Why Experts Disagree about Bible Prophecy
When it comes to interpreting Bible prophecy, it is true that one expert says one thing and another expert says something else. Prophetic expositors arrive at different conclusions because there are as many different methods of interpretation as there are people. Methods of interpretation is a phrase that defines a controlling set of ideas or views (baggage) that a person has in mind before he or she actually begins to interpret prophecy. Doctrinal beliefs, presuppositions, assumptions, concepts about the role and authority of Scripture, the use of external authority, and church traditions produce controlling ideas. Notice how methods of interpretation work: A Catholic scholar will interpret Bible prophecy so that his Catholic doctrines and his prophetic conclusions harmoniously align, and a Baptist scholar will do the same thing. In other words, two scholars can study the same passages of prophecy and arrive at widely different conclusions because they approach Bible prophecy with some kind of baggage. This baggage is called “methods of interpretation,” “presuppositions,” “rules of interpretation,” or hermeneutics. Perhaps the following parable will illustrate the controlling power that comes with this baggage.
The Parable of the Math Teacher
Once upon a time, there was a math teacher who surrendered his life to the Lord. Later, he felt called to serve as a missionary in a foreign land. Eventually, he was invited to teach math in a parochial college in a distant city called Overspent.
During the first week of college algebra, the teacher discovered a puzzling situation. His students could not solve a single math problem correctly. In fact, all of the students gave identical answers for each math problem that he gave them. He asked the students to explain how they entered college – given the fact they did not have the skills necessary to resolve basic math problems. The students said their high school teachers did not require them to work through math problems because highly educated and spiritually guided math teachers long ago had solved all math problems and all that they needed to do was to memorize the answers.
The teacher was shocked.
The next day, the teacher set out to remedy the problem. He put this equation on the board: 3c +
5 = 20. He asked the students to solve for c. All of the students reported that c was equal to 3.
When the teacher asked how they arrived at 3, they said they had always been taught that c always equals 3. The teacher could not believe his ears. He demonstrated on the chalkboard how c was solved, and he proved that c = 5 using simple rules of substitution. The students became angry. They were insulted by this “outsider” because he showed no respect for their high school elders and their traditional way of solving math problems.
The students told the teacher that if he had written 3e + 5 = 20, their answer would have been 5 because “e” always equals 5. They had been taught that “a” always = 1, “b” always = 2, “c” always = 3, etc. The teacher responded by saying that when it comes to math, a variable’s name does not determine its value. It does not matter whether a variable is called “e” or “c” or “x.” When it comes to resolving a math problem, the process must conform to valid rules of substitution or the answer will be erroneous. The students could not bear to hear any more of this heresy, so they rose up as one man and stormed out of class. The math teacher was stunned. He wondered how he could help these students. They knew nothing about working through math problems or that math is controlled by four self-evident rules of addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. He thought to himself, “They think they have been properly informed, and they are afraid to consider answers that are contrary to traditions of their elders.” Perplexed by their hostility, he wondered what he could do to get the students to put aside their traditions so that they could consider the truth.
The next day, the teacher plainly said to his students: “Please hear me out. You have been misled. Your knowledge of math is worthless. Memorizing the answer to a math problems is not to be confused with properly working through a legitimate process to find the correct answer. If you follow the four rules that govern basic math, you can test and validate your answers in many different ways. More importantly, others who know nothing about you or your elders can also test the validity of your answers because accurate math solutions are not a matter of opinion, they are a matter of fact. Accurate solutions are true because they can be proven true by self- evident rules!” Immediately, the students became hostile. The teacher had condemned their traditions and their beloved elders. He had insulted them and their exalted high school teachers. They threw desks and chairs at the teacher and in a riotous frenzy, they beat him to death.
When the bell rang, the students went away happy. They were relieved that the offending teacher had been silenced. They petitioned the dean of the college to provide a math teacher who would teach according to their elders and their wish was granted. Years later, many of these students graduated from Overspent City College and some of them went to work for the elders of the city. Later, the city faced an enormous financial crisis and all of the elders and college graduates could not stop the city from going bankrupt. When the auditors showed up, no one in the accounting department could figure out what went wrong – literally.
