God Has Made Known: The Rapture and Two Witnesses

By Evan A. Birkby

God makes himself known in the Gog Magog war. God has also made known the identity of the Two Witnesses. There are biblical answers to questions about major prophetic events. We may not know the date when something will happen, but we can know how prophetic events relate to each other. Through careful study of the prophetic scriptures many things can be known about both the past and the future.

In this book the reader will learn who the Two Witnesses in Revelation are. The identity of the beast spoken of by Daniel and by John the apostle will be revealed. The reader will learn the last trump is not the seventh trumpet. The three woes in Revelation will be identified to reveal a mystery inside an enigma. Biblical revelations in the Bible will surprise many devoted Bible students. Scripture can explain other scripture, and the connections can be amazing and involve both the Old and New Testament.

Greater clarity will be given on some of the most misunderstood and controversial topics in end times prophecy. Multiple timelines, tables, and maps are presented to explain various end times prophetic teachings. The Bible has many prophecies that are still future, and the Christian ambassador for Christ can learn how these events will impact the ability to be a faithful witness. God’s word is a light to our path.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781669858577

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 by Evan A. Birkby.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version

(Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the King James Version of 1769.

Scripture quotations marked WEB are from the World English Bible. It is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible.

The Timelines and Tables are original creations of the author, and specific permission is given to copy them freely for use in Bible study and presentations.

Rev. date: 01/06/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

841391

God Has Made Known

God makes himself known in the Gog Magog war. God has also made known the identity of the Two Witnesses. There are biblical answers to questions about major prophetic events. We may not know the date when something will happen, but we can know how prophetic events relate to each other. Through careful study of the prophetic scriptures many things can be known about both the past and the future.

In this book the reader will learn who the Two Witnesses in Revelation are. The identity of the beast spoken of by Daniel and by John the apostle will be revealed. The reader will learn the last trump is not the seventh trumpet. The three woes in Revelation will be identified to reveal a mystery inside an enigma. Biblical revelations in the Bible will surprise many devoted Bible students. Scripture can explain other scripture, and the connections can be amazing and involve both the Old and New Testament.

Greater clarity will be given on some of the most misunderstood and controversial topics in end times prophecy. Multiple timelines, tables, and maps are presented to explain various end times prophetic teachings. The Bible has many prophecies that are still future, and the Christian ambassador for Christ can learn how these events will impact the ability to be a faithful witness. God’s word is a light to our path.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

The Apocalypse of the Apocalypse

Presuppositions

How the Book Is Arranged

Using the Appendixes

Scripture Sources

Mini-Biography

Personal Testimony

Baptism

Early Church Experience

School Challenges

Evolution and Creation

Biblical Teaching

The Berean Bible Society (BBS)

Other Churches Attended

Discovering Apologetics

Proper Skepticism

Seminary Attendance

Magic and Miracles

Chapter 1 Good Christian Apologetics

Learn to Identify Factual Fallacies

Identify Authoritative Sources

Research Church History

Be Nice to Skeptics

Study Different Books of the Bible

Identify Hermeneutical Presuppositions

Use Scripture to Interpret Other Scripture

Chapter 2 End-Times Studies (Eschatology)

Two Witnesses, the Rapture, and the Beast

Blessing and Comfort

Better Answers to Questions

Answers Waiting to Be Discovered

Mysterious Answers to Big Questions

Be Patient and Kind to One Another

Chapter 3 Prophetic and Revelation Terminology

Rapture

Tribulation – The Great Tribulation

Apocalypse

Day of the Lord – Parousia – Second Coming

Wrath of God

Maranatha (μαράνα θά)

Church

Dispensation

Eisegesis

Eschatology

Eschaton

Futurist View

Historicist View

Idealist View

Preterist View

Hermeneutics

Lamb of God

Lamp Stands and Olive Trees

Millennium

Beast

Saints

Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls

Sleep

Stars

Translation

Woman with a Crown of 12 stars

Mother of Harlots

Bride of Christ

Chapter 4 Rapture Timing

Date Setting

The Olivet Discourse

The Ezekiel 38–39 War

Some Pointers on Avoiding Error

What to Expect about the Rapture

After the Rapture

Chapter 5 Introducing the Two Witnesses

Power Is Given to the Two Witnesses

The Beast Makes War with the Saints

Their Dead Bodies Shall Lie in the Street

Earth Dwellers Go from Rejoicing to Great Fear

A Secret Rapture

Movies with the Two Witnesses

Chapter 6 The Identity of the Two Witnesses

Who Are the Two Witnesses?

