The literal-minded prophecy interpreters ignore God’s Spiritual Language entirely. They have created the idea that God will suddenly change the physical and spiritual principles of creation due to their literal bias. The physical and spiritual worlds have a lot in common. The following comparison of the two universes shows how God frequently employs symbolic language:
Physical World |
Spiritual World |
| Jesus comes down from the sky | Jesus is a Spirit. Only His Spirit comes from above |
| Jesus comes down with angels | Jesus will be supported by faithful believers. His earthly fearless believers are true angels |
| Every eye shall see Him | Every eye in the spirit shall see Him |
| He will ride on clouds | His glory will be concealed by illusions |
| He will take the true believers to heaven | He will take the spirit of true believers to heaven |
| He will kill the nonbelievers | Those who deny him, commit spiritual suicide, by their own choice, they deprive themselves of everlasting life. |
| The earth will be destroyed | The old order will be destroyed |
| A new sun will emerge | A new Redeemer will shine |
| The stars shall fall | The religious leaders who deny Him shall fall from grace |
| A new Jerusalem will descend from heaven | A new, heavenly civilization will be established. God’s Kingdom on earth will become a reality |
| The dead will rise out of their graves | Those who recognize the new Redeemer will come alive. They will be born again |
| The dead in Christ will rise first | Those who kill their ego in Christ will be the first to gain new spiritual life |
| There will be war between the forces of Christ and those of Antichrist | There will be a war of words between the new believers and those who rise against our Lord |
The Role of Prophecy Interpreters In Both Advents
Both Jews and Christians who take prophecy literally have changed both the laws of nature and the principles that govern God’s relationship with people. They did this without being given any authority. This admonition has been disobeyed by Christians:
No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.
-2 Peter 1:20
Would you follow those who disregard the Bible as a devout Christian? The design of God’s creation is faultless. Neither the laws of nature nor the nature of God’s relationship with humans will ever alter.
We are spiritually created in the image of God. That is a picture that will never alter. The spirit of those who lived during Jesus’ lifetime is identical to that of those who live today. Any deviation from the original design of creation indicates that the design and the laws that govern it are flawed.
Religious Leaders Are Responsible for Preparing Christians
Jesus entrusted the task of training Christians to those in charge of His household, primarily religious leaders, in the Parable of the Householder. Those in charge, however, face a number of challenges. For starters, the vast majority of them are unaware of the situation. Second, they, like the Jewish authorities in the first Advent, are unprepared. How can individuals who don’t know or aren’t prepared be expected to inform and prepare others? So, who is going to be the one to prepare Christians? Who is responsible for informing and preparing whom? There is no one on the scene. That is why we have stepped forward to take on a role that belongs solely to Christian leaders. We consider it a privilege and a source of pride to be able to accomplish what Christian leaders are unable to. What an honor it is to prepare Christians for a message that previous generations have waited for over 2000 years.
Who really understands the meaning of prophecies?
Let’s say you’re looking for a home in the city. However, there is only one error in the address: you have the wrong street or house number. Are you able to locate the residence? Let’s say you’re looking for a house and you turn right or left 99 times correctly, except for the last one. Are you able to locate the residence? If a Bible expert you believe makes just one mistake in interpreting prophesies, the same rule applies. That is why no one has the authority to interpret the prophecies according to the Bible. That is exactly what has kept the Jews from acknowledging our Lord. To Christians, the Jewish example should serve as a wake-up call. Why shouldn’t it happen to Christians if it occurred to them?
You could spend your entire life reading Christian experts’ prophecy books. Do you think your reading will assist you in getting one step closer to your goal? Why? They are on the incorrect street and have the wrong address. They have abandoned God’s Way in favor of their own.
