We do not only accept history, but we also shape it. It is therefore appropriate to view the prophecies of the book of Revelation as conditional. The end of the world cannot be understood as a specific event, as a fate that would contradict the Christian idea of freedom. Only passive anticipation of a dreadful end is not something that corresponds to human dignity.
(Tomáš kard. Špidlík SJ /1919–2010/, I Believe in Eternal Life. Eschatology, p. 45)