There are four lessons to be learned from this silly parable. First, for most of us, traditions are more important than truth. Traditions are familiar and predictable, whereas the truth can be disruptive, humiliating and socially divisive. Second, it is impossible to be “a defender of the faith” and at the same time, be “a seeker of truth.” These two mindsets stand in opposition to each other. Third, if someone exposes the folly of a tradition, he or she will surely suffer for it. Last, if we reject or ignore the truth, failure cannot be avoided. We may arrogantly defend our ignorance, but ignorance will not save us from the results that truth demands.
Can the Bible Tell Us Things We Don’t Want to Believe?
Experts widely disagree on Bible prophecy because knowingly or unknowingly, every expert uses a set of rules to support his prophetic conclusions. Of course, every expert believes his conclusions are true because they are in harmony with his baggage (or rules). The problem, of course, is that false rules cannot produce valid conclusions. A rule is a statement that is always true. For example, 2 + 2 equals 4 because the law of subtraction says that 4 – 2 = 2. When it comes to Bible prophecy, a rule cannot have an exception, for if it does, no one has the authority to speak for God and tell humanity when the rule should be applied or ignored. To illustrate this matter, consider the following rule: “A day in Bible prophecy always equals a year.” If we accept this rule to be true (that is, having no exception), the 1,000 years in Revelation 20 have to be translated as 365,242 years. (365.242 days per solar year x 1,000 years = 365,242 years)
For reasons that will be presented later, the day/year rule described above is faulty. There are time periods in Daniel and Revelation where a day should be translated as a year (for example, the seventy weeks of Daniel 9 are translated into 490 years), but there are other time periods where translation is not permitted. For example, the 42 months in Revelation 13 and the 1,335 days in Daniel 12 are literal time periods. Because some time periods in prophecy are translated a day for a year and others are not, a valid rule is required to tell us when time periods should be translated and when they should not. Here’s the critical point: If we use a rule that requires us to translate every time period in Daniel and Revelation into a day for a year, the Bible will be put in a position of internal conflict. The Bible will not be able to speak for itself because the chronological order given in Daniel and Revelation will be broken!
Today, millions of Christians have embraced prophetic concepts that have no truth in them. A prophetic concept can appear to be true – if flaws rules, that is, certain presuppositions are used. For example, many Christians believe that the role of modern-day Israel is prophetically important during the end of the world. They also believe that a pre-tribulation rapture is imminent, but the underlying presuppositions that hold these ideas together are faulty. The New Covenant teaches that the Israel of God is not biological! Everyone in Christ is now the heir of Abraham. (Galatians 3:28,29)
Logic and reasonableness do not alone ensure validity. For thousands of years, people believed Earth stood still and the Sun traveled in its orbit around Earth. In fact, everyone could plainly see that the Sun traveled across the sky! Then, along came an obscure mathematician who said the Sun stood still. Even worse, Copernicus proved that the Sun was not moving and he was severely punished for speaking out against the traditions of the elders and telling the truth. History demonstrates that advocates of truth are frequently punished. (Wasn’t Jesus crucified for speaking the truth?) Nevertheless, for the honest in heart, great joy occurs when greater truth is found! An ongoing discovery of greater truth is the process that enables the Bible to tell us things that we do not want to believe, but unfortunately, many people do not want or have a working knowledge of Scripture. Most people are content with their traditions (the familiar) and they are quick to discredit the truth (which is divisive). Perhaps the greatest problem for human beings is that we can’t know what our response to truth will be until greater truth arrives and it challenges our sacred traditions.
Faulty Prophetic Interpretations until Daniel Is Unsealed
The book of Daniel contains 533 sentences. It was written about twenty-six centuries ago, but unlike the other sixty-five books in the Bible, the book of Daniel was sealed up “until the time of the end.” The angel, Gabriel, said to Daniel, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.” (Daniel 12:9) What does “closed up and sealed until the time of the end” mean? It means that God hid something in the book of Daniel that would remain “top secret” until the time of the end arrived. I am convinced that the book of Daniel has been unsealed and the time of the end has arrived for the following reasons:
The secret information that God encoded into the book of Daniel is something like the “Rosetta Stone.” The Rosetta Stone was accidently discovered and unearthed in 1799 near Rosetta, Egypt, by French soldiers. The marvelous thing about this buried rock is that it bears a message written during the second century B.C. in two forms of Egyptian script – demotic and hieroglyphics. When archeologists examined the rock, they were thrilled because the inscriptions would help solve a very perplexing mystery. Prior to 1799, archeologists could not read the clay tablets bearing Egyptian hieroglyphics because no one could decipher the language. When the Rosetta Stone was discovered and translated, the demotic inscriptions on the stone enabled Thomas Young (1773-1829) and J.F. Champollion (1790-1832) to decipher the hieroglyphics of the ancient Egyptians.
