The Errors In The Doctrine of Futurism
What is Futurism?
The doctrine of futurism is based on the assumption that all the prophecies written in the book of Revelation will be fulfilled in the Tribulation period. This belief is mostly centered upon a pre-Tribulation rapture, which signals the beginning of the Tribulation. They believe that none of the seals, trumpets, and vials have been fulfilled, but that they will be during the last 7 years. They hold the traditional view of the 7 seals being opened, then the 7 trumpets being blown, then the 7 vials being poured out. Though there are conflicting views, most Futurists believe that the mark of the beast is a microchip implant.
Issues With Futurism
The 7 Seals and 7 Trumpets
Many Futurists believe that the seals and trumpets all occur in the Tribulation. They believe that the 7 seals are opened, then the 7 trumpets are blown, then the 7 vials are poured out. Revelation 6:12-17 is both the 6th seal and 2nd coming of Jesus. The sun goes dark, the moon doesn’t give its light and the stars fall from heaven to earth. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:29-31 that these would be the sign of his covenant.
Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Revelation 6:12-17 “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
There cannot be 7 trumpets and 7 vials if the 6th seal is the 2nd coming. The Futuristic, and widely accepted view, of the seals, trumpets and vials is incorrect. Secondly, the 7th Trumpet completes the mystery of God, and leads to judgment. If the 7th trumpet is the end, there cannot be 7 more vials to be poured out
Revelation 10:7 “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”
The futuristic view of the seals, trumpets, and vials happening in sequential order is flawed. It is clear they have to overlap and end at the same time, as the 6th seal and 7th trumpet both signal completion.
Prophecies In Revelation Have Been Fulfilled Already
A number of the prophecies in Revelation have already been fulfilled. For this topic, I want to focus on the 1st and 2nd trumpets. The 1st and 2nd trumpets were fulfilled through World War 1 and World War 2.
Revelation 8:7-9 “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.”
World War 1
World War 1 was the biggest war in history, at the time. The hail and fire mingled with blood is referencing the heavy artillery and burning arrows that were rained down. Weapons like flamethrowers, burning arrows, mortars, and poison gas was used in the war, destroying the green grass and 1/3rd of the earth’s trees. From John’s view in heaven, people raining down bombs and burning arrows could look like hail and fire, and the mingled with blood part is imagery of the mass death and bloodshed this caused.
World War 2
World War 2 was, and still is, the largest war in history. World War 2 also marked a shift in world power, with the US becoming the dominant world power. In World War 2, there were collectively 105,127 ships involved in World War 2. Out of these 105,127, a total of 36,387 were destroyed by the end of the war. Mathematically, 34% of the ships were destroyed, which is 1/3rd. Though there can be an argument made that 1/3rd is 33%, both 33% and 34% are acceptable as 1/3rd. Breaking 100% into equal thirds is mathematically impossible, as there is always a percent left over. This is why 2/3 is viewed as 67% instead of 66%; there has been a 34% added in some way.
A third part of the sea becoming blood, is later explained as 1/3rd of the sea creatures dying. Before and during and after the war, the US, Russia, and other world powers tested nukes underwater before using them. Hundreds upon hundreds of nuclear weapons were tested in the ocean. These tests are what killed 1/3rd of the sea creatures. Nukes are powerful enough to destroy entire cities, the damage it did underwater is unfathomable.
The final part of this is the mountain burning with fire that was cast into the sea. Some attribute this to volcanic activity, but this mountain of fire was the atomic bomb. The US dropped two of these bombs on Japan, which is a small island in the sea. Once again, we have to take into account that John is seeing this from heaven. From high up, it is extremely possible that the atomic bomb exploding appeared to be fire in the sea, as Japan is a small island in the sea.
5 of the 7 trumpets have been blown, with 4, possibly 5 of the seals have been opened. (the 5th seal is an event in heaven). I explained the 7 seals and trumpets in separate articles.
These Things Must Shortly Come To Past
Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:”
These things must shortly come to pass, which means that they can’t all unfold over 2000 years later, as Futurists suggest. It is clear that these things started to unfold after John’s visions, and that they culminate at the 2nd coming of Jesus.
Roman Catholic Roots
Futurism, like Preterism, is a doctrine from the Roman Catholic church. Francisco Ribera, a Catholic saint, created this doctrine. Futurism was not a view of the early church, but it became prominent during the Protestant Reformation. Early Christians believed that the Roman Catholic Church invented the concepts of Preterism and Futurism to combat the Protestant Reformation and to try and disprove the belief that the Pope was evil and part of the beast system.
In Conclusion
Futurism mixes truth with deception. They understand that everything was not fulfilled in 70 AD, but didn’t have the current signs to prove anything was fulfilled. They assumed everything would be fulfilled during Tribulation, as in the 1500s, many of the things were not fulfilled. In hindsight, we can see the fulfillment of Bible prophecy in our current world.
Through this, I hope you learned that both Futurism and Preterism were Roman Catholic doctrines. The view of the early church was that many of these prophecies would be fulfilled in the end, deeming futurism partially true, but not all of them. Everything was not fulfilled in 70 AD, nor has nothing been fulfilled yet. The prophecies are still being fulfilled, and they are not restricted to the last 7 years.
Thank you for reading, and always remember to stay vigilant!