Elijah and Moses

The Two Witnesses are Two Lamp Stands

Two Olive Trees

Olive Trees and Churches

Grafting into the Olive Tree

The Two Witnesses in Psalms

The Seven Churches of Revelation

The Two Witnesses Are Tribulation Churches

Chapter 7 The Spirit of Elijah

The Power of the Two Witnesses

The Restrainer

The Two Witnesses Movie

The Gospel is preached throughout the World

Chapter 8 A Key to Understanding the Rapture

Days can be taken literally

The Two Witnesses in Heaven

3 ½ Years Is Very Important

The Spirit of Elijah Comes before the Day of the Lord

The Dispensation of Grace

The Key to Prewrath Timing Expectations

Clouds of Believers will be at the Rapture

Chapter 9 A Midtribulation Rapture

The Saints at War

Saints will Live and Die during the Tribulation

The Rapture of the Two Witnesses

Fifth Seal Servants

Confusion about the Seventh Trumpet

Unique Pairings of Arguments

A Family Matter

The Mystery Argument and the Rapture

The Mystery

The Rapture

Verses That Suggest a Rapture of the Saints

Other Raptures in the Bible

The Second Coming of Christ

A Summary of the Midtribulation Rapture

Chapter 10 The Seventh Trumpet

The Seventh Trumpet in a Series

John is told to Prophesize Again

The Prophecy of the Temple and Two Witnesses

The Second and Third Woe

The Mystery of God

When the Two Witnesses Give Their Witness

Before the Wrath of God

The Posttribulation Seventh Trumpet View

An Alternate Midtribulation Category Error

Dismissing the Midtribulation Rapture

The Millennial Kingdom

Two Witnesses and the Midtribulation Rapture

Trumpet and Midtribulation Assumptions

When the Seventh Trumpet Sounds

The Seven Trumpets and the Seven Bowls

The Saints are in Heaven at the Seventh Trumpet

Chapter 11 The Future Temple

The Temple and Access to God

The Dome of the Rock

The Temple Institute

Control of the Mount

Antiochus IV Epiphanes

The Preterist View of the Temple

A Kingdom Message

The Temple Sacrifice

The 144,000 and the Woman with a Crown

The Dragon goes after Israel

The Woman Is Protected

The Jewish Focus of the Great Tribulation

Chapter 12 Identifying the Beast and the Dragon

The Dragon Is Satan

The Beast Represents an Empire of Ten Kings

The Man of Sin and the False Prophet

The Dream as Described by Daniel

The Persian Empire

The Greek Empire

Was the Fourth Empire the Roman Empire?

Was the Fourth Empire an Islamic Empire?

The Territory Argument with Maps

Clues about the Beast

Sand and Sea

Seven Heads and Seven Mountains

The Iron and Clay Feet of the Fourth Kingdom

Martyrdom by Beheading

Surviving the Great Tribulation

Chapter 13 The Woman Sitting on the Beast

Jerusalem

Babylon

Rome

Mecca

Brussels, Belgium

New York City

The Mother of Harlots

The Mother Church

Chapter 14 The Gog–Magog War

The Nations

The Gog–Magog War in Fiction

God Intervenes

Gog and Magog are not finished

Where Is the Proof?

