"Apocalyptic'' is a Greek word that means "revelation" and refers to a special kind of prophecy. Most prophecy concerns the future within the earth's history. Nahum prophesied the fall of Nineveh, an event that took place within decades of his prophecy. Apocalypticism, however, focuses on the distant edges of time, when God will bring the world into judgment and history to a close.

When God reveals things concerning the far distant future he purposely speaks in images that are difficult to understand. Daniel says, "I heard, but I did not understand" (12:8), and the angel replies that "the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end." Yet, "those who are wise will understand" (12:10).

Apocalypticism and Oppression⤒🔗

Apocalyptic prophecy is usually written during periods of oppression. Daniel was written during the Babylonian exile and Persian periods when Israel was a mere province of those two great empires. Revelation was written during the Roman oppression of Christians while John was in exile on Patmos (1:9).

The connection between apocalypticism and oppression reveals God's purpose in using this type of literature. He gave glimpses of the end to his people when they needed it the most. The hard realities of suffering, such as the four beasts of Daniel and the beast of Revelation, come before certain victory (Daniel 12:13; Revelation 21, 22).

The Divine Warrior←⤒🔗

The prophets who lived in the late Old Testament period (Daniel, Zechariah) foresaw violent conflict in the future. In their day, evil was reaching fearful dimensions; God would not let it go on. The picture of God corning as a warrior to fight the forces of evil was prominent in their visions of the future.

In Daniel 7 evil takes the form of four hybrid beasts that rise out of the chaotic sea. The scene shifts in verse 9, as "one like the son of man" (7:13) comes into the presence of the Ancient of Days, riding a storm cloud chariot. During the oppression of the exile, Israel's only hope was in God the warrior who would come to save them.

Daniel and Zechariah could look into their history and see that God had come to save Israel from her enemies many, many times. During the exodus, God came as a warrior (Exodus 15:3) to fight the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Gideon went into battle with only 300 men because God was with him as a warrior (Judges 7). God won the victory for little David against huge Goliath in the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17).

Israel knew that God was a warrior who righteously exerted his power in warfare. They had been the object of his help, but they had received his wrath as well. It was God who led the Babylonian army against Jerusalem to judge Israel for their sin (Lamentations). When the later prophets looked into the future and saw God as their warrior-savior (compare Zechariah 14), they could look into the past for a precedent.

John the Baptist expected God to come and bring immediate violent judgment (Luke 3:7-9). After he baptized Jesus and was thrown in jail, he began to have doubts. After all, Jesus wasn't destroying the Romans and apostate Jews; he was healing them and casting out demons. John sent two of his disciples to question Jesus. He said,

Tell John that I am the divine warrior, the fulfillment of the prophecies of Daniel and Zechariah. Tell him, too, that the warfare is more serious. I have come to wage war, not against flesh and blood, but against Satan and his hosts.

On the cross this warfare came to a climax, where Jesus defeated Satan. What a wonderful irony. The greatest battle was won by the victor submitting himself to death (Colossians 2:13-15).

Christians today follow their Lord into battle against evil spiritual hosts ("put on the whole armor of God" – Ephesians 6:10 ff). We look forward to the final battle when Jesus Christ will lead his earthly and heavenly army against Satan and his demonic and human army. Christ will crush evil once and for all! (Revelation 19:11 ff)