Guest Author - Diana Pederson

Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz. Bible Prophecy 101: A Guide to the End Times in Plain Language.. Harvest House. 1999.

Are we in the end times mentioned in the Bible? This is the question many Christians are asking today. Unfortunately, too many are playing the prediction game too. We must all remember that Christ himself does not know when the world as we know it will end. He was clear when he said only the Father (as in God) knows this.

Bickel and Jantz have tried to present a balanced view of what is happening on earth today. I particularly enjoyed their check list of the things that would occur before the final 7 years of earthly existence as we know it. They included many sidebars and illustrations to help explain their writing.

This book is divided into four parts: (1) What in the World is Going On?; (2) I can Read What the Bible Says…Now Tell Me What It Means!; (3) The Bad News…The Good News; and (4) What in the World Should We Do Now?.

You’ll find plenty of examples, illustrations and charts to support their personal conclusions on Bible Prophecy for today. Please realize that every author writes from their personal perspective.

My personal bias is that Christians had better be prepared for all the events to take place in the Tribulation. Although some scholars, including these authors, strongly believe in Rapture, I’m afraid they have to consider what IS NOT SAID rather than what is said in the Bible about the final Tribulation when coming to their conclusions. This has caused me a great deal of personal confusion and I belong to a church that does not preach the Rapture because of the lack of clarity about this event for all Believers in the Bible. I was glad that Bickel and Jantz presented all the theories about the Rapture. Read this book and see which one you are in agreement with.

Recommendation

This book will challenge all Christians to begin studying Bible Prophecy not so we can argue endlessly about it but so God, through his Holy Spirit, might reveal the truth to us. It will also remind you that being ready for whatever happens by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior following his command to “repent and be baptized”.