Posts Tagged ‘Bible prophecy’

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

Where is Syria in Prophecy?

Monday, January 30th, 2012

The question is often asked, “Where is Syria in prophecy?” How significant was the surprise bombing by Israel of a secret nuclear development site in Syria in 2011?  When will the Isaiah 17 prophecy of the utter destruction of Damascus, their capital, be fulfilled?  Syria’s capital, Damascus, is considered the oldest continually-inhabited city on Earth, but Isaiah predicted its sudden destruction in the distant future.

Psalm 83 also predicts a war between Israel and her neighbors that will have the support of Assyria (Including modern Syria), but this war is different from the even-greater future war of Gog and Magog (Russia with Iran and other major Islamic countries).  One would expect that war to include Syria, but it is not mentioned, perhaps because it will have already been eliminated by then.

One possible scenario that would include all these factors would be an escalation of the current tensions between Israel and the Palestinians so that a regional war erupts. Russia and Iran would not be involved directly because the time is not yet right for the War of Gog and Magog, but Syria might take the lead in the regional war against Israel. If Israel were to suffer an attack from Syria by a weapon of mass destruction, they could respond with overwhelming force to utterly destroy Damascus.

Such a victory for Israel could produce the temporary peace that will exist a little later according to Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, when the War of Gog and Magog will begin.

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.

 

Free Study Guide / Gary Kah Endorsement

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

Lambert Dolphin and I are pleased to announce that we can offer you a FREE STUDY GUIDE to go with our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.  The guide is divided into 12 weeks of daily study (5 days per week) with stimulating questions and activities.  It can be used for personal enrichment or for group study.  It is available as a free pdf document (52 pages), or as a spiral-bound product at a nominal cost.

We are also grateful for the endorsement of Gary Kah, one of the most respected prophecy teachers of our time.  Gary wrote…

“I have personally known Ron Graff as a friend for many years. He is a man of integrity with a genuine pastor’s heart and passion to see people come to know Jesus as Lord. He also happens to have a grasp of current world events and Bible prophecy like few others. His compelling book will heighten your sense of urgency about sharing the love and truth of Christ with a fallen humanity as the present age draws to a close.”

- Gary H. Kah, author of En Route to Global Occupation and The New World Religion, expert on globalization, international speaker and frequent talk show guest (www.garykah.org).

Get more information about the free Study Guide and Connecting the Dots.

Your Prophecy Update

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

2011 In Review

The Year in Prophecy

We have just finished our wrap-up of last year’s world events in the light of Bible prophecy. It is a long one – 31 pages in all –  and it covers the top 10 prophetic stories of the year.  It’s free of course, and we offer it in two forms: The first is the website version with hypertext that allows you to do further research in Prophecy Central’s “World of information about Bible prophecy.” At any point you can go to one of our hundred-plus subtopics for more insight from the Bible, commentaries, and pertinent news over the course of the last decade or so.

The other version is a downloadable and printable (pdf) file.  It’s like a small book about the events of 2011.

Study Guide

We have also just released another free resource: The Study Guide for our prophecy textbook, “Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.”

This 12-week (five-days per week) guide can be used for personal enrichment, or as a stimulus for group discussion.  Once printed, you can put this 52-page manual into your own notebook, or you may order it as a spiral-bound book at a reasonable cost.

Basic Prophecy Knowledge

It’s the beginning of a new and very interesting year! This is a good time for all of us to get up to speed on Bible prophecy. Let’s do it together. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

I will ask a series of basic questions about prophecy and let’s imagine we are all part of a big growth group  where we can share our answers. I will just give some of the thoughts that I have heard from people before, and then I’ll make some suggestions.

After that, you and other brave souls can write their thoughts about
that question.  Then we’ll move on to the next question.  Hopefully, after a few of these Internet sessions, we will have raised our collective knowledge.

Here’s the first question…

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT PROPHECY?

This will be the title of our next post, and you can be thinking about it ahead of time.

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.

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.

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!

What Ever Happened To America?

Friday, October 28th, 2011

A few years ago we could not have imagined how rapidly our beloved country would decline.  Prophecy students have wondered for decades how it could be that the United States will not apparently be a major player in the Bible’s End Times scenario.  Europe is there as a Revived Roman Empire, but with a much weaker composition than ancient Rome.  Ancient biblical lands are still players in the prophetic future. They have modern names: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and others.  But how could the one great “superpower” of our generation be ignored in the struggles of the end of this age?

Look at our nation now. Instead of being a support to the rest of the world during this economic crisis, we have descended into the worst financial condition since at least the Great Depression. Despite endless rhetoric from the politicians and economic experts, we are still in free-fall.  Our investments have declined, our jobs have been given to other nations and our own people are sinking into poverty. 

Our military sacrifices have been undercut by bad governmental decisions. Terrorists are convinced that they will ultimately overcome in this present struggle. We are about to leave Afghanistan and Iraq without improving that part of the world. We can’t keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Our support for Israel is anemic. We have lost the peaceful gains we enjoyed for a little time with Russia.

Why is this happening, and what does it mean for our generation?  Historians assure us that the early greatness of America was a byproduct of our moral and ethical world view.  Our leaders were generally Bible-believing heroes.  Our word was our bond: we kept our promises.  We taught our children what was right and wrong.  We worked hard and were proud of what we produced.  Our churches were valiant for the truth and were faithful to expose evil. 

During the past two generations the church in America has turned from its literal interpretation of the Bible, and has allowed the corrupting influences of secular humanism, the sexual revolution, abortion, and other ungodly beliefs and practices to slowly infiltrate its leadership.  This change is actually one of the main predictions of the End Times.  It is called apostasy, or a “falling away” from the truth.  The Apostle Paul warned…

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.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  – 2 Timothy 4:3-4

As a result, at the very time Christians should be most concerned about the rapid fulfillment of End Times predictions, many of them have been anesthetized to the seriousness of their condition.  Therefore, our nation has lost its vitality and is in the process of becoming irrelevant. The Bible did not need to mention our presence because we will have lost our influence. 

Does it have to end this way?  Actually, no!  There is still hope for America. What God promised for believers in the Old Testament would still apply today if we would just turn back to Him and allow him to bring a great redeeming revival! 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  – 2 Chronicles 7:14

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.