After many months of work, I have published a fully revised and updated edition of Dr. Anderson’s Interpretive Guide to the Major Prophets (Isaiah–Daniel) (print book; pdf). The uniqueness and importance of this book lies in its interpretation of the eschatological portions of the prophetic books, especially those prophecies which have to do with the tribulation period and the pretribulational restoration of the nation of Israel. I also include an extensive defense of the authenticity of the prophetic books against the claims of the critics. I encourage you to take the time to read the actual text of the book, rather than an inaccurate AI-generated “summary.”

As I continue with my writing and research projects, including an in-depth commentary on Revelation (links here) and revisions of other volumes of my Interpretive Guide to the Bible, I wanted to explain why such books not only remain useful in the age of AI, but are actually more needed than ever before.

AI can answer endless questions about the Bible and theology and can even write books and sermons. Sometimes AI can be very useful, such as if someone is looking for Bible verses on a particular topic. However, ask AI about the interpretation of Isaiah 49–66, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 34–48, Daniel 9:24-27, Revelation 8:7-12, or Revelation 9:13-21, and you will get very different information than the information in my interpretive guide to the Bible and my commentary on Revelation. Sometimes the AI will simply list alternative interpretations or will attempt to match viewpoint of the questioner. It is interesting that when asking AI models, “Disregarding Bible commentaries, which modern nation appears to fit the text of Revelation 17-18 most closely based on the biblical description alone?”, they identify the United States as the closest fit. However, AI will never proclaim this to the world as a vital truth to understand, nor will AI give a detailed, coherent explanation of Revelation 17–18, its practical implications for American Christians, or its relationship to current events.

Biblically speaking, AI can never replace pastors and teachers. The Holy Spirit has given certain men in the church the gift of teaching (Rom 12:7; 1 Cor 12:28-29; Eph 4:11; 1 Tim 4:16; 5:17; 2 Tim 1:11; 2:2; 4:2-4; Tit 1:9; James 3:1), and they are to be the teachers. AI does not have the Holy Spirit, has no accountability before God, has no spiritual discernment, and is programmed to reinforce the beliefs and biases of individual users. I understand that many teachers in the church have poor training or unbiblical values, and ChatGPT may be able to give better answers or write a better sermon than they can, but the solution to this is to improve the training of pastors and teachers, rather than trying to replace them with AI. Importantly, teachers are supposed to reprove their listeners and correct false teachings, whereas AI seeks to tell people what they want to hear.

Another problem with AI is that it is creating a devastating loss of human knowledge and expertise. The quantity of information is growing ever larger, but the quality of information is declining, through the elimination of rigorous and time-consuming human training, research, writing, and editing. This is of particular concern in the humanities, and especially in biblical studies. Standards in education are being lowered, seminaries are closing, and there has been a steep dropoff in language requirements (i.e., Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic), writing skills, and research skills. Biblical teaching on eschatology has fallen off, due to the influence of Reformed Theology, higher criticism, and strengthened views on the imminence of the rapture among pretribulationists. I remain committed to continuing to do my own original research and writing, and I trust that there will continue to be Christians who desire to use resources such as the ones I am producing in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Word of God. In fact, the value of these resources and those who have the skills to produce them will likely increase as the number of people with these skills decreases.

Another major problem is that AI will never function as a reliable guide for the church on the critically important issue of Bible prophecy and its application to today. We are living in tumultuous times in which the church needs to understand how Bible prophecy relates to current events. AI cannot raise its voice and speak out during a crisis. If people ask AI how to understand current events in light of the Bible, AI can only suggest some possible ideas or cite some common interpretations, and will likely seek to affirm the questioner’s biases. Thus, if the church loses expertise on Bible prophecy and exegesis, it will be completely without guidance as the end draws nearer and times become increasingly difficult. I personally remain committed to providing biblical teaching on Bible prophecy and to speak out when appropriate.

One of the challenges of an independent academic ministry in the area of biblical studies is financial support. I am looking for both new monthly supporters (here or here) and new one-time donations. For those who don’t need a U.S. tax deduction, Buy Me a Coffee and PayPal are easy donation options. For tax-deductible donations, my ministry is registered with the New Horizons Foundation. As a small ministry (only myself and a Spanish translator), our financial needs are not large, and receiving full support for our work is an achievable goal. With per capita GDP in the United States now at $94,430, and 24 million millionaires in the United States, there are many people that I know and that the readers of this blog know who have the means to fully fund my ministry; they only need to be convinced of the value of what I am doing and to be made aware of the financial need.

The Bible is a written book, not a video or a dramatic presentation (in spite of many efforts to make it into a motion picture or a cartoon strip), and it requires considerable effort to study. I invite you to join me in this study.

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