The Building Blocks of Prophecy

[Truth Files]

Revelation

Revelation

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

2Peter

1:19 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:

1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

1:21 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.

The student of Bible prophecy must build line upon line, precept upon precept .... here a little, there a little .... in the process of rendering the correct meaning of the Lord’s prophetic scriptures .... at the same time one must seek the Lord’s guidance along the way with prayer and dedication to the task.

Proper motive is paramount as well .... those who abuse the prophetic scriptures by using them to promote personal gain of any kind .... drawing attention to themselves, seeking power and influence, attaching prophecy to support false doctrines, and any form of material gain .... all of this will be detected by the Lord and He will spoil the game for those who do it, and for those follow.

He has said that many would come in His name and would deceive many .... most who do this very thing today are using Bible prophecy in their false teaching designed to mislead others .... the serious student of the Bible must avoid being tempted to create pseudo-christian follies for the purpose of deceiving others. [Matthew 24:4-5]

Here is the setting that I recommend for the trained and gifted interpreter of the Lord’s prophetic word .... Jesus Christ is the Spirit of all prophecy:

1.Always seek the Lord’s guidance through prayer and meditation.

2.Do so with no other motive than to understand and to convey your discoveries.

3.Know that He will lead you into much knowledge and discernment upon the asking.

4.Realize that it will take the time of His choosing .... there are no short cuts.

5.Do not be overly influenced by any others, but strive to test all teaching against the backdrop of the prophetic scriptures.

6.Read the book of Revelation first and become very familiar with the content even though you will not understand everything at first .... then add the details of the other prophetic scriptures each in turn.

7.Learn that Revelation is the direct word of the Lord Himself and that the literary structure is one of repetition as the narrative moves forward. [Revelation 1:1-3]

8.Discover the building blocks of prophecy realizing that there is no other reliable source apart from the scriptures of the Bible prophets and the Lord's direct inspiration.

9.Be willing to adjust your view as you learn and if you discover contradiction or incongruency in your view you must return to the drawing board knowing that the visions are without error and totally compatible with each other.

Here are a few of some very significant precepts well worth discovering:

1.Understand that there is a breach in the time line of the visions between the Lord’s first and second advents. [Daniel 9]

2.Know that national Israel is a theme that runs throughout the scriptures from the nation’s beginning and its future .... seek to understand His continued purposes for Israel apart from all other nations.

3.Do not mix Israel and the church .... replacement theologies are flawed and can be very deceptive.

4.An overview of all of the visions of the Bible prophets taken together will reveal that there is an unrecorded period of human history .... and there are no prophetic events of the period included within the scope of the visions.

This truth must be understood first and foremost if one is to grasp the correct rendering of the prophetic scriptures and to avoid much confusion that has been caused by those who have attempted to interpret them in the past and at present.

If this precept is not recognized and applied it will result in a number of off coarse views that have notable flaws .... and this is one of the significant reasons why there are so many divergent presentations .... which have led to the fabrication of dogmas used by false prophets and false teachers for the purpose of deceiving and misleading the followers of their associated movements.

The extended problem is one of causing division, argumentation, and even the loss of one’s salvation in the process .... misconstrued interpretation of scriptural truth on a number of critical issues is the game of the devil’s meddling.

This time lapse breach in the visions can be found and identified in all of the prophetic visions related to projections of the future .... between those fulfilled, and those still pending.

The time frame of this blind spot lies between the end of the last century B.C. concerning human rule on the earth and the Lord’s coming intervention which is still on hold at this time.

It also can be discovered between the end of the Lord’s first advent at the beginning of the first century AD [about 33 A.D.] and His coming wrath and judgment upon an unbelieving world which is still pending .... the beginning of the day of the Lord.

This same breach lies between the end of the 69th week decreed for national Israel and the beginning of the 70th .... the time of Jacob’s [israel's] trouble.

None of the unfulfilled portion of the projections of the Bible prophets has begun, yet there have been numerous attempts to fill the gap of the last 2000 years with recorded biblical events scheduled for the end of this present age.

Many movements of various christian persuasions have built faulty doctrines upon the methodology of inserting various historical events of the past 2000 years into the breach.

The practice of doing this has opened up prophetic interpretation to many extra-biblical ideas and speculations that have strayed far from the actual context of the visions.

I would suggest to all serious students of the prophetic word to re-visit all of the visions with this in mind and without pre-conceptions.

