Archive for the ‘Eschatology’ Category

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Bible Prophecy: Who Can You Trust?

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

 

Why we wrote

“Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy”

There are so many ideas floating around about prophecy in these fascinating times. How does one know what is true and what is just speculation? Fourteen years ago Lambert Dolphin and I teamed up to write a thoroughly Biblical book on the subject. We called it “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done: The Prayer Offered Most Often is about to be Answered.” It was posted on the Internet, and during that time more than 340,000 people have downloaded it.  It was used by countless pastors and Bible teachers over the years and proved itself to be reliable.  In all that time there was nothing we had taught about Bible prophecy that we needed to change or retract.

We realized that the world has changed in many ways during those 14 years: including the 9/11 attacks and the war on terrorism,  the rise of Iran’s fanatical regime, and the financial meltdown of the past few years. These issues needed to be addressed. We also knew that many people would prefer to have a real book in their hands that they could mark up and return to as a trusted resource. That is why we updated the book, changed its name, and released it in two major formats: a large attractive paperback book, and an eBook for Kindle and other eReaders, tablets and smart phones.

Here is a note from co-author Lambert Dolphin:

The Bible is full of good news for all who wish to know the truth about the One, true God and the great future He has lanned for our race. Over 20% of Scripture concerns the future of mankind. But all the positive things God wants to do for us are thwarted by careless neglect of these prophetic Scriptures. Connecting the Dots has been written to help ordinary people understand the essentials of our future. Radio, television, movies, the media of every nation, the teachings of most churches and schools mislead, distort and warp the straightforward account of how our benevolent Creator will soon step back into history to bring about real peace on earth with justice for all.

We have had an excellent response so far from the readers of the book. It gives the “big picture” of prophecy and explains the major predictions about the End Times in a step-by-step way. There is also a free downloadable study guide that can be used for personal enrichment or for group study.  If you don’t have a copy of Connecting the Dots yet you may order it directly from Prophecy Central or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your Christian bookstore.

Order book from Prophecy Central

Order book from Amazon.com

Order eBook from Amazon.com

Free Download of Study Guide

Spiral-bound copy of Study Guide for $10

More information about the book

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Posted in 2012, Apologetics, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Creation, Earthquakes, Egypt, Eschatology, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Heaven, Hell, Islam, Israel, Libya, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, Missions, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Prayer, Rapture, Religions, Revival, Revived Roman Empire, Syria, Technology, Terrorism, United States of America, Wars | No Comments »

2012 Prophecy or Panic?

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

I must recommend this outstanding documentary that is now available on DVD.  It was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures, and hosted by Jeff Douglas.  He walks through the magnificent ruins of the ancient Mayan culture and thoroughly explores the phenomenon of their ancient calendar, which ends on December 21 of this year.  People are wondering…  Is the end of the world?  Or is it nothing at all?

The 87-minute professional production gives the opportunity for many experts to give their opinions about the Mayans, their culture, their astronomical achievements, and their incredibly accurate calendar.

Several of these guests are new-age philosophers.  They think there is some spiritual importance to the date, but generally acknowledge that the Mayans did not promote the idea of an apocalypse at the end of their so-called “long-count” calendar.  It is the point in the Earth’s travels where it aligns somewhat with the center of the galaxy.  To them, it is the beginning of a “new age,” but not the end of the world.

Gary Kah, a Bible scholar and an expert in the movement toward a one-world government and a united world religion, weighs in. He explains that this date could be an impetus to the combining of religions under the influence of new age thinking. He sees the possibility of demonic activity accompanying these days leading to the target date. However, he warns that the Bible’s end-time predictions do not necessarily coincide with this phenomenon.

Mark Hitchcock, a respected Bible prophecy teacher who has published books on the 2012 issue, gives a number of reasons why people should ignore most of the hype that has been building up as we approach the December 21 date.  The documentary includes many of our favorite teachers: Chuck Missler, Jack Kinsella, Donald Perkins, and more.

Add this documentary to your collection of must-have DVDs.  It will answer your questions and could be an effective tool for witnessing to non-Christians.

 

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Posted in 2012, Eschatology, Fearful Events | No Comments »

What Does It All Mean?

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

After 14 years of reporting news of prophetic importance to Bible students and teachers, we have accumulated a valuable history of headlines and their summaries. If you are looking for information about any one of over one hundred sub-topics, you may click on the “Study Topics” button, and then click on one of the categories that are listed.  Prophecy Central will take you to our latest page on that topic.

Scripture references and links are listed, along with major stories that relate to the subject. Under “Current Events” you will find the most recent story, followed by the previous one, and so on. At certain points you will be directed to an earlier page in the sequence. That way you may do helpful research on what has transpired on that topic for many years.

Each story has a brief summary of the key idea(s) in the article. That way, even if the original source disappears from the Internet, you will still have the essence of the news item.

