Prophecy is the revelation to man—before it happens—of God’s purpose and plans. God has been pleased to share His purpose and plans with His servants, the prophets. Prophecy is never given merely to satisfy man’s curiosity about the future. No prophecy of Scripture is of any private or independent interpretation—all must be understood as being a part of one vast design, fitting into place in harmonious relation to the whole (see 2 Pet. 1:20–21).

God’s purpose centers in the glorification of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and will be appreciated only as one loves Him. Prophecy deals primarily with events on earth, although the Revelation introduces us to heavenly scenes as well. Israel, God’s earthly people, and Palestine, God’s land, are the center of the focus of prophecy, the place of other countries being proportional to their nearness to or involvement with Israel. To properly understand prophecy, it is vital to understand the difference between Israel, the nations—also called the Gentiles—and the Church—also called the Assembly. The Church is never referred to directly in the Old Testament.

God’s dealings with mankind are always consistent within the framework of dispensations—periods of time during which God is testing man in a particular way. Symbols used in prophecy are used consistently, not at random, or with conflicting, confusing meanings. Clear Scripture must be used to interpret less clear Scripture.