This Post is the central source of all materials we’re considering and it will grow as we expand details of our curriculum. Click on the links below for each part’s details.
Our travels have brought us to a study of prophetic Scripture, beginning with Dr. Paul Benware’s Understanding End Times Prophesy: A Comprehensive Approach. As new students of the topic we appreciated Dr. Benware’s approach because he didn’t begin by promoting the Millennial order of End Times he concludes are true to the Word, but allowed for an honest investigation to the other major lines of thought. This is not to say he or we believe the theologies that don’t agree with a plain reading of Scripture are correct, but they are considered through their conclusions to weigh their possible validity. Benware does conclude on the Apostolic view of reading Scripture literally (more on that topic below), irrevocable and unilateral Covenants to the Jews, the pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church, Daniel’s 70th Week of the Tribulation, Christ’s Second Advent beginning His 1000 year Millennial Reign, the White Throne Judgment of those not His and their removal to the Lake of Fire, and the destruction of Creation with the replacement with the New Jerusalem. Benware’s book is but a subset of his large body of knowledge, but is a terrific introduction to the topic.
A couple years later we became aware of the extensive works of Pastor Clarence Larkin, a Baptist active during the turn of the 20th century whose writings and illustrated works influenced countless Pastors. Larkin was a contemporary of Moody, who promoted Larkin’s works through the Moody Bible Institute. We’re finding his work to be very extensive and thorough, as he being a trained mechanical Draftsman before coming to Jesus, producing an extensive set of illustrations to help students understand many important details of Scripture. Larkin’s book, The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture shows the understanding of a classically educated theologian and brings incredible new perspective to contemporary Christians. Larkin wasn’t a magical source of hidden Bible truths, but was a Bible student, Pastor and Teacher who’s depth of Scriptural awareness was expressed through his writings and beautiful illustrations. His work is foundational to teachers today, with the interesting perspective of a Pre-National Israel – which per Scripture proved accurate up to this time. He was aware of the Zionist Movement taking shape about 40 years prior but it wouldn’t materialize for another 30 years.
Resource Links
- BOOKS
- Benware: Understanding End Times Prophesy: A Comprehensive Approach
- Benware: A Quick Reference Guide to End Times Prophecy
- Larkin: The Book of Revelation: A Study of the Last Prophetic Book of Holy Scripture
- Wilmington Alliterated Outline of the Bible
- VIDEO
- The Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia – Following Luther’s 97 Theses on October 31, 1517 an unstoppable series of events would result in not only the Reformation, but also the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), ending with Peace at Westphalia of October 1648.
- RESOURCES
- Larkin Revelation Table of Contents – Larkin’s summary outline of all passages of Revelation, from his book.
- Clarence Larkin – The Perspective of Prophecy, with Notes – The downloads at the bottom of the post are his illustration explaining the Book of Revelation, and our current Excel lookup table placing the Scripture within a corresponding event column.
- Clarence Larkin Illustrations – Here are downloadable links of many of Larkin’s extensive library of excellent illustrations. His Estate offers all 178.
- Benware – Summarized Chapters, Interpreting Bible Prophesy – an abbreviated selection of Benware’s Understanding End Times Prophesy: A Comprehensive Approach. It has been excerpted as a summary review for those who’ve studied the whole chapters. Footnote numbers remain. To see references, refer to the original book.
- Benware: An Overview of Future Events – Benware’s summary of the next and imminent events we wait for. A table of relevant Scripture aligned with the timeline is included at the end.
- Benware – The Distinction Between the Events of the Rapture and the Second Coming – The next time Jesus returns for the Church is a very different event than when He appears back to the people of Earth.
- Benware – Views Concerning The End Times – A comparison of End Times Theologies
- Benware – A Comparison of Contracts and Covenants – The differences between a contract and a covenant are vitally important; See why.
- How Jesus Broke His Church Free of the Pope: The Evolution of the Church (1450-1648) – Gutenberg’s Press, Luther’s 95 Theses, The Reformation, The Peace at Augsburg, The Thirty Years’ War, and The Peace of Westphalia – This brief survey of the highpoints leaves an impression of great sin, great reformative devotion, and God’s much greater devotion to seeing His plans to the End.
- Is the Bible you have today an exact copy of the original writings? – Is the Bible you have today an exact copy of the original writings? Perhaps a good answer is while not a flawless reproduction, it is by God’s Volition, sufficient towards Salvation and edification.
- An Overview of the Historic Seven Church Periods – Jesus clearly addresses the seven distinct Churches in Rev 2:1 – 3:22. Additionally, our study is considering a comparative and possibly prophetic parallel to the Church Ages as well.
- Scripture and Prophesy – Understanding, Error, and Its Effect on the Church – This manuscript is a Biblical Apologetic to the Church, Her leaders and Her disciples.
- The Dispensations of God’s Covenants – As with the consequences of a literal vs allegorical approach to prophetic Scripture arrives at very different conclusions, so too are Dispensations and Covenants a great rudder to the eschatological ship.