How I Approach Bible Study

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First we must acknowledge that Christ is the center of all prophecy. Revelation 19:10 We must also look at scripture seriously and use the Bible to interpret symbology and parables. The Bible is 66 books written by 40 authors over thousands of years with prophecy and foreshadows throughout. There are pieces of related information spread throughout the Bible and I believe to get to the Truth, we must look at all those pieces as a whole. This is why I’ve attempted to focus on topics to define and bring together the various words throughout scripture that are related to get a wholistic view.

We are inundated our whole lives with deceptive propaganda leading us away from truth and many times we subconsciously accept things without proving them to be so according to scripture. Acts 17:11 We must also acknowledge that we don’t know everything and it’s very easy for personal bias to impede on understanding the Truth. For instance I once believed certain things, such as the pre-trib harpazo, that I thought were solid based on respected Biblical scholars’ perspective. However, in taking the Bible seriously and getting a more wholistic view from throughout scripture, certain things became clearer. In the example of the harpazo, I came to a perspective on my own of a pre-wrath harpazo based on the various topical studies and framework of the 70th week of Daniel. We just have to believe every word and logically put them together to see the more clear meaning. Therefore I always try to see the other perspectives and compare to scripture as the foundation of understanding.

Isaiah 28:9-13 lays out the idea that understanding of God’s Word is done building precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little. Furthermore, it was done this way so “that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.” Understanding Bible prophecy requires building first on an understanding of the original commandments and their fulfillments to have a strong foundation from which the rest of the understanding is built. The Bible explains itself, but hidden in poetic and prophetic pieces spread throughout. Having an understanding of the whole makes sense of the seemingly disconnected pieces.

Discerning Bible Prophecy

The difference between the milk and meat of the Word is discernment of both good and evil. Regarding Bible prophecy and our daily lives, understanding the Word of God and His position on good and evil shed light in the darkness and especially in these end times we see the importance of discerning good from evil.

Ephesians 5:11-21
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The goal of this website is to point out in the Word of God, what His plans are according to His own words in context and in relationship to everything else in scripture. It is obviously not complete, but it is my humble attempt to share how my understanding of Bible prophecy has become a little easier and sharing how I approach the Word of God in taking Him at His Word. I’m not always right, but has led me in trusting His Word to a greater understanding of His prophets and what they wrote through the Holy Spirit, describing the times in which we live. I am no prophet, I just believe them. Understanding them takes some time and honestly never ends, that’s where we grow.

1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already. Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Proverbs 15:28
The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Are We Better-Equipped to Understand Bible Prophecy in Modern Times?

Many people quote 1^st century Bible scholars in interpreting Bible prophecy as if the first believers had any greater understanding of how future prophecy would be fulfilled than we do today. But is that the case? Can we be limiting our understanding of what the Bible says about the future by building our foundation upon those created at a time when Bible prophecy was sealed from understanding?

Daniel 12:1-10
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

This clearly shows an Old Testament prophet confused by the prophecy he was given because understanding of that prophecy was sealed until the time of the end. So did the early church have any greater understanding than we do today of what would come to pass? I do not believe that is possible because of the clarity of Bible prophecy interpreting itself.

Daniel 9:24-27
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

70 weeks of years were determined upon Israel and Jerusalem, of which only 69 were previously fulfilled historically. This passage is central to the understanding of order of the end and if you read through the Biblical and historic explanations in the HIStory, Our Future Bible studies, you can see how Israel’s history is central to understanding God’s timing of end-time events as prophesied in scripture. My focus on the passage above is not the timing aspect presented in those studies however, but simply pointing out that Israel is God’s timepiece for prophetic events. How so? It begins with the first scripture quoted above at the time Michael the archangel “stands up.”

