Author: The End Times Scenario - Session 1

Many are sensing that we are entering a unique phase of human history. Some are fearful, others predict cosmic doom, while many make astonishing claims. But what does the Bible actually say?

Eschatology—the study of “last things”—is one of the most challenging subjects, even for the most advanced students of Scripture.

In this session, Dr. Chuck Missler addresses key questions:

• What are the real End Time events?

• What is the most preposterous doctrine in Christianity?

• Will the Church go through the Great Tribulation?

• Which Kingdom do we pray for in the Lord’s Prayer?

• Is there truly a “Battle of Armageddon”—and why?

• What Scripture did Jesus deliberately omit in Nazareth?

• Who is the Antichrist—and could he be alive today?

• Should we expect a literal Babylon on the horizon?

Join Dr. Missler for an intensive overview of controversies, insights, and biblical truths in this most provocative area of study.

The End Times Scenario - Session 1

Well, I want to welcome you to our conference on the End Times Scenario. We are going to be pursuing the Word of God, and one of the things we always want to do under those circumstances is to go with the benefit of the Holy Spirit. So let’s solicit His attendance tonight. Let’s bow our hearts.

Father, we thank You for who You are, and we thank You for providing this opportunity to explore Your Word. We seek, Father, Your Holy Spirit to guide us. Give us discernment that we might be effective for You, that we each might grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Savior. We ask this, Father, that we might be more pleasing in Your sight as we commit this weekend and ourselves into Your hands, in the name of Yeshua, our coming King—the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

So, we are in the first session, and I want to talk a little bit about eschatological hermeneutics. Eschatology is simply the study of “last things,” and hermeneutics is your theory of interpretation. One of the places that will challenge your precision and logic is in the eschatological hermeneutic area. We’ll be talking a little about that, and then I’ll give you a preview of the sessions we’ll have here.

One of the foundational pieces of material is Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. We’ll be talking a lot about that, but I want to cover the front end of it in this first session. There was a confidential briefing that Jesus gave to His insider disciples—four of them: Peter, James, John, and Andrew. In that briefing, He points them to Daniel chapter 9. You’ll see why that’s going to be so foundational to your understanding of Scripture as we go. We’ll talk about the scope and role of those last four verses of Daniel 9, and we’re going to focus this evening just on the sixty-nine weeks. This is not “end time” future—this is past—but it’s so profound that I felt it’s an important place to springboard from. For most of you, this may be a review—and if so, that’s fine.

I want to emphasize something about eschatological hermeneutics: we’re not here to sell any particular viewpoint. Our goal is to equip you to be what we call a “self-feeder,” so you’ll have the background and perception to come to your own conclusions. We’re going to enter into a lot of controversial areas. I usually point out that we don’t play favorites—we’ll probably have something to offend everyone somehow. We’ll be unabashedly going into some pretty turbulent waters.

We’re looking for students who can think critically for themselves and have sufficient knowledge to navigate on their own. The secret to avoiding heresy is to rely on what Paul calls “the whole counsel of God.” Avoid one-verse theology. Whatever view you have needs to fit into the fabric of the total picture. That’s what makes it so challenging—and that’s why many pastors are reluctant to get into eschatology: it taxes their grasp of Scripture as a totality.

One of our trademarks for more than 40 years is Acts 17:11. It speaks of the Bereans: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so.” This has been our trademark. The Thessalonians were persuaded by argument; the Bereans believed, but they also searched—like they were stalking game. That’s what the Greek term implies.

The first step is really the tougher of the two. For many years I thought the real point of this verse was “search the Scriptures daily.” In recent years I’ve realized an even bigger challenge is to approach the Word with openness of mind. We all tend to bring our own presuppositions. Be on your guard there. So: receive the Word with openness of mind—and search the Scriptures daily to prove whether those things are so.

The way I summarize this verse: this is where Luke tells you, “Don’t believe anything Chuck Missler tells you.” I’ll say what I can to guide you—but don’t rely on me. Rely on the Word.

The other aspect that undergirds our approach to Scripture is what we call “66/40”—the name of our radio broadcast. We speak of the 66 books of the Bible which, although penned by over 40 different guys who, for the most part, didn’t even know each other, were written over about 2,000 years. There are two discoveries that changed my life at a very early stage:

1. These 66 books, even though penned by 40 different people over nearly 2,000 years, form an integrated message. You can prove the Bible—if you know how. First, understand the integrity of the package. In your own studies, confirm that every word, every number, every letter is there by deliberate design. That won’t mean much until you discover it for yourself. Once you do, it changes your entire attitude about the Word of God.
2. Once you recognize the design, you’re confronted with a second discovery: the origin of this message system had to come from outside the dimensionality of time, because it writes history before it happens—with incredible precision. If God has the technology to create us, He certainly has the technology to get a message to us. The challenge is: how does He authenticate the message? He does it by demonstrating an attribute only He has—He’s outside time and sees the end from the beginning—and He takes advantage of that.