Chapter 15 A Chronological Study of End-Time Events

Other Sequences

Sequencing can be Difficult

The Sequencing Debate

Sequencing as Validation

Trumpet Identification

Synchronization

Chapter 16 Before the Seventieth Week

Signs before the Day of the Lord

The Gog–Magog War

Elijah Comes before the Day of the Lord

Two Witnesses – Given Power

Summary:

Chapter 17 The First Five Seals

First Seal – Rider on a White Horse – A Conquering Empire

Olivet Discourse Parallel

Second Seal – Rider on a red horse - War

Third Seal – Rider on Black Horse – Famine

Fourth Seal – Pale Horse or Green Horse - Death

Fifth Seal – Martyrs

Chapter 18 The Two Witnesses and the Rapture

The Witnesses Finish Their Witness

The Extra Days in Daniel

The Restrainer Removed – The Spirit of Elijah

The Falling Away, The Man of Sin Revealed

The Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place

Prayer as Sacrifice – Two Witnesses Killed

Peace and Safety

Christ Coming on the Clouds

The Rapture

The Saints Obtain Salvation

Judgment and the Bride of Christ

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Chapter 19 The Sixth Seal – Day of the Lord

A Wrath of Retribution

Judgment with a Sickle

Vengeance Is the Lord’s

There Was War in Heaven

Chapter 20 The Seventh Seal

144,000 from All the Tribes of Israel Are Sealed

The Dragon Persecuted the Woman (Israel), Sent a Flood

The Temple Was Opened

The Image of the Beast

The Mark of the Beast

Chapter 21 Seven Trumpets

First Trumpet – Hail and fire

Second Trumpet – A great mountain cast into the sea

Third Trumpet – A great star from heaven fell on the rivers

Fourth Trumpet – A third of the sun, moon, and stars are darkened

Fifth Trumpet – Locusts torment for five months

Sixth Trumpet – A third of mankind is killed

Seventh Trumpet – Great Voices in Heaven

Chapter 22 Seven Bowls of Wrath

First Bowl – Sores came upon men with the mark

Second Bowl – The Sea became blood

Third Bowl – Rivers and springs became blood

Fourth Bowl – Men were scorched with great heat

Fifth Bowl – Beast’s kingdom became full of darkness

Sixth Bowl - Armageddon

Seventh Bowl – A great earthquake, cities fall, great hail

Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls Summary

Chapter 23 The Return of Christ with His Bride

Satan Bound 1000 Years

The Great White Throne

A New Heaven and a New Earth

The New Jerusalem

Chapter 24 The Millennial Kingdom of God

The Kingdom is a Big Topic

Animals will behave differently in the Kingdom

The Premillennial View

Dispensational Considerations

Those Who Will Be in the Kingdom

The Preterist View

Non Literal Views Can Lead to Personal Interpretation

Chapter 25 Where We Are Now

We Are Not in the Millennium

The Gospel Has Not Reached the Whole World

Israel Is Back as a Nation

Jerusalem Is a Stumbling Block

A New Temple in the Future

Knowledge has increased

Lawlessness has increased

Evil is called Good and Good Evil

The Great Delusion

Gog and Magog

Chapter 26 The Gospel

We are saved by Grace through Faith

No Other Gospel

The Matchless Grace of Jesus

Getting to a Number

The Gospel is preached throughout the World

Get saved Now or Else!

Sheep and the Goats

Believing after Seeing

Chapter 27 Conclusion

Bible or Tradition

Prophecy helps us to Know God

A Wonderful Journey

APPENDIXES

Appendix 1 Four Views on Prophecy

Futurist View

Futurist Affirmation

Futurist Detractors

Historicist View

Idealist View

Preterist View

Preterist Affirmation

A Closer Look at This Generation

Prophecy as Historical Events

Preterist Problems

The Two Witnesses Have Not Been at War

Appendix 2 The Two Witnesses

Their Identity can be Important

Could Moses and Elijah Be the Two Witnesses?

The Argument for Elijah and Moses as the Two Witnesses

Reasons Why Moses Is Not One of the Two Witnesses

Could Enoch and Elijah Be the Two Witnesses?