Matthew 24:14-22
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Notice “the end” that follows verse 14 is the beginning of the 3½ year great tribulation most Christians have heard about. In addition, Yeshua points us to the Old Testament prophet Daniel regarding the abomination of desolation which begins the great tribulation. This is the same revealing of the man of sin of Bible prophecy which is to precede the day of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The point of all this is to show how the existence of Israel and the temple is central to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. However, before 1948 there was no Israel in existence in the land nor the prospect of a temple in which the man of sin could stop the daily sacrifice. Even today there is no temple or daily sacrifice, but the existence of the state of Israel and a religious tie to that state certainly opens the possibility. So how could Bible scholars before 1948 have any grounding reference to understand when the end would really come? They couldn’t. Bible prophecy as written could not be fulfilled until just a couple generations ago. Since that time we have been steadily progressing to “the end,” which is almost upon us.

Truly the prophecies were sealed until the time of the end and only now, having seen Israel come back to the land as prophesied in Ezekiel 36-37, are we beginning to really understand what was written so long ago regarding our future. Truly the scholars of old could understand the grace of God through Yeshua’s sacrifice and the importance of obedience to God’s Word to conform to the image of Christ as well as the salvation through Christ alone, but could they truly understand Bible prophecy from a time before Israel? I do not believe so, they saw through a glass darkly as do we all, but God promised that we would not be in darkness regarding the coming of the end if we are awake and watching.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

Luke 21:34-36
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

There are many aspects of Bible prophecy that have been misunderstood over the centuries and indeed the subject of Bible prophecy is often left alone by the majority of the church because soothsayers have been predicting the end of the world for centuries with no fulfillment to date. This is why it is important to realize that they were speaking from the flesh and personal interpretation of the Bible rather than relying on God’s Word saying what He meant. Israel didn’t exist and so Bible prophecy could not be fulfilled. The Bible interprets itself and all we need is the guidance of the Holy Spirit that wrote the Bible through the prophets.

2 Peter 1:19-21
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Isaiah 28:9-13
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

How many people have been stumbling over scripture because they don’t take into account the fullness of it? All scripture will agree 100% with the rest of it, so we can be led into false doctrine by taking snippets of scripture out of context with the whole. At the same time, understanding is “precept upon precept,” “line upon line,” “here a little and there a little.” This means that to understand the big picture, we must examine the context of the whole council of God to arrive at the Truth. We must take each foundational precept and define it according to scripture only building upon what is clearly defined. We must put the various lines of scripture together and compare and we must do so from throughout scripture. Then the Bible will interpret itself and we only need read and believe, conforming our beliefs to those written therein.

With the Holy Spirit guiding our study of His Word we don’t need to look to scholars of old for interpretation, we need look no further than the Holy Spirit within us as Christians and the Word that hasn’t changed on the whims of men, trusting the source. In this way we will understand Bible prophecy more than past generations because we are in the end-times and understanding was only sealed until this time so that we who believe God’s Word would not be in darkness regarding the coming day of the Lord and our gathering to meet Him in the air. Let us come before the throne and ask that the Holy Spirit guide us through His Word to reveal the Truth, not our desires or imaginings. Let us search the scriptures daily to see what things are so. Acts 17:11 And most of all, let the bride of Christ come together in Spirit and Truth with the foundation of God’s Word alone, breaking through the denominational divisions to instead trust God’s Word and its own interpretation of itself.

Why Study Bible Prophecy?

BrittGillette.com (September 23, 2007)
Is Bible prophecy really important? And if so, how important? And aren’t people who expend more than a passing moment examining bible prophecy simply uneducated crackpots and lunatics yearning for the destruction of the world? These are just a few of the questions bombarding today’s Christians when it comes to the study of bible prophecy. That bible prophecy is irrelevant to the Gospel or a mere playground for the mentally unstable is a message we constantly receive from the media, pop culture, and many so-called church leaders. It’s unfortunate, because this false image of bible prophecy has succeeded in turning many Christians away from the Gospel. Although recent history is marked by an untold number of date setters and false prophets claiming to speak for God, this is no reason to ignore bible prophecy. Such people were never true Christians, but rather enemies of God in disguise. So instead of relying on the words of ministers, priests, journalists, and other humans, let’s examine the primary source. Here’s what the bible says about prophecy, including every verse of God’s Holy Word:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.