In a similar way, God buried a set of four self-evident rules in the book of Daniel 2,600 years ago. By God’s grace, I accidently stumbled into this buried treasure. (Of course, the passage of time will prove or disprove the validity of my claim.) Four rules of interpretation have shattered centuries of prophetic exposition and tradition, because by definition, all prophetic interpretations are faulty and incomplete until the book of Daniel is unsealed. These four rules cover chronology, fulfillment, language, and God’s use of time. God put these things in the book of Daniel to dethrone our traditions because greater truth is God’s gift to the honest in heart. Notice how this works: God separates people who hold to traditions from people who love truth by sending greater truth on the Earth. When greater truth comes along, the honest in heart rejoice to see it while those defending the traditions of the elders will rise up and punish those who embrace it. Yes, the parable of the math teacher is silly, but the moral of the story is painfully true.
Three Levels of Bible Knowledge
As a person might expect, God buried His secrets in the book of Daniel very well. However, when God wants something known, He enables ordinary men and women to discover extraordinary things He has hidden. Through the ages we find this discovery process at work: On or about the time of fulfillment, elements of prophecy are understood. For example, when it came time to understand the timing of Christ’s birth, the wise men from the East figured it out. (Matthew 2:2) The apostle Paul also noticed this phenomenon. Consider his words: “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:2-6)
What did God hide in the book of Daniel? The answer to this question requires a little explanation. The book of Daniel offers three levels of knowledge. They are:
- Dramatic stories of faith
- Visions revealing God’s plans
- Apocalyptic architecture
The first (and easiest) level of knowledge in Daniel contains dramatic stories of faith in God. These stories of faith and loyalty to God were recorded for the benefit of all generations. However, Earth’s final generation will benefit the most from these stories of courage since the fiery trials in the first chapters of the book of Daniel are mini-parallels of coming events. For example, in Daniel 3 we read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing the mandatory worship of a golden image which the king of Babylon constructed. In Revelation 13:15, we read about the inhabitants of the world facing the mandatory worship of an image which the king of modern Babylon will construct. These parallels and their outcomes were put in the book of Daniel for our encouragement. (Note: I hope you will read my book, Bible Stories with End Time Parallels, which reveals end-time issues through the lives of certain Bible characters.)
The second (and more difficult) level of knowledge in Daniel concerns the meaning of the visions in the book of Daniel. The visions God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel faithfully predict the passage of time and the fulfillment of all that God predestined to occur. Even more, these visions reveal what God planned to do long before He told Nebuchadnezzar or Daniel of His plans. Because students of prophecy have understood something of Daniel’s visions for hundreds of years, we cannot say the visions were entirely sealed up until “the time of the end.” However, something in the book of Daniel was sealed up, and that something uniquely applies to the people who live at the end of the world. What is it?
The Book of Daniel is Unsealed
The third (and deepest) level of knowledge found in Daniel is the architecture of apocalyptic prophecy. The prophecies in Daniel conform to a structure or pattern that controls their meaning. The exciting thing about this structure is that it is also present in Revelation! In other words, when you understand how the architecture of Daniel behaves, you will understand the architecture in Revelation because it is the same architecture! This architecture produces four rules (methods of interpretation) that govern the interpretation of Daniel and Revelation. These four rules are like combinations to a safe. When the four rules are used to interpret prophecies in Daniel and Revelation, a marvelous result occurs. The prophecies make perfect sense just as they read! This point is extremely important. Portions of Daniel and Revelation have been a mystery for 2,600 years and then suddenly, the words make sense just as they read! What causes this change to occur? When the architecture of Daniel is understood, the contents of Daniel and Revelation can be understood.
