If we don’t have a solid knowledge of history and understand what is going on in the world, we won’t know where we are in time. Being a good student of history is to the advantage of every watchful Christian – of anyone who is looking for their Lord and Savior to come.
While everything around us strives for our attention and tells us what to believe, how to live, and what to do, these influences are not trying to alert us to the nature of what is going on. On the contrary, most of the commentaries we come across are doing everything in their power to keep us asleep. So the only means by which can really make us wake up is the Bible and the understanding that the Bible has given us very clear indications and waymarks in order to find our whereabouts in history.
In this article, we are going to examine Rule No. 13 of Miller’s rules which is highly significant as we take in mind the solemn times we are living in, just before the close of this earth’s history.
Since there is a general expectation of something huge to happen to our world soon, it would be good for us to study the prophecies that relate to the end-times, to see if we have already had a historical fulfillment of a particular prophecy, if it has already been fulfilled. We cannot foretell the future with certainty. We can only look back and see that history matches the prophecy. Then we know that we have crossed the line of that prophecy and we are free to examine the next one to see if we have crossed it too. Rule No. 13 reads:
“To know whether we have the true historical event for the fulfillment of a prophecy: If you find every word of the prophecy (after the figures are understood) is literally fulfilled, then you may know that your history is the true event.”
The events foretold in prophecy are mostly clothed in figurative language, such as natural representations (like beasts, waters, hills, etc.), which point to particular powers, people, or governments. Therefore, once we understand whom all the figures point to and see that the event has literally transpired in history, we may know that this particular history is the true event. If the historical account matches every detail of the prophecy word for word, we have the fulfillment. Thus we don’t need to look for another event as a fulfillment of this particular prophecy.
“But if one word lacks fulfillment, then you must look for another event, or wait for its future development. For God takes care that history and prophecy doth agree, so that the true, believing children of God may never be ashamed. Psalms 21:5; Isaiah 14:17-19; 1 Peter 2:6; Revelation 17:17; Acts 3:18.”
If we find that history matches the Bible’s prediction perfectly, we have a fulfillment. For example, we may look at the transition from Greece as a world empire (represented by the leopard that has four wings in Daniel 7) to Pagan Rome (represented by the nondescript beast in the same chapter). If we have a general knowledge of history, we know that Rome overtook Greece and became the ruling empire. But here is the essence: if we drill into the history around the transition from Greece to Pagan Rome, the deeper we drill, the more certain it is that this history matches prophecy. And the more obvious it becomes to us that we have the real fulfillment.
When we take in mind Rule No. 13, we would be diligently searching through our Bibles to see those places, dealing with the prophecies of the end-times, right before the Coming of Christ, to see if we can find history that matches the nature of those prophecies. And we would affirm that, yes, we do. That is exactly what we are striving to prove as a ministry. And we should be as little lights all over the world. Why? Because our Lord and Savior is coming soon. Thus we would be able to hasten the Coming of Christ, to make it nearer. By studying history in relation to the Bible we can see how close we are and we can help others see this as well.
In Daniel 12:3 we are told of those who are wise, about the wise at the end who are going to turn many to righteousness. They are able to show people something that converts them. They grasp it with their intellect; they know that they need it; they embrace it.
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3.
Those who receive the truth and accept it are finally gathered in for the heavenly garner. And we want to be a part of those who are gathered in at this time of harvest. We have been given express instruction on what we are supposed to do because we are in the period of the sounding of the last, seventh trumpet (see Rev. 7-11) and we are waiting for our Savior to come. We are looking forward to his coming. For the unjust this event shall be a dreadful thing, a woe, but for the just it shall be a glorious event and one to be looked forward to. And when the Lord comes we will know that we have waited for the true Christ (and not any false Christs) because we have followed him in prophecy. We can see that His Word is absolutely true and gives us the light that we need for this generation, in order to pass the test and finish the warfare and go home. Because from the fulfillment of prophecy, we can see that we are living in the last generation. This world’s history is wrapping up.
By the study of the Bible, we will see that we are much further along in time than we ever thought and we are so much closer to the day when we shall meet our Savior. And we certainly do not want to be found wanting, but we want to be clothed in the whole armor of God and be prepared for the soon coming our Lord and Savior.
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11.
Bible Prophecy, Fulfilled in History
