Bible prophecy

Hi everyone...I've been interested lately in biblical prophecy and I've been trying to do research on it from dependable sources...does anyone know a good place to look into for it? I have come across someone named Doug Batchelor and his programs called Amazing Facts...does anyone know him? Is he legit? Any help on this topic would be appreciated...I guess I feel maybe the whole concept of prophecy will kill my doubts and skeptical thoughts once and for all

Check out "The Mystery of Israel" by Reggie Kelly, at: http://the.mysteryofisrael.org/

Also check out "The Olivet Discourse" by Eli Brayley, at: http://www.olivetdiscourse.com/

The ministry of the late Art Katz is also significant: http://www.artkatzministries.org/

If you want some good books, check out the writings of David Baron, Adolph Saphir, John Bright, Robert Mounce, and George Ladd. I don't agree with everything these guys have to say, but, they are definitely in the right school of thought. You can learn a lot from them.

Thanks for the responses guys...I need some serious help again...it's a bit off topic, but I didn't wanna clog up the board and create another thread...I know the Bible talks about giants and that they were created by the "sons of God" mating with women...does that mean God made angels with the same reproductive organs as us? I heard someone suggets that these could have been aliens...someone please shed light on this...my mind is going all over the place and it's about to explode with all this...I'm practically in tears

I have an interest in Eschatology,but I'm kinda skiddish about discussing the subject,because people can very ugly when this subject is discussed.
I've seen a ugly side of people when this subject is discussed,and I've Christian people of various sides of the prophecy schools of thought get pretty dogmatic and hateful,when having a difference of view of Eschatology than another brother or sister in The Lord.

Hey Jdl:

Doug Batchelor and Amazing Facts is a publication of the Seventh Day Adventists. It is packaged without the SDA name so that people watching it won't initially be turned off by the denominational tie. I would suggest that Amazing Facts is NOT the place to go to get solid biblical teaching on eschatology.

Just reading some of your posts, I have a question that you may answer if you like, or not if you don't wish to. Are you a fairly new Christian?

If so may I suggest that eschatology, as interesting a study as it is, is probably not the first place to focus your energies. I would focus more on the gospels, the book of Acts, then Paul's letters. It is not that there is anything wrong with studying eschatology, but there are things that will edify and build you up spiritually that might take precedence initially in your walk with Christ.

Jdl wrote:
Thanks for the responses guys...I need some serious help again...it's a bit off topic, but I didn't wanna clog up the board and create another thread...I know the Bible talks about giants and that they were created by the "sons of God" mating with women...does that mean God made angels with the same reproductive organs as us? I heard someone suggets that these could have been aliens...someone please shed light on this...my mind is going all over the place and it's about to explode with all this...I'm practically in tears

I have been a born-again Christian for 24 years, and although I have read the whole bible including that particular passage many times now, it has never bothered me. It is merely an account of early events that has little bearing, if any, in our spiritual lives. Nevertheless, we must accept it as absolute truth since it is part of the inerrant word of God. I fail to understand why this should upset you or bring you to tears, unless you are trying to believe by sight and not by faith.

It is by faith and only by faith that we see. We can never understand our infinite God and his infinite ways with our finite minds. Where Scripture is concerned, we must seek to trust and obey rather than to understand. Our belief is by faith, and not by sight or intellect.

[i]Pr 3:5-6 "[b]Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight[/b]."[/i]

I'm not dogmatic about this,but I do lean towards the view of kingdom Eschatology.
This site would be of interest,for anyone interested in checking out that viewpoint.

http://mikeblume.com/prophecy.htm

Bible prophecy is important to understand, and an understanding of the Scriptures that is devoid of a knowledge of the things pertaining to God's overall plan for history and the things yet to come is an understanding that is not acceptable for the life of a believer. However with that said, I believe our understanding of prophecy can be likened unto the tying of a shoe. First you must lace the shoe before you actually make the bow needed to securely tie it. For those who are young in the Lord, you should work on properly lacing your shoes together first, and getting a firm grasp of the rest of Scriptures before you try to tackle an in-depth knowledge of these areas.

There is a great need for balance. The first year or two I was a Christian, I devoted myself to reading endless material on things about the last days. Then God got a hold of me and showed me I needed to understand a lot of other things first. Only in the last three years have I truly come to start grasping a lot of things about the end times. Never neglect to study things about the last days, as is the error of some who see it as pointless. If you study closely the writings of the apostle Paul, you will see that his understanding of the last days was ultimately the thread that linked all his other theology together. It was very important to him. But, it was not the central thrust of his message.

