It is fitting that the reasons I have given why I believe the Bible should conclude with the final triumph of our Lord, the fulfillment of prophecy to complete the Word of God. We remember how the Apostle Peter described the writings of the prophets of Old Testament times as "testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Peter 1:1111Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1 Peter 1:11)). We have seen how the prophecies concerning the sufferings of Christ have all been fulfilled to the very letter. We wait now for the manifestation of the glory that is to follow.
The Apostle Peter was in a strong position in regard to both these wonderful items. He saw the sufferings of his Lord on the cross, all the more accentuated to his mind by his own terrible fall in denying Him with oaths and cursings. Before, however, he was called upon to witness his Lord's sufferings, he had been taken with James and John up to the holy mount, and had seen with his own eyes the glory of the Lord. Transfigured before them, His face shining as the sun, His raiment white as the light, Moses and Elias talking with Him concerning " His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem," our Lord thus manifested His glory to these three witnesses.
It was an outburst for the moment of " the glory that should follow." No wonder the Apostle Peter wrote, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of His majesty " (2 Peter 1:1616For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)).
We rise from our contemplation of all the proofs of the Bible being the veritable Word of God with the absolute conviction that God will triumph in the end, that He is surely evolving His own plan of the ages, that truth must triumph at last.
The condition of the world today makes many doubt this. They think evil is having its way, and truth and righteousness will never again rise. But what is happening all around us today is just what a Bible student is led to expect. The Word of God prepares him to see that it is all working out God's plan of the ages.
What does the Word of God prophesy as to the last days? It tells us that the Jews will return to their own land in unbelief. Writing of the future we read, " In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers " (Jer. 3:1818In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. (Jeremiah 3:18)).
This prophecy is being fulfilled under our very eyes. The Jew, after having been scattered among the nations for nearly two thousand years, is coming back to his own land in large numbers. Only a little short of 50,000 came back in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah. In recent years a Jewish State has been formed and pro-claimed, and the number of immigrants has so increased that a population of 2,000,000 is in sight. Tel Aviv, a totally Hebrew city, sprang from nothing in 1909, and now hundreds of thousands live there. The terrible, anti-Semitic persecution that swept over Europe makes millions of Jews long for settlement in the land given to them by God Himself. God will make the wrath of man to praise Him (Psa. 76:1010Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. (Psalm 76:10)).
In the last days Scripture foretells the apostasy, the casting aside of every semblance of belief in even God Himself. We read, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of the Lord] shall not come, except there be a falling away first [Greek, apostasia, apostasy], and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:33Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3)). We are already seeing the partial fulfillment of this. Higher Criticism and Modern-ism have produced many who profess to be Christians in name, but are in reality infidels with a thin religious veneer. Then we have a crop of eccentric and weird religions such as Christian Science, Christadelphianism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the like.
When the Christians are caught away to be with the Lord at His second coming, and only empty professing Christians leavened with religious infidelity are left behind, it will only be a short step to open apostasy. That time is prophesied in Psa. 2:2,32The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, 3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. (Psalm 2:2‑3), " The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us/י
Are not the rulers of the nations beginning to do this already? What of Russia's rulers, who have sought ruthlessly to stamp out the name of Christ, and even of God Himself, out of the land? What of Germany, where under Hitler, such slaughter of Jews and suppression of Gospel truth took place? What of China and its ejection of Christian missionaries? A straw shows which way the wind blows. These are more than straws. They tell us the end is very near.
The Bible foretells the revival of the Roman Empire in the last days. Time and space fail to tell the whole story, but the way things have moved the last few years is significant. There are signs that western European states, through very fear of the enslaving power of Russia, might ultimately join together for mutual protection. Weakened by the tragic sufferings of the second great war, this may easily come to pass. For years it has been thought that the only cement that will bind the revived Roman Empire together will be abject fear. They will say, If we do not hang together, we shall hang separately.
The Bible foretells the rise of Russia, and with her Germanic peoples Russia is described in Ezek. 38 and 39 under the name of Gog and Magog [Gog the ruler, Magog, the people]. It tells us that associated with Russia will be such peoples under the name of " Gomer and all his bands." Germany having been crushed and divided by the second world-war, it is probable that she will nurse fierce dreams of revenge, and be inclined to join forces with any power that seems likely to help her in this. Prophetic students have taught this for many years. Lately responsible states-men are beginning to envisage the likelihood of this happening.
Ezekiel tells us that in the last days a mighty host-Russia, Germany, and allies-will invade Palestine, only to meet its fate on the mountains of Israel. They will leave five-sixths of their number dead in Palestine. It seems fitting that nations, which have cruelly persecuted the Jews and practiced unspeakable horrors on them, should endure this crushing defeat in the land of the Jews. The Lord of Sabaoth is taking note of their evil deeds. The punishment will fit the crime.
The prophet Daniel tells that in the last days the King of the North and the King of the South will be prominent in invading Palestine also. Dan. 11 shows that the King of the North is Syria, some thinking it may mean the Turks. The Turks belong to Asia, and come from the direction of Syria. The King of the South is Egypt. Both Turkey and Egypt are coming much to the front of late.
Palestine is undoubtedly a country strategically situated, and it will be the battlefield of the last days. Armageddon will be fought on the Plain of Esdraelon. Doubtless it will be Satan's animosity against God's ancient people that will be the driving force to cause the nations to attack God's land in the last days.
There will be two outstanding characters arising in the last days. They are outlined in Rev. 13. There will be the beast arising out of the sea, evidently setting forth the Roman Empire in the last days. A wonderful superman will arise, who will answer to the number 666, "it is the number of a man" (Rev. 13:1818Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:18)). He will be superbly endowed as a man. As a statesman he will be farseeing, as a military leader unrivaled. These qualities under the domination of the Lord would make such a man a great blessing, but when they are found in a man who casts off all allegiance and the fear of God, they will make him the greatest curse the world has ever seen. In the symbolism of Scripture six is the highest number short of seven (divine perfection), and stands for human perfection. Six hundred threescore and six is the intensification of this. The beast will be the world's greatest egotist, and greatest curse. He will arrogate Divine honors to himself just as the last Roman Emperors did in the apostolic age. One shudders to think what a curse he will be, a man without the fear of God. We have an example of it in Adolf Hitler. Without conscience he breaks his plighted word, his propaganda is shameless lying, his urge is consuming lust of power. At last he will be driven by his own vices to his own destruction.
The second great character that will arise, as foretold in Rev. 13, is the second beast that will arise out of the earth or land of Israel. The prophet Daniel tells us he will be an apostate Jew, who will lead the Jews into idolatry, even to worship the first beast, the great head of the revived Roman Empire, as well as claiming Divine honors to himself.
The second beast is called "the King" in Dan. 11:3636And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36); the Antichrist in 1 John 2:1818Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18); "that man of sin... the son of perdition" in 2 Thess. 2:33Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3); "the false prophet" in Rev. 16:1313And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13). Like many another evil man he will be described by many aliases.
When the end comes it will be the Lord Himself who will bring this sad state of affairs to an end when He appears out of heaven on a white horse, the armies of heaven following, destroying His enemies with the sword out of His mouth at the battle of Armageddon. Thus in symbolic language we see how the end will come.