Written by Peter Rodriguez
Available in other languages: Português
READING INSTRUCTIONS
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Preparation for Reading: Before starting each reading session, please take a moment to pray to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is called God, asking him to guide you into all truth and to open your mind to understand the sacred writings explored in this series.
On the First Posts: The opening posts introduce foundational subjects that are important for understanding the rest of the series. These include the identity of the God it presents, the nature and reliability of the religious text on which it is built (the Bible), its interpretive approach, and other important concepts. So, to make sure we are starting from the same baseline of knowledge and understanding, it is important that the reader begin with these opening posts before proceeding to the heart of this series (the Bible commentaries on Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation).
Making Long Chapters Easier to Read: (1) For didactic reasons, longer posts have been divided into smaller sections to prevent readers from feeling overwhelmed by receiving too much information at once. It is advisable to pause at the end of each section to reflect on what you have read and pray. (2) At the same time, in order to maintain continuity and avoid losing the train of thought, avoid taking long breaks (such as two or more days) between sections. If possible, spread the reading throughout the day. (3) To assist with time management, each section includes an estimated reading time, allowing readers to plan their breaks accordingly.
A Reading Journey Worth Taking: Even for readers who are not particularly interested in religion, there is nothing to lose by reading this series. On the contrary, it offers interesting and useful knowledge across a range of disciplines, including world history, literature, ancient civilizations, languages, interpretation of ancient texts, and more. Along the way, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the world we live in and the historical developments that have shaped it. Furthermore, and most importantly, this series offers an opportunity to know or better understand the Christian religion—and this will enable readers to make an informed, thoughtful decision about whether they actually want to follow it or not (the most important decision a human being can make in life). In any case, this will certainly be a worthwhile reading journey and a meaningful investment of your time.
Make Sure to Read the Entire Series: (1) Basically, this series consists of expository analysis of the biblical book in its entirety, examining verses within their context and following the inspired biblical writer’s line of reasoning. (2) Because of this, it is important to engage with this series sequentially, from beginning to end. Reading the material in order and until the end will ensure a correct understanding of the biblical book under analysis, allowing the student of the Bible to properly discern the biblical writer’s intended meaning. (3) It is also important to complete the entire series in order to appreciate the full picture and overarching message that the writer of this series intended to present by bringing together the Book of Daniel, the Gospel of Matthew, and Revelation. (4) And many questions that may arise during your reading sessions will be answered later in the series as the discussion progresses into more advanced sections.
Considering the Biblical Background: Biblical books such as Daniel and Revelation rely heavily on other passages and doctrines of the Bible. Lack of familiarity or knowledge of these references makes it impossible to correctly understand these books. Therefore, throughout this series, supplemental posts have been included to ensure that all readers, whether new to Christianity or long-time believers, have the necessary foundation to achieve a correct understanding of these books.
On New Knowledge: No one begins the Christian life knowing everything that is in the Bible, or the depths of the infinite God, or even all of their own flaws. If you are already a Christian, then you know this from experience. If you have been a diligent student of God’s Word, your practices and your knowledge of the Bible have not remained the same since you first chose to follow Jesus. You have more knowledge now than in the beginning. Along the way, your understanding of certain biblical verses has been corrected, biblical teachings once overlooked have become essential, and God has called you to obedience in areas you had never considered before. God teaches us gradually, according to what we are able to receive. Thus, “the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until full day” (Proverbs 4:18). Therefore, learning a correction or discovering something new in the Bible while reading this series does not mean that you, or others, were not saved or true Christians before. The fact that you will know more tomorrow than you know today does not mean you are lost right now. Our responsibility is to walk according to the knowledge we have already received: to do what we already know we must do, and to avoid what we already know we must avoid. “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
Q&A Section: (1) At the end of each post, you will find a Q&A section related to the subject or chapter of the biblical book just studied. The questions are either submitted by readers or drawn from other sources. So, if you still have questions about the chapter, please send them to the following email address: questions@thebloodstainedbanner.org. (2) At the end of each section, you will find a list of the teachings the writer intended to convey in that section. The questions should relate exclusively to these specified teachings.
