Principles to Understand Prophecy

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#1 - Pray before opening the Word
#2 - God intends for us to understand prophecies
#3 - Come with an open mind
#4 - Let the Bible interpret itself
#5 - Literal vs figurative interpretation
#6 - The prophecies build upon each other




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Pray before opening the Word

• Spiritual things are spiritually discerned

God intends for us to understand prophecies

• Why give it to us if it is not to be understood?
  
• You will see that we are being taught step-by-step with repetition.
  
• Dan 12:9 - Seal it up until the time of the end

Come with an open mind

• There are numerous interpretations but fairly few that a lot of people believe.
  
• God has worked through people to help each other understand the prophecies.
  
• God's Word is the standard, not men's traditions.

Let the Bible interpret itself

• e.g. head of gold = Nebuchadnezzar
  
• Other symbols not so obvious

Literal vs figurative interpretation

• Interpreting all things literally would be absurd.
  
• Interpreting all things figuratively would also be absurd.
  
• Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.
  
• It's not as hard as it sounds.

The prophecies build upon each other

• Chapter 2...Chapter 7...Chapter 8...Chapter 9...Chapter 11...Revelation