The ESSENTIALS of Prophetic Interpretation...

The sentence above is the title of a lesson written by Dr. Ernest L. Martin several years ago. Since we are dealing with tomorrow's news -- TODAY, I thought it would be a help, and of interest, to present this important key to understanding.

In looking at Dr. Martin's site today, I saw a list of audio subjects that interested me. So, I listened to part of one, which sparked this particular blog post. On the audio David Sielaff, the present director of ASK, was being interviewed about the topic of civil wars in the Middle East. One of his comments stood out to me. And, in fact, it is what I call a typical comment when it comes to talking about tomorrow's news before it happens. To paraphrase him, he said, in essence, "we don't know WHEN these things will occur...". Yet, that is exactly what the Scriptures are about... WHEN.

So far as I can find out, no one else has called tomorrow's news on a live TV program before it happened. My wife and I have been blessed to have done this several times. And, that is what makes what we do different. We don't just tell folks WHAT is going to happen, we do the one thing others can't do. We tell them the WHEN. And, strangely, Dr. Martin is one of the sources that gave me the clue to how this is done.

Because of that, I have presented the breakdown years of "this generation". For those new to the site, the years are broken down this way: There are four sections in the chronology of "this generation". They are, 5 1/2 years, 7 years, 14 years and the final 7 years.

For your information, the first 5 1/2 years are over, done, gone. We have completed them. It was within that first section that Sept. 11, 2001 occured. Right now we are in the middle of the second section, the 7 years. This section will end on the last day of March, 2011. Then, beginning with April of that same year, the third section will begin, the 14 year period. Finally, will come the last section, section 4, the final 7 years.

There you have the chronologic outline of what faces us now in this exciting time.

The years that begin each section are "benchmark" years. They are not set in total stone. That is, IF a specific event expected happens, let's say, two years before expected, then the whole outline will move forward or backward two years. The outline won't change, but the beginning and ending points will. IF an event expected happens when expected, then the outline will not change. Thus, it is through these benchmark years that we can adjust what we know, and refine what we know, to become more accurate.

Having said that, let me quote for you from Dr. Martin's course on "benchmarks". In the past he gave me written permission to reproduce his works, AND to change only the titles and Names of the Father and Son. With, of course, Dr. Martin being acknowledged as the author of the main material. So, here is the quote. And, if you have any interest at all in these matters, I suggest you pay close attention.

There are literally hundreds of prophetic events described throughout the biblical revelation, but none of them can be understood unless two factors are taken into account. One needs to know WHERE the prophetic occurrences are destined to take place, and it is equally important that one knows WHEN they are scheduled by the Father to happen. Thus, we are once again brought back to the importance of Geography and Chronology...

Of the two factors just mentioned the most important is (without doubt) the chronological aspect. [i.e. the WHEN]

This is because one must be assured that the time period for the happening of prophetic phenomena is clearly understood before one can hope to grasp the real meanings of the prophecies themselves. Note that the last request made by the apostles of the Messiah just before His crucifixion on the Mount of Olives was to give them a knowledge of WHEN Jerusalem and the Temple were to be destroyed and WHAT was the sign of His second advent (Matt.24:3) The Messiah then named a series of traumatic events (verses 5-7) followed by the use (in a simple consecutive sense) of a number of adverbs all denoting 'time' -- chronological occasions. [i.e. the WHEN]

Note the 'then' in verse 9, 'then' in verse 14 followed by the 'when' in 15. In verse 16 He repeats 'then,' in 21, 23, 30 He again says 'then.' In verse 32 He says 'when' and finally in verse 33 with: "When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation {the generation which sees all these things} shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only' Matt. 24:33-36.

Even though the exact day or hour cannot be known by any man, there are still a number of chronological indications given by the Messiah in the Olivet Prophecy that can help all the people living in THAT GENERATION of the end to know the general time schedule of events leading up to that second advent. The 'key' to everything is to comprehend chronological BENCHMARKS that are associated with the prophetical circumstances.

Before going on, I would like to mention a major mistake that most make in reading Matt. 24:33-36. And, even here Dr. Martin, I feel, made the same mistake. That is, he says, as does virtually every Bible teacher out there that the Messiah says we cannot know the day or hour of these events He talks about in Mt. 24. But, upon close reading that is not what is being said. Let me show you...

First, we need to realize that the above was written in 1991, or earlier, by Dr. Martin. At that time he did not have some of the information we have today. No one at that time knew about the above outline of years I've shown you. And, certain events had not happened, such as Sept. 11, 2001.

Now, let's look at what the Messiah actually said about knowing exact times, or, "then's" and "when's". First, He concluded His statement about "this generation" by giving us another TIME clue, or benchmark. He said, "This generation shall NOT pass, TILL all these things be fulfilled." Right? That is a time claim. Whenever these things start, we know they will only last for ONE generation. That is a TIME frame, my friends. A "benchmark" if you will.

Secondly, read His statement closely.

"But of THAT DAY and HOUR knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father ONLY."

WHAT DAY?

Everybody JUMPS backward to the part they want it to refer to, but they don't read the part of the statement the comment actually refers to. What is that? A specific DAY. WHAT day?

The DAY "Heaven and earth shall pass away"...!!!!

Go back and read the whole thing yourself. Or, get out your Bible, and read it for yourself.

That is a totally different DAY. That DAY is way in the future AFTER the Messiah returns and the new millennium occurs. In no way is that talking about the events during "this generation" leading up to the return of the Messiah.

As Dr. Martin says, all during His discourse, Yahshua tells us the "then's" and "when's" of events during "this generation", the last generation before His return. Then, He explains how certain His words are about these events. He says, His words are so secure and infallible that they would not pass away until heaven and earth passed away, which is a DAY only the Father knows the WHEN of. And, yes, there is a day coming sometime after the millennium when the heavens and earth will "pass away" and be renewed. We don't and can't know when that day is. But, we can and do know when the events the Messiah talked about will occur.

We have the benchmark years now. And, we will continue to keep you, our readers, updated.