When the four rules found in Daniel are applied to each line of prophecy in Daniel and Revelation, a comprehensive story unfolds that is completely harmonious with everything the Bible has to say about the ways of God. Furthermore, all of the details God gave in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are in perfect harmony and synchrony with each other. The four rules force all of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation into a chronological matrix of layers that are orderly in nature. To visualize this matrix, think of the seventeen prophecies in
Daniel and Revelation as a wedding cake of seventeen layers! The larger pieces are at the bottom of the stack and the smaller pieces are on top. The “toothpicks” that hold the seventeen layers together are events that unite and align the seventeen layers in Daniel and Revelation into one grand story. The toothpicks are necessary because two or more layers can describe the same prophetic event! Because the same event is described in two different ways – in two different layers – a precise alignment of the prophecies is not only possible, but essential to understanding the big picture.
Private Interpretation of Bible Prophecy
Any interpretation of prophecy which does not conform to a stated set of valid rules is classified as a “private interpretation.” The word “private” in this context does not mean obscure. Millions of people can believe and endorse a private interpretation (and they do). A private interpretation is an interpretation which does not have an external means of validation. In other words, a private interpretation cannot be tested and validated by an impartial jury given a set of stated rules. This emphasizes our need to understand the apocalyptic architecture in Daniel. There is one architecture in Daniel and Revelation and there is one truth. Looking for that truth is the joy of every Bible student. Even if we have the right rules of interpretation, the likelihood of reaching the intended meaning is not guaranteed, but it is greatly improved! (It is one thing to know the laws of algebra, but it is another to correctly solve the problem.)
The Value of Rules to Study Bible Prophecy
A beginning student of Bible prophecy may not appreciate the necessity of a valid set of rules of interpretation (or hermeneutics) at first, so hopefully the following parallel will help you understand why rules of interpretation are essential to prophetic study: Scientists achieve advances in the study of genetics at the cellular level. By studying various cells within the human body, they have been able to determine how certain cells operate. In more and more cases, they have been able to predict the behavior of cells under controlled circumstances, because they now know some of the secrets of proteins and the DNA structure. Scientists are constantly testing for “consistent behavior” within their studies of cells. Once the behavior of a specific cell is understood, cell behavior can be changed or influenced through drugs compounded to produce the desired results. Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars on this type of painstaking research because they know that a genuine cure for most diseases must occur at the cellular level.
Daniel Provides an Architecture to Study Bible Prophecy
In a similar way, the architecture in Daniel is distilled through a careful study of Daniel’s prophecies. Because the visions within Daniel behave in a predictable way, this behavior allows us to decipher things about the meaning of prophecy that we could not otherwise know. For example, here is one consistent behavior that occurs throughout the book of Daniel: Each of Daniel’s prophecies have a beginning point and an ending point in time, and the events in each prophecy occur in the order in which they are given. This behavior may sound simple, but it has profound ramifications. Consider the results of violating this self-evident rule. If the events given within each prophecy of Daniel do not occur in their given order, how, then, will the order of events dtermined? Who but God has the authority to tell mankind the order of events?
This question brings up an even greater question: Does the Bible speak for itself or must it have an interpreter? After many years of study on this question, I conclude the Bible speaks for itself and the Bible is its own interpreter. I do not accept the idea that external authority is permitted or necessary. The constant and predictable architecture within Daniel’s prophecies is the basis for Rule One. This rule is: Each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning point and an ending point in time and the events within each prophecy must occur in the order they are given. Keep in mind, I am not inventing this rule. Instead, I am expressing a consistent behavior that recurs without exception throughout the book of Daniel (as well as Revelation).
When the fulfilled elements of each prophecy in Daniel are aligned with widely published historical records, the validity of Rule One proves true every time! The prophecies in the book of Daniel cover more than 2,600 years so far. This great span of time contains everything necessary to validate the four rules that spring from the architecture of Daniel. As a bonus, the book of Daniel provides a historical foundation for certain prophecies in Revelation. Because some of the prophecies in Revelation run parallel to the prophecies in Daniel, we can link them together and establish the timing of events mentioned in both books. So, the discovery of Daniel’s architecture, like the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, enables the Bible student to resolve many prophetic mysteries that would otherwise be impossible to solve.
