I'd say in historical literature there's a lot to be said about prophecy.
What about this: take the story of Oedipus for example. An oracle tells his parents that their future son will kill his father and marry his mother, so they try to leave the newborn to die, where he's found and raised by a farm family or something, not knowing his real family. Oedipus kills his father (i don't remember the specifics) and takes his place as King, which entitles him to marry his mother who he doesn't know is his mother.
So, if the prophecy wouldn't have been told to the parents, would oedipus still have killed his father and married his mother? He gouged his eyes out after finding out it was his mom, so i don't think he would have if he had known his parents.
By the same token, what if the end times prophecy caused the end of the world merely by its existence? Would trying to prevent it unwittingly bring it about? If someone who fit the description of antichrist got power, would we act in such a way in response that would actually make that person the antichrist? Not that we can ever know except in hindsight... you could go in circles, too... by thinking that the prophecy itself will be the cause are we somehow playing into it's game?? Aieee, my brain hurts already.
It is fun to speculate
Let me know what you think!