"I just have a hard time understanding this subject" she said, with a bit of desperation in her voice. These were words spoken by a young lady at a Bible study recently. The study for the evening had covered part of Matthew 24, admittedly, a difficult part of the Bible to understand. After the study, many of us had remained to visit for a few minutes before leaving. This young lady came and sat next to me and stated her frustration at trying to understand the many facets of Bible Prophecy.

I needed some encouraging words to say to her to prevent her from losing interest in Bible prophecy and the Lord provided them. At the opportune moment I looked at her and asked, "Do you understand the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith?" She was surprised and a little confused by my seemingly off-the-subject question and looked at me and replied hesitantly, "well ... yes." I repeated my question, only this time, I asked it differently. I asked, "Do you understand the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, or do you just acknowledge it as a Bible fact?" At that moment, she realized the point I was leading her to. The point was and is, most of the Bible is hard to understand!

Most people will acknowledge a Bible fact without ever quite understanding it. The doctrine of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all being one) is another good example. I assured her that most Bible doctrines are this way, not just Bible prophecy!

This statement may come as a shock to some, but it is none the less true! Yes, of course, there are many points made in the Bible that are easy to understand. For example: I have heard the statement since early childhood that the Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand which is so true, but the message of the Bible as a whole goes beyond the simple message of the Gospel, much of it, being very difficult to understand! The Bible itself makes the claim that it is not readily understood when it says, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). So, the Bible is spiritually encoded and not readily understandable, if you will. The truth of the matter is the Bible has never been easy to understand and never will be until we are taught it by Jesus Christ Himself during the coming Millennium (see Micah 4:2).

Certain points of the Bible can only be understood through study. This is reinforced by the Bible itself when it declares, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15). It is tragic, but most Christians today do not take the time to study any Bible doctrine, much less Bible prophecy.

Taking the time and discipline to study to gain knowledge is becoming more and more unfavorable these days to those who live in the West, especially to those who live in the United States! This is the generation that wants it fast and wants it now! This is the generation that has created fast food, pay at the pump, the "moving at the speed of life" generation, as one advertisement puts it. If it can't be attained quickly, we pass it up. The knowledge used by the surgeon, the astronaut, the builder, the engineer, the doctor, etc., did not come fast and easy! Bible knowledge doesn't come fast and easy either!

Bible prophecy, like much of the rest of the Bible is hard to understand and can only be understood through disciplined study of the Scriptures. As a matter of fact, the Bible itself says about Bible prophecy specifically, "... our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand..." (2 Pet 3:15-16). Here we have an Apostle saying that Bible prophecy is hard to understand! Notice that he says that "some" things are hard to understand, not impossible, just "hard" to understand.

Even though understanding of the prophetic Scriptures may be difficult, it is not impossible. As a matter of fact, the Bible declares that in the time of the end, there will be those who would have insight and understand as stated in Daniel 12: 9-10, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand."

Today we are seeing the Scriptures concerning the end times being understood like never before! Why is this happening? Because there are men and women all around the world who sense that we are close in history to the coming of the Lord and are searching the Scriptures for knowledge about that event. Many of these love the whole Bible but have developed a passion for understanding the 25% of the Bible that is given to prophecy. The results of their studies are showing up in their writings on the "end times" in the Christian, and in some cases, secular bookstores. Just thirty years ago, if a person wanted to find a book about Bible prophecy in a Christian bookstore, he or she would find a very limited selection. Today, one can go into a Christian bookstore and find whole sections on the subject. These books are proof that Bible prophecy is not impossible to understand and are also proof that God, in fulfillment of Daniel 12 (quoted above) is giving understanding of the prophetic Scriptures as was promised.

Those who do not study Bible prophecy today are missing one of the greatest blessings that God intended! They are missing the message of hope that the Bible provides in the blessed promise of Jesus the Messiah's return. The Bible admonishes us to look forward to this great event as it states in Titus 2:13, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ".

But, how can anyone look forward to something they know, through lack of study, so little about? Isn't it about time that the Body of Christ wake up, considering all that is happening in the world, and learn all we can about this wonderful, but sometimes hard to understand subject, Bible prophecy!

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"