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Todd Hampson: Let’s Be Heavenly Minded AND Earthly Good! · Worldview Matters With David Fiorazo

• 0:00
  Hey, friends. Welcome. Thank you so much for tuning in, watching, listening is Bible prophecy being fulfilled today.
• 0:08
  How about in our lifetime? We're going to talk with Todd Hampson about that today. Today's guest on World View Matters. Thanks so much for joining us.
• 0:16
  Welcome to World View Matters, discussing controversial issues, discerning current events, defending biblical Christianity. No topic off limits. And now here's your host, David Firazzo.
• 0:36
  All right, let's dive right in, friends. Todd Hampson is the best-selling author, speaker, illustrator, animation producer and co-host of the Prophecy Pro's podcast. We're going to talk a little bit about that today. Plus a new book that's coming out. Welcome, brother. Good to see you, Todd.
• 0:52
  Likewise, man. It's great to be here. Always a pleasure to join you.
• 0:56
  So you and Jeff Kenley have started something new. I mean, you guys do the podcast together. And now you're doing an academy. And you said one of them is already filled up and people can now join and join it, do it for June.
• 1:08
  Go back from scratch. What's the Prophecy Pro's Academy and tell us about how people can get involved?
• 1:16
  Absolutely. Thanks so much for letting me share about this. It's, honestly, it's one of the first things that Jeff and I talked about doing when we first felt the Lord's leading to partner together for ministry.
• 1:26
  And we talked about doing events and an online training. And of course, there's been a little bit of an interruption in the interim and a good one being the podcast. The podcast, we didn't even plan on initially.
• 1:39
  But we have the Prophecy Pro's podcast. We're about to record season 16 and that's been going since 2020. And it's just the numbers are ridiculous. How many people are watching it?
• 1:49
  So we're thankful for that. Then we also started doing what's called Prophecy Pro's pop up conferences where we come into different areas pop up for one day and do a one day conference at a church and then pop out.
• 2:00
  So it's easy to set up and break down and that kind of thing. And then finally, we got to launch our teaching online ministry that we have been dreaming about and planning for a long time is called the Prophecy Pro's Academy.
• 2:13
  And it's a three year scope and sequence, but you take it one quarter at a time. You don't sign up for the whole thing at once. You just kind of chip away at it when you can.
• 2:21
  But it's open for a little bit. It's almost like a seminary. Matter of fact, the tagline is bridging the gap between Sunday and seminary because we realize there's a ton of people who want to go deeper in the Bible and really want to learn it systematically.
• 2:36
  And also want to know what undergirds eschatology and Bible prophecy, which is the key thing that we teach on. So the first two years are all about theology and hermeneutics and bibliology and all these foundational things.
• 2:49
  And then year three is all eschatology, but we wanted to give people an option that they could do in their own time that didn't cost an arm in the leg, like if you were to go to seminary.
• 2:59
  But really our goal is to equip people to multiply, to go out and do ministry in a way that's biblically sound. And as you often hit on just the fact that, you know, biblical illiteracy is at an all time high.
• 3:12
  We've felt this burden for several years to just equip the body the best we can. So people can go check that out at prophecyproseacademy.com.
• 3:21
  So am I understanding correctly that that people can take. It's like online and people can take them at their according to their schedule.
• 3:30
  Absolutely. It's completely online. It's pre-recorded. And then there's also a community aspect to it, meaning they can jump in there at any time and we're in there from time to time. We did a live event yesterday welcoming the first class that came through.
• 3:44
  Because what we want to do is facilitate real fellowship, real ministry collaboration. And we're dreaming that new ministries will be birthed out of the collaboration that happens in it. So it's not a physical brick and mortar school, but it's the next best thing.
• 3:58
  Brother, I love your illustrations by the way. So so many books, the non-profits guide to, you know, fill in the blank. And I was, I picked up before we get to our topic today. I picked up your book again at home.
• 4:12
  Because we talked about this last time you were on the non-profits guide guide to heaven, non-profits guide to heaven. And discover what the Bible says about the wonders of eternity.
• 4:22
  Well, right after the table of contents in the introduction, there's something that I want you to just just share your heart about. And that is on page seven. It says heavenly minded and earthly good. And Colossians three, two says, set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
• 4:43
  And I want to just share how important it is. And what advice you can give people to find that balance of being engaged in what's going on in our culture, our community, our churches, you're sharing the gospel, exposing evil, living for righteousness, salt and light, that concept of salt and light.
• 5:02
  And also being students of the Bible and prophecy learning Bible prophecy. So there's a balance there because some, and I know you probably see this a lot when you travel and speak. There's some people that are wonderful Christians. I mean, these are die hard Bible believing prophecy proclaiming and learning Christians.
