/David,
I wish I knew prophecy , I would hope The Lord would reveal that to me.
But He has not , as of yet.
I sure would desire this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
He has only revealed / taught me, ‘the Way /path of Life’,..
....maybe I need to pray more for that,.. as I know it says in Revelations,..
Rev.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.”/
Hi there. I'm not trying to be overbearing here or think more highly of myself than I should or push something on you. But I might offer a few thoughts to you regarding eschatology and prophecy and the study of it.
Because of the abuses of eschatology that have occurred many have just given up on it and I consider that to be unfortunate. It is significant that over 150 chapters in Scripture describe the unique dynamics of the hour when Jesus comes and 89 chapters do so in the gospel accounts. Hardly a secondary or irrelevant subject! The gospel is not only about what Jesus has done but what He will do.
Along these lines, the best advice I ever received about eschatology was to find out WHAT the day of the Lord is and WHEN it occurs. All things revolve around this all important day of the Lord. The day of the Lord was the hub around which all Old Testament eschatology revolved and formed the backdrop against which all New Testament eschatology was proclaimed. Speaking in eschatological terms, in the view of the prophets and Jesus all roads lead to the day of the Lord. The gospel revealed the mystery that counter to popular expectations the day of the Lord would now be the second coming of Israel's Messiah and not the first coming. The Jewish view was that after a short but fierce time of unparalleled trouble (Daniel 12:1; Matt 24:21) the day of the Lord would come when the Lord made a final purge of the wicked and the Messiah to come delivered Israel from its final enemies and resurrected the righteous dead. That was to be when the Messiah came. Now we know it will be the time when He comes the second time. It's known as the day of His appearing, the day of His revealing and even by the name "day of the Lord" (I Thess 5:1-4; II Thess 1:10; II Thess 2:3; II Timothy 4:8 etc.). Armageddon takes place at the great day of God Almighty (Rev 16:14) which is the day of the Lord. Finding out WHAT this day is and WHEN it occurs can be of immense value as a basic building block in the investigation of eschatology. In regards to the when of the rapture, the question automatically solves itself by the timing of the day of the Lord.
It has to be pursued as any other field of biblical study. It won't just be revealed but must be sought after. The messenger told Daniel, "From the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard." Eschatology is a matter of humbling one's self and setting one's heart to understand. If Paul said we are not in the dark regarding the day of the Lord and it won't come upon us as a thief like it will the rest of the world then how can that not mean that we have obtained at least a measure of understanding by setting our hearts to inquire so as to understand. In the midst of describing tumultuous events of the end Daniel makes the startling statement, "And those of the people who understand shall instruct many."
Personally, once I got some foundational bearings, and counter to much that is wrongfully taught about eschatology, I found it to not be as near a non understandable riddle as it is often portrayed.
I sure didn't mean to go on for so long and hope I haven't annoyed you. But if you have the gumption and motivation start with WHAT is the day of the Lord and WHEN does it occur. None of this takes away from the importance of our daily walk and communion with the Lord. It's not going out in left field and embracing sensational theories of the end etc. It's rather humbly setting one's heart to seek and understand.
Blessings.