Introduction
There are generally 2 categories of prophecy: Plain and obscure. This isn’t a criticism of the Word as much as it is about how we as humans focus our attention on things. “Plain” prophecy states in clear, undisputed terms an event that will happen, such as “I will return Israel from all the nations.” An example of “obscure” prophecy is “the mark of the beast is 666.” Both types of prophecy will come true but we tend to focus on the more mysterious “obscure” category than the plain indicators God has given. Have you noticed that the “obscure” type seems to be the focal point of most controversies and the most widely disagreed upon?
I believe the “obscure” category represents things which will reveal themselves almost at the moment they occur, often without a lot of warning time in which to digest their significance. The “plain” category are the more “dull” and obvious activities by which, I’ve come to believe, are the ones which not only give us the biggest lead time in terms of warning, but are the very things which will open our eyes to the fulfillment of the more difficult and mysterious prophecies as they’re finally identified and fulfilled.
Ezekiel 36 & 37 provide the general framework by which all other End Times prophecy must fit together correctly in order to be fully and completely understood. If they deviate in the least respect from this framework it does not mean it was not an act of God’s will, but that it was not yet the fulfillment of His specific prophecy. For instance, at least twice there have been sacrileges committed in the Holy of Holies; but because they didn’t occur in the right context under all God’s prescribed conditions, we know that there is still to come the final abomination of desolation that will mark the End Times.