5.Know that the Lord intends to immortalize today’s church of both those asleep [the dead in Christ] and those living at the time just before He brings His coming judgment against an unbelieving and intransigent world .... He will deal with the balance of Israel and the nations during the coming tribulation period. [1Corinthians 15:22-58; 1Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-4; 2Thessalonians 2:1; Matthew 24:1-13]

Some will turn and believe during this coming time of great upheaval on the earth, but most will not, and these will be killed and lost forever .... most of those who do turn during the period will be martyred for their faith. [Revelation 9:20; 6:9-11; 14:13; 15:2-3; 20:4(those beheaded)]

There has been a recent onslaught against the truth of the Lord's intent to immortalize today's church just before He brings His hour [time] of trial and judgment upon an unbelieving world .... this is false teaching and it is being suggested by satan himself who hates the idea of human immortality and he wants to draw humans into the confusion and vexation of the coming tribulation period. [2Timothy 3:1-17; 4:1-4; 2Peter 2:1-22; 3:1-10]

He will be thrown to the earth and barred from heaven during the period in which he will openly seek to destroy humans in one way or another and many will be his victims who will be killed in unbelief and lost forever [Revelation 12:7-9; 12:12]

6.Be wary [make certain that you check them out] of those who teach preterism, pre-wrath, and post tribulational views with attached false doctrines in various forms .... examples of organized movements are the RCC, Christadelphian, Historical SDA, Mormon, JW, Worldwide Church of God, Serpent Seed, liberal reformation protestant denominations, Word Faith movements, MSOG "latter rain" heresies, Toronto Blessings, Kansas City Prophets, Brownsville Revival, The Vineyard movements, Preterism, Conspiracy Theorists, prosperity gospels, and psycho-methodologies.

Examples of individuals include the popes and clergy of the RCC, John Thomas, Ellen G. White, Joseph Smith, Charles Russell, Herbert W. Armstrong, Kenneth Gentry, David McPherson, Marvin Rosenthal, Robert Van Campen, Arnold Murray, Oral Roberts, William Branhan, George Warnock, John Wimber, Peter Wagner, Paul Cain, Rick Joyner, David Eells, Todd Bentley, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, James Russell, John L. Bray, Gary Demar, R.C. Sproul, Hank Hanegraaff, Alex Jones, Glenn Beck, James Loyd, Joyce Meyer, Bill Hybles, and Rick Warren.

[Not all individuals who may be associated with these movements are necessarily unsaved, but there are pit falls to be aware of in all of them which may have an adverse effect upon one's salvation]

7.Know that the Lord intends to eliminate all human self government during His coming time of trial and testing .... He will then rule a mortal kingdom on the earth for 1000 years from Jerusalem. [Jeremiah 30:11; Micah 4; Zechariah 12:9; 14:7-11; 14:16-17; Revelation 20:1-3]

8.He will gather all of the surviving mortals of the tribulation at the end of it and separate those that believe from those that do not .... the believing mortals will enter and populate His millennial kingdom on the earth .... the others will be rejected. [Matthew 24:29-31; 25:31-46]

9.The immortal church and those believers added who are martyred during the tribulation period will rule with Him during His millennial kingdom on the earth .... and for eternity. [Revelation 5:8-10; 20:4]

10.All of the spirits of the unbelieving human dead from the beginning of creation will be gathered at the end of His coming millennial kingdom on the earth and burned in His lake of fire. [Revelation 20:11-15]

11.He will then create new heavens and a new earth for those who follow and believe which will last for eternity. [Revelation 21]

Bible prophecy is the very essence of the proof that the Bible is what it claims to be .... the word of the living God and the testimony of Jesus Christ who is both God and human. [John 1:1-14; Revelation 1:1-18; 22:12-21]

Those who are truly called to seek, understand, and convey these things to others carry the gift of prophecy by being able to present it in truth and without error .... but only that which is contained within content of the prophetic scriptures .... nothing is to be added or taken away .... the Bible is complete and finished .... only the Lord and His Bible prophets are the accepted originators. [Revelation 22:18-19]

One must study thy self approved for this mission .... there is no “magic” in the process .... a very unique and disciplined mission that the Lord directs and expects of those by His choosing. [2Timothy 2:15-26]

The believer in Jesus Christ is blessed indeed beyond measure and possesses His promise and hope of a future perfected magnificent eternal immortality. [1Corinthians 15:22-58]

[cheddar]

There are two very important rules for understanding the book of Daniel

The first rule is found in Dan. 12:4

Quote:

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.

This clearly says that all the visions and prophecies will not be understood until the last days.

