R. Michael Comstock - Bible Prophecy Exposed: Unlocking the Language of the Prophets

BIBLE PROPHECY
EXPOSED

UNLOCKING THE LANGUAGE
OF THE PROPHETS

R. MICHAEL COMSTOCK

Copyright 2013 R. Michael Comstock.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-8770-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8771-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8772-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904370

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/29/2013

Contents

Bible Prophecy Exposed has expanded my understanding to the complexity of biblical prophecy. While I believe in a future application of Revelation, Comstock has compiled solid evidence, presenting a correlation between the end of the Old Covenant, and the wrath of God found in the prophecies. If you are willing to approach the evidence in Prophecy Exposed with an open heart and mind, you will gain an additional perspective of Revelation. In my opinion this book is a must read for students of Gods Word.

Bishop Anthony Arnett

Dedications

I dedicate this book to God for the grace, salvation, and the understanding He has given me about His word. Im grateful His spirit prompted me to take this journey through prophecy.

I thank my wife Cindy for encouraging me to do my best in spite of my learning disabilities, and lack of understanding of how to communicate in writing. Without her patience my book would not have come close to being published.

I appreciate my parents for being faithful church attenders, which gave me a wonderful foundation in Christ and His word.

I want to express my gratitude for Pastor Glen Hossler, not only for his interpretive take on Revelation, but also for the friendship of both he and his wife LaRene.

I want to thank Ellie Arnett for her input on developing a new word to better describe the amillennial view.

Last, and certainly not least, my best friend and neighbor Tony Arnett. As a bishop in the Church of God, I value the many hours we spent discussing different viewpoints of Bible prophecy. I must also thank Tonys wife Joan for her patience with our Bible prophecy consultations. In spite of all our end time discussions, she still allowed my wife and me to go camping with them, though this was likely for my wifes companionship.

W hat has formed your opinion about biblical prophecy? Im sure many of you have tried to read the book of Revelation, and ended up scratching your head for lack of understanding. Our views are usually formed from reading a commentary, watching a movie, or listening to our favorite minister on the subject. Why do we believe they are correct? Is it because they make sense out of what we cant? Maybe its their degree in theology, or perhaps their renowned reputation? My motive isnt to question the sincerity of what these experts believe; its entirely possible they could be correct. The problem is that expositors of the past were instructed by teachers they esteemed, they in turn teach others who respected them, and then they teach us, and we continue the cycle. But does this mean that what we have learned is accurate? I have had to challenge myself with this very question.

My purpose in writing this book is not to make you believe my interpretation of prophecy. My actual goal is to get you to be sure of what you hold to. I approach the biblical prophecies as if they were evidence in a trial. You as a juror must decide what the evidence shows. Does the Bible actually tell us how the world will end? Does it give us any clue as to when the rapture occurs, or when Jesus returns?

Most of us have been presented with the prosecutions side of the case. By this I mean that todays popular view teaches that there will be: the rapture of the church, the great tribulation, Jesus return for a thousand year reign, the end of the world, and the judgment. I believe that if the evidence does point us in a different direction that it is only fair that it be disclosed to the jurors.

It is desirable in a trial to have jurors that are unbiased. The goal is finding people to judge the evidence, who have no opinion one way or the other. The largest hurdle to overcome is jurors that have already formed opinions based on what theyve been told. Presenting additional evidence that changes their minds is not an easy task; particularly when the jurors have believed for a long period of time that the evidence is black and white.

The prosecution has made their case and now wants to prevent any other possible explanations that the evidence may present. My hope is that you will be an impartial juror in this trial. That you will set aside your preconceptions and give the physical evidence a chance to speak for itself.

I admit that in the end you may find youre unable to vote one way or the other. Thats okay, because my purpose is to get you to think deeper about what the Scripture actually says. Any time I can help people look at the Bible more in depth gives me a sense of satisfaction. Concentration on Gods word is the best thing a person can do for themselves.

I recall a time in Bible College when a professor was teaching a basic theological principle. To tell the truth I dont recall what the doctrine was since its been more than twenty years ago. I remember that I had trouble understanding how the theologians came to their conclusion from only one obscure passage in the Bible. To my surprise the professor had no appropriate explanation other than thats just the way it is. To say the least, I was not satisfied, nor were several others in my class.

If the so-called experts are correct, we humans only use, at best, four percent of our brain. This gives us a ninety six percent chance of misunderstanding any given subject! Okay, so I admit that might be a little over the top, but how definite should we be about what will happen in the future?

Im in no way attacking the foundational tenants of Christian salvation. However, in discussions that Ive had with others, a few have acted as if I were denouncing Christ. I think before we say to the world this is how your end will come, we need to be extremely positive that what we are presenting is true. Just because we are taught something, doesnt mean that it is correct. We need to study the evidence carefully for ourselves.

Where would we be if Columbus and others didnt question the flatness of the world? What if the Wright brothers had listened to those who said it is impossible for man to fly? Throughout history people have been proven wrong about beliefs they were so adamantly convinced were true. It wasnt that long ago doctors thought they needed to drain the bad blood from sick people, and in many cases were responsible for their deaths.

Over the years Ive done some occasional studying about Bible prophecy. Like most, I was curious about the end of the world, and the return of the Lord. The view I was raised to believe seemed to contain many reasonable explanations. At times however, I found questions arose when I read certain Scriptures. These passages appeared to contradict what I was taught. I assumed I wasnt smart enough to understand the interpretation. After all, would my teachers and pastors teach me anything that wasnt correct? Im sure that none of them would on purpose.