Prophetic Overview
TABLE OF CONTENTS
* Why Study Bible Prophecy?
* Interpretation Of Prophecy
* Dispensationalism
* Fulfilled Prophecy
* The Pre-Tribulation Rapture
* Modern Day Signs Of The End
* Last Things
WHY STUDY BIBLE PROPHECY?
The Bible is about 1/3 prophecy. There is no way in the world one can “rightly divide the Word” if one leaves out 1/3 of it. We need to study “all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27)
Here are seven reasons to study Bible prophecy:
1. Prophecy validates the authority of the entire Word of God.
2. Prophecy reveals God’s power, wisdom & purpose:
3. Prophetic studies produces holiness.
4. Prophetic studies comfort the saved.
5. Prophetic studies help us get a burden for the lost.
6. Prophetic studies help us discern the signs of the times.
7. Prophetic studies are commanded by God.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)
INTERPRETATION OF PROPHECY
The major prerequisites for understanding Bible prophecy are these:
1. Salvation By Grace Through The New Birth:
One cannot discern, see, or know spiritual things unless they are born again by receiving Christ Jesus by faith through the convicting power of God's Word. One with an unregenerated spirit cannot worship God, because he is spiritually dead and incapable of worshiping God in spirit and in Truth as He requires. Salvation come by receiving God's testimony concerning His Son Jesus Christ.
" ... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:5-7; Note: "water" here symbolizes the Word of God, not baptism: Eph 5:26; Isa 55:10-11; John 15:3, 17:17; Psalm 119:9)
"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:9-12)
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36)
"But as many as RECEIVED him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)
" Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and RECEIVE with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)
"So then FAITH cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom 10:17)
"For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9; cf. Rom 5:12-21)
"... Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)
"Now we have RECEIVED ... the spirit which is of God; that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man RECEIVETH not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he KNOW them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor 2:12-14)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom 3:23-26)
"And you hath he quickened, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Eph 2:1-2) "... [T]hey RECEIVED not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. ... who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess 2:10, 12)
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in Truth." (John 4:24).
2. Yieldedness To The Leading Of The Holy Spirit:
"But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:22-25)
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." (Prov 3:5-7)
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ... Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ... I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Rom 6:13, 16, 12:1-2)
"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:4-7)
3. Adherence To A Few Basic Rules Of Bible Interpretation:
* Literal Interpretation
"To the law [OT] and to the testimony [NT]: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa 8:20)
God's Word is also called His testimonies, commandments, precepts, etc. There is no other way to take these except literally according to what He his written.
Just as literal interpretation is essential for our salvation (Psalm 119:9, 41, 58) it is also essential in understanding the Revelation. One must take Revelation, as every other book of the Bible, literally. The fact that Revelation is full of symbolic and figurative language dose not mean that these symbols and figures are not to be taken literally. The Bible must not be allegorized without Scriptural precedence either in the immediate context or elsewhere in the Bible.
* Biblical Context
Context is also very important. We must keep the context in mind, both the immediate context and that of the whole tenor of Scripture. This will help us understand what the symbolic and figurative language means.
If we search the Scriptures using the law of Bible interpretation which says, "Scripture interprets Scripture," it will help us immensely in the understanding what God has recorded for us in this final Book of the Bible. The Word of God says:
"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." (Isa 28:9-10)
"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Cor 2:13)
A working knowledge of the whole Bible is helpful in understanding of the Revelation Of Jesus Christ. There are more Old Testaments quotations and symbols in Revelation than in any other New Testament book (at least 358 from 24 of the 39 books of the Old Testament). A good understanding of the New Testament is also of great benefit, because many of the teachings of other New Testament books are referred to in Revelation. If you do not have a working knowledge of the whole Bible now, with God's grace you will have when we get to Revelation chapter twenty-two (John 5:39; Acts 17:11).
* Dispensational Interpretation
Dispensational interpretation is essential for proper understanding of Bible prophecy. The Book of Revelation for example covers 3 of the 7 dispensations, to wit, 1) the Dispensation of Law, 2) the Church Age, 3) the Millennial Reign of Christ. The 7 year Tribulation is the final 7 years of the Old Testament Age of Law. It is the last week of the 70 Weeks (of years) prophesied in Daniel 9:24-27. The first 69 weeks (483 years) were fulfilled at the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but the final week of Daniel 9:27 is yet future. This last week is called the Tribulation. Between the 69th and 70th weeks there has been a parenthetical period called the Dispensation of Grace or the Church Age which has lasted some 2000 years now. After this Church Age will come the final 7 years of the Dispensation of Law, and after that the Millennial Reign of Christ.
DISPENSATIONALISM
Ephesians 1:7-10: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
Definition of Dispensation, Dispensationalism:
A Dispensation is a system by which anything is administered. In Scriptural Dispensationalism it refers to seven periods in history whereby God dealt with man in a specific ways. Precisely speaking "Dispensations" are "stewardships," or "administrations." We can clearly see in the Bible that God has and will deal diferently with mankind. However, He has never deal with men diferently concerning their salvation.
Dispensationalism and Salvation:
Over 60 years ago Henry Ironside said:
Let one point be absolutely clear: No one was ever saved in any dispensation on any other ground than the finished work of Christ. In all the ages before the cross, God justified men by faith; in all the years since, men have been justified in exactly the same way. Adam believed God and was clothed with coats of skin, a picture of one becoming the righteousness of God in Christ. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Nevertheless, afterwards he was circumcised; but that circumcision, the apostle tells us, was simply a seal of the righteousness he had by faith. And throughout all the Old Testament dispensation, however legalistic Jews may have observed the ordinance of circumcision and thought of it as having in itself some saving virtue, it still remained in God's sight, as in the beginning, only a seal, where there was genuine faith, of that righteousness which He imputed. (Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth, pp. 57, 58)
Scriptural Dispensationalism has three distinguishing principles:
1. A consistent use of a literal principle of interpretation.
2. A clear distinction between God's program for Israel, His program for the Kingdom of God, and His program for the New Testament Church.
3. The understanding God's administration of time does not affect His single method of salvation for mankind. (Salvation is only by grace through faith regardless of the age; be it faith in the coming Saviour [all OT dispensations], or faith in the Saviour who came [our present Age of Grace], or faith in the Saviour who will be here in the future [Millennium])
The Seven Dispensationals of time:
1. Innocence - From the creation of Adam to his sin and fall.
2. Conscience - After the Fall to the Great Flood.
3. Government - After the flood (death penalty instituted) up to Abraham.
4. Promise - From Abraham to the giving of the Law through Moses.
5. Law - From Moses to Christ Jesus. (Note: The Tribulation is the final 7 years of the Age of Law. The parenthetical Age of Grace separates the Tribulation from the rest of the Age of Law. [see Daniel 9:24-27 for details])
6. Grace - From Christ's first coming to His Millennial Kingdom.
7. Millennial Kingdom - From the return of Christ till the final rebellion.rebellion.
Dispensational Chart
Dispensational Misunderstood
FULFILLED PROPHECY
Under Construction. Scroll down.
THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Under Construction.
MODERN DAY SIGNS OF THE END
Under Construction.
LAST THINGS
The end time signs of the Tribulation are upon us, so the Rapture in at most only a few years away. After the Rapture of ALL the saved of this Age of Grace will come the seven year Tribulation, a time of trouble unlike any the world has ever seen before. Not long after the Rapture the Antichrist "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week [seven years]" (Daniel 9:27). This confirmation of the covenant rather than the Rapture marks the beginning of the Tribulation.