A Rare Admission by the Great Theologian of the Last Century
Do you still have doubts about the deceptive function of prophecy interpreters, whom Jesus refers to as “false prophets”? If you’re still not convinced, consider the words of “the outstanding theologian of a century,” as quoted by Dr. James Kennedy, another distinguished theologian:
“The great Princeton theologian of the last century, Dr. Charles Hodge, said something which I have always thought is worth remembering. He said that though the Old Testament is filled with some 333 prophecies concerning the first coming of Christ. In spite of that, nobody got it right. And as you know, they crucified Christ because of a misunderstanding about what the Messiah was really coming to do. And we should because of that be somewhat humbled and modest in our attempts to interpret prophecies concerning the second coming of Christ. It is quite possible that all of us [leaders] are wrong as well.”
Not only is “it is quite possible that all Christian leaders are wrong,” it is absolutely inevitable that they are wrong. Why? Because they have no authority to interpret any prophecy:
No prophecy of Scripture is of private personal interpretation.
-II Peter 1:20
Make no premature judgment, wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness.
-I Corinthians 4:5
Do you need any more proof that prophecy experts’ personal interpretations, such as anticipating Jesus to return with millions of armed angels to wage war against those who do not believe in God and Jesus, are based on unapproved minds?
Take a look at a book by Dr. Robert Lightner, a theology professor at a well-known Christian university who has attempted to play the role of peacemaker among prophecy interpreters, to learn a well-kept secret about the absolute disarray among prophecy interpreters. He portrays the most well-known Bible prophecy specialists in this way:
“Honest differences will always exist as long as there are two people around, but differences and disagreements develop into open warfare when slander of people and views, unsupportable accusations, judgments of motives, name-calling, and insinuations are used against those with whom we differ. When this happens, Christian principles are discarded and carnality rules the day… Adherents of each of the views of the future events [prophecies] are guilty of unfairness.”
-Page 98 of the Last Days Handbook
Dr. Lightner says that in order to restore peace among prophecy warriors,
There is simply no place in the family of God for name calling, false accusation, slander, evil insinuations, and the guilty-by-association technique. God forgive us all for such sins.
-Page 109 of the Last Days Handbook
Were you aware of the vast divisions and animosities that exist among prophecy interpreters? Would you trust such prophesy fighters with your decision to accept or reject our Lord? Would you ignore a thousand predictions that bring you to the exact spot where you want to land if our Lord fulfilled them all? What are your options? Would you heed the muddled instructions given to you by muddled prophecy interpreters and church leaders?
Let’s wrap out this section with a look at possibly the most meaningful and beautiful short narrative ever told: The Parable of the Bridegroom and the Young Bride Maids.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Believers
This short fable is chock-full with nuggets of wisdom. It alone demonstrates that Jesus could not have unearthed the secret jewels on His own. They could only have come from the One He referred to as “My Father in Heaven.” Before reading the facts that follow, read it several times and try to identify and list all of the lessons it includes. Put your spiritual treasure-hunting skills to the test:
The Bridegroom and the Virgins’ Parable
At midnight the cry rang out: Here is the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him…Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “ Later the others also came, ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’” “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
-Matthew 25:6, 10-13
Now list briefly all the lessons you have discovered in this parable. The primary goal of this story is to make us aware of the crucial role of “knowledge” in recognizing our Lord’s second coming. It has all of the information we require about him. Consider the following points, then compare your list to this one:
- To know Jesus we need wisdom, not excellent eyes or far-reaching eyesight.
- Wisdom is such an all-encompassing virtue, it cannot be defined. It can be recognized only by its consequence.
- Wisdom is the virtue that guides us to make the best decision, to choose the best. In this parable “oil” symbolizes wisdom. Just as the light of the sun illuminates the world, so does the list of “oil of wisdom” illuminate the soul. Imagine the consequences of living in total darkness.
What choices will we confront if wisdom is the virtue that helps us to make the optimal decision? Accepting or rejecting our Lord is the choice. What part can “choice” play if Jesus came from the sky, lifted the true believers to heaven, and then executed all the non-believers, as literal-minded scholars believe?
What is the first and most important component of wisdom? What can keep the light of wisdom alive? What else is there to gain besides knowledge? Is it possible for someone who is illiterate to be wise? Knowledge permits the “oil of wisdom” to burn and generate light, just as air does.