The Confessing Seventh-day Adventist

In Matthew 24, Jesus presented two irreconcilable prophecies that are blended together almost invisibly. One prophecy is an exact, unmistakable delineation of future events. The other insists on your ignorance of the future and cautions you to be ready no matter what.

The distinct prophecies Mt 24:1-35 and Mt 24:36-51 are to be interpreted according to the thesis of multiple scenarios. The first refers to a possible end of the world in the first century. The second applies to a certain indeterminable future. Jesus continues His instruction about the second scenario in Matthew 25.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Mt 25:1).

Verse 5 is a key verse:

“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep” (Mt 25:5).

Following the parable of the Ten Virgins, Christ tells the parable of the Talents. Note the parallel idea:

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them” (Mt 25:19).

It is very evident that Jesus was referring to two scenarios in Matthew 24: the first applies to Christ’s Second Coming as the culmination of a possible end of the world in the first century; the second refers to His return after a long delay.

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” Luke 12:35-46.

The second watch was from between 9PM to midnight. The third watch was from midnight to 3AM. I believe that the midnight cry of Mt 25:6 “Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him” was given on the second watch.

Please read the next post for a quick glimpse on the three watches.

The historicist scholar George Eldon Ladd says that the three cycles of judgment—seven seals, seven trumpets and seven last plagues—is the greatest mystery in the book of Revelation.

Scripture says, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” Proverbs 25:2.

If you read the book of Revelation straight through, you should notice two seemingly mysterious things:

(1) The world keeps coming to an end.
(2) As time progresses, the severity in each set of seven ‘final’ end-time judgments keeps escalating.

Here is a basic outline of the Apocalypse:

1. A Call To Overcome (Rev 1-3).
2. The Court Assembled (Rev 4-5).

3. The First Scenario (Rev 6).
4. The Second Scenario (Rev 7-11).
5. The Third Scenario (Rev 12-18).

6. The Court’s Final Judgment (Rev 19-20).
7. The Reward Of Those Who Overcome (Rev 21-22).

Here is my question. What do these three scenarios refer to?

Before I answer, let’s hastily display the literary structure of the vision of Amos 7:1-6, notice the “canceled conclusions” and mention, for emphasis, that Amos has three scenarios.

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the second crop was coming up. When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, Forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen,” the Lord said.
This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:

The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”

So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said.

This is what He showed me: .... [a third scenario.]

The interpretation I am suggesting for the book of Revelation is this. The first scenario expresses the thought that an imminent return was possible for the Apostolic church. That conclusion was canceled and the prophetic drama shifts to a second scenario. The second scenario was the possible end of the world during the Millerite Movement in 1844. That possibility was also canceled as foretold in Scripture. We are now in the third and final scenario.

I propose that we debate the general outline of the book of Revelation and then move on to the multiple scenarios in the book of Daniel. Any questions?

I believe that God inspired the Revelation to be written with order as well as sequence. I believe your interpretation describing the "possibility" factor of those scenarios regarding the second coming and the end of the world have real merit and I'm interested in the rest of what you have to say on the matter. Please continue.

Shalom

Well Mickey, I’ve written this all out in exhaustive detail in my online reference The Ends of Time. Actually, I haven’t posted everything because I earnestly desire to simplify and rewrite my notes in an easy to read conversational style. I was hoping that I’ve said enough to provoke tough questions and begin a discussion where I would eventually cover everything.

Here are the fundamental facts that I’ve listed elsewhere on the three scenarios:

Each scenario is a complete unit of prophecy, i.e., each scenario tells a story and reaches to an end of time.

The three scenarios emphasize one especially important feature: The gospel commission is fulfilled in each of them. The white horse of the first seal, the two ascending witnesses, and the three angels of Rev 14 all refer to the gospel being proclaimed with power and great glory just before the end of the world.

In each scenario, a percentage of the earth’s population is killed before the return of Christ. In the first scenario: 1/4 of the earth are killed with "sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth" (6:8). In the second scenario, a third of mankind is killed, by three plagues: fire, smoke & brimstone (9:17,18). In the third scenario, the great river Euphrates, symbolizing all the wicked that support Babylon, is dried up (16:12 cf. 17:1,15).

There are remarkable parallels between the seven trumpet judgments and the seven last plagues.
There are remarkable parallels between the first scenario and the Olivet discourse.

Regarding the second and third scenario:

• Both scenarios refer to the cessation of Christ’s priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (8:5 /15:8).
• Both allude to the fact that none are lead to repent because His intercessory work is finished (9:20,21 /16:9,11).
• There are parallels in thunderings and lightning (more on that later).

My interpretation:

“Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). The longer God delays in pouring out His final judgments, the worse those judgments will be.

We’re seeing possible ends of the world in different periods of time. As God revises His threats with greater and more severe judgments, the previous scenarios are canceled.

I see the second and third scenarios as comparatively close to each other in time. This naturally accounts for the similarity in the trumpets and vials. Their dissimilarity with the judgments that were to fall in the first century suggests that the end of the world was delayed far beyond that time.

The many links between the three scenarios are all comprehended by the term “multiple scenarios.” If the world were scheduled to end in 1844 but for whatever reason God delayed the end for another 30, 60 or 160 years, wouldn’t you expect the final judgments to be similar?

Conclusion: The three scenarios are linked by their separation in time.