An Important Rule of Bible Prophecy
I have arbitrarily made the rule governing chronology “Rule One” because determining the order of events within the seventeen prophecies is “Job One!” Try this: Draw a time line and as you put all of the events specified in Daniel and Revelation on the time line, you will be confronted with the question of chronological order. This is why the first rule concerns chronology. This rule is stated as follows: “Each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning point in time, an ending point in time and the events within each prophecy occur in the order given.”
This rule is deceptively simple and it demolishes two thousand years of prophetic speculation and tradition. Please give the following sentence a full five seconds of serious thought because the ramifications are huge: God has declared the order of events within each apocalyptic prophecy – if this is not the case, there is no way to determine chronological order within apocalyptic prophecy. If God has declared the order of events within each apocalyptic prophecy, the Bible will say the same thing to everyone – just as it reads. If God has declared chronological order, there is prophetic certainty instead of endless chaos and cancelling views. On the other hand, if God has not declared chronological order, everyone is permitted to define and create a prophetic order that accommodates his or her religious baggage. In fact, we see this process throughout Christianity today and the result is that there is no general agreement among Christians on the next prophetic event!
To resolve this problem, some church groups turn to external authority. This authority can be a founding father, a prophet or even church tradition. There is a simple test that determines if a person uses external authority. Present the Word of God and notice the result. Jesus did this and He was considered a blasphemer because the Jews exalted religious traditions above the Word of God! (See Mark 7:8,9.)
If God has not declared chronological order in the books of Daniel and Revelation, it becomes impossible to factually determine the next prophetic event. On the other hand, if there is chronological order we can determine what comes next. We have had twenty six centuries of prophetic sequence since the book of Daniel was written. Looking backwards from our day, the book of Daniel proves there is chronological order and the result is truly astonishing. This is good news because the final generation can know and understand a number of prophetic truths that previous generations could not discover! Remember, God’s greatest gift to the honest in heart is greater truth. During the Great Tribulation God will separate the honest in heart (His sheep) from those who worship tradition (the goats) through greater truth!
Avoiding Internal Conflict
As previously stated, “There are time periods in Daniel and Revelation where a day should be translated as a year (for example, the seventy weeks of Daniel 9 are translated into 490 years), but there are other time periods where translation is not permitted. For example, the 42 months in Revelation 13 and the 1,335 days in Daniel 12 are literal time periods. Because some time periods in prophecy are translated a day for a year and others are not, a valid rule is required to tell us when time periods should be translated and when they should not.”
If we use a faulty rule that requires every time period in Daniel and Revelation to be literal or a faulty rule that requires every time period to be translated as a day for a year, the Bible will be put in a position of internal conflict (inconsistency). In other words, the Bible will not be able to speak for itself because Rule One, which governs chronological order, will be found in conflict with Rule Four which governs timing!
A valid rule of interpretation cannot have an exception, for if it did, who would tell the world when the exception is permitted? Moreover, a valid rule will not force the Bible into a position of internal conflict. This point is emphasized because valid rules and valid conclusions are always in perfect harmony with God’s Word! Please consider a short demonstration. Look at the chronological order in the following prophecy. Rule One forces this prophecy to begin with Revelation 12:7 and it continues through Revelation 14:5. Remember, an apocalyptic prophecy is defined as having a beginning point and an ending point in time and the events within the prophecy must occur in the order given.
- Rev 12:7,12 (A.D. 30) – There was war in Heaven on Resurrection Sunday. Lucifer and his angels were cast out of Heaven a second time
- Rev 12:13,14 (538-1798) – Then, the dragon chased woman to the desert for 1,260 years (a time, times and half a time) According to Rule Four, this time period must be translated using a day for year because the Jubilee Calendar is in operation
- Rev 12:15,16 (1776 to the present) – Then, the Earth helped the God provided a place (the United States of America) where she could escape religious persecution.
- Rev 12:17 (1798 to the present) – When the 1,260 years ended and the woman had not been destroyed, the devil became furiou Knowing that he will be given one last chance, he is preparing for a massive assault on the remnant of the woman during the Great Tribulation.
- Rev 13:1 (Future) – When the world is reduced to ruins by God’s wrath (the first four trumpets), a beast with seven heads and ten horns will suddenly appea This beast will be a crisis government. This government will be created by the religious and political leaders of Earth for the purpose of appeasing God so that His wrath will cease. The seven heads represent the seven religious systems of the world. The head that was wounded in 1798 is the Roman Catholic Church. When this beast (also called Babylon) forms, the pope will be selected as its leader. This is how the head that received the deadly wound in 1798 will be healed.