Now we have added a new feature to many of these topic pages, and plan to continue to do the same for the rest. We now print a PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE statement at the top of our newest pages. We discovered that many people followed the link to our various pages, but were not aware of the actual significance of the topic in the big picture of Bible prophecy. Under the latest article on these pages you will find a link to this statement at the top of the page. So, if you find yourself reading a new article, and you aren’t sure why we captured it, click on that link. After you have read the summary, just click the back button to return to the article.

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Posted in Eschatology | No Comments »

Another Nice Surprise: Our Book in Amazon list for “Bible Prophecy”

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

This week I made a list of great books and DVDs about Bible Prophecy.  It’s sort of a general wish-list for prophecy enthusiasts.  Amazon.com offers a way to list these products by categories in a personalized “store.”  So I put together our own Prophecy Central Amazon Store.  It turned out great.  I hope you will check it out! 

In the process of generating this helpful list I made an encouraging discovery.  When I did a search for “Bible Prophecy” books in Amazon, my own book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy (co-authored with Lambert Dolphin), appeared on the second page of their listings!  To be exact, it was #23 of 11,541 results.  I was shocked! Who knows if it will stay there, but it was a real encouragement from the Lord. 

I know the book will be a big help to those who want to grasp the big picture of Bible prophecy, but I don’t have the means to advertise it in a big way.  This is just a reminder to me that whether it ever has wide distribution or not, it is all in God’s hands, and his power is unlimited.

 Connecting the Dots  is available from the Prophecy Central store.  It is in stock and usually ships within 24 hours.  We pay the sales tax (if applicable), and shipping for orders of 2 or more books is free.

Posted in Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Eschatology | No Comments »

Read Rosenberg’s Book Quick!

Monday, November 21st, 2011

If you are planning to read Joel Rosenberg’s new book, you had better do it fast.  Rosenberg’s earlier prophecy-fiction books have all been published just before some of his creative insights have actually happened. 

 The Ezekiel Option was named by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association as the Gold Medallion winner of the “Best Novel of 2006.”  Rosenberg had occasion to visit a White House Bible study with a number of congressional leaders and Homeland Security, and Pentagon officials.  He said that their main question was…

‘Are you saying that the Bible talks about an alliance between Iran, Russia, and a group of Middle Eastern countries to attack Israel at some point?’ And the answer is yes.”

 Since then, it has been hard to miss the connection between Russia and Iran, especially in regard to their nuclear development program. 

Last year he released The Twelfth Imam, a novel about the Islamic messiah whom the Iranian leaders believe is about to be revealed.  And now, a sequel to that book, The Tehran Initiative is available.  It is about an imminent attack by Iran against Israel, and the possibility of a pre-emptive first strike by Israel.  The story line is so close to today’s top news stories that it almost blurs the distinction between them.  That’s why I suggest that you read it soon, before Rosenberg’s fiction becomes fact.

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Posted in Eschatology, Gog and Magog, Islam | 4 Comments »

Billy Graham – Another Methuselah?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

Billy Graham celebrated his 93rd birthday this week!  What if God allowed our generation’s most famous evangelist to prolong his life until the Rapture of the Church? It’s just a thought! Don’t say I predicted that this would happen.  But many scholars have noted with interest that Methuselah, the biblical character who apparently lived the longest, died in the very year that Noah’s flood began.  (Do the math from Genesis, chapter 5 and Genesis 7:6.) No one knows for sure, but it is possible that Methuselah was a godly man and that The Lord held off the Flood until his life was finished.

 Now Billy Graham is growing old, and the Rapture of the Church is obviously growing closer!  The Rapture won’t take place until the last person of the Church Age accepts Christ as Savior. Our omniscient (all-knowing) God knows when that last person will say “yes” to Jesus. And our omnipotent (all-powerful) God could extend Dr. Graham’s life a few more days or years.

 Of course, it doesn’t matter whether Billy Graham lives that long.  He will still go up in the Rapture, and like my sister reminded our saintly mother, Mab, who had longed to live until the Rapture, “The dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

 Here’s another thought.  What if you have not yet accepted Christ, but you are the last one who will do so before the Rapture?

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Posted in Eschatology, Evangelism, Heaven, Rapture | 1 Comment »

Connecting the Dots Called a “Bestseller”

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Armageddon Books is an online bookseller that specializes in Bible prophecy books and products. They have been on the Internet about as long as Prophecy Central, and we have enjoyed watching each other grow for more than a decade.

 We were pleasantly surprised to see that our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy had crept up to the # 10 spot on their list of “October Bestsellers.” It felt good to see it displayed in the company of books by great writers like Hal Lindsey, Clarence Larkin, and Tim LaHaye.

 They also listed our book on Page One of their General Prophecy section, and if one follows the link there, they devoted a three-page long description of the book. 

 To God be the glory!

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Posted in Apologetics, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Eschatology | 1 Comment »

Camping’s Last Stand

Monday, October 17th, 2011

When his earlier prediction about the end of the world failed to materialize last May 21st, Harold Camping, President of Family Radio, recalculated and said that the Rapture (whisking away of the Church) would take place on Oct. 21.  Thankfully, there has not been much publicity for the new date, but some news outlets are reminding the public of this ill-advised date-setting.