Two Groups of People as Witnesses

The Preterist View of the Two Witnesses

Appendix 3 The Rapture Debate

The Trumpets of Revelation

Big Problems

Defending the Midtribulation View

An Interesting Sequencing Puzzle

Timing Questions

The Debate Chart

The Spirit of Elijah Comes before the Day of the Lord

The Gospel Is Preached throughout the World

Appendix 4 Pretribulation Rapture

Harmony In Rapture Details

The Midtribulation (Midweek) View Evades Dismissal

A Small Shift in Doctrine can make a Difference

The Immanency Doctrine

The Day or the Hour

The Olivet Discourse and Immanency

The Apostleship of Paul to the Gentiles

Exclusivity and Mystery

Prophecy and the Church Age

Church History and the Pretribulation Rapture

A Kingdom or a Heavenly Hope

Have the Rocks Fall on Us

Appendix 5 Prewrath Rapture

The Great Tribulation Definition

The Prewrath Position and the Seventh Trumpet

Differences in Labels

The Man of Sin and the Antichrist

Midtribulation and Prewrath Agreement

Problem 1 – The Great Earthquake

Problem 2 – Half of 7 years is 3 ½ years

Problem 3 – More than One Rapture

Problem 4 - The (Great) Tribulation Interpretation

Appendix 6 Posttribulation Rapture

The Day-Age Debate

The Day of the Lord is a period of Time.

The Last Trump and Seventh Trumpet

The First Resurrection

A Prewrath Argument

A Partial Rapture Theory

Appendix 7 Preterist View Variations

Partial Preterist–Postmillennial view

Partial Preterist–Amillennial view

Full Preterist View (Consistent Preterist)

The Temple Prophecy

The Sign of the Prophet Jonah

About The Author

Acknowledgments

I wish to acknowledge my friends and family who have given me encouragement as I was writing this book: my friend Russel Reiss who gave me feedback that helped me recognize areas where more clarity was needed and how pictures could make a big difference; Chris Hopf for his class on Christian apologetics and for giving me ideas on appendixes and organization; Steven Stockwell for his willingness to let me share my new discoveries before they went down in print and for his clear understanding of our mission to the world; Roger Benson who got me really excited about the truths we can learn in the book of Revelation; John Walker, my wonderful New Testament Greek teacher and friend from Biblion Bible Seminary; and Dale Peterson for his editing assistance and kind encouragement. Many people have had a wonderful impact on my understanding of scripture and apologetics, and I’m looking forward to spending an eternity with all of them and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Arthur Birkby, my dad, who used to joke he was not perfect, but as close as you could get.

In the future, all saints will be perfect.

Preface

The study of end-times prophecy is the study of God’s glorious ultimate plan for His creation. Prophecy can have considerable value in understanding God, his love, and salvation. Almost a third of the Bible concerns prophecy, so it is obviously important to God. He is the only one who fully knows the end from the beginning. It is God that can accurately tell us about future events without ever making a mistake. If someone claiming to be a prophet gets a prophecy wrong, we can know that person is not God’s prophet, and we do not need to fear that false prophet’s warnings.

The Apocalypse of the Apocalypse

Apocalypse essentially means taking the lid off. Explaining prophetic topics is revealing the revealed or explaining what was revealed. The last book in the Bible is often called the Apocalypse of John, and in English, this can be translated as the Revelation of John. When studying Revelation, many other scriptures are referenced, both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. Answers to some questions can be revealed just by studying Revelation, but when other scriptures are included, it can become a much more amazing time of discovery. The book of Revelation has passages that can be hard to understand when only using Revelation as a reference. Many connections exist to scripture from other Biblical books. Different books can provide cross-clarification and still be in harmony with each other. It is beneficial to also study Daniel, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Joel, the gospel accounts, and Paul’s letters when studying Revelation. These books, written centuries apart, can bring clarity to each other because the inspiration for scripture comes from God.

Presuppositions

It is a good practice to identify presuppositions. Presuppositions impact how a person interprets the Bible and how certain words and concepts are defined. Very often topics are understood by how things are defined. Arguments can be won or lost based on definitions, so to arrive at truth, it is important to validate the definitions being used. I will be using pretty standard definitions in this book, but because of the power of definitions to win arguments, I want the reader to be aware of those times when this could be occurring with definitions. To help the reader understand, I feel an obligation to share my own presuppositions and definitions.

All scripture is divinely inspired. This means that it is true and accurate. God does not make mistakes and helped the authors of the Bible to accurately remember and record what they saw and heard. These authors could have different writing styles and still accurately convey the truth that God intended to convey. This also means that the best way to understand a passage correctly is to use other inspired passages to provide further clarification.

