The fact that end-time prophecy is figured out over time and becomes clearer as time goes by is taught to us in Scripture. For instance, in Genesis 5:21 we are told that Enoch’s son was named “Methuselah.” According to Genesis 5:27, Methuselah lived to the ripe old age of 969, which makes him the oldest man in the Bible. It is not Methuselah’s longevity, however, but his unusual moniker that serves our purposes at this point. 

The Hebrew name “Methuselah” actually means “when he dies it shall come.” A quick computation of biblical dates will reveal that the flood came the same year Methuselah died. Granted, Methuselah’s cryptic moniker failed to specify what was coming and when it would come. It only pointed to the fact that whatever it was would happen when Methuselah died. 

Although this first prophecy of the coming flood was nonspecific, later prophesies were very specific, even to the point of pinpointing the flood’s starting point. Take for example Genesis 6:3, where God specifically warned the prediluvian world that it had but 120 more years to repent. Even more specific is Genesis 7:4, where God precisely pinpointed for Noah that in seven days it would begin to rain for forty days and forty nights. Notice, as the flood drew closer the prophecies concerning it became clearer.

In Matthew 24:33-34, Jesus explains how the generation that sees all of the predicted signs of the times fulfilled in their time will not pass away until all of prophecy is fulfilled. The closer we get to the end, the more signs of the times will appear, and the easier it will be for us to read the signs and to know with an ever-increasing certainty that the coming of Christ is imminent. It’s like going on a long trip. When you first start out there are no signs along the road telling you about your destination. As you get closer, however, signs about your destination begin to appear. Finally, once you arrive, all of the signs are about your destination.

As soon as all of the signs of the times appear, we’ll know that we’ve arrived at the end of time. Furthermore, we’ll be able to better interpret the signs as we see all of the pieces to the prophetic puzzle falling into place before our very eyes. It is this generation that will not only see prophecy fulfilled, but will also be far more capable of figuring it out than all previous generations. Still, until then, each succeeding generation should see prophecy clearer than the generation that proceeded it.