Identifying Landmark Scriptures

For many years scholars have spiritualized and formed erroneous teachings concerning Bible Prophecy. We will study the disposition of the Church, as it relates to the suffering of the saints, the operation of Faith, the signs of His coming, the beginning of sorrows, the rapture, the tribulation of the saints, the great tribulation, battle of Armageddon and the wrath of God.

We will study the events that must take place before the end of times (satanic rule) and many other questions that have risen from the teachings of scholars today. As we begin our study of Bible Prophecy, I must remind you that no scholar, or minister of the gospel is allowed to interpret scripture. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (II Peter 1:20-21). The Bible will always interpret itself. Why is it that most of Christendom today cannot agree on these issues? It is because they do not understand the one-third of the Bible that is prophecy.

Lack of understanding, along with much pride and traditionalism, makes it impossible to hear the heart and mind of the Father. Many contemporary scholars and bible prophecy teachers have promoted much of the erroneous prophetic teachings in today's church. The Faith and Prosperity message has also done much damage to this area of study.

When you study to understand the meaning of scripture, never deviate from the golden rule: The Bible will interpret itself. Deception within the church about the end times is a stronghold. We will discuss that throughout this study. Nevertheless, we must be prepared for the coming assault upon The Church. God wants us to know and understand His prophetic events and timing. His Word says we will not be in darkness and that prophecy will be revealed to His sons, by His Spirit.

We must be able to go into the scriptures and discern what is prophecy and how to pull that prophecy from scripture. We must be able to discern what scripture says and how it affects the sons of God. To get a true perspective of this, we must stay inside the boundaries that Faith has set for us. To stay inside of these boundaries, we must discover the prophetic revelatory trails that are in the Bible. These are what I call landmark scriptures.

Landmark Prophetic Scriptures

Landmark scriptures help us by revealing the timing and chronological order of events. This is very important because, if you don't understand timing, you won't be able to place the major events of Bible Prophecy in their proper order. This renders your interpretation useless because it is outside of the boundaries of Faith or the plan of the Father.

Landmark scriptures help you discover prophetic revelatory trails. These trails identify turns in our course of study. St. Matthew 24 is a landmark scripture because it outlines detailed events that lead to major events.

Landmark scriptures point the way to truth. They also let you know whether or not you are on the right track. They serve as guide posts and boundaries to keep you on the trail. When studying Bible Prophecy, it is easy to take a wrong turn as it relates to timing in a particular chapter. A chapter can contain historic (past), present, or futuristic periods of time.

Landmark scriptures will reveal the boundaries set in scripture:

1. When: In the study of Bible Prophecy, you will find the “when” unless it is something that God does not reveal. If this is the case, the scripture will tell us. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father (Mark 13:32).

2. What: What or who is the scripture pointing to? Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The ‘what’ is not very clear here. But when we look at the verse before this one, we see the subject of this dialogue very clearly. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand (2 Thessalonians 2:2).

3. Where: Location of Events

4. How: How will these events unfold; a description of the event. The following scripture reveals the what, the location and the how of a prophetic event.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together (the rapture of the church), with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: (the where), and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Thessalonians 4:16-17

I have included the next two points as a matter of increase in your ability to understand the written Word.

5. Why: When you find the ‘why’ in scripture, it is always relative to God’s purpose or His judgment. Below is an example of such.

Jeremiah 22:24-30

24. As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

25. And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

26. And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

27. But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

28. Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

29. O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

30. Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

Diagrammed List-Genealogy of Jesus according to Matthew (See Original Document)

6. Signs: Detailed events that let us know a major event is on the way.

Landmark scriptures will not always answer all the questions, but they will lead you in a study or search of the Word. Some scriptures may only answer one or two of the boundary questions. For example, one scripture may state the how and not the why, or one may answer the when and not the where, of the event that is taking place. You are to search and study the scriptures. What are you searching for? In studying, you must first expand the revelation on what, where, when or how.