2. Remember we are reading the Bible, the Word of God. Therefore, – What we are reading is inspired by God. It was breathed out by God.

3. Remember we are reading the Bible, the Word of God. Therefore, – What we are reading is inspired by God. It was breathed out by God.

4. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

5. Every word is inspired. This is verbal inspiration. (Verbal means pertaining to words.) – Verbal inspiration means that whatever the means of inspiration (dictation, vision, research...), the end result was that the very words God desired to be used to express His truth were the ones that made it to the page.

6. Every word is inspired. This is verbal inspiration. (Verbal means pertaining to words.) – Verbal inspiration means that whatever the means of inspiration (dictation, vision, research...), the end result was that the very words God desired to be used to express His truth were the ones that made it to the page.

7. Every word is inspired. This is verbal inspiration. (Verbal means pertaining to words.) – Verbal inspiration means that whatever the means of inspiration (dictation, vision, research...), the end result was that the very words God desired to be used to express His truth were the ones that made it to the page.

8. Every word is inspired. This is verbal inspiration. (Verbal means pertaining to words.) – Verbal inspiration means that whatever the means of inspiration (dictation, vision, research...), the end result was that the very words God desired to be used to express His truth were the ones that made it to the page.

9. 1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

10. Inspiration makes the Bible inerrant and infallible. – Inerrant means that in the original autographs, there are no mistakes. – Infallible means that if you follow it, it will not lead you astray.

11. Inspiration makes the Bible inerrant and infallible. – Inerrant means that in the original autographs, there are no mistakes. – Infallible means that if you follow it, it will not lead you astray.

12. Inspiration makes the Bible inerrant and infallible. – Inerrant means that in the original autographs, there are no mistakes. – Infallible means that if you follow it, it will not lead you astray.

13. Inspiration makes the Bible inerrant and infallible. – Inerrant means that in the original autographs, there are no mistakes. – Infallible means that if you follow it, it will not lead you astray.

14. Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

15. Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

16. Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Jesus Himself said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17

17. Allow the Bible to speak for itself. – What we want to do is exegesis, which means drawing out the meaning. We want to know what the Holy Spirit is telling us through the words of the Scripture. – What we do not want to do is called eisegesis, which means reading into the text what we want it to say.

18. Allow the Bible to speak for itself. – What we want to do is exegesis, which means drawing out the meaning. We want to know what the Holy Spirit is telling us through the words of the Scripture. – What we do not want to do is called eisegesis, which means reading into the text what we want it to say.

19. Allow the Bible to speak for itself. – What we want to do is exegesis, which means drawing out the meaning. We want to know what the Holy Spirit is telling us through the words of the Scripture. – What we do not want to do is called eisegesis, which means reading into the text what we want it to say.

20. Observe the context. – Always understand what the book you are reading in is generally about, who it is to, and who is the human author. – Read any verse with the passage above and below. – All this background information is the “context.”

21. Observe the context. – Always understand what the book you are reading in is generally about, who it is to, and who is the human author. – Read any verse with the passage above and below. – All this background information is the “context.”

22. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture. – Many of the mysteries of Scripture are explained in other Scriptures. Consequently, the more you read Scripture, the easier it is to understand Scripture. You will read a verse or even a phrase and it will bring other Scriptures to mind.

23. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture. – A great blessing we have in the day in which we live is that we can benefit from what other students of the Scriptures have learned and recorded as well. I am not here referring to commentaries, although they have their place, but not until after your basic work in tackling a passage has been done.

24. I am speaking of Bible study tools that help you find other passages of Scripture that are in some way connected to what you are reading. – A quotation – An allusion – Common theme

25. I am speaking of Bible study tools that help you find other passages of Scripture that are in some way connected to what you are reading. – A quotation – An allusion – Common theme

26. I am speaking of Bible study tools that help you find other passages of Scripture that are in some way connected to what you are reading. – A quotation – An allusion – Common theme

27. You will often find these in a center column reference of a study Bible or as footnotes on a page in a study Bible.

28. You can also find these and other helps in an online study Bible. A good free one is My WORDsearch Bible – https://mywsb.com.

29. “When the plain sense, makes sense, seek no other sense, or you end up with nonsense.” – The Bible is filled with figurative language, symbol, poetry, and parables. – Most of the time these things are clearly indicated in the text. Beware of “secret meanings” people will say are behind a text. Remember God gave His Word for you to understand. He did not hide it!

30. “When the plain sense, makes sense, seek no other sense, or you end up with nonsense.” – The Bible is filled with figurative language, symbol, poetry, and parables. – Most of the time these things are clearly indicated in the text. Beware of “secret meanings” people will say are behind a text. Remember God gave His Word for you to understand. He did not hide it!

31. Look at the meanings of words in the original language as needed. – Again, this is where we are blessed. You do not have to learn Hebrew or Greek. In the My Wordsearch Bible, basic information about the meanings of words in the original language are given.

32. Here is the general reading screen in My Wordsearch Bible.

33. When you click on the Alpha & Omega sign you get the Strong´s numbers, which are standard numbers for root words in the original languages used by many reference tools.

34. When you double click a number, like the one by the word “revelation,” it tells you how all this word is translated. In this case, it is translated as revelation 14 times, revealed 2 times, and revelations 2 times.

35. When you click on Dictionary Reference, it gives you the English transliteration and a brief definition.

36. Clicking on Usage Study shows you how the same Greek or Hebrew word is used in other passages of the Bible. I find this to be one of the most helpful ways to understand the meaning of words in the original languages.

37. “The Plain Things are the Main Things, and the Main Things are the Plain Things.”

38. Read the Bible prayerfully and pensively. – Ask God to illumine your understanding. – After you read and/or study a passage, meditate one it – chew on it.

39. Read the Bible prayerfully and pensively. – Ask God to illumine your understanding. – After you read and/or study a passage, meditate one it – chew on it.

40. Read the Bible prayerfully and pensively. – Ask God to illumine your understanding. – After you read and/or study a passage, meditate one it – chew on it.

41. Read the Bible prayerfully and pensively. – Ask God to illumine your understanding. – After you read and/or study a passage, meditate one it – chew on it.

42. Now we are going to work our way through the Revelation, doing these simple things. – You will be surprised how easy they are as we practice them. – And you will be surprised how easily the meaning flows from the text as we do them.

43. Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants— things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

44. What is the first thing we are to do? Knowing this is God´s Word, we want to let it speak to us. So, next, to understand the first verse, we read the context. Let´s read chapter 1.

46. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

47. 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

48. 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

49. 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

50. 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

51. 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

52. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.