There are a variety of viewpoints out there about when the Rapture will take place in context of the End Times. Many people believe it’ll take place prior to the start or at the start of the End Times while others believe it’ll take place sometime during the End Times. Regardless of whether you are a believer in the Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib, Pre-Wrath, or Post-Trib Rapture, I believe it is beneficial for you to try to gain a full understanding of the Book of Revelation and Bible prophecy even if some parts of Bible prophecy may not seem fully relevant to you.
In this article I discuss some important reasons why a person should try to learn as much about Bible prophecy as they can-even if some parts of Bible prophecy may not seem fully relevant to them.
A person who truly wants to understand prophecies about the End Times and/or prophecies about the period before the start of the End Times should try to understand all of the prophecies in the Bible because each prophecy verse is a piece of the puzzle.
- You cannot put a complete puzzle together if you do not attempt to put all the pieces together. Similarly, you will be unable to gain a complete understanding of what is going to happen in the End Times or perhaps even in the period before the start of the End Times if you do not consider every piece of information available.
By being unconcerned with certain prophecies you also run the risk of developing a misunderstanding of when events will take place. For instance, many people focus on Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 and believe that Ezekiel 38 and/or Ezekiel 39 could be an event which begins before or at the start of the tribulation (the seven year time period I prefer to call the seventieth week of Daniel). If people ignore the prophecies in the Book of Revelation and the prophecies concerning the Millennium in the Old Testament they are unlikely going to consider the possibility that parts of Ezekiel 38 and/or Ezekiel 39 might actually be related to the invasion at the end of the Millennium mentioned in Revelation 20:7-9 instead of an invasion before the start or at the start of the seventieth week of Daniel:
- Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
- Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
- Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
I am not saying that Ezekiel 38 and/or Ezekiel 39 apply to the Millennium, but it’s one of the possibilities I’m considering. There is a reason why Gog and Magog are mentioned in Revelation 20, so it’s not something a person should ignore when trying to figure out the timing of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39.
- Therefore, a person should attempt to gain as much knowledge as possible so they can figure out which prophesized events are completely relevant to them (and which events are not as relevant to them) and figure out when these events will happen.
You can strengthen your defenses against false teachings by learning more about Bible prophecy. The more Bible prophecy you understand the easier it will become for you to identify when you are confronted with false teachings about the End Times and/or the time period before the End Times. The failure to identify a false teaching can be costly-not only spiritually, but also financially and personally. For instance:
- A New York man recently spent his entire lifesavings-$140,000-to buy advertisements to promote May 21. Link
- A New Jersey businessman has been unable to speak with his wife for several months because of his strong belief in May 21. Link
- One of the sons of the New Jersey businessman recently broke up with his girlfriend who he planned to buy an engagement ring for because she did not believe in May 21 like him. Link
If these individuals had taken time to learn what is actually found in Bible prophecy they could have avoided the financial and/or personal loss they’ve endured so far and might endure after May 21.
- My critique of the May 21 speculation can be found at this link
Finally, it is useful for a person to understand as much Bible prophecy as possible just in case they end up having to deal with hardship and persecution. I know there are a significant number of people who believe they will not have to endure hardship and persecution in the future, but the costs of being unprepared for the possibility of being wrong is too high in my opinion.
- If you are unprepared for the worst possible scenarios you risk facing a situation where you may become susceptible to listening to false teachers and false prophets who promise to “help” guide you through difficult times that you may not have expected to face. Recall, the Bible warns that there will be many false prophets who will deceive many prior to the return of Christ (Matthew 24:23-24).
- A good level of understanding of Bible prophecy may enhance your ability to cope in a time of hardship and persecution since you will have a better understanding/awareness of the dangers you face than someone with no understanding.
I hope this article illustrates why it is useful to learn as much about Bible prophecy as you can even if it seems some chapters are not completely relevant to you. The article I wrote yesterday concerning the parallels between Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 50 may not seem too relevant to you, but these chapters are pieces of the puzzle. I hope to show in the coming days and weeks how understanding these chapters may help to bring further understanding about the placement of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39.