WRITING PROCESS
Authority of the Bible: In this series, the Word of God must be the authority in every post. Therefore, interpretive quotations—that is, those unrelated to the word meanings of the original languages, archaeological data, or historical facts—are included in this series not as an appeal to the authority of the quoted theologian or writer, but simply because they offer a ready, clear, and biblically grounded explanation of the subject. The Word of God must be the authority in every post.
Focus on Pertinent Topics: (1) Although the preparation of these materials involves a thorough study of each biblical book under analysis in this series—examining the text verse by verse and word by word—what is presented to the reader is not a verse-by-verse commentary. (2) Not everything needs an explanation. There are moments when we are simply following a narrative, and not every passage demands explanation. (3) Given the urgency of the present time, as we rapidly near the close of this world’s history, there is no room to include nonessential details about a biblical verse, such as “fun facts” that do not contribute to the message of the biblical book. “For what has straw to do with grain? declares Jehovah.” (Jeremiah 23:28) (4) Therefore, whenever a commentary is provided, please give careful attention to the explanation and know that it is important. The topic drawn from the Bible verse and explained provides important information that will help in understanding later passages as we progress through the biblical book. The knowledge drawn from the Bible verse will also equip the reader to discern and reject wrong teachings that float in the air and may eventually reach their ears. (5) The writer will focus on the truths for this present time, providing “food in due season.” For all this, the commentaries prioritize necessary and essencial explanation over exhaustive verse-by-verse exposition.
Historical Sources: Although the texts written by historians and cited in this series may appear to be commentaries on the biblical prophecies, they are not. Historians were simply writing about history, and history has been unfolding as prophesied in the Bible. This is why their writings resemble commentaries on biblical prophecies, even though they were not intended as such.
Origin of the Sources: All sources cited in this series come from impartial researchers and scholars. Whether referencing the work of archaeologists, linguists, historians, or even theologians, none of the quoted texts come from individuals who share the body of teachings drawn from the Bible and presented in this series. All sources cited in this series come from impartial researchers and scholars.
No AI-Generated Material: (1) No AI tools were used to generate content, outline posts, write, or provide ideas for this series. This is mentioned to prevent readers from feeling discouraged about reading this series by assuming the material they will read was created by AI. (2) The use of em dashes simply reflects the author’s personal writing style and preference. As for the Oxford comma, it is employed in accordance with standard grammar (and due to the writer’s preference).
Originality: (1) There is no need for two different works covering essentially the same subjects and advancing the same arguments to be in existence when a single work would be all-sufficient. If a work like this already existed, the author would have gladly referenced it and encouraged others to read it, not write another one using different words or covering nearly the same subjects as the first one. (2) This series is original. No work has been stolen from others and published as the author’s own, whether reproduced verbatim or paraphrased. To do so would be to take advantage of someone else’s labor and rob them the support they might need to create more material or the patronage they might need to dedicate their life entirely to this line of work in God’s mission. (3) This statement of originality is also intended to assure readers that what they will find here is a worth reading material, and not a repetition of material available elsewhere. (4) And because this series is not a copy of another work, the author asks for the reader’s patience regarding the time it takes to publish each new chapter. The process requires from him considerable time from his busy routine, the reading of many books, thorough research, in-depth study of the biblical text, and financial investment in acquiring sources and books.
Aligned with Church Teaching: (1) This series is denominational in nature. The author is a member of the organized church and submits to its authority in all matters of doctrine (and its doctrines have proven to be in harmony with the Bible). We are one. Therefore, despite the originality of this series, and its firm commitment to the authority of the Bible, the established doctrines and interpretations of the church served as a guiding framework throughout its composition. (2) This series presents these established doctrines in a biblically structured manner, through expository Bible teaching, examining biblical books as complete units and progressing carefully through the text verse by verse. (3) So, despite the originality of this work, its fundamental teachings are well-known and embraced by the organized church. Nothing in it contradicts the organized church’s fundamental doctrines. On the contrary, it affirms and supports them. There is perfect agreement between this series and the fundamental teachings of the church, which the Bible describes as the “pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
