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The theme-based bible studies found here on this website were prepared by me for sharing with the Adult Sunday School Class at Happy Home Community Church, Deer Park, Washington, USA

The studies are presented from and based on a strictly literal fundamentalist perspective. That means, as if the Bible -- being a single, whole and consistent book -- says what it means and means what it says, including all words of prophecy, from front to back.

This approach rejects the allegorical interpretation of Scripture. When Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah, taken together, explicitly describe a one thousand year reign of the returned Messiah as supreme king on this earth at the end of this age, sitting on the throne of his father David in Jerusalem, Israel, that is not an allegory that must be interpreted by an enlightened mentor to represent some spiritual-only reality, or a fanciful description of some iteration of the Holy Roman Empire in times past. It is what it is: Messiah will physically return to earth to crush all mortal rule, and for 1,000 years reign as King over all the nations.

This perspective does not, however, deny the fact that Scripture uses metaphors, figurative imagery, idioms, or other figures of speech. On the contrary, the literal interpretation absolutely recognizes these literary devices, but interprets them correctly. That is, by finding the literal thing each represents right there in the context of the passage.

For instance, the statement by John the Baptist, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Lamb is the figure. Fine. It is a metaphor, obviously. So what is the literal thing being pictured by the image of a lamb? The man Jesus. Literally. When St John sees an image of a Red Dragon, that is figurative imagery. So we look for the literal thing that image represents right in the context of the passage. And so the angel, right there in the vision, explicitly interprets the figure for him: it is Satan, the Devil. Every instance of figurative imagery in Scripture will include the literal thing that figure represents right there in the context of the narrative. "See these dry bones? They are the house of Israel." Every time.

But that's too easy. Now anyone could read the Bible and know what it is talking about.

Exactly. They could even teach a Sunday School class.

You are welcome to offer counterpoints or ask questions via email below, but please do so in a friendly, courteous and Christian attitude.