God's plan for man is written in The Holy Bible, and this plan is drawing to its conclusion as proven by daily news reports.

AS YOU STUDY PROPHECY: Remember a few things to keep from being discouraged or confused:

• You will not understand everything about prophecy. Many prophecies are sealed, to be opended only for certain generations. Even the prophets often did not understand the things God told them to write. For example:
  • Daniel asked to know the meaning of some of the prophecies he recorded (Daniel 12:8-9, 13). He was told it was not time for these prophecies to be revealed to him or anyone else. He was told his words would be sealed until the end of time. Then, he was told to take his rest (to die), but he would be resurrected at a future date, when the meaning of the prophecies he recorded would be made known to him. We now understand most of the prophecies that were not understood by Daniel. These prophecies were not meant for Daniel's generation.
  • Paul, who wrote approximately two-thirds of the New Testament, referred to "mysteries" in the Bible. He mused (1 Corinthians 13:2) that he could only glimpse God's goodness and intentions, as though looking through darkened glass. These prophecies were not meant for Paul's generation.
  • One of the greatest scientists and mathematicians of all time, Sir Isaac Newton, was convinced there were encoded messages in The Bible. He labored a lifetime to break this code, but failed. In the past few years, the code-- equidistant letter spacing of the biblical manuscript, commonly called "The Bible Codes"-- has been broken. For a hundred dollars of so, a computer software program can be purchased, and any person can find the codes that eluded Newton. These prophecies were not meant for Newton's generation.
• The Bible is written in "layers": There are multiple layers to Scripture verses-- literal, prophetic, coded, and so forth. We are blessed that many of these layers are being peeled back for our generation. God's glory is ready to be manifest to the world. Study, and show yourself an approved, unashamed workman (2 Timothy 2:15).

BE A WATCHMAN ON THE WALL: We are commanded in many Scriptures to watch for one another-- especially the lost, to whom we are required to spread the Gospel. Consider the following Scriptural examples:

• Jesus commanded us to spread the Gospel to the world (Matthew 28:19-20): "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
• Jesus lamented the scarcity of workers available to spread the Gospel (Luke 10:2): Then [Jesus] said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
• Jesus commanded us to wait expectantly for His return (Matthew 24:42 || 44): "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. || Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect Him."
• Jesus taught end-of-the-age parables in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. The first of these parables-- the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)-- illustrates the status of His church at the time of the Rapture. Jesus drew upon Jewish First Century Marriage customs for this parable. After betrothal, the groom went to his father's village to prepare a place for himself and his bride. When the home and furnishings were ready (usually in about one year), the bridegroom would return to the bride's village in the middle of the night. With loud clamor from his friends, he would call out his wife's name. (In betrothal, the maiden was considered a wife, even though the marriage ceremonies had not been completed and the marriage had not been consummated.) The bride, her family, and her virgin friends would rush out to meet him, and they would all go immediately to the bridegroom's village for the marriage. To be ready for this night-time journey, the virgins were expected to keep their lamps filled with oil (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) and their lamp wicks trimmed (a symbol of casting light into a dark world from the One who said, "I am the light of the world"). Wise virgins (wise Christians) must stay ready for the return of their Bridegroom Jesus, and they will go to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Foolish, lazy virgins (foolish, lazy Christians) are not prepared for the Bridegroom's return, and they may not (do not?) go to the Marriage Supper.
• Several Scriptures tell us to be watchmen to warn others of danger and death (in this context, eternal death of the spirit by spending eternity in Hell). As an example, the LORD said to Ezekiel about guarding Israel, but the same principle applies to us today (Ezekiel 3:17-19): [The LORD said] "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore... give them a warning from me: When I say to the wicked,'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I shall require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." We bear the responsibility of lost persons' failure to be saved, if we do not try to share the Gospel with them.
• Understand that Jesus dictates letters to John the Revelator. In the second and third chapters of Revelation, He dictates letters to seven churches in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). Each of the seven churches symbolizes one of the seven ages of Christian churches. The last church-- the church at Laodicea (Revelation, chapter 3)-- symbolizes the majority church today. That church is lazy, wealthy, lukewarm, and filled with internal programs but no efforts to aid the poor and needy and reach souls for the Kingdom. Jesus has nothing good to say about this church. Its tepid (lukewarm) nature literally makes Him vomit (correct translation). The sixth church-- the church at Philadelphia (Revelation, chapter 3)-- symbolizes the minority church today. That church is poor in man's eyes, but rich in Jesus' eyes. It stays busy following Biblical teachings, helping the poor and hurting, and spreading the Gospel to a lost world. Jesus has no condemnation, but only praise for this faithful church.
• Elsewhere in Revelation, John writes repeatedly that only the "overcomer" [of sin] will be admitted into New Jerusalem (Heaven).