- Rev 13:2-6 (Future) – Babylon (the crisis government) will be a hand-puppet of the The devil will use Babylon to persecute the remnant of the woman for 42 months. Rule Four says this time period is not translated because the Jubilee Calendar is not in operation. Therefore, the 42 months in Revelation 13:5 will be 42 literal months.
- Rev 13:7-10 (Future) – The saints will be conquered and defe Most of them will be killed or put in prison and all inhabitants of the Earth will obey the laws of Babylon – all that is, except the saints.
- Rev 13:11-18 (Future) – About two years after Babylon is created, the devil and his angels will be released from the Abyss to physically appear before the people of Earth during the fifth trumpet. (See Revelation 9:1-11.) During the sixth trumpet, the devil’s forces will kill a third of mankind (most, if not all of the 144,000 will be killed), set up a world-wide theocracy and implement the mark of the beast.
- Rev 14:1-5 (Future) – Then, the 144,000 will be resurrected at the seventh trumpet and taken to Heaven on the 1,265th day of the Great Tr They will be presented to God as the first fruits of the coming harvest.
The Four Rules of Apocalyptic Prophecy
When valid rules of interpretation are used, the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation will make sense just as they read, because the Bible is its own interpreter. On the other hand, a private interpretation requires an interpreter. An interpreter stands between the Bible and you whereas, valid rules produce the same meaning for everyone without a go-between. Consider the difference. A private interpretation prevents people from independently arriving at the same conclusion without the coaxing of an interpreter, but a valid set of rules enables people to arrive at a similar conclusion without knowing one another. Many Christians believe whatever their leaders say about prophecy without actually studying the conclusions for themselves. Lay people usually “go along” because their church endorses a particular view. Because the average
Christian does not study prophecy and the subject of Bible prophecy is complex and complicated, it is easier to follow the leader. Of course, the mysteries of Bible prophecy will vanish during the Great Tribulation because everyone will see the evidence of what is predicted in Bible prophecy. However, until the Great Tribulation begins, we need a set of valid rules to guide our prophetic faith. If our rules of interpretation are valid, the books of Daniel and Revelation will form a unified story. A comprehensive explanation of God’s ways will unfold in a drama that is in perfect harmony with all Scripture!
After several years of study and discovery, I am excited to present the four rules that have unlocked the books of Daniel and Revelation. These four rules cover four primary aspects of apocalyptic interpretation: Chronology, Fulfillment, Language and Timing. The four rules are:
- Each apocalyptic prophecy has a beginning and ending point in time and the events within each prophecy must occur in the order they are given.
- A fulfillment of apocalyptic prophecy occurs when all of the specifications within that prophecy are me This includes the order of events outlined in the prophecy.
- Apocalyptic language can be literal, symbolic, or ana To reach the intended meaning of a prophecy, the student must consider: (a) the context, (b) the use of parallel language in the Bible, and (c) relevant statements in the Bible that define that symbol if an element is thought to be symbolic.
- God measures apocalyptic time in two ways: (a) a day for a year, and (b) as literal time. The presence or absence of the Jubilee calendar (1437 B.C. – 1994) determines how prophetic timing is determined.
Note: For further study on Rule Four, please see:
https://www.wake-up.org/daystar/ds2000/Great%20Clocks.htm
If you would like to watch a series of video presentations on the Jubilee Calendar, please go to this link and scroll down about half way: http://www.wake-up.org/Videos/DanielVideos.htm
I hope you will test these four rules and observe their results. To help you get started, please view the seventeen prophecies in Daniel and Revelation which have been outlined in chart form according to Rule One at http://www.wake-up.org/Charts/TheChartBook.htm .
I also hope that as you examine the story that three things will happen to you. First, you need to get the bones (the prophetic events) in their proper place as the rules demand. Second, you need to see why God has chosen to go through the process as outlined because He predetermined it from the beginning. Finally, you need to see how Jesus will be revealed to the whole world (the revealing of all that Jesus is) without denominational attachment. When you see these three things synchronized, you will be changed as I have been changed!