Question:

I was looking on the internet and i saw some intresting books in PDF form
at this website, http://www.ellisskolfield.com/downloadable-books.shtml,
they

are intersting but I would like to know what you think of them.

Answer:

This person’s arguments work as long as he is only talking with people who
already agree with him and who accept his presuppositions. Let me give
you an example from what I can find right in the beginning of his book.
To quote from the book:

“The Bible tells us all about this war by predicting when the Moslem Dome
of the Rock would be built in Jerusalemand when the Jewish people would be
restored to the Holy Land. The events of 688, 1948 and 1967AD cannot be
challenged. The fulfillment of 1290 days of Dan 12:11 in the construction
of the Dome of the Rock on the old temple mount is pinned to the beginning
of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and few argue the 606BC or 605BC dating of
that event. That the restoration of the Jews to Israelin 1948 and the

freeing of Jerusalemfrom Gentile domination in 1967 was

predicted right to the year is unshakable.”

First of all, the Bible does not predict when the Moslem Dome of the Rock
would be built. What passage can one read which says that in later times
the Muslims will build a building at the site of the Jewish temple? I
suppose one can find a passage which, if taken out of context, and if one
accepts a bunch of other presuppositions, could possible be really
stretched to interpret it as saying the Dome of the Rock will be built,
but this guy is building on extremely thin ice. He says that this dubious
interpretation “cannot be challenged.” That statement is so outrageous
that I do not even know how to respond. In order to reach this
conclusion, he has to assume that Daniel 12:11 is a reference to the
abomination of desolation in Daniel 9:27. There is no justification for
this identification, yet he makes it as if this was obviously true. This
requires very convoluted logic.

The next section is, if it is possible, built on even thinner ice. He
says that the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11 begins with 606 or 605 BC. He
then has the audacity to say that few argue with this claim. This is
simply not true. I suggest you read Daniel 12:11 for yourself. There is
not the slightest reason for dating this as starting in 605 BC. There is
zero evidence that sacrifice in the temple was ended in this year. First
of all, the vision was received in about 538 BC!!! This interpretation
implies that a futuristic prophecy is fulfilled in the past. The passage
is very clear. It says, “from the time that the daily sacrifice is
abolished…. there will be 1290 days… I do not know of a single
reputable scholar who would not assume that this is a reference to the
desolation of the temple in 167 BC under Antiochus Epiphanes. At that
time, the daily sacrifice was abolished. Besides, Daniel 8 and Daniel 11
are also about the persecutions under Antiochus Epiphanes, which makes the
identity of the event in Daniel 12:11 even more sure.

Anyone who has the audacity to claim, in writing, that virtually everyone
would agree that Daniel 12:11 begins in 605 or 606 BC is either a very
poor scholar or is a deceiver. I will give the benefit of the doubt for
this guy and assume that he is a poor scholar. Either way, he gives
himself away very early in this book. I think you would do yourself well
by discounting the rest of this book. This author is following the very
familiar path of choosing a scenario (in this case that the end times
prophecies are about current events in the Middle East), and scanning
scripture for “proof” of the conclusion he reached before his search.
Such extremely biased searches of the Bible have a predictable end.

So, I am sorry to say that this book is not good scholarship. I would
caution you to stay away from the plethora of modern day prophecy
fulfillment books out there. It is very interesting that the author
himself confesses that such theories are very tantalizing.

To quote from the preface:

THIRTY years ago all notable prophecy teachers pronounced, as if

from on high, that the USSRwas the final satanic end-time empire of

all time. A laughable concept now, long abandoned. However, other

fanciful views still cloud men’s minds and flood our bookstores;

imaginations for which there is little scriptural support. These

traditions of menare immensely popular and why shouldn’t they

be? Doesn’t everyone want to hear a tranquilizing song, true or not,

that lulls us into believing we will be spared a time of trouble?

This quote is ironic, as it is a perfect description of the book which
follows it.

By the way, you may want to read my book, “Daniel, Prophet to the
Nations.” Right now it is out of print, but you can read it on line at
www.greatcommission.com or at my other web site
www.grossmont.edu/johnoakes

John Oakes