Where do I start?

As I continue to talk to people about Prophecy and current events, I often get the question: “Where do I start?”

Actually, a lot of the time I don’t get the question, just a look on their face and in their eyes.

(I recognize it because I saw the same look in the mirror a few years back.)

It can be very overwhelming and when the tuning fork goes off inside you, the sense of urgency can be overwhelming as well.

There is so much out there on prophecy and so little time. It is important to have a strong / solid foundation on “how” to study prophecy and build discernment. Once you get started, it is amazing to feel the Holy Spirit take over and carry you along.

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First, I would start here:

Seven Things You Have to Know to Understand End Times Prophecy

This study will give you a good foundation on End Times Prophecy and its purpose.

It will also help address the two biggest obstacles we, as Christians, have in studying Bible Prophecy:

1) because it scares us, and

2) because it confuses us.

Jack Kelly has also written a book that expands on his initial article which I have summarized at the link above.

7 Things You Have to Know to Understand End Times Prophecy – ISBN: 9781619043985

The book covers the seven main areas:

1. The Sequence of the Major End Times Events

2. The Destiny of the Three Components of Humanity

3. The Purpose and Length of the Great Tribulation

4. The Purpose of the Rapture

5. The Conditions Surrounding the 2nd Coming

6. The Purpose and Length of the Millennium

7. Eternity

It also has a great appendix that covers additional core prophecy areas:

1. The Seventy Weeks of Daniel

2. The Battle of Ezekiel 38-39

3. Psalm 83

4. Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus

5. The Olivet Discourse

6. Defending The Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church

7. The Coming Temple

I have not found a better book that lays out a foundation of what we are seeing play out in today’s headlines in a more concise way (under 120 pages for all 14 areas listed above.) This is also a great book to handout to those who may not be as web savvy.

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After we have laid a solid foundation, there are some materials I would recommend in addition to online material.

Of the dozens and dozens of books that I have read and look at outside the Bible, there are a few that really sum up best what we need to understand and can help jump-start your understanding of where we really find ourselves these days.

(I actually purchase these and hand them out to friends and acquaintances when I can.)

So other than the Bible, which is were we need to take everything back to as the inerrant truth, there are a seven key resources I would suggest.

Key starter books:

1. 7 Things You Have to Know to understand End times prophecy – by Jack Kelly

2. Epicenter – by Joel C. Rosenberg (either 1.0 or 2.0)

3. The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days – by Mark Hitchcock

4. Charting the End Times – by Tim LaHaye & Thomas Ice

5. Ancient Church Fathers: What the Disciples of the Apostles taught – by Ken Johnson

6. Bankruptcy of our Nation – by Jerry Robinson

7. The Rapture – by Ken Johnson

You may ask: “Those are some pretty diverse topics?” Let me explain why I chose each, which may help focus your interest and where you should start.

7 Things You Have to Know to understand End Times prophecy – by Jack Kelly

(ISBN 9781619043985)

This book concisely lays the foundation of each key topic of end times prophecy. Look at it as a detailed overview of what each topic means and were it comes from in the Bible. It explains “how” you should go about studying prophecy. From there you will be able to expand each topic and search the web, other books and the Bible as Bereans to better understand God’s Prophetic Word (The Truth).

Epicenter – by Joel C. Rosenberg

(ISBN 1414311362)

This book introduces you to the “third lens of scripture”. A way to look at world events and headlines that shows you how God’s Word is being fulfilled right before our eyes. Once you start looking at events this way, it is amazing what we have missed. Most of us have truly been asleep!

The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days – by Mark Hitchcock

(ISBN 1414353731)

This would be the one stop shop and second/third book I would pickup. It is large but covers everything and is easily understood. It has lists of all the scripture for each prophecy area and explains the different views of prophecy so that you can discern for yourself what is the Truth.

Are we living in the End Times? by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

(ISBN 0842336443)

This book would be a fall back if you can’t afford or find Mark’s book The End. The book gives a great overview of end times prophecy, how the timeline lays out and the different viewpoints. It also does a good job linking the different scriptures together and references them so you can look them up yourself to check the context.

Charting the End Times – by Tim LaHaye & Thomas Ice

(ISBN 0736901388)

For those that are more visual learners, this book does a good job laying out everything in charts and timelines. It helps tie together all of the cross referencing that is done between the old testament and new testament. These prophecies are not just mentioned once but repeated throughout scripture. Once you see the ties and patterns, you will see the repeated messages God is proclaiming through His inspired Word of prophecy.

Ancient Church Fathers: What the Disciples of the Apostles taught – by Ken Johnson

(ISBN 1452868565)

This is an amazing book, Ken lays out (with their own words) what the Apostles and their disciples taught in the first century. He covers their early writing and ties together the relationships and timelines that proves what the early church believed and taught. A lot of the early church fathers works are available for free or for less than a dollar via Kindle. Fascinating reading!

Bankruptcy of our Nation by Jerry Robinson

(ISBN 089221693X)

This book gives a great outline of, as a country, where we are at financially. It gives a good overview of economics and our current system and then gives 12 things you should be doing today to prepare for the coming collapse, which is underway.

The Rapture – by Ken Johnson

(ISBN 144862763X)

Another great work by Ken Johnson that focuses specifically on the Rapture, its timing and the truth of the origins of the Blessed Hope. It was taught by our early church fathers in the first century before corruption began to divide the church. A short and concise book.

The Bible

Personal Favorite – NASB (ISBN 0310936071) or NKJV (ISBN 1418542547)

This is the ultimate book. The Word of God for his people. I have listed a few versions that I like since they give headings for sections within each chapters. (That seems like a small thing, but it makes reading the bible SO much easier.)

This is where we should bring anything we hear back to, to verify if it matches God’s word. Whether it is from a website, a book or our minister. Jesus said be watchful so you are not deceived! It is the age of deception we live in today, be watchful so you are not misled.

Other Books that I would recommend:

Ancient Prophecy Revealed: 500 Prophecies Listed in Order of When they were Fulfilled – by Ken Johnson – (ISBN 143825346X)

The PreTrib Rapture – by Fred DeRuvo – (ISBN 0982644302)

Things to Come – by J Dwight Pentecost – (ISBN 0310308909)

Are we living in the end times? – by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins – (ISBN 0842336443)

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Additional Foundation Articles and Studies:

Breaking down the Book of Revelation

Believe In The One He Has Sent

Saved From The Worst But Kept From The Best?

Who Are The Overcomers?

Understanding the Olivet Discourse Parables Part I