The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy

by Ron Rhodes

When the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense lest you end up with nonsense.

Individual verses do not exist as isolated fragments, but as parts of a whole. To interpret them properly, we must understand their relationship to the whole and to each other. Scripture interprets Scripture.

In New Testament times, the church is clearly portrayed as distinct from Israel (see Romans 9:6; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Hebrews 12:22-24). Thus, the church is not a mere continuation of Old Testament Israel.

Both are part of the people of God, both are part of God’s spiritual kingdom, and both participate in the spiritual blessings of the Abrahamic covenant and the new covenant.

Israel is an earthly political entity (Exodus 19:5-6), but the universal church is the invisible spiritual body of Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Israel was composed of Jews, but the church is composed of both Jews and Gentiles (see Ephesians 2:15). And one becomes a Jew by physical birth, wher...