To me the main thing is to be ready to face The Lord,however things play out,God has the final say,and if we aren't prepared to face a just God in judgement,then I don't care how much we think we know,we will be cast out from the presence of God for all eternity.

Often times when we study a biblical subject we often find that we might have overlooked something,rexaiming one's core beliefs can be helpful,as the Holy Ghost can reveal to us,where we might have been in error in a subject.

Studying eschatology is much more than just studying the events described in Daniel, Zechariah, or Revelation. It's about understanding what God is doing in all of redemptive history. Everything from eternity past, to the present, to the future. Whatever one's theological persuasion is concerning the last days (I ascribe to the views held by preachers like Art Katz), one does need to properly understand what is happening. Eschatology rightly understood is very practical, though some, get caught up in crazy arguments about nothing practical. You'll never understand books like Ephesians unless you understand Paul's view of what God's redemptive plan for is in relation to the church. It's amazing how much time is spent studying Daniel and his cryptic references, yet very little time is given to chewing through the very dense writings of Paul in Ephesians in regard to what God has done, is doing, and will do.

Hi everyone...thanks for the replies, they have been helpful...I guess I'm still having trouble with reconciling striving and trusting/resting...For a while there I used to think that I couldn't do ANYTHING except seek after God for my salvation...in fact, a few months ago I feared even going to get a haircut or baseball game with my father because I thought God would strike me down and tell me "You should have used that time to seek me and find me"...I think that type of thinking somehow caused seeds of doubt to be planted about God...I guess now I'm confused about how to live my life...I feel that anytime I'm not on my knees in prayer seeking salvation or reading the Bible or reading apologetics to get a firm grip on faith in God, then it is time being wasted...how do I reconcile seeking and striving with actually just the nuances and pleasures of living (spending time with family, friends, etc...i think maybe i have a distorted image of God perhaps

Jdl, I am so glad you have a heart that desires to seek after God. But, I think you may be suffering from a distorted view of what salvation and relationship with God is all about. It is definitely NOT about you working your way into God’s good graces or favor by what you have referred to as striving. It is also not about trusting/resting as you refer to it. Both of the things you are referring to seem to be things that you are doing in your own power. It seems almost as if you are trying to “figure out how God works” on some kind of academic level and then conform to that pattern. As a result you seem to be bouncing back and forth between two ditches, never finding the road. Salvation and the Christian life is not about what you can do at all.

You made an interesting statement. “I feel that anytime I’m not on my knees in prayer seeking salvation…then it is time wasted.” And, “…except seek God for my salvation…You should have used that time to seek me and find me.”

God desires relationship with you, fellowship, communion. He desires to know you intimately and be known by you. The problem is that you were born into sin, and your spirit was dead in trespasses and sins, dead to God. Fellowship with God was impossible because of sin. That is why Christ died and then rose again victorious. He bore the weight of sin on the cross. He opened the way so that we can enter into relationship with God through Christ. When we are born again, the forgiveness, the atonement is applied to us, appropriated by simply putting faith in the grace of God toward us. It is a free gift, meaning that we cannot do anything to earn it. Now, we need to understand that this does not mean that we do nothing for it, it means that we cannot earn it. We have to turn from our sin and receive Christ as our savior. We have to surrender our lives to Him. But salvation is unmerited. We cannot get salvation by any merit of our own. Jesus said that if any man come after me let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. God, through the Holy Spirit, convicts us of our sinful state and we become aware that we need a savior. We respond to this call of the Holy Spirit, surrender our lives to Him, and receive His gift of salvation. I truly believe that we can have the assurance of God in our hearts that we are His Sons, that we have been born again. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit.

After this, we will begin to grow. God, in His grace and mercy, will begin to lovingly correct us with His Word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He will never condemn us. What you have been experiencing is condemnation, and is not a ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life. It is the enemy. The Holy Spirit will always draw you to the Lord, even when you have sinned and God is correcting that area of your life. It will always draw you to Him in true repentance and love for Him, not out of fear of some kind of punishment.

Brother, you need good discipleship. I want to encourage you to find a good church fellowship in your area. Find a place where there are mature saints who are in love with Jesus and who have a heart to win the lost and disciple and bring to maturity young Christians. Don’t go to just any church that has religious observances, songs, and sermons, but find a fellowship where the body of Christ is functioning in a way that causes people to grow in zeal for God, grow in maturity, grow in the Word, and become powerful men and women of God. Find someone there that can spend some time helping you get established in your walk with God. I think this is an important step for you.