Biblical prophecy is true. Prophecies outside the Bible could be fake and not come to pass. Prophecies in the Bible were given by real prophets, and we have examples of literal fulfillment. This prophetic accuracy shows the prophet to be a true prophet. Some Bible prophecies are still future and will come to pass in the future.

There is harmony in the scripture. Scripture in the Old and New Testaments will not contradict itself. We now have a collection of scriptures that we can trust, and if anyone thinks they are a prophet and teaches contrary to what we have, they can be safely dismissed as untrustworthy. The scriptures we consider trustworthy have already been confirmed by prophetic fulfillment, and harmony with other scriptures.

Most of the Bible can be taken literally. What I mean is that I do not treat scripture as allegorical or fictional. The plain meaning is accepted. The Bible can use symbolic language and figurative descriptions, but when it does so, the Bible student can also look to the Bible to provide explanations and clarification. This is provided for the reader in very clear language many times in both the highly prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation. The Bible will often use other scriptures to explain itself. Answers are there to find, but sometimes God will use a scripture written centuries earlier to provide the answer to questions in scriptures written later. It can show the brilliance of God and how He really does know the end from the beginning. It is also a way God can use scripture to guide the reader to a greater understanding of what God has done and how He is worthy of our personal trust and confidence.

There may be terms the reader will not be familiar with, so the author has dedicated chapter 3 to provide definitions for words and specific doctrines. Many of these definitions will include identifying the Greek word being defined. For the ambitious Bible student, they can use Bible tools to search for how a Greek word is used in various scriptures and verify the definition. One tool this author really likes is called the Blue Letter Bible. It is a free application on the internet that allows the reader to look up verses, words, and translations. It also allows the reader to compare various Bible versions. It is my hope the reader will find my definitions to be accurate and helpful so they can understand the road map of the material being discussed. Although answers are there to find, it can take some digging to discover them.

Another key presupposition made by this author and many other prophecy teachers is that there will be a 1000 year earthly millennial kingdom. It will be established after Jesus returns. This is called the premillennial view. This presupposition is used for most of the book but is examined in Appendix 7 for those who wish to understand how this presupposition is not always used by others. It impacts many aspects of prophetic interpretation. In Appendix 7, the reader will learn that some believe most of the prophecies in the book of Revelation have already come to pass. It is hard to determine which topics should be covered first, but since the views that are not premillennial involve treating key scripture passages as allegorical or spiritual, I believe the Bible student should have a good understanding of more straightforward interpretations of prophecy before diving into what can be confusing controversies. Rest assured, we will be examining and explaining controversial topics.

There are many definitions and concepts that will be important, so I’ve put the focus of Chapter 3 on providing these definitions. The reader will have definitions early and can go back to them. This should make it easier to navigate and understand the material that follows. For those already familiar with biblical terms, they may find they can skim through this chapter with ease. I feel it is important the reader get these definitions before they encounter them so that they can approach later material with greater confidence. For those reading the book straight through, I have ordered the chapters and appendixes to make this approach the easiest one.

How the Book Is Arranged

The book is presented in groups of chapters. The first group introduces the author in a mini biography and explains some of the basics of Christian apologetics and ways to interpret scripture. There may be biblical words and concepts the reader will not be familiar with. Many of these words and concepts are defined in Chapter 3, so the reader can understand the road map of the material being discussed. As the reader progresses through the book, they can always come back to Chapter 3 to review a definition or doctrinal definition. The subsections for each chapter are shown in the contents. This can help the reader locate topics they may want to review or revisit.

The second group of chapters introduces the Two Witnesses and how their identity is a key to solving some of the controversial questions related to biblical apocalyptic literature. Their introduction in Revelation 11 presents the main text that talks about them and can be referred back to as the reader moves forward into related topics. The chapter that immediately follows takes the reader on a journey to identify the Two Witnesses and then shows the reader why their identity can be so helpful in bringing clarity to certain prophecies.

