Biblical Prophecy is a relevant and important topic for the church today. Not only does Biblical Prophecy provide hope for the future and strength for today, but its broad sweeping themes help us to understand the entire Bible. Indeed, Prophecy ties the Bible together from Genesis to Revelation.
Unfortunately, the study of this topic is often surrounded by controversy and argument. Evangelicals and other Bible believing Christians, who agree on many crucial aspects of theology, frequently find themselves disagreeing over the interpretation of Biblical texts that deals with Prophecy. Adding to the problem is the fact that some writers on this subject express their views with absolute certainty – they are convinced that their interpretation is without error and those who disagree are simply wrong. All too often, writers and teachers on this subject abandon the virtue of academic humility and show little concern about the possible validity of the biblical arguments raised against their view or arguments in favor of a countering viewpoint.
This book was conceived with the purpose of helping laypeople in the church study and understand Biblical Prophecy. The three Authors of this dictionary of Bible prophecy and End Times have no theological agenda to push or prophetic view point to champion, other than a strong commitment to the scriptures and a passion to interpret the biblical text in accordance with the intention of the biblical writers. In fact, the three of us ( J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall, and C. Marvin Pate ) are not in Complete agreement ourselves regarding the end times. Yet what unite us is a common commitment to sound scholarly study of the scriptures and a respect for differing evangelical viewpoints nonetheless have substantial scriptural evidence. We are not only Coauthors but also colleagues and friends, working together in harmony to try to strengthen the church through writing, teaching, and pastoring.
