How to Study
Prophecy
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Let's pray together before beginning this lesson:
Our Father,
You have taught us the important part that Bible prophecy plays in the life of the
Christian. Therefore we are anxious to probe the content of this prophecy.
We also know that Your Word can teach us the precise way to tackle Bible prophecy, in
order to properly understand its meaning.
May Your Holy Spirit guide us, so that our study of prophecy bears good fruit. In Jesus
Christ, we pray.
Amen.
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Isaiah 29:11
The whole vision has become to you like the words of a
book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying,
«Read this, please»;
and he says,
«I cannot, for it is sealed.»
We frequently meet people who have glanced at Bible prophecies, and then have
closed the book after only a few seconds, saying that these prophecies just cannot be
understood...
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Habakkuk 2:2
Then the Lord answered me and said: «Write the vision
and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.»
Revelation 22:10
And he said to me, «Do not seal the words of the
prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.»
Nevertheless, the Word of God states positively that prophecy may well and
truly be understood!
All we need is to put into practice the counsels the Bible gives us, in order to
study prophecy in an effective way.
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John 16:13
When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, (...) He will
tell you things to come.
1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
First point to remember, to study prophecy in an effective way: we have to get
on to the Holy Spirit's wavelength, since He inspired prophecy.
But, in concrete terms, what does it require of us?
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Daniel 10:12
Then he said to me,
«Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and
to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your
words.»
For example, let us consider the prophet Daniel, to illustrate what it means to
get on to the Holy Spirit's wavelength.
Here the angel tells Daniel that his burning desire to understand and his humility give
him access to the interpretation of the prophetic dream God gave him.
The student of prophecy must therefore show an open-minded attitude.
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Isaiah 29:11,13
The whole vision has become to you like the words of a
book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, «Read this,
please»; and he says, «I cannot, for it is sealed.» (...)
Therefore the Lord said: «Inasmuch as these people draw near to Me with their mouths and
honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward
Me is taught by the commandment of men.»
The student of prophecy must also develop and maintain a rich relationship with
God, otherwise the vision will remain sealed to his eyes.
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John 7:17
If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning
the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
A humble and open-minded attitude will bring the student of prophecy to
acknowledge his inability to understand the Scriptures' meaning on his own. This attitude
will also drive him to establish a strong relationship with God.
And then, this genuine relationship will bring the student to seek to do God's will. This
is how he will distinguish himself from «the natural man», and then be able to
understand prophecy which is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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Daniel 9:22,23
[Gabriel] talked with me, and said,
«O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you,
for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.»
When we admit that we need God's help to understand the meaning of prophecy,
then we just have to ask God for this help.
Let's note the important part which Daniel's prayer played: «At the
beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you...»
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1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be
serious and watchful in your prayers.
Mark 13:33
Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the
time is.
The importance of prayer, linked with the study of prophecy, or in the context
of the end times, is often emphasized in the Bible.
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Isaiah 8:19,20
And when they say to you,
«Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter»,
should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is
because there is no light in them.
And, of course, since only God knows the future, our prayers must be addressed
to God, and to God alone.
If some people say otherwise, «there is no light in them».
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1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing,
because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as
the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in
you who believe.
Our success in studying prophecy also depends upon our attitude toward the
Bible.
We must believe that this Book is really the Word of God, and as such, we must be willing
to conform our life to its teachings, to put into practice what is written in it.
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Acts 17:11
[The Jews from Berea] were more fair-minded than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Just like the Jews from Berea, we must retain the Scriptures as our only
infallible reference, our only source of truth.
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Revelation 22:18,19
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the
prophecy of this book:
«If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this
book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are
written in this book.»
We must study prophecy with the greatest respect for the integrity of the Word
of God.
We must avoid putting aside any portion whatever, even if its content displeases us or
confronts us.
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Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also
will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those
who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
The study of prophecy will also require perseverance: perseverance in
our relationship with God, and also in our obedience to God.
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Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may
have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Acts 5:32
And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is
the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.
But why be obedient to God?
In order to demonstrate our sincere desire to follow God, but also because it is God's
condition for granting us the continuous presence of His Holy Spirit, who will guide our
study.
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2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of
any private interpretation.
Now that we know which attitude the student of prophecy must adopt, let's see
some of the keys needed to unlock its content.
Key number 1: We must let Bible prophecy interpret itself.
