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God's Promises of Prophecy
What does the word of God have to say about the times we are living in? Plenty, says Dr. Jack Van Impe, one of America's most trusted authorities on Bible prophecy. In this captivating gift book, Van Impe examines 50 prophetic subjects and demonstrates their Scriptural foundation with specific Biblical references.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 1998
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March 19, 2021
I was a little embarrassed when I finished this book, because I realized that if somebody was an unbeliever and picked this up, Christians would never hear the end of it. This book IS ridiculous, not because of the scriptures presented (reading the scriptures again was my favorite part. There's so much hope in those verses!), but because of Impe's extremely literal and sometimes just...I'm sorry...ridiculous interpretations.
First of all, though, I would like to say that a lot of what is in this book is healthy. I don't doubt Impe is a Christian, I don't doubt his motives, because he has a very strong grasp and healthy interpretation of things that, in my view, matter the most. He clearly believes and strives to uphold the holiness of scripture. He clearly has been saved by Jesus Christ, and he clearly believes that he is a sinner, that Jesus died for his sins, and that He rose again from the dead, conquering death. And a lot of the prophecies here are examined in light of that, and I thought he had some very good insights into prophecies that have already been fulfilled, and how they have been fulfilled.
But my issues start when Impe begins to assume that he completely understands prophecies made for the end times, including what he believes is happening right now, in the modern day, and uses these verses to interpret against modern political institutions he just doesn't seem to like. I'll put down some of those here.
He believed, through some very farfetched calculations that includes the six day war in Israel (which he believes was specifically prophesied in multiple different Biblical texts in the Bible), that something very profound and spiritual was going to occur in the year 2007, perhaps even the end of the world. It's 2021. I was 4 in 2007, and there wasn't any rapture.
Impe prescribes the sightings of UFOs and the existence of aliens as the proof of visible demons flying around the earth. Firstly, there is no scriptures that support visible demons: the demons Jesus and the disciples meet possess people. The Bible describes spiritual warfare, and specifically says the physical is the physical actions of physical people. Additionally, giving any traction to alien lifeforms begs a lot of very serious questions about the nature of humanity as God's chosen creation.
Impe describes the European Union (he pushes it...nay...shoves it down your throat actually) as the revived Roman Empire. I laughed. I actually laughed when he kept pushing it. The first times I just went "wha---?" And moved on. The second, third, tenth time he said it, I laughed. He has no foundation for this other than what he says. It's absurd, and he says multiple times that the antichrist will be the head of the European Union. You can disagree with the politics of the European Union, but I don't think that in any form the EU is some revived Roman Empire that is the center of all evil in the world. Again, his ideas are so ridiculous, and really so, so strange.
Additionally, Impe describes Russia, multiple times, as the first bringer of the end times...they're going to attack Jerusalem here shortly. Okay? Also, according to Impe, Aides is the plague described in Revelation, and the antichrist is alive right now, biding his time. According to his logic, Covid could very easily be the plague, but I believe it's foolish to just say, while we're living through it or slightly past it to say "Covid was the plague described in Revelation" for a number of reasons. First of all, the flu of 1918, the black plague...literally anything could be said to be the plague. It's foolish to say something like that because none of us are prophets. We don't know.
And that's the huge problem with this book. Impe pretends he's a prophet. He says himself that a prophet's predictions have to come true. 2007 has come and gone. The Aides Epidemic has come and gone. A lot of his "interpretation" seems to be fueled by intense dislike for the EU, which I still do not understand.
I do not pretend to know what Biblical prophecies are really talking about. And neither should he, or anybody. This book actually dampened my faith more than strengthened it because it showed me how ridiculous Biblical prophecy sounds if you're just throwing it around and formulating it into whatever you want it to be. It showed me how ridiculous the Bible can sound to unbelievers, especially if we're pretending we're God and completely understand all his prophecies...even when many haven't come to pass. We shouldn't be prescribing specific dates/years to prophecies unless scripture gives specific indication of it (such as the birth of Jesus Christ) and confirms that the prophecies were fulfilled.
Would not recommend this book for study.
First of all, though, I would like to say that a lot of what is in this book is healthy. I don't doubt Impe is a Christian, I don't doubt his motives, because he has a very strong grasp and healthy interpretation of things that, in my view, matter the most. He clearly believes and strives to uphold the holiness of scripture. He clearly has been saved by Jesus Christ, and he clearly believes that he is a sinner, that Jesus died for his sins, and that He rose again from the dead, conquering death. And a lot of the prophecies here are examined in light of that, and I thought he had some very good insights into prophecies that have already been fulfilled, and how they have been fulfilled.
But my issues start when Impe begins to assume that he completely understands prophecies made for the end times, including what he believes is happening right now, in the modern day, and uses these verses to interpret against modern political institutions he just doesn't seem to like. I'll put down some of those here.
He believed, through some very farfetched calculations that includes the six day war in Israel (which he believes was specifically prophesied in multiple different Biblical texts in the Bible), that something very profound and spiritual was going to occur in the year 2007, perhaps even the end of the world. It's 2021. I was 4 in 2007, and there wasn't any rapture.
Impe prescribes the sightings of UFOs and the existence of aliens as the proof of visible demons flying around the earth. Firstly, there is no scriptures that support visible demons: the demons Jesus and the disciples meet possess people. The Bible describes spiritual warfare, and specifically says the physical is the physical actions of physical people. Additionally, giving any traction to alien lifeforms begs a lot of very serious questions about the nature of humanity as God's chosen creation.
Impe describes the European Union (he pushes it...nay...shoves it down your throat actually) as the revived Roman Empire. I laughed. I actually laughed when he kept pushing it. The first times I just went "wha---?" And moved on. The second, third, tenth time he said it, I laughed. He has no foundation for this other than what he says. It's absurd, and he says multiple times that the antichrist will be the head of the European Union. You can disagree with the politics of the European Union, but I don't think that in any form the EU is some revived Roman Empire that is the center of all evil in the world. Again, his ideas are so ridiculous, and really so, so strange.
Additionally, Impe describes Russia, multiple times, as the first bringer of the end times...they're going to attack Jerusalem here shortly. Okay? Also, according to Impe, Aides is the plague described in Revelation, and the antichrist is alive right now, biding his time. According to his logic, Covid could very easily be the plague, but I believe it's foolish to just say, while we're living through it or slightly past it to say "Covid was the plague described in Revelation" for a number of reasons. First of all, the flu of 1918, the black plague...literally anything could be said to be the plague. It's foolish to say something like that because none of us are prophets. We don't know.
And that's the huge problem with this book. Impe pretends he's a prophet. He says himself that a prophet's predictions have to come true. 2007 has come and gone. The Aides Epidemic has come and gone. A lot of his "interpretation" seems to be fueled by intense dislike for the EU, which I still do not understand.
I do not pretend to know what Biblical prophecies are really talking about. And neither should he, or anybody. This book actually dampened my faith more than strengthened it because it showed me how ridiculous Biblical prophecy sounds if you're just throwing it around and formulating it into whatever you want it to be. It showed me how ridiculous the Bible can sound to unbelievers, especially if we're pretending we're God and completely understand all his prophecies...even when many haven't come to pass. We shouldn't be prescribing specific dates/years to prophecies unless scripture gives specific indication of it (such as the birth of Jesus Christ) and confirms that the prophecies were fulfilled.
Would not recommend this book for study.
Displaying 1 of 1 review