The Book of Signs: 31 Undeniable Prophecies of the Apocalypse

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Seven times in Genesis 12:1–3 God declared in emphatic terms what He would do for Abraham. His covenant with Abraham was unconditional, and He ratified it in a ceremony described in Genesis 15. In The Jeremiah Study Bible, I explain the meaning of this ceremony: This historic document includes seven important features. The Abrahamic covenant is... AN UNCONDITIONAL COVENANT Terms such as these are both fascinating and frightening for any student of God’s Word. They point to key questions people have wrestled with for centuries, including: Bruce Vawter, “Some Recent Developments in Johannine Theology,” Biblical Theology Bulletin 1 (1970), 33-40. Stephen S. Smalley, “Keeping up with Recent Studies XX. St. John’s Gospel,” Expository Times 97 (1986), 104f.; So Kysar, John, pp. 11-15 .

The crucial criterion for interpreting the Qur'an is history. In a historical context the Qur'an becomes A Book of Signs, multilayered in its meanings, continuously reinterpreted by successive generations and diverse audiences. Detached from history the Qur'an becomes the Book of Signs, singular in its meaning, applicable across time and place, unchanging, univocal. Some of the signs we encounter in the Scriptures are informational, some are invitational, and many offer warnings about the road ahead—warnings that apply to both our present and our future. All of these signs are important, and none should be ignored. In modern times, Russia confined Jews to ghettos and harassed them with pogroms under the czars, who were overthrown in the communist rebellion of 1917. Under communism, the Jews were forbidden to practice their religious rites, and many were arrested, deported, or executed. Hitler’s Germany, which destroyed some six million Jews, was crushed in World War II. That historic day in 1948, when Israel was re-established as a nation, has been described as the most spectacular event in nearly two millennia of Jewish history. ¹⁶ When President Truman read that statement and the United States officially became the first nation to recognize the birth of the modern state of Israel, the 2,500-year-old prophecy of the Bible was at last fulfilled!In the second verse of God’s covenant with Abraham, He said, I will make you a great nation. The ultimate greatness of the nation of Israel awaits the Millennium, but by all the common standards of evaluation, Israel is a great nation today. Professor Amnon Rubinstein gives us an impressive summary of Israel’s national achievements: Bultmann focuses on Jesus as the “revealer” even though one section heading (45) is “The Sending of the Son,” Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951, 1955) II, pp. 33-69. We think Hans Conzelmann, An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament (New York: Harper & Row, 1969), pp. 341-347 is more correct in emphasizing the son as sent. These then are the central theological seams running through the gospel. The question remains as to the manner in which John perceives the signs as. bringing about deepened faith. Do the signs automatically and without misappropriation or failure lead to faith?

While the Qur'an itself is a unitary, coherent source of knowledge, there is not a single Qur'anic message. The Qur'an - like all sacred literature - requires study. The act of studying its form, content and transmission over time is called interpretation. For the Qur'an, as for the Torah or the Bible, interpretation requires a form of human labour inseparable from the conscious or unconscious decisions of the labourer. Each interpreter must choose. Each must follow a principle of interpretation. No matter who the interpreter, no matter the time or place from which she or he looks at the Qur'an, certain themes, issues and accents will be selected and emphasised over others. The major difference is between narrow and broad selection of Qur'anic texts - or, more precisely, between taking certain verses and passages out of context rather than viewing them in their full context when making claims about a normative Islamic world-view. There are still two pivotal prophecies concerning Israel that have not yet been fulfilled: Israel does not yet occupy all the land originally promised to it, and its people have not yet turned to Christ. The numerous prophecies of Israel’s return to its homeland were explicitly fulfilled in 1948 when Israel began to be restored to its land. This gives us assurance that full restoration is on the horizon and the prophecies concerning Israel’s return to God will also be fulfilled.

Contexts are crucial. Although the Qur'an as a whole is authoritative, its content must be applied to particular contexts. Which aspect of the Qur'an applies and where? When does it apply and for whom? These are questions that probe coherence and selectivity at two levels. First, why are some but not all passages of the Qur'an of special value at different times and places? And second, how do changes in context impart special value to particular verses or chapters? Seeing these signs played out in the news, on television, over the Internet, and even in our own lives can cause despair, anxiety, and confusion—not just because of the world situation but also over our concern for those who do not know the Lord and could be left behind to face the Tribulation. But when Jesus told us to open our eyes, He did so to encourage us to gaze upon Him—not because this will cause all the world’s problems (and ours) to disappear, but because He is the Prince of Peace. Israel’s reemergence in her ancient homeland sets the stage for the final fulfillment of biblical prophecies. The return of the Jews to their homeland is also significant in another way: it pinpoints where we are on history’s timeline. As Milton B. Lindberg pointed out, Without the existence of the nation of Israel, we would not be able to say with certainty that we are in the last days. That single event, more than any other, is the most prominent sign that we are living in the final moments before the coming of Jesus! ¹⁵ WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN TO ME?

Many Christians struggle to understand the Book of Revelation. "The end times." "The apocalypse." "The day of judgment." These terms are both fascinating and frightening - but what do they really mean? von Dehsen, Christian D. "The Gospel of John". Oxford Biblical Studies Online. Oxford University Press . Retrieved February 7, 2020. This section of the Gospel of John is characterized by seven "signs,"Collins, “Cana,” pp. 79ff. He declares that through the signs Jesus “ministers to man in his need.” The prophet Zechariah declared that God would plunder the nations that plunder Israel, for he who touches [Israel] touches the apple of His eye (Zech. 2:8). History tells the tragic story of what has happened to nations and leaders who dared to oppress Israel. Egypt, the first nation to enslave Israel, was brought to its knees by ten devastating plagues (Ex. 7–12). The Amorites, who resisted Israel’s march toward their promised land, were soundly defeated (Num. 21:21–30).

Bultmann, John, pp. 16-18, 111-129. The first German edition of the commentary was dated 1941. For a discussion of contemporary source analysis see: Robert Kvsar. The Fourth Evangelist and His Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House. 1975), pp. 10-81 When the Jewish captive Daniel heard of the king’s edict, he and his friends asked God for a vision of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation. Then Daniel went to the executioner and said, Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation (v. 24).Many of the signs posted along our modern roads are informational; they tell us what we need to know. Interstate 5 San Diego, for example. Or Exit 74, 5 Miles. Other signs are invitational; they seek to capture our attention and pique our interest. Think of signs such as Welcome to Texas or Great Food This Exit! Some of the most important signs we encounter on our highways are warning signs; they alert us to possible dangers on the road ahead. I pay attention whenever I see a sign marked Detour, for example, or Right Lane Closed.