The word “all” includes bible prophecy, and that’s good, considering more than 25% of the bible is fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled prophecy. Why is so much of the bible dedicated to prophecy? There are many reasons, but in the end, there is only one purpose: to direct the attention of the human race to Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:10 (NLT)
For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.

Previously fulfilled prophecies lend unprecedented credibility to the bible’s claim to be the Word of God, and the Messianic prophecies fulfilled by the birth, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth authenticate his claim to be the one true Christ. In essence, bible prophecy is the most powerful witness to the divinity of Christ. So don’t listen to those who claim that bible prophecy distracts us from the true Christian mission. Quite to the contrary, all bible prophecy points to Jesus Christ Himself. more...

Here is an excerpt from Del Kralman’s Beth Dorshe Emeth Ministries further making this point.

Recognize and Avoid Deceivers

by Del Kralman (Beth Dorshe Emeth Ministries: 4430 South 158th; Tukwila, WA 98188)

Matthew 24:4,5
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Remember how Peter expressed the danger of listening to the deceivers of the end times, with the possibility that it may have an adverse effect on the saints when he said:

2 Peter 3:17
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

It is so very important to recognize the deceivers. Truly the only way to know who the deceivers are, is to be so familiar with the Truth that the deception stands out like a mountain on a clear day. The only way to effectively deceive someone is to make the deception look so real and good that they can’t tell the difference. Even more, it must look so good that people will accept it instead of the Truth and prefer it over the Truth. Satan is the greatest deceiver of all and that is exactly the approach he uses.

“Secular Humanism,” which humanizes God and deifies man; and the “New Age Movement,” which takes the Hindu approach and deifies everything, has become popular in the western world as an acceptable course to finding the “true power within” to help men reach their maximum potential. Because it is ‘the great lie,’ presented in such a desirable way, most of the world has fallen under it’s spell. They have been deceived and drawn away from God Almighty. It has even crept into the teachings of many teachers and preachers in churches today, which indicates the craftiness of Satan in using these influences to deceive the very elect, if possible. This brings into focus the great urgency to call people back to God before its too late!

A word about approach to prophecy in the end-times taken from Israel. The following is spoken to Israel, but is connected to the end as well as it is a Truth. The Bible endures forever and is the foundation for all Truth. Each of us are eternal beings, our choice in who we serve, a God of love, joy, peace, and patience or a fallen angel of hate, hopelessness, restless, selfishness and pride. Galatians 5:19-26 As concerning prophets, and the apostasy, God’s Word...

Jeremiah 23
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD. And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

This underlies the foundational understanding that God’s Word, the Bible, is the absolute center of our understanding and upon which all else is built to open our minds to reality and out of our vain imaginings and desires. To understand Truth is to believe God’s Word and fulfilled prophecy is what builds our faith and strengthens our understanding in Truth and reality. The Bible and history are intimately intertwined and the Bible gives the overall picture of the relationship between humanity and their Creator, Yeshua. The whole Bible is written of Him and the testimony of Yeshua is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19:10

My study of Bible prophecy has led me to a greater understanding of Christ through the testimony of the prophets of the Bible and proof God is who He says He is. The Bible was written by prophets led by the Holy Spirit and it is a completed collection of books telling history and the future. Moreover these books, just as they are, reveal the future according to the interpretation of the Bible itself. I’ve learned more details about the future to come from the Bible than any man giving a prophecy and unlike men, it is 100% accurate in all things. I used to listen to modern prophets and then I started actually reading my Bible and the whole end-time scenario became more and more clear. I have very little concern about the future now because of this and have complete peace and great hope for the future without needing modern prophets or wealth and prosperity. God has provided for all our needs.

I’m very wary of people who claim to be prophets also because of the blatant and constant warning in scripture regarding deceptions of the end-times. Once the Bible revealed we are IN the end-times, I began to discern a lot more than before, knowing Truth from fiction.