In fact, many people fall into the trap of giving a personal interpretation of prophecy,
without any strong biblical basis. Yet the Word of God itself provides us with the key to
its own symbolism.
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Revelation 17:1
Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot
who sits on many waters.
Revelation 17:15
And he said to me, «The waters which you saw, where the
harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.»
For example, let's look at the prophecy describing a harlot sitting on waters.
A few verses later, the Bible clearly explains what the waters symbolize.
There is therefore no place for arbitrary human interpretation!
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Daniel 8:5,7
A male goat came from the west (...); and the goat had a
notable horn between his eyes. (...)
[He] attacked the ram, and broke his two horns.
Daniel 8:20,21
The ram which you saw, having the two horns, they are the
kings of Media and Persia.
And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the
first king.
Another example: what do the ram, the goat and his large horn symbolize?
Here again, the Word of God gives us a very precise answer.
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2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
Isaiah 28:10
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.
Key number 2: The whole Bible is essential for the study of prophecy.
We must be like detectives, always on the look-out for clues which could be hidden
anywhere in the Word of God, «here a little, there a little».
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Psalm 73:16,17
When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful
for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God.
Key number 3: Prophetic symbolism often refers to the sanctuary, to its
articles, and to the religious services that were performed in it.
So it will be important to familiarize ourselves with this subject, otherwise it will be
difficult to understand many aspects of prophecy.
To illustrate this, the following verses, all taken from the book of Revelation, show the
liberal mention of the sanctuary and the things related to it.
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In his vision of heaven, John often saw the articles of the sanctuary:
«I saw seven golden lampstands.» (REVELATION 1:12)
«There were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.» (REVELATION 4:5)
«Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. And he was
given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the
golden altar.» (REVELATION 8:3)
«Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His
temple.» (REVELATION 11:19)
«After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony
in heaven was opened.» (REVELATION 15:5)
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Jeremiah 51:29
The land will tremble and sorrow; for every purpose of
the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation
without inhabitant.
Revelation 14:8
Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because
she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Key number 4: Prophetic symbolism also refers to the places found in the Old
Testament.
The litteral and local dramas which happened in those places become symbolic and universal
in prophecy.
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1 Kings 21:25
But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do
wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
Revelation 2:20
Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you
allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and beguile My servants
to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Key number 5: Prophetic symbolism also refers to the characters of the Old
Testament, to their attitude toward God, to their past deeds.
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Revelation 4:4
Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the
thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting.
Revelation 21:17
Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four
cubits.
Revelation 14:1
And behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one
hundred forty-four thousand.
Key number 6: In prophecy, numbers express more than just a quantity.
All the numbers above, 24, 144 and 144000, are multiples of 12. Now, 12 is a number
playing an important part in the Bible. We will have to study it.
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Hebrews 5:13,14
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in
the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
And finally, key number 7: We must study simple prophecies first, then
complex ones.
In fact, another common mistake is to jump immediately to prophecies rich in symbols,
without having understood the meaning of simpler prophecies that actually serve as basis
for the more complex prophecies.
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John 16:12
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot
bear them now.
The principle «from the simple to the complex» is so important that
it is one of the touchstones of this prophecy study guide.
This is why we insist so much that you go through the lessons in the suggested order,
going as far as to set up a system verifying your understanding in order to encourage you
to follow this principle.
What would you think of a man who builds a house beginning with the roof and ending with
the foundations...?
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2 Peter 3:15,16
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is
salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has
written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which
are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to
their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
The Word of God is clear: an untaught and unstable person can, knowingly or
not, twist the meaning of the Scriptures, among which prophecy...
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2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God.
2 Timothy 2:15
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker
who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
... but the student who shows an attitude that gets him on to the Holy Spirit's
wavelength, and who has the keys which open the doors of Bible prophecy, will discover the
truth.
He will then be able to share it with others.
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Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of
this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
May we apply all the elements of this lesson, in order to realize one of the
most satisfying studies ever in the fascinating world of Bible prophecy!
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Let's end this lesson by thanking God:
Father,
We come near You, grateful for this Holy Book You gave us. Not only it holds the precious
prophetic word, but also the keys which enable us to probe its content.
However we know that we must also adopt an attitude that gets us on to the Holy Spirit's
wavelength, in order to understand prophecy.
This is why we humbly ask you to accomplish this work within us, replacing our heart of
stone with a heart of flesh willing to follow You always, even to the end.
In Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Source of the Pictures of this Lesson
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21710031.JPG. Screen 2: EASTMAN, Bryant. In: «Signs of
the Times» (May 1990), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.5. Screen 3:
Photo by P. BLEECKX. In: «Le Moniteur», Pacific Press Publishing Association, First
Quarter, 1999, front cover. Screen 4: Comstock Photo Library, London. In:
«Revelation» (LORIE, Peter), Simon & Schuster, Labyrinth Publishing Ltd, 1994, p.75.
Screen 5: BOWER, Maurice. In: «The Living Bible Encyclopedia in Story and
Pictures, vol.4», New York, H.S. Stuttman Co. Inc., 1968, 484-c. Screen 6: In:
«The Watchtower» magazine (February 1, 1990), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.3.
Picture edited by Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 7: EASTMAN, Bryant. In:
«Signs of the Times» (May 1990), Pacific Press Publishing Association, p.2.
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Press Publishing Association, 1964, p.151. Screen 9: Photo by TAYLER, B.
et H. Armstrong ROBERTS. In: «Adventist Review» (April 1996), Review and Herald
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John. In: «Votre Bible et vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Pacific Press Publishing
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Harry. In: «The Triumph of God's Love, volume 1» (WHITE, Ellen G.), Pacific Press
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Screen 15: SCHLAIKJER, Jes. In: «Votre Bible et vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.),
Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1978, p.103. Screen 16: Photo by
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Association, p.15. Screen 17: MANISCALCO, Joe. In: «Images from the
Bible and Sacred History CD», Chosen Works, MLI Software, JM246.BMP. Screen 18:
STEEL, John. In: «God Cares, vol.1» (MAXWELL, C.Mervyn), Pacific Press Publishing
Association, 1981, p.150. Screen 19: Table by EASTMAN, Bryant. Unknown
source. Screen 20: HEASLIP, William. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bible Book»
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Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1978, p.100. Screen 22: BONDOL,
Jean et Nicolas DE BATAILLE, c.1373-81. «Babylon invaded by demons». Tapestry. Musée
des Tapisseries, Angers, France. In: «Revelation - Art of the Apocalypse» (GRUBB,
Nancy), Abeville Press Publishers, 1997, p.57. Screen 23: BOWER, Maurice.
In: «The Living Bible Encyclopedia in Story and Pictures, volume 3», New York, H.S.
Stuttman Co. Inc., 1968, p.336-c. Screen 24: Picture taken from the Web
site: http://bc.sympatico.ca/Features/Hockey96/verdict_.html. Screen 25:
In: «The Watchtower» magazine (June 15, 1985), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.9.
Screen 26: TILL, Peter. The Image Bank. In: «La Pure Vérité» magazine (August
1994), Worldwide Church of God, p.15. Screen 27: In: «La Tour de Garde»
magazine (November 15, 1989), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.7.Picture modified by
Cyberspace Ministry. Screen 28: NYE, Vernon. In: «Uncle Arthur's Bedtime
Stories, vol.2» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Review and Herald Publishing Association and
Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1976, p.98. Screen 29: FETI,
Domenico (1589-1623). «Moses Before the Burning Bush», Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
In: «Great Bible Stories and Master Paintings» (RACHLEFF, Owen S.), New York, Abradale
Press Publishers, p.78. Table of Screen 29: McGARY, Norman. «The I AM
Project», Image #12. Picture taken from thw Web site:
http://www.webservants.com/story/4.html. Screen 30: In: «The
Watchtower» magazine (June 1, 1986), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, p.1.
Table of Screen 30: In: «Votre Bible et Vous» (MAXWELL, Arthur S.), Press
Publishing Association, front cover. Screen 31: Follower of TITIAN.
«Tobias and the Archangel Raphael», Galleria dell' Accademia, Venise. In: «The Art of
Angels» (LOXTON, Howard), Regency House Publishing Limited, 1995, p.51. Screen
32: Photo by FITZPATRICK, Gerald. Longstock Water Gardens. In: «Doctor's
Review» (August 1999), p.30.
Any copyrighted images not bearing a statement of permission, are used
for the purpose of non-commercial scholarly commentary or criticism in accordance with section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law, and with article 29 of Canada Copyright Act (Chapter C-42), which by
law can be without the consent or endorsement of the copyright holder. Images lacking
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The test of Lesson 3 is waiting for you!