As you go through that design, you discover every page points to a Person—the Messiah. “Christ” is a title, not a surname: Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach. Once you establish His identity (He’s literally on every page), He closes the loop. The Scriptures were translated into Greek three centuries before His ministry (the Septuagint), and those passages include over 300 specific prophecies fulfilled during His ministry: of David’s line, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, called out of Egypt, living in Galilee and Nazareth, announced by an Elijah-like herald, an event that triggered the massacre in Bethlehem, proclaiming the Jubilee, a mission including the Gentiles (Isaiah), a ministry of healing, teaching in parables, disbelieved and rejected by the rulers.

Focusing just on His last week: He would make a triumphal entry, be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver, be smitten like a shepherd, given vinegar and gall, lots cast for His garments, His side pierced, not a bone broken, die among malefactors, His dying words foretold, buried by a rich man, rise from the dead on the third day (there are several OT allusions), and His resurrection would be followed by the destruction of Jerusalem. The point: establish the integrity of the design; it establishes the identity of Jesus Christ; He then authenticates the rest.

We also need precision. Many people have a loose approximation of the Bible rather than recognizing its precision. In Matthew 22, one of my favorite episodes: the Pharisees were gathered, and Jesus asked them, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?” They said, “The son of David.” He replied, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’?” and He quotes Psalm 110:1: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” If David calls Him Lord, how is He his son?

They couldn’t answer Him. “No man was able to answer Him a word, neither dared any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.” What we miss unless we’ve done our homework is why they were so confused. His entire argument hangs on a yod in the Hebrew—the smallest letter—making “Adonai” possessive: “my Lord.” Jesus’ point rests on a letter.

And He underscores this in Matthew 5:17–18: “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot [yod] or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.” In English: not the dotting of an “i” or the crossing of a “t.” He calls us to take the text seriously, not approximately.

You and I live in the most blessed generation ever: the Word of God is more available than at any time in history. You can check the Hebrew or Greek without knowing them—hover over a word, and software will show you parsing, definitions, even diagram the sentence. Much of that software is free. Many of us carry multiple Bibles on our phones. You can do in 20 minutes what used to take a pastor weeks—if you’re diligent.

Another tip: I have come to believe there are effectively no true synonyms in Scripture. Two words may seem synonymous, but the difference between them often hides a discovery. When a verse confuses you, keep a journal. Write down why it confuses you. Then take it to the Throne: “Father, You promised to teach us all things. I’m confused about this verse. Please reveal it to me in Jesus’ name.” It may not happen immediately, but you’ll “stumble” into clarity—through a reading, a conversation, something. When it happens, go back and note it. Later, in a valley of doubt, you’ll have a record of the Holy Spirit’s footprints guiding your growth.

Avoid error: learn basic critical thinking; watch for logical fallacies.

At Koinonia House (khouse.org) and Koinonia Institute, our structure impacts our approach. We emphasize three “avenues” of study:

• Berean Avenue (Acts 17:11): Study of the Word of God—priority over everything.
• Issachar Avenue (1 Chr. 12:32): Prophecy, stewardship, and understanding the times—sifting intelligence and news (biased as they may be) to discern truth.
• Koinonos/Tactical Perspectives: Answering the “So what?”—what do I do about it? We’re training ambassadors for the coming King.

We encourage members to balance all three, and we give fun “trail markers” (bronze, silver, gold) for progress—not as goals themselves, but to encourage growth. Our real goal is a golden crown on a glassy sea.

This weekend’s conference—The End Times Scenario—is primarily a Berean exercise: What does the Word of God say? We may touch trends peripherally, but our focus is Scripture. When you combine Scripture study with understanding current trends, you get tactical perspectives—how to live and serve.

Here’s our plan for the weekend:

• Introductory session tonight.
• Tomorrow morning: What I believe is the most “preposterous” doctrine in Christianity—the harpazo (Rapture). We’ll examine the biblical basis, and also consider some likely pre-Rapture events.
• Daniel’s 70th Week: foundational. If you understand the last four verses of Daniel 9, the rest of the Bible falls into place. We’ll cover the sixty-nine weeks tonight, and the seventieth week in detail in the third session.
• Armageddon and the Second Coming.
• The Millennium and beyond.
• Tomorrow night (insert): a special on Transhumanism—yes, it’s hinted in Scripture and coming on like gangbusters. We’ll show a short film.
• Sunday morning: Post-Rapture events from the Redeemed’s perspective. We often make charts about events on earth; we’ll talk about what happens after the Rapture, in heaven—more important to you and me than anything else we’ll cover.

