Dear Therapon, I don't know you personally but have read your posts and they have encouraged me very much. There are not a lot of Christians like you Therapon.....
You couldn't be more right about that in this day and age. And sorry brother Skolfield, I know you will be embarrassed by my blowing your horn in the following but I've had about enough, so let me help folks in here out with a little background. Brother Skolfield was raised in the scriptures on his mother's knee as missionaries in the Philippines. He spent his early childhood aboard the "Gospel Ship" with his mother, and father Captain Ellis Skolfield.
"The Presbyterian Philippine Mission turned the island of Palawan over to the fledgling Association of Baptists. The most practical way to evangelize a group of islands was with a ship. The very day after the Board voted to open this territory, God provided Captain Ellis Skolfield, an ex-Navy officer, who went from island to island in The Gospel Ship preaching, distributing literature-and pulling teeth!
Ed and Marian Bomm arrived in the Philippines in 1935. In addition to pastoring the First Baptist Church of Manila, he soon became the administrator and treasurer for the missionaries.
Bernard Bancroft sailed into Manila at the age of 19, ABWE's youngest ever missionary. He spent his first months of service aboard The Gospel Ship, then taught Bible to young students. Following his marriage to Eleanore Bailey the couple preached the gospel to what he called "these scattered bits of land," the more than 100 islands of the Sulu Sea in Palawan."
In his teens he attended a school for kids of missionaries that were out in the field, that could give their students a pass on most subjects, except when it came to bible study. Later in his teens Ellis joined the navy for a 6 year tour, and following his tour of duty he attended Columbia Bible college, focusing on biblical archaeology and eschatology. After that he was then in the world for a time, and eventually became as a successful businessman in printing and award winning graphic design. He eventually sold his business, and was called back into the Lord's service. Setting aside commentaries he plunged into the scriptures full-time, prayerfully allowing scripture to exegete itself, through the discipline hermeneutics. He has published several books and papers, and for over 30 years has tried to reintroduce the church to the traditional approach of historicism, through his Dan-Rev bible study.
I would suggest that if the church had stuck to the traditional historicist approach to prophecy, rather than giving itself over to the pop-eschatologies of futurism and partial preterism over the last century, instead of a bunch of futurists and preterists - who each must believe the other to be virtually 100% in error - wasting their time arguing in forums, more folks would be out there helping to point the way to the foot of the cross to the lost. Particularly the 1.5 billion poor deluded souls in Islam, who are required to DISbelieve the crucifixion of Christ, DENY the Son of God, and REJECT His shed blood
AS ARTICLES OF THEIR FAITH in THE false prophet Muhammad alone.
If the church had instead continued in a
UNIFORM approach to
ALL bible prophecy of the historicist view, through which all Jews and Christians approach Old Testament prophecy, I would suggest that when Christians did fellowship together it would be more like Matthew Henry and Isaac Newton had excitedly anticipated for our times:
"VI.
That this prophecy of those times, though sealed up now, would be of great use to those that should live then, v. 4. Daniel must now shut up the words and seal the book because the time would be long ere these things would be accomplished: and it was some comfort that the Jewish nation, though, in the infancy of their return from Babylon, while they were few and weak, they met with obstructions in their work, were not persecuted for their religion till a long time after, when they had grown to some strength and maturity.
He must seal the book because it would not be understood, and therefore would not be regarded, till the things contained in it were accomplished; but he must keep it safely, as a treasure of great value, laid up for the ages to come, to whom it would be of great service; for many shall then run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Then this hidden treasure shall be opened, and many shall search into it, and dig for the knowledge of it, as for silver. They shall run to and fro, to enquire out copies of it, shall collate them, and see that they be true and authentic. They shall read it over and over, shall meditate upon it, and run it over in their minds; discurrent—they shall discourse of it, and
talk it over among themselves, and compare notes about it, if by any means they may sift out the meaning of it; and thus knowledge shall be increased. By consulting this prophecy on this occasion they shall be led to search other scriptures, which shall contribute much to their advancement in useful knowledge; for then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6:3.
Those that would have their knowledge increased must take pains, must not sit still in slothfulness and bare wishes but run to and fro, must make use of all the means of knowledge and improve all opportunities of getting their mistakes rectified, their doubts resolved, and their acquaintance with the things of God improved, to know more and to know better what they do know. And let us here see reason to hope that, 1.
Those things of God which are now dark and obscure will hereafter be made clear, and easy to be understood. Truth is the daughter of time. Scripture prophecies will be expounded by the accomplishment of them; therefore they are given, and for that explication they are reserved. Therefore they are told us before, that, when they do come to pass, we may believe. 2. Those things of God which are despised and neglected, and thrown by as useless, shall be brought into reputation, shall be found to be of great service, and be brought into request; for divine revelation, however slighted for a time, shall be magnified and made honourable, and, above all, in the judgment of the great day, when the books shall be opened, and that book among the rest."
Some of us have come to realize the excitement that Matthew Henry anticipated for our times, but do we find a Berean spirited church running "to and fro" while digging "as for silver" and making "use of all the means of knowledge and improve all opportunities of getting their mistakes rectified" as Henry imagined?
Isaac Newton: "This Prophecy is called the Revelation, with respect to the scripture of truth, which Daniel was commanded to shut up and seal, till the time of the end. Daniel sealed it until the time of the end; {Daniel 12:4, 9} and until that time comes, the Lamb is opening the seals:....
All which is as much as to say, that these Prophecies of Daniel and John should not be understood till the time of the end: .... But in the very end, the Prophecy should be so far interpreted as to convince many." (Part II. Observations Upon the Apocalypse of St. John. Chap 1)
Today almost the entirety of the prophet John's "whole world" carries the name of the Islamic beast, but the "church" can't see it because pop-eschatology necessarily excludes 1900 years of Christian era history from even being considered in bible prophecy, which includes 1400 years of THE false prophet Muhammad's cult's history. Yet we can see the present day reality with our own eyes.
http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...onal-approach-historicism-bible-prophecy.html
"Muslims are determined to impose their 'religion' all over Africa as well as in other continents and countries of the world. Islam has but one goal: rule the world at any cost!"
"And where are the International Human Rights Organizations?
Christians are burnt alive in Nigeria, a horrific Holocaust right in front of International indifference as denounced by Father Juan Carlos Martos on behalf of the Missionari Clarettiani via del Sacro Cuore di Maria, Rome, Italy." (
link to article at United Copts)
Yet rather than recognize the treasure of an elder brother steeped in a lifetime of scripture in the genuine ecclesia, brother Skolfield has been met with scorn, false accusation, false characterization, and false witness by doctrinally blinded babes in Christ that exhibit milk still dribbling down their chins - if that.