype for postfiguration, while the study of biblical prefiguration and postfiguration (type and antitype) is called typology.

Important principles for interpreting end-time prophecy include understanding the concepts of prefiguration, postfiguration, and prophecy with multiple fulfillments. Also, these concepts help both traditional futurism and conditional futurism incorporate many valid ideas from alternate end-time theologies such as preterism and idealism.

³

Interpretation of end-time prophecy also requires an appreciation for figures of speech and symbolism. For instance, many of the symbols in Revelation refer to the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament. Also, the Gospel writers record Jesus using figures of speech such as hyperbole in Mark 9:43–48:

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If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

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And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

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And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

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where the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43–48⁴)

Mark 9:43–48 records Jesus telling people that in some cases of sin they might need to cut off their hand or foot or pluck out their eye. No Christian teacher including the most conservative literalist ever suggested that these verses taught that in some cases of sin Christians need to literally cut off their hand or foot or pluck out their eye. These verses encourage Christians to take drastic measures to avoid sinning while those drastic measures never include actual self-mutilation. This is a clear case of Jesus using hyperbole. Likewise, the Bible like all other literature requires careful analysis of figures of speech.

Another important principle for interpreting end-time prophecy includes understanding the biblical precedence that prophecy can be written for both the original audience and future generations. For example, 1 Peter 1:10–12 teaches that prophets in the Old Testament wrote messianic prophecy for future generations:

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Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,

¹¹

trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.

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It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (

¹

Peter 1:10–12)

Daniel included apocalyptic messianic prophecy, and 1 Peter 1:10–12 implied that the audience of Danielic prophecy went beyond the original audience to include future generations. Likewise, interpretation of biblical apocalypses should consider the original audience while also considering later audiences.

Sound interpretation of end-time prophecy also includes understanding biblical precedence that prophetic judgments include conditions. For instance, as explained in chapter 1, Daniel 4 taught about the implicit conditions in the respective apocalypse dreamt by King Nebuchadnezzar.

In sum, conditional futurism interprets end-time prophecy with the following principles:

1. The Bible is the written word of God and must be understood in its original context.

2. Prophecy sometimes has multiple fulfillments and might include prefiguration and postfiguration.

3. The audience of prophecy includes the original audience and future audiences.

4. Some of the language in the Bible includes symbolism and figures of speech that could include hyperbole.

5. Prophetic judgments such as end-time judgments include conditions.

1. See Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation.

2. Jerusalem was the capital city of ancient Israel/Judah and is the capital city of modern day Israel.

3. As noted earlier, full preterism says that events in AD 70 completely fulfilled all prophecies in Revelation while idealism says that the prophecies in Revelation apply to all periods of time.

4. The New International Version of the Bible excludes Mark 9:44 and 9:46 because these verses are the