Chapter 1:
Literal Interpretation Of Scripture
The Bible, the Inerrant and Inspired Word of God: 66 different books, written by 40 authors as led by the Holy Spirit over a period of several thousand years:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
(Luke 21:33)
"I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matt 5:18)
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet some of you do not believe." (Jn. 6:63)
For whatever reason, if we fail to read and believe Biblical Truth for ourselves we become susceptible to false teachings and false religions such as Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses, Scientology, etc. If we don't read and believe for ourselves we fall prey to the control and manipulation of religious extremist like Jim Jones, or David Koresh, and others - and it the extent that it may cost those who are deceived their very lives.
Elsewhere, Jesus exhorts religious leaders that have "chosen not to believe" because of their traditions, or agendas:
“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions... Thus you nullify the Word of God by your traditions that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
(Mark 7:9, 13)
And Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? …you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! (Mt 15:3, 6b-7a)
Agendas and traditions of religions and organizations in these last days, regarding being saved and being raptured, is that being saved does not guarantee and punch ones ticket for the Rapture. Being saved is just one pre-requisite for the Rapture. As Jesus teaches and warns in The Parable of the Ten Virgins, not just being saved but also looking forward to His return and having oil in lamps is a major pre-requisite to be considered for the Rapture. And again, as Jesus teaches, warns and exhorts in His Seven Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation 2 & 3, that not just being saved and being a member of one of His churches, but also, living a life worthy of the Rapture (oil?) is a pre-requisite for the Rapture. As half of The Body of Christ is imminently about to find out, just being saved is not an entitlement to the Rapture. The Rapture is not an entitlement program. You cannot earn your salvation, but you must earn your ticket for the Rapture - read the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches to find out what Jesus requires His followers to do, or not do, in order to be Rapture Ready! I fully believe that Jesus himself, has been teaching, and warning, of a Partial Rapture of His Church, His Body, for over two thousand years. "...Yet some of you do not believe." (Jn. 6:63)
Regarding the Rapture, Jesus isn't out to trick us! His Inerrant, and Inspired Word, as dictated by the Holy Spirit through man, is the literal, straight forward, absolute and final TRUTH.
Jesus also expects a Literal Interpretation of Scripture. As the Jews are awaiting and looking for the coming of their Messiah, Jesus fulfills scripture literally, by riding a donkey into their midst:
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet
"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!" (Matt 21:1-9)
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace-but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:38-44)
The religious leaders of Israel, the Pharisees, the watchman of Israel, were there that day manning the walls and observing all that was going on. And here comes their Messiah, riding into to Jerusalem on a donkey, to the shouts of ‘Hosanna’, ‘Hosanna in the highest’ – literally fulfilling scripture, literally to the very day, publicly and not in secret. Jesus literally holds them accountable: "because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
Reading the scriptures literally, Sir Robert Anderson postulates that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the 10th of Nisan, or April 6, 32 AD (Julian calendar). Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918) worked for Scotland Yard, was knighted by Queen Victoria, and authored many detailed and informative Christian books, including The Coming Prince. (http://philologos.org/__eb-tcp/default.htm - an online edited version), (See Appendix A for a more complete explanation of how Sir Robert Anderson meticulously arrives at this specific date for the Messiah’s arrival in Jerusalem.)
At His First Coming Jesus literally fulfills over 200 prophecies in scripture, and holds the religious leaders of the day accountable to a literal interpretation of scriptures. At His Second Coming Jesus will again literally fulfill hundreds of prophecies in scripture, and again, end time religious leaders and believers will be accountable to a literal interpretation of the scriptures.
Literal interpretation only requires that we be as smart as a “rock” to understand… ‘or the stones will cry out’
Jesus holds the Pharisees accountable: "because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Jesus expected them to know the scriptures well enough to literally know the very day of His arrival. The scriptures did not say that their Messiah would come in secret, unannounced, or on some unknown day. The scriptures were literally quite specific.