The spirit of Elijah is proposed as the power given to the Two Witnesses. How this power relates to Elijah and the Two Witnesses is discussed. As a key to understanding the rapture, the adversary of the Two Witnesses is identified and the time when they are active during the tribulation period. At this point in the book, the reader will have learned a great deal about the Two Witnesses, and many of the questions about them will be answered.

The midtribulation rapture could be considered group 3, but it is closely tied to what was learned in the previous groups. It is the author’s view that a midtribulation rapture fits the timeline of the scripture best and harmonizes the scripture with no contradictions. The midtribulation rapture is explained and analyzed biblically. It is not the only biblically supported viewpoint among Bible scholars, so alternative views are discussed in additional appendixes near the end of the book. This is done so the strengths and weaknesses of alternate views can be compared more easily. This midtribulation rapture, along with the appendixes on rapture timing, could all be thought of as a chapter group. Each viewpoint has its own rapture timeline chart presented and explanations that lend support to that viewpoint. The identity of the Two Witnesses and their rapture will be part of that evaluation.

The fourth group of chapters in this book deals with the beast, the woman sitting on the beast, and the Gog–Magog war. There are entire books written with these topics as their focus. To aid in understanding, a set of maps are presented that match empire territory coverage with prophetic empire identities. The maps and images tie into what has been revealed prophetically.

Chapter groups 2–4, taken as a whole, constitute a fairly broad and complex analysis of scripture. These topics can be explored even deeper. Many viewpoints are compatible with each other, and they should be tested for consistency and harmony. To do this, I created a timeline to see if these events can be sequenced logically. It was also important to cross-check the timelines presented in Daniel with the Olivet discourse in the Gospels and with the events recorded in the book of Revelation. Timelines were also cross-checked with events in other prophetic books such as the letters of the apostle Paul. Sequencing timelines also reveals connections that may be otherwise missed. There are many events to sequence, but the connections and overall picture is amazing!

The fifth group of chapters presents a big-picture sequencing of prophetic scriptures. In preparing this sequence, a number of discoveries were made by the author, resulting in even more extensive research. There are amazing connections and harmony throughout the Bible. It confirms the divine authorship of the Bible. One could use a big roll of paper and create a long timeline, but for practical incorporation into a book, it has been presented as a series of events over a few chapters, with commentary added for clarification. The big timeline sequence starts a little before the tribulation period and concludes with the arrival of the New Jerusalem and the new heavens and the new earth.

The book concludes with a review of where we are now, what we have learned, and where we can go from here.

Using the Appendixes

The appendixes in this book are different from what might be expected. Each appendix will be covering different views from those presented in the main volume. Those who want to get a better understanding of alternate viewpoints can go to the appropriate appendix and get some details. There is no appendix for the premillennial midtribulation rapture viewpoint because this is the view of the author and is discussed in the main body of the book. Arguments that concern the author’s view will be addressed in the appendixes as they relate to different views with different presuppositions. The appendixes can help tie the contrasting viewpoints together with the appropriate arguments and definitions. The reader may want to visit some of these early if they see a topic where they need clarification.

Scripture Sources

Scripture quotes are from the King James Version of the Bible and are marked with KJV at the end of each scriptural passage. Although the copyright would have expired on the KJV, there is in the United Kingdom an expectation to perpetually honor the copyright by adding KJV after each quoted reference from the KJV. This is something I am happy to do. It helps identify scripture from the writing of the author and makes it easier to locate bible passages.

Occasionally a scripture passage using The World English Bible translation will accompany the scripture from the KJV. These passages from the World English Bible will be marked with WEB after the translated text. The WEB translation is based on the American Standard Version. It is a more modern English translation that is using the majority text. The WEB translation is in the public domain and can be copied freely.

This issue of Bible translations is also discussed in chapter 3. These two translations are being used this way to preserve the subtlety and accuracy that is found in the King James Version, but also to provide an easier read for those not familiar with the language in the King James Version.

It is also the expectation that the reader will benefit from seeing how two translations can compare and give greater clarity when scripture is studied using more than one translation. Many Bible scholars compare translations when studying scripture. This author has included both when it appears the WEB translation may provide a significant benefit to the reader. Including the text of the verse and not just a reference can make for easier study, and this can be doubly true when comparing translations. Those who trust the KJV will have all the scripture quoted from it. Those who find some passages in the KJV very challenging to understand will have an opportunity to see the passage using a more modern translation.

