What the Bible Predicts Will Happen in the Year 2000

Occasionally, I receive unsolicited papers from people requesting that I read their work and evaluate what they wrote. Most of these papers present exoteric interpretations of the Bible, that at times, border on the bizarre. One paper I read was a defense of polygamy. Most papers, however, deal with the second coming of Christ and events related to the last days.

Many of these papers deal, one way or another, with the prophecies of Daniel. The numbers found in the prophecies of Daniel are intriguing and invite fertile minds to try to solve the mystery behind the numbers.

Biblical numerology fascinates people. Those who study biblical numerology believe that numbers in Scripture show a design that reveals the work of God in the world. The way certain numbers are used in the Bible suggests that their use has a deeper meaning that calls for understanding.

In 1987, I received a paper from a gentleman from Philadelphia (I will not mention his name because he may still be alive today) who did a comprehensive study of the numbers in Daniel. His paper, “What the Bible Predicts for the Year 2000,” was an attempt at demonstrating that God has prepared a comprehensive program of events that will culminate with the coming of Christ.

According to the paper, hidden in the seventy weeks of Daniel was “a blueprint of the disposition of the nations and a prophetic time clock which tells us when specific events will take place in the future.”

In order to study this blueprint, the writer of the paper decoded the mystery of the seventy weeks. This process of decoding the numbers in Daniel is complicated because he took the 490 years of Daniel 9 and changed them to days and then he related the days in Daniel 9 to the 1150 days of Daniel 8:14, the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11, and the 1335 days of Daniel 12:12.

He also worked with the 2 days of Hosea 6:2, years of 360 days and years of 365 days. Don’t ask me to explain; it is just too complicated. After calculating the day Christ was born (February 23, 4 B.C.) and the day of his crucifixion (April 7, 30 A.D.), the author related these dates to the dates in the book of Daniel and came with the following conclusions:

1. The seven-year tribulation will begin on June 16, 1989.
2. The tribulation will end on August 30, 1996.
3. From 1996 to 2000 the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.
4. On April 21, 2000 the first Passover of the millennium will be celebrated in the new temple.

After I read this paper, I felt I should provide some kind of answer to the writer. But, what should I say? I decided to write a detailed evaluation of the paper, showing the writer where he was wrong and where he misinterpreted the text. My response was long and comprehensive. At the end of my response, I reminded him of the words of Christ.

In Matthew 24:36 Jesus said: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” I also reminded him of Jesus’ words to his disciples: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). The fact is, that Jesus never revealed the events of the last days to his disciples nor did he reveal them to us.

There are scores of books on prophecies in stores today that attempt to provide new insights on the books of Daniel and Revelation. These modern-day prophets claim fresh revelation from God and a supernatural wisdom that allows them to understand the prophetic meaning of the numbers in the book of Daniel.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have set several dates for the end of this age. Using the numbers in the book of Daniel, they have arrived at the precise year when the end would come. In a book titled The Time Is At Hand, published in 1902, they wrote (p. 99): “In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914.”

In another article published in the Watchtower on November 1, 1914, they wrote (p. 325): “Studying God’s Word, we have measured the 2520 years, the seven symbolic times, from the year 606 B.C. and have found that it reached down to October, 1914.”

When the events of 1914 did not materialize, the Jehovah’s Witnesses set another date for the end of the present era. Writing in a book titled Millions Now Living Will Never Die, written in 1920, they wrote (p. 88): “Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection.”

Those who claim new visions and a hidden knowledge about future events should remember the words of the Lord in Deuteronomy: “But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak-- that prophet shall die. You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?’ If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it” (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

People do not stone false prophets anymore, although they have spoken presumptuously. But we all know that theirs is a message which the Lord has not spoken.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

Tag: False Prophets, Prophecy

America and Great Britain in Biblical Prophecy

On Tuesday, August 08, 2006, The Trumpet.com republished an article by Ryan Malone and Stephen Hill titled “The End of the Free World,” an article in which the writers describe the role the United States and Great Britain will play in the events of the last days. They wrote:

One of the most astounding secrets of the Bible—that the United States and Britain are two of the most prominent nations mentioned in prophecy—may initially appear startling, or even preposterous, to some of our readers.

The reason “the United States and Britain are two of the most prominent nations mentioned in prophecy” is because Britain, the nations of the British Commonwealth, and the United States of America are the remnant of Ephraim and Manasseh, two of the lost ten tribes of Israel.

