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STICK WITH THE KING’S BOOK! PART 2

    If you’re going to deliver the goods to hungry souls at the street level, it would be advisable to have a solid foundation of the main issues of Bible Prophecy. Having a clear understanding of the basics from the New Testament will work wonders to meet the mockers and scoffers head on and be a contender for the faith (Jude 1:3 KJV). Of course, you need to have the right Bible for the task ahead…that being the King James Version. As I mentioned in our last episode, the KJV is THE version to deal with Deliverance Ministry, Spiritual Warfare, Bible Prophecy, and it is the version that makes Satan and his crowd ‘back up’ when it comes to the Blood of Jesus Christ.

     Yes, you WILL have others who have the lesser translations try to tell you that the KJV is out of date, or is in English no one speaks anymore. Beware and be wise. The KJV has a solid history behind it. Every version AFTER the KJV has been written to dilute the original texts and to make merchandise out of people who can easily be ‘swayed’ by buying version after version to ‘keep up’ with the ‘modern times.’ A fool and his money—for a newer translation—is soon parted.

     In ministering to those in our streets around the world, you can’t overlook the gang culture. The modern gangs of today often USE the KJV for their rituals, colors, and even as a means of ‘blessing’ new members into their cliques and crews. In many cases, they will QUICKLY DISREGARD other translations AND those who use them in street ministry. The KJV is the common thread that will help a Christian get through and set the captives free.

     Here are a few other things I have noticed about the KJV:

      *Its Origin and History: King James of England authorized the translation of the available scriptures of his day into a Bible that the common person could read. A host of scholars and experts took some four years to painstakingly go over the Greek and Hebrew texts. They avoided attempts by Roman Catholic Church to ‘water down’ the gospel. The translators and scholars put their lives on the line to get the job done, beginning in 1607 (according to the historical record). In 1611, the world was introduced to the King James Version. It stood alone as THE biblical standard for more than 260 years…well before the first ‘new and commercially prepared translation’ arrived in 1881! The KJV STILL stands the test of time!

      *Its Linguistic Authority and Purity: Some might think that this is a small point, but whenever the Scriptures state: ‘Thus Saith the Lord…’ it does something to the spirit of the believer and wakes up the unbeliever to his/her spiritual lack. It is written in the same King’s English used by Shakespeare. One knows what happens when you try to ‘modernize’ Othello, or Romeo and Juliet. Many, many translations that have come after the KJV lose something when they use modern terminology rather than: ‘Thus saith the Lord…’

     *For African Americans It Represents An Unbreakable Tie To Our Ancestry And History In The USA: It has not been that long since it was FORBIDDEN to teach Negroes to read. Our fore parents had it right when they INSISTED to be taught how to read out of the bible, rather than out of ‘just another reading book.’  Additionally, several surveys have been done on the various translations over the years as to the educational abilities. Did you know that a person who masters the KJV is able to comprehend at a 12^th grade-plus level? THIS is why our fore parents were wise beyond their years! Stick with the King’s book…and be counted as wise.

      *Bonus: The KJV does NOT have a copyright! Thus, it may be cited time after time in other works or in cyberspace without worrying about running afoul of copyright laws. There ARE copyrights on ALL the other translations that have come AFTER the KJV. NOT on the KJV!

      In conclusion, the KJV is NOT a ‘white man’s bible.’ It was not ‘thought of’ by man. It IS the Word of God, inspired, breathed, and preserved by His Holy Spirit and bought and paid for by the birth, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Further, it is the BEST Bible from which to make Bible Prophecy plain enough for all to understand—especially those in many of our urban cities.

      I have developed the following saying: “There is NO separation of church and state in the streets!” It is a saying worth remembering, because many of those who a Christian will have the most contact will be with those individuals who are OUTSIDE the walls of the church. This is the way that the Lord intended it to be. We who call ourselves Christians MUST be ready to take our faith out into the marketplace where it can be seen, heard, and tested. (The Great Commission). In the streets of ANY city, you’d better have that which works on display.

      I’m heading for a close. In Bible Prophecy, there is one key doctrine that receives little mention but—if brought out and taught properly could serve as the ‘secret weapon’ of prophecy, that being: The Rapture. Simply put, there will come a time—it could be seconds from now or years from now—when Jesus Christ will appear in the skies above earth and ‘catch up’ or suddenly take those who have confess their faith in Him up off the earth and to heaven. This is covered in several places in the New Testament: most notably in I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and I Corinthians 15:50-52 (KJV). While the ‘word’ rapture does not appear, the process is aptly described in the Scriptures (OT and NT) and meant for believers to take to heart.

      The Rapture serves as the first portion of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. His physical ‘touching down’ on planet Earth does not happen until nearly the end of the Great Tribulation period, around the time of the Battle of Armageddon, the second part of His Second Coming.

      There has been much debate over this doctrine. There is much biblical evidence to support it, both OT and NT. However, it—like other doctrines of the scriptures—is meant to be taken in faith by those who are a part of the Christian faith. I don’t understand everything about the Bible. No one, no matter how much Bible they have studied can claim total understanding of the Word of God. I don’t understand electricity either; but I have enough faith and wisdom to know that if I enter a dark room, I will find the nearest light switch and turn it on.

      The same may be said for The Rapture of the Church. One must see it by the faith they have in the Word of God, and the trust that they have in Jesus Christ that His word is true, and this portion of doctrine WILL take place at a time as designated by God. It could happen while I am typing this sentence, or it could happen years after this work is published. The Rapture has nothing in prophecy that needs to happen to trigger this event. When God has determined it is time for Christians (the church) to be brough home, Jesus Christ will be sent to ‘catch them up’ to where He is gathered in the sky. Once this happens, a specific timetable of events will take place, broken down into two 3.5 year periods, culminating in his triumphant,1,000 year reign on earth.

      With the use of the KJV Bible, and studying the doctrine of The Rapture of the Church, one will be sufficiently ready to break down Bible Prophecy in a language that anyone can understand.

      Even a young person.

      Even a young person in your church.

      More to come.

      Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Street Level Bible Prophecy” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996. Catch Mike Ramey’s columns on X (Twitter), Substack, Faithwriters.com, LinkedIn and in fine publications like this one! To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com. ©2025 Barnstorm Communications International.