If we try to apply the 70 weeks to the Jewish age, even though it may appear to fit, it doesn't belong there. Adventists try to say that the 70 weeks ended with the stoning of Stephen - this is ridiculous. If there ever was a probationary period granted to the Jews it would have ended at the cross or at the destruction of Jerusalem, not the stoning of Stephen.

The 2nd rule is that we need to take the day for a year principle and throw it out the window - it's not scriptural.

Quote:

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: Rev. 22:18

This was said about Revelation but it applies to Daniel as well - The DFAY principle is something that is added to the scriptures that completely changes the meaning.

-when the bible says days, it means days

-when the bible says weeks, it means weeks

-when the bible says years, it means years

I'm not even college edgumacated and I can figure that one out.

[ClubV12]

Doesn't take a college education to understand the bible, or the day/year principle. People have been applying that principle to Daniels prophecy for centuries. LONG before Adventists were even heard of.

This is well known prophetic principle, been around a long time, suddenly someone shows up and says they "got new light" on it? I don't think so....

You don't even have to be religious to "work the math" on the 2,300 day/year prophecy. The numbers fit, all through history, you can do that math with a pencil, no calculator required. I know, I've done it myself. The logic and reasoning is hard to refute.

AD 34 and the death of Stephen, fits like a glove!

[phkrause]

Doesn't take a college education to understand the bible, or the day/year principle. People have been applying that principle to Daniels prophecy for centuries. LONG before Adventists were even heard of.

This is well known prophetic principle, been around a long time, suddenly someone shows up and says they "got new light" on it? I don't think so....

You don't even have to be religious to "work the math" on the 2,300 day/year prophecy. The numbers fit, all through history, you can do that math with a pencil, no calculator required. I know, I've done it myself. The logic and reasoning is hard to refute.

AD 34 and the death of Stephen, fits like a glove!

Absolutely Club.

[cheddar]

Doesn't take a college education to understand the bible, or the day/year principle. People have been applying that principle to Daniels prophecy for centuries. LONG before Adventists were even heard of.

This is well known prophetic principle, been around a long time, suddenly someone shows up and says they "got new light" on it? I don't think so....

You don't even have to be religious to "work the math" on the 2,300 day/year prophecy. The numbers fit, all through history, you can do that math with a pencil, no calculator required. I know, I've done it myself. The logic and reasoning is hard to refute.

AD 34 and the death of Stephen, fits like a glove!

Only if you put your faith in a woman instead of the word of God!

No Catholic ever worshipped Mary as much as Adventists worship Ellen White.

[ClubV12]

There is no need for Ellen White on this one! William Miller showed HER, not vice versa! Hiram Edson before Ellen White. She was rather far down the list of those who figured it out first.

[Truth Files]

"This clearly says that all the visions and prophecies will not be understood until the last days."

I agree with you post cheddar ["days are days" .... not years], and would only make the following modification to consider:

It is the events described by the words that have been delayed until the time appointed .... the 70th week decreed for his people which is still pending today

Daniel was given detailed explanations for all of the things revealed to him .... every time

He was told that his people would be overcome by the little horn, king of the north, [Daniel 12:7], but also told that he and his people would be preserved [Daniel 9:24-27]

..... this is what he did not understand

Daniel did not have the full scope of the finished scriptures to rely upon and neither did he have the hindsight that we can have today, but one who has a comprehensive and correct understanding of all that has been revealed ..... can understand

This has been possible for a long time

[cheddar]

"This clearly says that all the visions and prophecies will not be understood until the last days."

I agree with you post cheddar ["days are days" .... not years], and would only make the following modification to consider:

It is the events described by the words that have been delayed until the time appointed .... the 70th week decreed for his people which is still pending today

Daniel was given detailed explanations for all of the things revealed to him .... every time

He was told that his people would be overcome by the little horn, king of the north, [Daniel 12:7], but also told that he and his people would be preserved [Daniel 9:24-27]

..... this is what he did not understand

Daniel did not have the full scope of the finished scriptures to rely upon and neither did he have the hindsight that we can have today, but one who has a comprehensive and correct understanding of all that has been revealed ..... can understand

This has been possible for a long time

I have been reading most of your posts and it seemed pretty obvious that you were using the DFAY principle in some way.

So you see the first 69 weeks as literal (that would only be about a year and a half from the commandment to restore Jerusalem)

And the 70th week as literal (I'm pretty sure that the last days will be longer than a week)

You said that the 70th week is 2,520 days! A literal week is 7 days.

