R C Sproul and Hank Hanegraaff have loyal followings within Christianity. Theirs is an approach to prophecy, wherein most if not all of it is already fulfilled in past history. Most having been completed surrounding what they consider to be the close of the Old Covenant Jewish age, occurring with the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Michael S Heiser, a proponent of the Preterist approach claims that once you pick one of the Daniel 70 week interpretations then it Leads you to your eschatology, or to your end times thinking.

I tend to think that what is prophesied in the New Testament tends to lead us to understand what Daniel prophesied, but frankly we have only just in recent decades come to understand New Testament prophecies as they are intended, and we were actually told that that would be the case in Daniel chapter 12.

Daniel 12:4 “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.” (NASB1995)

These are those days. End time days. Days of deception. So, let me just say that I do agree with the understanding that the Bible interprets the Bible, and with that I am basically a literalist, who recognizes that literal interpreters are not always literal to the Scripture.

Having said that, neither do I subscribe to the fact that hyperbole and allegory are not present, but neither are they the keys to interpreting scripture and the prophecies contained in Scripture.

Brian Godawa in his book that I will quote from, makes some interesting assertions which need to be thought through:

This is all well and good, we need scholars to ground us, but do WE as a body of Christ COME TOGETHER AROUND the Word OF truth or church Doctrine concerning PROPHECY or any other doctrine, as Jesus had prayed for us to do in John 17, through the STUDY OF THE HEBREW as Godawa suggests?

OR

Do we do that THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US WHO WILL LEAD US INTO ALL TRUTH as needed to understand this and other doctrine?

Will we all learn Hebrew, or will we all one day come to hear the voice of God, through His Spirit saying: this is truth believe it?

Jesus (I BELIEVE) expects the Father to answer His prayer for us His people:

John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (NASB2020)

John 17:20 “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, (NASB2020)

And what is he asking for?

Two things stand out:

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (KJV)

So first: he asks: THAT THEY BE SANCTIFIED THRU THE TRUTH

AND then:

John 17:23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. (NASB1995)

So, SECONDLY HE PRAYED FOR OUR UNITY.

JUST how is this passing on of the truth, which is to be unified in us, to be done in us and for us? Is it accomplished through all of us becoming Hebrew scholars or through God’s leading us by His Holy Spirit into all truth?

Most of us will never know Hebrew, but the world needs to see this unity in us one day before He comes. This is His prayer that the world might know that God has sent Him.

Godawa makes the effort to prove that we can’t take terms from the Old Testament context and apply them where they are seen in the New Testament, unless we are recognizing the O.T. context in the ancient forms. But he goes further to state: these poetic statements cannot be applied to end times, because they were fulfilled during those O.T. time periods.

Yet, he forgets, that every ancient prophecy which was fulfilled in Christ in His first appearance came from these O.T. prophesies. So shall every prophecy concerning His second coming be fulfilled, some before, some during and some after His coming.

If we live in this time when there will be greatly increased knowledge; then we had better understand that Jesus warning to not be deceived is also present for us today. If you believe that prophesies meant for our day were fulfilled in the days surrounding 70 AD, then you may be unaware of your plight. My brothers do not be deceived. Knowing the time for which we were born is evidence of the Holy Spirits leading in our lives.