I have found this study Bible absolutely terrific for studying many topics presented in God's Holy Word. It would be equally useful to new Christians or someone that has studied the Bible for many years. The study notes at the bottom are extremely useful in providing explanations for select verses. They help one understand the historical context of the passages and provide cross references with other verses in scripture. The numerous articles (one or more pages long) sprinkled throughout the book are especially well-written and very enlightening. They are chock full of cross references and, most importantly, always have solid biblical support (complete with references) with whatever is being said.
For someone that wants to study end-times Bible prophecy (e.g. "eschatology"), it is an excellent resource. While I certainly did not use it as a sole reference, having researched other versions of the Bible, current events, and
many other prophecy experts, I did find myself returning to this study Bible many times to verify topics and to gain further insight and understanding while I was writing
Pray That You May Escape.
The eschatology of the editor, the late Donald C. Stamps, is premillenial, dispensational and pretribulational, which, in my opinion, is good theology and agrees with many Bible prophecy experts, some of whom I am lucky enough to call friends. The list would include, but is not limited to, Tim LaHaye, John Walvoord, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, David Reagan, Mark Hitchcock, Thomas Ice, Grant Jeffrey, and many others. In other words, the editor of this study Bible believed Jesus will return before the millennium and literally be on earth for His millennial reign; that God deals with the Church and Israel differently; and that the Rapture will occur before the tribulation. Thus, he believed the Rapture is an imminent event that could happen at any time (as depicted in the
Left Behind series co-authored by my friend Tim LaHaye).
Moreover, he notes that we should be watching for end-times events and that Christians should especially pay attention to Israel, because God's Word clearly foretells that Israel will have a prominent role in the end times. On that note, his hermeneutics is in agreement with the belief that scripture should usually be interpreted in a literal sense, as opposed to falsely trying to "allegorize" text when doing so is not necessary and would only expose the interpretation to debate. Dr. D.L. Cooper's explanation of the best way to interpret the Bible is commonly referred to as the
Golden Rule of Interpretation:
When the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.
Donald Stamp's discussion of apostasy within the church, personal apostasy, and the Antichrist are also solid and insightful. He discusses the Rapture of the Church, false teachers, and many other topics with equal clarity. A good overview of "The Last Days of History" is presented just before the Book of Revelation and an insightful summary of "Christ's Message to the Seven Churches" is provided.
Many other topics are treated equally well, such as "faith and grace", "acts of the sinful nature and fruits of the spirit", the Holy Spirit, effective praying, and MUCH more. I highly recommend this study Bible to anyone wanting to learn more of God's Word, no matter what the topic may be.
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