Following is an excerpt from the PROLOGUE of my book, The End Times Passover. It speaks to the issue of the approach that I took during my research.
It was never my intent to opine my interpretation of the word of God, but to cull from the Bible the exact meaning of each word that is already written, without interjecting any assumptions, theories or subjecting myself to what other authors wrote on this subject. I sought out many classical scholars to see how they interpreted scripture and the approach they took when researching for their material. I chose to depend solely on the actual word of God; therefore, I used many Bible versions to see how each present the word of God as close to the Textus Receptus, known as the most dependable original manuscript.
Like so many of us who are moved or called out to study the Bible, we not only want truth, we need the whole truth. As the author studied the word of God, he felt a deep hunger not only for the genuine and truthful understanding of God’s true will in his personal life, but God’s ecclesia as a whole. As previously stated, when the author first heard about the secret Pre-Tribulation escape to Heaven theory, he was jumping for joy that he would not have to suffer any tribulation or persecutions before The Second Advent of Christ. The author was not looking into the word of God for any escape clauses; the knowledge of God’s grace and mercy has always been sufficient.
Nevertheless, as he became more aware of many biblical inconsistencies contained in a myriad of books written by dispensationalists, millenarians and pretribulationists, he felt a deep responsibility to present the facts he gleaned from extensive Bible study and prayer in an objective manner. Towards the end of this endeavor, and by virtue of the need to seek the wisdom of past expositors to assist him in this effort, he encountered and read a special pearl of wisdom from one of the great Bible scholars of antiquity: Johann Albrecht Bengel. It was Bengel’s wisdom that made the author realize that he unwittingly had applied Bengel’s principles to this work.
Bengel (June 24, 1687- Nov. 2, 1752), the German Lutheran theologian and biblical scholar, was the founder of Swabian Pietism and a pioneer in the critical exegesis of the New Testament. Bengel studied at Tübingen and in 1713 was appointed professor in a seminary at Denkendorf, where he published his early works on the New Testament. As a student he had been concerned regarding the various readings of the text of the New Testament and sought to develop a critically consistent one. He originated the principle "The more difficult reading is to be preferred." In 1741 he was made prelate of Herbrechtingen and in 1749 of Alpirspach. Influential in New Testament criticism and theology, he held that the scholar should read nothing into the sacred writings that is not there but should draw everything from them and permit nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. Bengel's major works include Novum Testamentum Graecum (1734), a Greek text of the New Testament that contains a thorough critical appendix, and Gnomon Novi Testamenti (1742), an exegetical commentary. In his "Essay on the Right Way of Handling Divine Subjects," this noted Bible scholar made one of the most profound observations and statements concerning a writer’s approach to things of the Bible. Bengel states:
"Put nothing into the Scriptures, but draw everything from them, and suffer nothing to remain hidden that is really in them. Though each inspired writer has his own manner and style, one and the same Spirit breathes through all, one grand idea pervades all. Every divine communication carries (like the diamond) its own light with it, thus showing whence it comes; no touchstone is required to discriminate it. The true commentator will fasten his primary attention on the letter (literal meaning), but never forget that the Spirit must equally accompany him; at the same time we must never devise a more spiritual meaning for Scripture passages than the Holy Spirit intended. The historical matters of Scripture, both narrative and prophecy, constitute as it were the bones of its system, whereas the spiritual matters are as its muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. As the bones are necessary to the human system, so Scripture must have its historical matters. The expositor who nullifies the historical groundwork of Scripture, for the sake of finding only spiritual truths everywhere, brings death on all correct interpretations. Those expositions are the safest which keep closest to the text."
Like Bengel’s uplifting advice, the author tried to maintain this standard throughout the writing of this book, by not assuming, inferring, nor presenting any theories, conjecture or hypotheses; but rather, he allowed The Holy Spirit to quicken his spirit to dig as deeply as possible into the words of God, and then let each word speak for itself."
Ergo, whatever I post is based on the actual wording of the Bible, specifically what and how it reads, and never my interpretation, and (especially) never reading more into what is actually stated in each verse. This way, people can't accuse me promoting heretical gospels nor wild fairy tales. I let the word of God speak for itself!
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