Last week, I shared the first part of my conversation with scholar, professor, and author Dr. Matthew Halstead. His latest book is “The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It’s Good News),” and it's an encouraging look at the New Testament book of Revelation and other biblical prophecies about the end times.
This refreshing take on eschatology is grounded in what these prophecies meant for the original readers, which is also what they should mean for us today. Here's the second part of our conversation:
CQ: The concepts of the rapture and the tribulation have become a key part of the beliefs of some Christians. Why have these ideas taken hold for so many people?
MH: That's a really good question, especially the rapture question. I was just talking in another interview yesterday, in fact, about the rapture question, and it is interesting how some prophecy teachers and adherents to the rapture almost take that belief and make it the center of the gospel. Like, “If you don't believe this, you may not believe the Word of God” or “We question your salvation” or something like that. And it's because there are many reasons, but I think we all have our pet doctrines. And for some people, this is just one of them.
And I think what we need to do is recenter ourselves around the gospel. I was asked the other day yesterday, “Can we still fellowship with people who have differences about the rapture or whatever,” and I'm like, “Absolutely, 100%” For starters, we all need to acknowledge that we could be wrong, and what unites us in the gospel is stronger than these secondary matters.
CQ: Some Christians are obsessed with trying to identify the Antichrist or the mark of the beast or are afraid of the number 666. Why are those obsessions and fears misguided?
MH: Because especially when it comes to the Antichrist, I think that we have a wrong view about what the Antichrist actually is. So when you pay close attention to the word “antichrist” and the way it's used in the Bible, it's only used a handful of times in the Bible. It's never mentioned in Revelation. And so, I think we forget that according to Scripture, there have been many antichrists. In my opinion, there are many today; there will be many in the future.
We've become so obsessed about the final Antichrist, and we put all of our fear into that, but I think that's the wrong way to put it. I think the Bible's views about the Antichrist are that there are many antichrists, but thank God there will be a final one. So it's not about the final Antichrist. The emphasis is that there are many antichrists and that there will be a final one that Jesus will defeat. Who will the final Antichrist be? We don't know. And I don't think we will know until Jesus comes back.
CQ: Instead of focusing on these strange and inscrutable ideas, what should people look for as they read Revelation and other apocalyptic prophecies in the Bible?
MH: Yeah, we’re so infatuated about the future. I think the future elements — fine, it’s there. It's okay to look into those things. But it's not okay to obsess about them because when we do, we forget the present, and the whole point of apocalyptic literature — or I should say, a major point of apocalyptic literature — is to help us to get a God's-eye point of view of the past and the future but most importantly about our lives today. And I think that eschatology has just as much to do with the present as it ever does about the future.
CQ: What’s the key to avoiding misinterpretations and side issues when we read and study these prophecies?
MH: I think for those in my tribe — American, Western, maybe Protestant Christianity, and, well, not just Protestants, but anyway — I would say to do the work of a historian first. Most times people just jump to what it means for me today. And there's a place for that; I'm not taking that away. But I think what's lacking is just an awareness of the first-century context.
CQ: What should we be looking for in these prophecies? What’s the takeaway for believers?
MH: So Revelation starts off with the phrase, “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” and a lot of times we make the mistake of thinking that it's the revelation of Satan or the revelation of the beast or whatever. But actually this is all centered around Jesus. It's the revelation — singular — of Jesus Christ.
That phrase can mean two things, and I think it does. It means the revelation that comes from Jesus and the revelation that is Jesus. I think that what we need to gather is that all eschatology is about Jesus. In fact, I see this as the eschaton. The final event is not so much an event as it is a person in that Jesus is the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning, and the End.
CQ: What advice do you have for somebody who might be hesitant to read your book?
MH: I would say, “Read it with an open mind.” At the beginning of the book, I say that we're all coming to this topic with assumptions. And I invite people to just set those assumptions aside for a moment. You can always pick them back up later. It's totally fine, but just put them to the test. And it's never wrong to ask questions about your assumptions. Because worst case scenario, you get closer to the truth. I know it's uncomfortable, but it is a good discipline to do so.
CQ: How can people find out more about you?
MH: Probably the best way is through my website, matthewhalstead.com. And I'm on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
You can find “The End of the World as You Know It: What the Bible Really Says about the End Times (And Why It’s Good News)” on Amazon, but I recommend the edition from Logos Bible Software because it includes direct links to the scriptures the book references. Check out Logos and get a great deal on it here.
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