2 Timothy 4:1-5
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

1 Timothy 4
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

So my take on prophets is that there are at least 40 of them and they already wrote their books as led by the Holy Spirit and those books are good for all doctrine, reproof and correction of men’s perceptions of the future. All those books that were necessary were combined into the Bible available just about anywhere freedom is. When I realized that thought is the voice of the spirit realm, it made me realize all the more that I needed to guard what I allowed in my thought life with what the Bible said. And if it reveals so much detail, why do I need prophecies when it is all unfolding before the church and many don’t see? What I’ve been called to do is be a watchman for Christ and the Bible is all I need to do that. I think if more people read their Bibles (really study it), they would find their faith built up beyond destruction by the petty lies of the enemy when standing with the absolute Truth of God’s own Word to us all. The Truth is the most valuable asset we have today and that is the gift of God to us all. When we allow the Bible to interpret itself and take the whole council of God into account when determining doctrine, Isaiah 28:9-13, then I believe the bride of Christ can come to be of one mind regarding things. This is being made easier with time due to prophecy being fulfilled today.

In that light, we as Christians need to take the Word that lights our path and point people to it as the coming times have the potential of several earth-shaking events of Bible prophecy happening that the world will find hard to dismiss from the pages of scripture as coincidence.

Clarifications about the Word of God

Do you trust the validity of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, the Holy Bible? I believe that you can and here is why. The King James Version (KJV) is the version I use for in-depth study of Bible prophecy. Why? It is what I have been using my whole life and so the way phrases are stated are particular and it helps in recalling phrases or words used to search for the book, chapter, and verse I’ve forgotten. Unfortunately I have a horrible memory, part of the reason I started this website. I’ve read through pages of my own site having forgotten I wrote it. So for me it helps not to have various versions swimming around for recollection.

There’s also controversy around the translations and passages missing from various versions. For starters, the NIV leaves out whole verses and some new translations have contradictions built in. Also, here is Acts 8:37 in the KJV, and here it isn’t in the NIV. What does it say? “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Why would this verse be left out along with over 200 verses missing in the NIV and other modern translation Bibles? Listen to Kent Hovind address these issues and more. God promised He would preserve His Word, and preserve He did. I prefer to get the most solid version of the Word so that my foundation is as solid in Truth as it can be. That’s just my personal choice in trying to understand God’s designs.

DDoes this mean you can’t be saved if you like the NIV version? No, that’s ridiculous! I believe the important aspects of God’s Word are preserved even if random pages were removed. The message of Salvation through Christ will never be wiped from scripture.

Revelation 22:19,20
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The NIV has been a big tool for those who cast doubt on the Word of God and lest we forget, that is exactly how Satan tempted Eve in the garden of Eden saying, “Hath God said?” If we are going to study the details of Bible prophecy that lays out the future in such precision, we had better use the most precise version we can get if we want the most precise declaration of God’s plans. We must also request the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26,27
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Why is the language of the King James Version used? They didn’t really talk like that, but there are comprehension reasons for using thee, thou, and ye. Read The Language of the King James Bible.

Not Left Behind By Rev. Bill Lee-Warner Excerpt:

5 cardinal rules of hermeneutics (Bible Study methods):

1. Scripture should be read in its normal, natural and customary sense. This of course allows for figures of speech.
2. All Scripture should be read in context. This means that the interpretation of Scripture should be looked at in the light of the verses and book in which the passage is found.
3. Always compare Scripture with Scripture. In other words, Scripture is its own best commentary. All the passages touching on a particular matter need to be harmonized before truth is found.
4. Scripture never contradicts Scripture. We have not found truth until we find the common denominator that makes all the passages fit together.
5. The recognition of near/far applications of prophetic literature. Barton Payne says, “Biblical prophecy may leap from one prominent peak in predictive topography to another, without notice of the valley between which may involve no inconsiderable lapse in chronology.” (J. Barton Payne, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, p. 137)