How To Know If Revelation Images
Are LITERAL or SYMBOLIC

Excerpt from the E-Book End Times Explained: 7 Little-Known Keys To Understanding the Book of Revelation by Marc Speed

The first little-known key to understanding end times Bible prophecy is the "literal grammatical-historical" (LGH) approach to interpretation, which is a fancy way of saying the Bible talks to us the same way we talk to each other, using the same rules of communication we use 100% of the time (usually unconsciously) when we speak or write to each other.

The first benefit of the LGH approach is that it is a foolproof way of figuring out if what you’re reading in the book of Revelation (or some other Bible prophecy) is literal or symbolic. The reason for this is that the LGH method insists that we always (without exception) follow the #1 rule we use to understand each other in everyday communication: "Assume the speaker is speaking literally, unless the speaker makes it clear that there’s some type of allegory or symbolism involved and uses an allegory, symbolism, or expression he knows the hearer understands. " In short, the rule can be summed up as: Literal unless the communicator makes it very clear otherwise.

Virtually all Bible prophecy teachers get into trouble because they often break this simple rule without even realizing they have done it. But if we were to ever break this rule when listening to each other in real life, we would make the meaning of what is being communicated into a matter of our opinion rather than a matter of what the communicator is trying to get across.

For example, if I say to you, "I prefer milk to coffee" and you choose to interpret it as "Marc prefers white women to dark skinned women", you have broken the #1 rule of interpreting communication: Literal unless the speaker makes it very clear otherwise. You can see how if this rule is ever broken, all communication becomes a matter of the hearer's interpretation rather than the speaker's meaning. All communication breaks down completely.

So you can see why it is a disaster when an end times Bible prophecy "expert" breaks this rule and jumps to a symbolic interpretation of a prophecy without having first proven that the text indicates that we should do so! Just listen to a few end times "experts" - you'll notice that they do this all the time!

Jesus lets us know that LGH is the approach we should use when trying to interpret the Bible in John 10:35 when He states, “The Scripture cannot be broken.” With that statement He is telling us that the Scriptures say things plainly, when the Scriptures say something plainly, it’s true, and when the Scriptures prophesy/predict something plainly, it’s going to happen. This is the same way we communicate with each other in daily life, and if we tried to communicate in any other way, we would never understand each other.

All allegory, metaphor, symbolism, and expressions in common speech are understood by both the speaker and the hearer, who both belong to the same culture and thus understand the same allegories, symbolism, metaphors, and figures of speech. But modern Bible readers have a couple problems in this regard: a) we don’t belong to the same nation or culture as the writers of and speakers in the Bible, and b) we often don’t know enough about the Bible and its teachings to understand when the Bible is referring to itself (with its symbolism or phrases it uses).

True to Jesus’ statement, most of the time the Bible’s statements and prophecies are literal, just like in plain, everyday speech. And, just like in everyday speech, sometimes the Bible uses symbolism or allegory – but when it does so, it makes that fact obvious to the hearer, in this case the Biblically literate and historically literate reader.

This is why the casual reader of Revelation and Bible prophecy is often stumped or confused – a) they do not understand the rule “literal unless clear to the audience” and b) they are not Biblically or historically literate enough to understand most of the symbolism the Bible uses and thus they are constantly wondering if a Biblical statement/prophecy is literal or symbolic.

Because of this, the average Bible reader reads through the book of Revelation and is constantly wondering “Is this symbolic, or literal? I can never tell!” And because most end times "experts" routinely break the #1 rule of communication ("literal unless the speaker makes clear otherwise") when interpreting Bible prophecy, it is impossible to tell if the "expert" is right or wrong. This is why so many Christians just give up and don't even try to understand end times Bible prophecy in a way that satisfies their logical mind.

The casual reader of Bible end times prophecy is missing two simple things: 1) an understanding that they must follow the LGH method of interpretation (which forces us to follow the invariable common sense rules of communication we use in everyday life), and 2) sufficient knowledge of God's "culture" (His Word, including Old Testament information many Christians are told doesn't matter any more) so that they can understand God's expressions and symbolism in those instances when the Bible does use symbolism in prophecy.

In my E-Book End Times Explained: 7 Little-Known Keys To Understanding the Book of Revelation I give you three simple questions to ask about any Bible prophecy that will enable you to interpret it accurately with confidence in a way that can be proven logically. The first question will enable you to determine if the prophecy is literal or symbolic. The other two questions will enable you to logically determine and prove the meaning of the prophecy if it is symbolic.

In the book I also walk you through the process of interpreting several end time Bible prophecies using the LGH method and its three simple questions, so that you can get the hang of it.

Click here to purchase or learn more about End Times Explained: 7 Little-Known Keys To Understanding the Book of Revelation at the book's official site.

My E-Book End Times Explained includes:

* 7 Little-Known Keys To Understanding the Book of Revelation

* An easy-to-understand Revelation Timeline in “This will happen, then this…” story form

* The secret to understanding the non-chronological “Interludes” at key points in Revelation, WHY God included them – and each “Interlude” explained

* Why God will allow the crazy events of the end times to occur

* The rarely talked about Old Testament passage that reveals how and why God sent/allowed the “4 Horsemen” of Revelation

* The watershed event that will be known as “the end of the world as we know it”

* The rapture found in Revelation (you’ll be amazed you couldn’t see it all along!)

* Learn why according to the book of Revelation a “2012 Planet X Conspiracy” isn’t too far from the truth

* What the modern economy has to do with Revelation, and how its leaders are already planning the mark of the beast

* The most likely living candidate for the antichrist – a man that fits more literal Biblical criteria for the antichrist than any man in history (and no, it’s not Obama!)

* The shocking dual identity of Mystery Babylon – proven with logic and common sense from the Scriptures

* Why “aliens” will be a part of the great end times deception – and where they are revealed in the Book of Revelation

* The Bible’s clear escape instructions for wise last days believers that will enable you to avoid the worst traumatic events of the end times - what to watch for, what to do, where to go, and how to know when the time is right

* Packed full of unique insights you won’t hear anywhere else

Click on the picture of the book to purchase or go to the book's official site to learn more:

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