Jesus gave a confidential briefing on His return to Peter, James, John (the inner circle), and Andrew. We call it the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13). Be careful with Luke 21—it’s not the same discourse; different audience, different conditions, different predictions.

Daniel’s Seventy Weeks (Dan. 9:24–27) consists of four verses:

• v.24—the scope: “Seventy sevens” (weeks of years) are determined upon thy people and thy holy city—Israel and Jerusalem—to accomplish six things (finish transgression, end sins, atone for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up vision and prophecy, anoint the Most Holy Place). These have not yet been fully accomplished.
• v.25—the 69 weeks (7 + 62): From the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem (note: city, not temple) unto Messiah the Prince will be 69 weeks of years. The street and wall will be built again in troublous times.
• v.26—an interval: After the 69 weeks, Messiah will be cut off (executed), but not for Himself; the people of the prince that shall come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will be with a flood; desolations are determined. This verse describes events after the 69th week but before the 70th begins—so there is a gap (the Church Age).
• v.27—the 70th week: We’ll cover this in session three.

The 69 Weeks (v.25):
Sir Robert Anderson (The Coming Prince, 1894) recognized the biblical usage of 360-day years (Genesis and Revelation). Sixty-nine weeks × 7 × 360 = 173,880 days.

• The decree to restore Jerusalem (not the temple) is Nehemiah 2—the decree of Artaxerxes: March 14, 445 BC.
• Jesus’ public presentation as King (the Triumphal Entry) is April 6, 32 AD. He not only permitted it; He arranged it (donkey via password), fulfilling Zechariah 9:9.

Accounting for calendar, leap years, etc., the margin of error is zero—to the day. Jesus held them accountable for this thy day (Luke 19). Because they didn’t recognize it, He pronounced judicial blindness (not forever; see Romans 11:25—until the fullness of the Gentiles).

He then foretold Jerusalem’s destruction (Luke 19:43–44). In 70 AD, Titus and Roman legions besieged Jerusalem; 600,000 Jews were killed in 143 days; over a million and a half died from war and its aftermath. To this day, Jewish weddings break a glass to commemorate 70 AD. Why was Jerusalem destroyed? Jesus says: “Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

Verse 26—the Interval:
After the 69 weeks: Messiah cut off (karath—executed), but not for Himself (He did it for us); and the people of the prince that shall come destroy the city and sanctuary (70 AD). Thus, the 70th week did not start immediately—there’s at least a 38-year gap—and now we know it has stretched nearly 2,000 years.

This interval—the Church Age—was kept secret in the Old Testament and revealed to Paul (Ephesians). Born at Pentecost (Acts 2), it required the atonement, resurrection, and ascension. The Church’s mystery character includes the Body of Christ, the indwelling Spirit given without repentance, and (we’ll discuss later) the Bride of Christ. Scripture distinguishes Jews, Gentiles, and the Church; in Revelation, after chapter 3, the focus returns to Jews and Gentiles—the Church is conspicuously absent on earth.

The Book of Revelation is unique: it promises a special blessing to those who read, hear, and keep (Rev. 1:3). Its symbols are defined elsewhere in Scripture (expositional constancy). The most practical chapters for us are 2 and 3—the seven letters (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea). Each letter has a theme and collectively they lay out church history in advance—in that order. The last four letters contain explicit references to the Second Coming and appear to endure to the end. One (Thyatira) is warned it will go into the Great Tribulation if it doesn’t repent; one (Philadelphia) is promised to be kept out of the hour of trial.

Back to Daniel 9:26: “The people of the prince that shall come” is one of 33 titles of the Antichrist in the OT. Many assume these “people” were European because the legions were Roman. But the legionaries were conscripts. Josephus indicates the 10th Legion that destroyed the Temple was composed largely of Syrians/Assyrians. That aligns with Micah and Isaiah. We’ll explore this more tomorrow.

The 70th Week (v.27) is foundational to both OT and NT eschatology. You will not understand either unless you really master Daniel 9:24–27. We’ll make the 70th Week the key topic in session three.

Tomorrow morning (Session 2): the harpazo—the Rapture. It may sound “preposterous,” but we’ll examine the biblical basis carefully. Richard Feynman once said of quantum theory: “Of all the theories of science, the most ridiculous is quantum theory. The only thing it has going for it is that it happens to be unquestionably correct.” There’s a parallel, perhaps, with the Rapture.

Let’s close:

Father, we thank You for this weekend. We thank You for the time together and the fellowship we have in Jesus Christ. We espouse Augustine’s admonition: in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, agape. We pray that through Your Holy Spirit You would illuminate Your Word and guide us; that in all these things we might more clearly focus on Your calling, that each of us might understand precisely what it is You are calling us to, that we might be ever more responsive to Your Word, and more pleasing in Your sight. We commit ourselves without reservation into Your hands, in the name of Yeshua—our coming King—the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.