A Basic Teaching
Of The Word Of God (for the novice)

study of the actual word of God.  it’s just that so many have spent years in exhaustive study and beginners in their walk often have so many basic questions that many could have explained to them simply, then allowing them to delve into deeper truths.

let me also say that everything herein is simply my understanding of things and should not be taken as gospel.  everyone should search the scriptures for themselves, confirming and establishing it in their own hearts.

the word of God was given to us with strict adherence to accuracy and continuity over the space of mankind.  while translations may vary in accuracy, the original hebrew and greek do not.

one might ask, “why were the jewish people chosen above all others?” the truth is, it’s not the jewish people that were chosen.  it was one man who chose to believe God and trust in what He says.  it was through that one man the jewish nation was built.
God has called them a stiff necked people and punished them when they rebelled and bless them when they obeyed.

through the Jewish people He began to write the history of His great plan for mankind.  Most believe God has a seven thousand year plan for dealing with mankind.

there were two thousand years without any law.  there were two thousand years under the law.  then we are all now under two thousand years of the age of grace.  it will be followed by a one thousand year rule of Jesus Christ on earth, showing everyone how it was meant to be from the beginning.

some will delight in His ways while others will still prefer the darkness. therefore there will be a final battle between good and evil at the end of His thousand year reign. it’s called the battle of armageddon.  most people have heard of that.  

of course, God will win and all those who have sided with the darkness will be doomed to ever live in it.  the others, who have sided with God, will be blessed and live with Him forever in eternity.

the whole sin mess began with adam and eve choosing to disobey God.  it seemed like a simple command to break, but once rebellion entered the heart of mankind - well, you see where we are now.

the whole old testament story is a type and shadow of things that will fulfill coming events.  perhaps explaining it better - showing the future through the lives of people.
the old testament might seem as though God were hard and difficult when we look at current days, an age of grace and forgiveness.

they had to live under the law, given law with good intent but to show us it was impossible to fulfill.  they tried down to the letter of the law and in so doing they forgot the intended spirit of the law.

“for the law was given through moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” john 1:17  Christ came to redeem and accomplish what man could not.  every year they had to sacrifice a perfect lamb to cover their sins for the next year.  Jesus Christ came as the perfect lamb of God - dying only once to forgive all sins forever for those who would just believe. 

that’s only one exanple of the new testament fulfilling the old testament type and shadow. you see, “according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” hebrews 9:22

the old testament is full of type and shadow; some being fulfilled only once and some being fulfilled in multiple ways and times.  some say 30% of scripture is prophecy while others indicate it all is, some fulfilled already others await fulfillment.

eschatology is the study of end times.  we have been living in the end times since Jesus was crucified two thousand years ago.  if one were doing a countdown clock, i would say we were down to the last seconds.

we often think God is slow in His promises.  “but, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 peter 3:8

while i believe one should begin their study with the book of john for salvation, daniel is a good book for the end times.

the book of daniel says, “seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.” dan 9:24

the 70th week was delayed for the two thousand years of grace we are now in.  as this age ends, the 70th week will begin.  it is called the time of jacob”s trouble; jacob being the nation of israel.

but it will not be jacob’s trouble alone.  it shall “shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” rev 3:10

Jesus has promised to deliver us from the wrath to come in revelation.  this is the revelation Jesus gave His servant of the end times and what all would happen.  it too is writen in type and shadow and has caused confusion to many.

the body of Christ has differing views of when that saving will occur.  it is also called the great tribulation.  our saving from it is called the rapture.  some believe in pre-trib - some in mid-trib - some in post trib.

while people understand from scripture what they believe in, i am firmly in the pre-trib rapture.

there are two noted places in scripture where  God dealt harshly with mankind-mirroring the end times; the days of noah and the days of lot.

it also says, ‘and as it was in the days of noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. likewise as it was also in the days of lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that lot went out of sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” luke 17:26-30

i just cannot believe men will  be buying and selling and living as normal  after seven years of tribulation like the world has never known.

while scripture tells there will be a second coming of Jesus to finish out the first, many believe in an intermediate coming when He will not come back all the way to earth, but just in the heavens to call home those that are His.  

Jesus said, “let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. in My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” john 14:1-3  this would be the pre-trib rapture.

many also believe it to be imminent - very soon.  i am among them.  Jesus scolded the people of His day because they could read the seasons and yet couldn’t read the time of His coming.

most people get hung up on the scripture, “but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” matt 24:36  they fail to read the times and seasons.  all of us who anticipate His soon coming have watched and missed many times when we thought it would happen.  we are in watch time again, knowing that someday it will be the day; watch time indicating a fulfillment also of some type and shadow from the old testament.

none of us have a full understanding of all things. there are different interpretations and thus a multitude of denominations were formed-differing views further dividing the body of Christ; a devil’s trick.

but faith in Jesus Christ is not a religion, but a relationship.  the catholic church has trapped many in all their form and ceremony - praying to the virgin mary, saints and such.  the virgin mary was blessed indeed but she was not the mother of God.  He has no beginning or end.  She only housed this tent He came to dwell in for a time and a purpose. “for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 tim 2:5  it’s not religion.  it’s a relationship.

let me close this little exposé with a quote from the book of john.  "and there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, i suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. amen.” john 21:2

NOW let the DEEPER study begin!

linda jennings - a servant of Christ