Hope this helps a little bit. God bless you Jdl.

WHAT PROPHECIES DO NOT PROVE:...

- That all events are foreknown as certain

Jesse, you need to take your heretical and damnable views of God elsewhere. Open theism is nothing short of blasphemy and is in direct contradiction to the whole counsel of God. Stop trying to deceive people on matters in which you understand nothing about, especially young Christians!

Isaiah 46:9
"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,

[b]46:10
[u]Declaring the end from the beginning[/u], And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ' My purpose will be established, And [u]I will accomplish all My good pleasure'[/u]; [/b]

46:11
Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. [u]Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.[/u]

46:12
" [u]Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded, Who are far from righteousness. [/u] [b](i.e. Jesse Morrell)[/b]

46:13
"I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay. And [u]I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel. [/u]

Hi everyone...thank you all for the replies...I guess I'll explain myself a bit further so everyone can understand where I am...I grew up in the faith, always acknowledging God but never really living it out...about four months ago, due to some circumstances (a girl), I needed to examine myself to make sure I truly was a believer...since then I have been on a downward spiral into despair...what started off as me begging God for my salvation or assurance of it actually become me wondering if God is really even there...for the first time in my life I gazed at the stars, at my body, at this world, and asked the age old cliche questions "what am I doing here? what is all this?"
Ive been in tears a couple times at the idea that we as humans might have no eternal significance and are just randomly generated globs of flesh...thus I set out into apologetics to bolster what I grew up with and to provide a solid foundation for the Christian faith once and for all...and it completely backfired...it opened up my mind to so many different objections that I was hardly ever aware of...my mind is way too weak to have been poisoned like that...Leo, that's why I fell into tears about the whole alien thing...they were more tears of frustration because I just want the truth of Jesus to set me free and here I have all this stuff floating around in my head that I can't shake out of...I'm trying to be fully persuaded of Jesus in my intellect so that I can transfer it to my heart, but it just isn't working...Don't laugh guys, but sometimes I feel I'm even on the verge of insanity...
That's why I've been interested in prophecy...not necessarily end times prophecy, but the prophecy that has already come to pass...I guess if there's anything that can help someone believe, it just HAS to be prophecy...I mean, nothing else can explain how people are able to predict future events unless it was "thus says the Lord."
I guess with all this I'm waiting for some sort of inner light switch that will tell me "YES! NOW I am fully persuaded that this is indeed true"...I feel like until that moment comes, I have no right to live like a Christian and like there's a God who will guide me and love me...otherwise I don't think God will accept my heart if I can't get at him in my head...I'm completely lost and miserable...absolutely miserable...I NEED Jesus to be real...I have never been so drenched in sin as I have been before...so yeah, that's pretty much it in a nutshell...

But your not alone Jimmy, I have heard others give similar reasoning to opt out in finding that verse.

It's not so much as "opting out" or shruging such a thing off, rather, there are simply some areas when it comes to handling the Scriptures that I am more confident in my understanding. Daniel 9 and other such chapters isn't such an area, and as much as I have studied it, it's not something I'm willing to say one way or another on.

I'm definitely pre-millennial and post-tribulational in my theology. That much I am very certain on, and have been for some time. However, I'm definitely not a dispensationalist, and don't much care for the Scofield Refrence Bible, Jack Van Impee, Hal Lindsey, or any other popular name when it comes to these things. Those guys are theological light weights and pop-theologians at best. They sell plenty of books and get on TV, but their understanding of the word of God is horrible, not to mention their willingness to change their theology for the latest technological or political advance.

Like I previously said, I'm much more in debt to folks like Art Katz, Reggie Kelly, David Baron, Adolph Saphir, William Mounce, John Bright, and George Ladd in my understanding of prophecy. Walter Kaiser, Jr. has also been of great insight lately to me, especially in regard to his understanding of the "word of promise" in regard to theology of the covenant seed as demonstrated in the book of Genesis, and his demonstration of a strong continuity existing between testaments, which entirely destroys a dispensational understanding of the Scriptures.

I was once a reluctant pre-millennialist with a-mellennial leanings prior to chewing slowly through many of these guys and their works. Now I hold with great certainty the positions I do. I'm still growing in my understanding and study of the Scriptures, and always welcome fresh insights into these matters. I cannot explain everything, and I still have many questions to ask, and hold some positions with a sense that there is uncomfortable tension between some of the finer points of what I adhere to now. But, that's where I leave room for God :-)