[Truth Files]

"I have been reading most of your posts and it seemed pretty obvious that you were using the DFAY principle in some way."

>Read closer .... the prophetic scriptures do not support the idea of 1 day = to 1 year ..... and I do not use this relationship at all

So you see the first 69 weeks as literal (that would only be about a year and a half from the commandment to restore Jerusalem)

>No, a week of years is = to 7 years [Jewish heptad] .... look it up in a concordance .... 7 heptads x 69 = 483

And the 70th week as literal (I'm pretty sure that the last days will be longer than a week)

>again .... thee are 7 years in 1 week of years and there is 1 week to finish .... the 70th

You said that the 70th week is 2,520 days! A literal week is 7 days.

>The 70th week is a 7 year period of time lapes .... one Jewish heptad [1 week of years] = 7 years .... just as 1 week of days is 7 days

>The 70th week is a 7 year period of time consisting of 2520 days [7 years times 360 days = 2520 days [1 prophetic year = 360 days]

Still confused? ..... I will help you understand this if you want to know further

70 weeks [heptads] of years = 490 years .... 69 weeks of years = 483 years

[Musicman1228]

If rules for interpreting prophecy get too complex then not only will not one read them, they won't understand them, which means they won't use them.

Here are just 7 simple rules that I have found EXTREMELY valuable in my own study of end time prophecy. I have posted them (and linked them) before on this forum and I will do so again now. Try them as see if they don't work for you.

1.All prophecy has a beginning and ending point in time. Elements within a prophecy are consecutive and occur in chronological order.

2.In order for a prophetic fulfillment to occur, ALL elements of the prophecy must occur as stated within the prophecy. (This precludes partial or multiple fulfillments, or types of fulfillments.)

3.The interpretation for a symbol will be given within the prophecy. If no interpretation is given, then the symbol is to be taken literally. A symbol is NEVER used as another symbol.

4.Timing within the restoration calendar (Jubilee) is given in days/years. One day equals one year. Timing after the expiration of the "restoration calendar" is literal.

5.Time Elements - A year is one rotation of the earth around the sun, calculated as beginning at the Spring Equinox. The half year occurs on the Fall Equinox. Months are calculated from the lunar cycle and begin on the New Moon and end the day before the next new moon. Weeks begin on the first day of the week (Sunday) and end on the seventh day of the week (Sabbath). A Day is the rotation of the earth around its axis in 24 hours.

6.Time Specific Prophecy - Certain prophecies or elements of prophecy have a specific time for their understanding. These prophecies can be read anytime, but the understanding of the interpretation of these prophecies is sealed up until a specific time has been reached. Before these prophecies are unsealed (understood at the specific time) it is IMPOSSIBLE for them to be understood and/or accurately interpreted.

7.Only the Wise will understand - both the time when the prophecy is unsealed and the accurate interpretation of the prophecy when it is unsealed. (See Dan. 12: 9-10)

[Stan]

Only if you put your faith in a woman instead of the word of God!

No Catholic ever worshipped Mary as much as Adventists worship Ellen White.

That is such a gross overstatement.

[cheddar]

I made this statement to counteract the many posts where Ellen White's writings are held over the Bible.

Prophecy is one of those places where she endorsed many of the old historical applications that have no basis in fact.

She herself said that when those books (Dan. and Rev.) are better understood there would be a revival among us - meaning that she didn't have it all figured out in her day.

[John317]

No Catholic ever worshipped Mary as much as Adventists worship Ellen White.

Speaking as someone who knows Catholics and CAtholic practices, I gotta tell ya that you're statement here is not true.

No SDA prays daily to Ellen White, as millions of Catholics do to Mary. SDAs realize that she was a sinner in need of Christ, and she was the first to confess it.

Our belief in Ellen White as a prophet of God has nothing to do with worshipping the person. Our belief has everything to do with the fact that she was a genuine prophet of God. We don't worship her any more than you worship the prophets or the apostles. But we do worship the God who inspired those people, and therefore we pay attention to what they wrote.

[John317]

I made this statement to counteract the many posts where Ellen White's writings are held over the Bible.

Can you show one post on the Forum where Ellen White's writings are held over the Bible? If you can, please show it.

[John317]

There are two very important rules for understanding the book of Daniel

The first rule is found in Dan. 12:4

Quote:

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.

This clearly says that all the visions and prophecies will not be understood until the last days.

Are you saying that Daniel 2 and 4 could not be understood until the last days?

Daniel 9: 24-27 was understood by some people who lived near the time of Christ.

