Rhodes - Bible prophecy answer book: everything you need to know about the end times

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked HCSB are taken from the HCSB, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. HCSB is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

Verses marked AMP are taken from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Italicized emphasis in Scripture quotations is added by the author.

Cover by Dugan Design Group

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BIBLE PROPHECY ANSWER BOOK

Copyright 2017 Ron Rhodes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6429-6 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6430-2 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rhodes, Ron.

Title: Bible prophecy answer book / Ron Rhodes.

Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016030265 (print) | LCCN 2016037180 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736964296 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780736964302 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: BibleProphecies. | BiblePropheciesEnd of the world. | End of the worldBiblical teaching. | EschatologyBiblical teaching.

Classification: LCC BS647.3 R43 2017 (print) | LCC BS647.3 (ebook) | DDC 220.1/5dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030265

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

To my beloved wife, Kerri

A heartfelt thanks goes to the late Dr. John F. Walvoord and the late Dr. J. Dwight Pentecost, both of whom were my mentors in biblical prophecy at Dallas Theological Seminary in the early 1980s. (Seems like yesterday!) Their insights played a significant role in shaping my views on biblical prophecy.

As always, my heart continues to overflow with gratitude for my wife, Kerri. What an awesome gift God has given me in her. From the very beginning, she has faithfully stood by me and my work. I am truly blessed.

Most importantly, I remain ever grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ, not only for His wondrous gift of salvation but also for the opportunity He has given me to serve Him during this short earthly life. Come soon, Lord!

Contents

T he study of prophecy can change your life. It has mine. In fact, my exposure to biblical prophecy was a strong contributing factor to my becoming a Christian back in the 1970s.

Fulfilled prophecy demonstrates the following:

God knows the future.

The Bible really is the Word of God.

God is in sovereign control of all that occurs in the world.

God has a plan for humanityand a plan for you.

God will one day providentially cause good to triumph over evil.

A new world is cominga new earth and new heavens (and new resurrection bodies).

The Lord is coming soon !

Through the years, as Ive engaged in the work of Christian ministry, Ive discovered that Christians have many questions about biblical prophecy. Some questions relate to the timing of end-time events. Others relate to the proper interpretation of prophetic Bible verseswhether in the Old or the New Testament. Still others relate to prophetic paradigms such as premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. Such questions are the reason I wrote this book. Ive compiled the most common questions people ask about prophecy and have provided concise, easy-to-understand answers. My prayer is that you will find this book educational, enriching, and exciting.

The prophetic truths in this book are not just for the head but also for the heart . Theology that does not touch the heartthat does not resonate with your inner spirit so that it changes youhas failed at its task. My prayer is that this book will cause a paradigm shift in the way you view this present world and your place in it . Scripture itself says prophecy ought to have a life-changing effect on us (see, for example, Titus 2:11-14). So, this bookfull of scriptural answers to commonly asked prophecy questionsis ultimately engineered to make a difference in the way you live your Christian life.

May it be so!

What is a prophet?

The word prophetfrom the Hebrew word nabi refers to a spokesman for God who either declares Gods message to humankind regarding a contemporary situation or foretells the future based on divine revelation. While the predictive role is often stressed, the Bible equally emphasizes the teaching function. Both aspects require communication from God to the prophet (see 2 Samuel 7:27; Jeremiah 23:18).

What is prophecy?

Prophecy can be defined as Gods revelation regarding history in advance. The backdrop is that only Godwho is omniscient (or all-knowing)knows the future. In Isaiah 46:9-11, God affirms:

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purposeI have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

This means that our sovereign God controls human history, and He is the only one who can reveal the future to us.

What does end times mean in the study of prophecy?

End times is a general term that embraces a broad spectrum of events that will take place in the last days. This includes the rapture, the judgment seat of Christ (for Christians), the seven-year tribulation period (and all the events included in that period, such as the emergence of the antichrist and Armageddon), the second coming of Christ, Christs 1000-year millennial kingdom, the great white throne judgment (for the wicked), a destiny in hell for the wicked, and a destiny in heaven for believers.

Some of these terms may be unfamiliar to you. Dont be concerned. Ill explain them all in this book.

What does last days mean in the study of prophecy?

A number of New Testament passages use last days, last times, and last time to refer to the present church age in which we now live. For example, the writer of Hebrews said, Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). We also see this in 1 Peter 1:20, where we are told that Christ, in the incarnation, was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God. This means that people in New Testament times up to the present day all who have lived and are now living in the church ageare, in one sense, in the last days.