Scripture passages are presented in the Arial font, with the verse references in Arial Bold. Some text can be unfamiliar, so the author may add clarification (or comments) in parenthesis. If the reader is interested in a Bible translation that also helps with translation, I recommend using an Amplified Bible.

Scripture references followed by text that is not in this font or not followed by KJV are paraphrases of the author and not quotes. They may be shortened to highlight a particular meaning in the verse.

Mini-Biography

Bible teachers have a great responsibility to try and teach the scripture as accurately as they can. I also think it is fair to get to know the author a bit more than other authors when it comes to church doctrines. My history has had an impact on my theology and doctrines. Labels like Christian, apologist, Bible student, creationist, dispensationalist, evangelical, saint, believer, and orthodox are applicable to this author. People don’t like labels, but they can be helpful in knowing some characteristics.

Regular church attendance was a normal activity for me growing up. My dad was a church organist and a music professor. Because of his knowledge of church music, he was often called to various churches to help them with their music program. My family would often join him on these visits, so I had an opportunity to meet a lot of pastors and learn about different church doctrines and practices. Dad would sometimes ask these pastors tough theological questions, and I would get to learn the answers. I found it fascinating to read doctrinal pamphlets distributed by various church groups, and I would examine how the Bibles and hymnals compared to each other. My home church was a medium-sized Lutheran church with about three hundred in membership.

I believe I became a Christian at the age of four years old. I have not known many Christian writers other than pastors who have been believers at such an early age. Early believers may not have a big change in their behavior patterns because they have not developed many sinful habits yet. A young child does not normally give up drinking too much alcohol or the attendance of wild parties after becoming a believer. A significant change in behavior is less noticeable.

Personal Testimony

From the first time I remember hearing about God, it seemed He would be a good God. God was presented as a God of love and a perfect being. I attended Sunday school with other kids in a Lutheran church in Laramie, Wyoming. The Gospel was presented, and there was a crucifix (cross with a figure of Jesus hanging on it) in the classroom. After one class, I went up and examined it and was moved emotionally as I could see that the figure representing Jesus was hanging from large nails going through His hands and feet. I understood that this death was to pay for my sins, and not His, since Jesus was not guilty of sinning. At a young age, I remember saying, Okay, God, if this is all true about Jesus and the cross, I want to believe it. If you really exist, I would like to believe in you. Amen. I reasoned at the time that if it was true, then my prayer would mean I would become a Christian.

A number of years later, when I had a better understanding of the Gospel, I prayed to make sure it was clear that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I acknowledged my current status as a repentant sinner, and I trusted and believed what God had made known in the Bible concerning the free gift of salvation, made available by grace through faith. I confessed that I believed God had raised Jesus from the dead and trusted in what Jesus had done on the cross for my salvation. I made it clear I was going to trust God and not rely on any works I could do since there was no way I could earn my own salvation through my works. I thanked God and worshiped him for being my great God and Savior.

I realized that the fundamental Gospel I accepted as a child was still my belief and concluded that I had, in fact, been saved as a child, but it was nice to know I had made sure I was right with God, just in case. This is what everyone who is not sure can do. I was not going to trust that being baptized or attending church was going to get me a ticket into heaven.

Baptism

As it is the case with most Lutherans, I was water baptized when I was an infant. I was not water baptized again as an older child or as an adult. I was baptized by the Holy Spirit when I put my trust in Jesus as my God and savior at age four. In the Lutheran church, members go through a confirmation class and give a testimony in front of the church confirming their acceptance of Jesus as savior when they finish the class. It is similar to how a water baptism ceremony allows a person to show their family and friends they are now a believer.

Early Church Experience

My first church attendance was at a Zion Lutheran Church, which is more conservative than some Lutheran churches. I frequented Bible stores and would read apologetics books at a pretty early age. My Lutheran confirmation experience was a bit unusual. I was the first student at age fourteen to go through the program in one