Malone and Hill wrote:

Before we can understand the prophecies pertaining to the United States and Britain, an understanding of the identity of these countries in the Bible is essential. The abundant material blessings eventually to be bestowed on the U.S. and the British Commonwealth of nations were initially conveyed to the biblical patriarch Abraham because of his obedience (Gen. 22:16-18). He then passed them on to his son Isaac, who later did the same with his son Jacob. In due time, Jacob conferred this birthright promise to his son Joseph’s sons—Manasseh and Ephraim.

This is the reason, according to the two writers, that Old Testament prophets like Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea provided specific detail about what is to happen to the United States and Britain.

The view advocated in this article is called “British-Israelism.” British-Israelism is the view that teaches that Great Britain and the United States are the remnant of the ten lost tribes of Israel. Thus, those who have adopted this view believe that the United States and Great Britain are God's Chosen People.

The advocates of British-Israelism believe that biblical prophecies about the future of Israel and Judah are in reality prophecies about the destiny of America and Great Britain.

The concept of the ten lost tribes of Israel came into existence after the exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria. In 722 B.C., after the death of Shalmanassar V, King of Assyria, Sargon II finished the conquest of Israel. The capital of the Northern Kingdom, Samaria was conquered and thousands of people were deported to other parts of the Assyrian Empire.

The advocates of British-Israelism believe that the people of Israel who went into exile eventually migrated from their places of exile into the British Isles. These refugees eventually dispersed to America and Canada, thus establishing an Israelite presence in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Among the evidence given by the advocates of this view is that the word “Saxons” is a corruption of the expression “Isaac’s sons.” The advocates of this view also say that the word “British” is formed by the Hebrew word brit which means “covenant” and the word ish which means “man.” Thus, the word “British” means “covenant man.”

According to British-Israelism, America and Great Britain are heirs of God’s promises to Israel and because of that, many biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in the lives of these two nations. America and Great Britain have been blessed with prosperity and material wealth and have become two great superpowers.

But because of disobedience to God’s law, America and Great Britain have begun experiencing God’s judgment:

Also prophesied for America and Britain was the gain of strategic sea gates (Gen. 22:17) only to be lost as these nations reaped curses for disobedience. This too has already largely occurred. The 20th century saw Britain’s and America’s loss of sea gates such as the Suez Canal, Malta, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Falkland Islands, the Cape of Good Hope and the Panama Canal. Gibraltar will undoubtedly be added to the list soon, as Britain is being bullied by the European Union to relinquish control of this strategic territory, under threat of horrendous fines.

The views proposed by British-Israelism find no support in the Bible even though its proponents use many biblical passages to prove their point. A careful study of the Old Testament will show that the lost tribes of the Northern Kingdom were never lost.

When Sargon II deported the population of the Northern Kingdom, he deported only a portion of the population. According to the Sargon Inscription, when Sargon captured Samaria he took captive 27,290 people, but many more were left behind.

During the reforms of Josiah in 622 B.C., Josiah made an attempt to extend his religious reforms to the remnant of the Northern Tribes. According to 2 Chronicles 34:8-9, Josiah contacted Israelite people who lived in Ephraim and Manasseh:

In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God. They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

The reference in Chronicles to the people of Manasseh, Ephraim, and the entire remnant of Israel may reflect the Chronicler’s view that all Israel was still a viable option. However, this reference clearly indicates that during the time of the Chronicler, the remnant of the tribes of Israel were not lost.

As for America and Great Britain, they are not found in the oracles of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Hosea. Only through the process of eisegesis, reading one’s view into the biblical text, is America and Great Britain found in the Old Testament.

British-Israelism is not supported by the teachings of the Bible. The interpretation of biblical prophecies showing that America and Great Britain are the lost tribes of Israel is false.

Christians who are interested in prophecy and the events related to the last days must be careful not to be deceived by false teachings. Believers should always be aware of the words of Christ, that in the last days “there will be false prophets, and they will give signs and wonders in the hope of turning even the saints from the true way” (Mark 13:22).

If you want to read about the fallacy of British-Israelism online, read British-Israelism: A Mirage by R. P. Nettelhorst.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

UPDATE: For additional information on this topic, read my post The Myth of British-Israelism


Tags: Prophecy, British-Israelism, America