Parts of Daniel 11 were understood a long time ago.

Notice that Daniel 12: 4 says that at least parts of Daniel's prophecies would be sealed until "the time of the end."

Question: when did that period of time begin?

[cheddar]

OK, John317 lets look at the 7 trumpets of Revelation.

The official position of Ellen White and the SDA church is that all seven trumpets were fulfilled in the past.

If we read just prior to the trumpets being sounded it says that they don’t even begin until the 144,000 are sealed and the 5th trumpet affects people who don’t have the seal of God in their foreheads.

So explain how the trumpets could be in the past and the 144,000 and the seal of God are in the future?

I remember back in the 90’s I had just become an Adventist when Larry Wilson’s books first came out. I didn’t agree with everything he said but I agreed with what he said about the trumpets.

A really good friend of mine who had been an elder in his church for over 20 years was kicked out just because he was sharing some of Larry’s ideas at church.

I guess if we can’t prove our positions from the scriptures, we’ll just kick out all the naysayers like Josiah Litch.

[Truth Files]

EGW did not understand the prophetic scriptures and this is very evident by the numerous errors made like the 144,000 and the trumpets of Revelation .... many other conflicting and contradictory dogmas of this person tell of one who had ulterior motives for her behavior

I do believe that many of those of the SDA church are very serious about their christian walk, but clinging to EGW's writings and to venerate her as a prophet of God is not a good idea

It is difficult for any leadership of an organization that has been strapped with falsehood to make doctrinal changes for fear of loosing control and influence over the membership

.... the SDA is not the only professing christian movement that has painted itself into a corner ..... and there are many of these today .... and the damage done is wide spread

I know many of the SDA and a portion that has made modifications and they have taken their understanding of the prophetic scriptures to a much more realistic level

I would suggest being open about this apparent divergence, but not to the extent of alienating members of the SDA .... the potential for assisting their escape from off course theology does exist

[Dr. Rich]

OK, John317 lets look at the 7 trumpets of Revelation.

The official position of Ellen White and the SDA church is that all seven trumpets were fulfilled in the past.

If we read just prior to the trumpets being sounded it says that they don’t even begin until the 144,000 are sealed and the 5th trumpet affects people who don’t have the seal of God in their foreheads.

So explain how the trumpets could be in the past and the 144,000 and the seal of God are in the future?

I remember back in the 90’s I had just become an Adventist when Larry Wilson’s books first came out. I didn’t agree with everything he said but I agreed with what he said about the trumpets.

A really good friend of mine who had been an elder in his church for over 20 years was kicked out just because he was sharing some of Larry’s ideas at church.

I guess if we can’t prove our positions from the scriptures, we’ll just kick out all the naysayers like Josiah Litch.

Bingo! Very good post C! Page 433 of the GC by EGW proves beyound all REASONABLE doubt that EGW did not understand end time prophecy!

Larry Wilson's book also got me to start researching the real truth. It's a shame the church treated those who actually were truth seekers to seek their truth from some other place!

How much error (yeast in the bread) does it take to get someone to see they need to start their research for truth from the beginning without any bias? Try the words of Jesus given to us by His eyewitnesses first.

[hch]

Revelation

Revelation

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

It started out so good, but as you proceeded, the good and the bad got lumped together so much so that it would take years to sort it all out.

Thank you for sharing

Henry

[Dr. Rich]

Originally Posted By: Truth Files

Revelation

Revelation

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

It started out so good, but as you proceeded, the good and the bad got lumped together so much so that it would take years to sort it all out.

Thank you for sharing

Henry

Can you please tell us what the word "servants" means in verse one? And what does "shortly come to pass" mean?

[hch]

There are two very important rules for understanding the book of Daniel

The first rule is found in Dan. 12:4

Quote:

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.

This clearly says that all the visions and prophecies will not be understood until the last days.

[Dr. Rich]

Henry, define "the word of God" please.

[hch]

EGW did not understand the prophetic scriptures and this is very evident by the numerous errors made ....

[cheddar]

The king of the North takes away the daily and places the abomination of desolation.

These two events are seperated by 1290 days - Dan. 21:11

If we apply the DFAY principle to this it would mean that this king lives longer than 1290 years! This time period is clearly literal.

Day for a year fails yet again.

[hch]

Originally Posted By: Truth Files

Revelation

Revelation

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

It started out so good, but as you proceeded, the good and the bad got lumped together so much so that it would take years to sort it all out.

Thank you for sharing

Henry