INTRODUCTION TO PROPHECY
PART TWO
Why do so many people argue over
prophecy?
1. The bible can be pretty vague at times.
2. Some people have their own agenda.
3. Some let world events interpret the bible
4. Personality biases – optimist-pessimist
5. Prophecy requires the most extensive study
6. There are different approaches in
interpretation.
Important Point
It’s ok to disagree over prophecy.
Never fight over it.!!!
FOUR PRIMARY VIEWS OF
REVELATION
IDEALIST
The Idealist believes simply that Revelation does not
refer to any historical or future event at all; rather it is a
timeless allegory of the conflict between good and evil.
It is a description of the spiritual principles of God
that equip one for spiritual battles, which constantly
confront the Church. (This a small minority view)
PRETERIST
Two kinds: Partial and full Preterist
Fulfilled by 200 ad
Year 2003
The Preterist view derives its name from the
Latin word praeter meaning "past". The full
preterist relates all of Revelation to the events in
the first century, with Rome and its early emperors.
The partial preterist does the same thing but allows
the very end of revelation to be future. (This view is
gaining great popularity today)
HISTORICIST
Revelation is a panorama of world events leading to
the return of Christ
2003
100 ad
The Historicist view of Revelation
attempts to map the events described in the
book to historical events, providing a
panorama of the history of the Church from
the days of John to the end of time.
(This view is popular to the Roman Catholic
Church and many Amillennialists)
FUTURIST
100ad –2003ad
Futurists interpret Revelation as events
yet to come because none of the prophecies of
Revelation have been literally fulfilled. (This
view is popular among evangelicals, but is
losing ground due to sensationalism, and the
entering of a new millennium.)
I hold to the “Futurist” view.
Therefore I will be teaching
the futurist model.
Remember, what you believe about
prophecy doesn’t save you. However, within the
futurist interpretation of prophecy there are
important essentials that must be addressed:
1. The tribulation period 2. The Millennium
3. The New Jerusalem 4. The New earth
5. The Lake of Fire
PREGUNTA
If prophecy isn’t essential, why
study it?
1. Prophecy makes up one fourth of the bible
2. Prophecy exalts God Is. 41:26
3. Prophecy proves the authority of scripture
4. Prophecy explains the meaning of history
5. Prophecy study guards us from cultism
6. Prophecy motivates us to godliness
7. Prophecy reveals the plans, purposes, the
holy character and power of God
8. It ties our hope to the person of Christ.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO
INTERPRET PROPHECY?
There are two primary methods:
The literal approach
It grounds interpretation in fact. (History,
grammar, geography, archaeology, culture, etc.)
The “Then and There” are made distinct from
the “Now and Here”
It protects the church from rogue eisegesis
Fulfilled prophecy was fulfilled literally
2. The allegorical or spiritualizing method
The bible does have allegory
It did not begin until the fourth century
It was the predominant hermeneutics
until after the reformation
It tries to harmonize the scriptures to
history,and early teachings and
traditions of the early church.
(1 Ki 2:19 KJV) Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon,
to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet
her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne,
and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat
on his right hand. (Mary reigning with Christ)
PREGUNTAS
What do you think would be
some of the pros and cons of the
“Literal Method” of interpretation?
What do you think would be
some of the pros and cons of the
“Allegorical Method of
interpretation”?
WHAT WE DON’T WANT TO DO!
Put God in a Box
No man has a perfect handle on
prophecy. Every point of view has its
complications, but God is bigger than any
system in which we place Him!!!
These two schools of interpretation have produced
the following end-time views:
PRE-MILLENIALISM
A literal approach to scripture
First Coming
Second Coming
of Christ
Of Christ
Church age Tribulation
2000 years
7 years
31/2
31/2
Millennium
Eternity
1000 years
New Earth
Central tenet – Literal 1000 year reign of
Christ on the earth. This model was the primary
position of the church for the first three centuries.
Some Important Doctrines contained
in Pre-millennialism
Daniel’s 70th week
The 1000 year reign of Christ on
earth
The rise of Anti-Christ
The salvation and restoration of Israel
The world-wide apostacy
The mark of the beast “666”
The whore of Babylon
The 144,000
The rapture of the church
WHERE IS THE RAPTURE IN
THE BIBLE?
THE WORD “RAPTURE” ISN’T FOUND
IN THE BIBLE
The bible word for rapture is “caught up” which is
found in I Thess. 4: 16.
harpazo - Gr. har-pad'-zo “to catch up , to take
by force , to catch away , to pluck , to seize, to carry
off by force catch, to seize on, to claim for one's self
eagerly, to snatch out or away
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:
COME UP
HERE!
and the dead in Christ shall rise first
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air…I Thess 4:16,17
THE PRIMARY VIEWS
OF THE RAPTURE
PRE –TRIBULATION RAPTURE
MID-TRIBULAT ION RAPTURE
PRE-WRATH TRIBULATION RAPTURE
POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Christ comes for
His Bride
3 1/2
Church age
Christ returns to
the earth
3 1/2
1000
Tribulation Period
Daniels 70th Week
This pre-millennial model of the rapture
began in the mid 1800’s.
MID-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Christ comes
for His Bride
3 1/2
Christ returns
to the earth
3 1/2
1000
Tribulation Period
Daniels 70th Week
Mid-trib model developed in later 1800’s
PRE-WRATH RAPTURE
This is the most recent
model of
“Post Tribulation
Rapture”.
Christ
Returns
Church
removed
30
days
3 ½ years
3 ½ years
The Tribulation Period
POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
Christ comes for
His Bride
Christ returns
to the earth
3 1/2
3 1/2
1000
Tribulation Period
Daniels 70th Week
Post-trib is the oldest of models going
back to the early church
A-MILLENNIALISM
An Allegorical Approach to Prophecy
Central tenet – There will be no 1000 year
reign of Christ on the earth
First Coming
of Christ
Second Coming
of Christ
Church
Spiritual Kingdom
Eternity
This model was developed in the fourth
century by Augustine. It is used mostly by
“Covenant Theology” groups and Roman
Catholics.
POST-MILLENNIALISM
An allegorical approach to scripture
Central tenet – The church will build the
kingdom of God on the earth
First coming
of Christ
Church
Second coming
of Christ
Millennium
Eternity
The primary holders to this view are,
Calvinist re-constructionist, Dominionist, Latter
Day Rain movement
Some people get bored with this stuff.
They call themselves Pan-tribulationists
and Pan-Millennialists
It all will “Pan Out”.
Pregunta
Is this a healthy approach or a lazy approach?
RECUERDE!!!
Regardless if you are Pre-trib, Mid-trib,
Prewrath-trib, Post-trib, Pan-trib, Pre-mill,
A-mill,- Post-mill, or Pan-mill;
JESUS IS RETURNING!!!
He commanded us to “WATCH, BE READY,
TO PRAY, AND TO BE WISE”
Don’t be caught dead without Jesus, and don’t be
caught sleeping when you should be alert
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he
that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he
walk naked , and they see his shame.
Rev. 16:15
This should prompt us to:
1. Want to know more.
2. To watch and pray
3. To please God
4. To encourage others
LET’S WRAP IT ALL UP
*There has always been disagreement in the
church concerning prophecy
*God’s plan is centered on Christ’s return
*Fulfilled prophecy demonstrates credibility
of scripture and gives us confidence for the
unfulfilled
*Godly men can interpret prophecy
differently
*No study of prophecy is good if it doesn’t
encourage us to “watch, pray, and be wise”.