 In the online “Who’s Who in Biblical Prophecy,” Camping is called a “bad apple,” because of previous failed predictions that Christ would return on September 6, 1994, and then again last May.

 Responsible prophecy teachers agree that we can not set a date for the Lord’s return.  He taught us that himself! 

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” – Matthew 24:36 (read verses 32-44).

 At this time Family Radio’s home page is totally devoted to Camping’s online book, We Are Almost There!

 Right after his failed prediction in May, Camping suffered a stroke, and he is now bed-ridden. Hopefully, after the 21st of this month, we will not hear from him again.

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Posted in Apologetics, Eschatology, Rapture | 1 Comment »

The Prophecy Pendulum

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Bible prophecy is full of mysterious things: the four horsemen of the apocalypse, a seven-headed dragon, a lamb that speaks like a dragon, stars falling from the heavens, and many more.  I have studied these mysteries for most of my life.  But there is a new puzzle that has gradually captured my attention in recent years.  It is the question of how the Church of the End Times could be lured into complacency just at the time that the prophecies all begin to materialize right before our eyes.  Many New Testament passages predict a time of apostasy, or “falling away” of the Church. According to Matthew 24:12 the love of most will grow cold in the last phase of this age. 2 Timothy 4:3 predicts this:

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

We are now living in a period of time where every day’s news brings fresh fulfillments of the striking prophecies of the Bible.  But the strange truth is, people do not seem to give the matter much thought.  Hal Lindsey’s book, “The Late Great Planet Earth,” was the best-selling non-fiction prophecy book, and the “Left Behind” series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins was the best-selling fiction series in American history.  Still, the average Christian is not living in anticipation that Jesus’ return is near.

 Trying to understand how there could be a lack of interest in prophecy at a time like this, I have begun to think about it as “The Prophecy Pendulum.”  As we all know, the pendulum of a clock is always swinging.  It is sometimes in the middle, but just as often, it is at the far left of its swing or on the far right. 

On one side of this swinging pendulum there are major events that capture everyone’s attention, such as the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948, or the dangerous Middle East wars that threaten to escalate into a world-wide conflict.  On the other side, there are promises of peace, or periods of relative prosperity.  Whenever it is possible, Satan will convince people not to think about the End Times.  He knows that when people are focused on the “blessed hope,” they will not be inclined to follow him. The Apostle Peter said that knowledge about God’s future plans would cause us to live a more godly life (2 Peter 3:11-12).

Satan uses fear to convince people to ignore information about an uncertain future.  There is always something wonderful coming up: a wedding, the birth of a child, or maybe a trip to Hawaii. If the Lord does come back, they hope that it won’t be before their next “big event.”  They discover that the best way to avoid hearing bad news would be to go to a church where the pastor never teaches prophecy.  There are whole denominations that won’t touch the subject.  Seeker-sensitive churches seldom teach anything “controversial,” including Bible prophecy.  And many well-intentioned pastors just don’t feel qualified to tackle the topic.

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Posted in Apologetics, Apostasy, Eschatology, Revival, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Francis Chan’s “Erasing Hell”

Friday, July 8th, 2011

I could hardly wait to read Francis Chan’s new book, Erasing Hell. It may well be the ultimate answer to Rob Bell’s questions about hell from his book, Love Wins. Both men have had a profound influence on our generation. Both are young, relevant to the younger thinkers, and fresh in the way they express themselves. Bell’s book raised a multitude of questions that are asked by skeptics, and left most of them unanswered. He implied that hell may not be a literal place in the future as much as it is hellish conditions here on earth. And reviewers of his book, which I also read immediately when it was released three months ago, pretty much agreed that Bell’s teaching is Universalism – a belief that God’s love will ultimately win over the non-believers, if not in this life, then in some future drama.

Chan and his co-author Professor Preston Sprinkle have made a huge contribution to this subject, not only because of their commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible, but because Chan’s earlier books were so well received. Crazy Love was a New York Times best-seller with more than one and a half million copies sold so far.

This is a book you should read for yourself, and keep around as a reference manual on the subject. But here are some of my impressions. Like most of us Chan would rather not believe in hell, but he shows by the preponderance of clear Scripture references that we do not have that luxury. He demonstrates how prevalent the concept is in such Old Testament books as Job and (Jeremiah’s) Lamentations, and throughout the New Testament, starting with Jesus’ own extensive teachings about the subject.

Chan dares to voice what we all feel at times. He says that if he were God, he would not allow some of the suffering God allowed, or prescribe a punishment like hell. But, neither would he (or we) have permitted our Son to pay the awful penalty for our sin.

This gap between God’s ways and ours is given in Isaiah 55:8-9
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Furthermore, as Romans 9:19-21 teaches, God is the potter, and we are just the clay. Ultimately Job, Jeremiah, Paul and others realized that God’s ways are just. Knowledge about the reality of hell should cause us to be more genuine, more concerned for those who are in need, and more willing to let God be God.

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Posted in Apologetics, Eschatology, Hell | 1 Comment »

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