• 5:23
  And yet that's all they want to do is learn and learn and learn and study and learn. So they know, but they're not applying that and they're not going out in their culture. And so you hear the expression heavenly mind is so heavenly minded. They're not any earthly good. So that came up again when I looked when I was slipping through your book and I saw that. So share your heart and maybe give some advice on that how to find that balance.
• 5:48
  You bet. And I think that's the key word. There's balance. And like you said, David, that it's a valid point. There are people that just become get in a holy huddle. They study the Bible. They just focus. They basically become Bible consumers instead of disciples makers. Yes.
• 6:04
  And it's great to learn the Bible, but the purpose of learning the Bible is to go out and do ministry to witness to people to tell them about the Lord. So, but so there's kind of a pendulum swing from sensationalism and an over emphasis on prophecy without all the other important things that we just mentioned.
• 6:22
  And then on the other end of the pendulum swing is scoffing at the idea of studying prophecy or thinking about heaven. Because really when you think about eschatology, it really is all the events that lead up to eternity when we're going to be with the Lord.
• 6:36
  So the point I'm trying to make there in that opening is that is to strike that balance and point out the fact, kind of bust the myth that people are so heavenly minded. They're no earthly good because I think it's a fear that some people have if they do study Bible prophecy, they feel almost like you're cheating on the rest of the Bible when actually Bible prophecy taught properly and learned properly actually gives you a better understanding of all of scripture.
• 7:03
  So my real point there was that if people are truly heavenly minded in a biblical sense, then they'll be massively earthly good. When you know that heaven is a reality and hell is a reality as well, when you know that we're going to, as believers, stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for what we've done after salvation, these are sobering things that should light a fire under us to work hard in this life while we have a chance.
• 7:30
  Tomorrow, eternity will have all eternity to celebrate the fact that there we have no more sin nature that there's no no sin around us that there's nothing to fear.
• 7:39
  But now right now while we're in this world is the time when we have to preach the gospel to make disciples to to stand for righteousness like you often do in every arena.
• 7:50
  We should be salt and light and honestly the closer we get to the rapture and all the things that we look forward to, the more fervent should be our energy and our action and our desires and our motivation to go out and do ministry and be that salt and light.
• 8:06
  So it really is a call to be salt and light and to be heavily minded in the biblical way.
• 8:11
  Yeah, that's good. I appreciate you clarifying that and just sharing your heart on that.
• 8:16
  Recently, I really love this. I don't remember, I think I got it in one of your email newsletters.
• 8:22
  I was able to get in print out Prophecy 101. It's a five day overview of Bible's prophecy.
• 8:28
  I really like this a lot and I just want you to share it. We'll talk about a few scriptures maybe because I love the second Peter chapter 1, 19 through 21.
• 8:38
  How can people get that Todd? First of all, I guess they have to subscribe to your newsletter.
• 8:43
  And then is there a link on your website, Prophecy 101, this five day overview that I have.
• 8:48
  Yeah, so actually they can just go to Toddhampson.com forward slash gift and that's my gift to them for checking out the site.
• 8:57
  So Toddhampson.com forward slash gift and they'll be able to get that five day free course.
• 9:03
  That's what I did. There it is. All right. Yeah. That was easy. Perfect.
• 9:07
  Okay. So now we're the subject of prophecy today and his Bible prophecy being fulfilled today because we think of May 1948, right?
• 9:17
  In 1948, you know, Israel becoming a nation. And then we that was maybe in our grandparents day or our great grandparents day.
• 9:24
  And now in our day, there's so much happening when it comes to technology and other things.
• 9:29
  And I know you talked about that in this video. But before we do that, by the way, friends, Todd put that out.
• 9:36
  Let's see just a couple days ago. Yeah.
• 9:40
  So you mentioned second Peter, like I said, I love this verse because I go to this a lot when people want to put God into box and say,
• 9:48
  well, you know, God couldn't do this or whatever or God's word. It's just written by a bunch of men.
• 9:54
  And so I go to this scripture and I want you to elaborate on it, but I'm going to read it for people to get some context.
• 10:00
  Starting in verse verse 19, we're in second Peter chapter one, it says, so we have the prophetic word made more sure to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns.
• 10:14
  And the morning star rises in your hearts. Now here's verse 20, Peter says, but know this first of all that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will.
• 10:34
  But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. That's Peter writing and how important is it for us to pay attention to like you said between one third and one quarter of the Bible being prophecy.
• 10:48
  So whatever you'd like to share on this verse, Todd.
• 10:52
  I mean, it really goes back to what we would call the doctrines of bibliology, which actually is our module one for the prophecy prose academy because it's so important for people to understand what revelation is God's God's natural revelation and then his special revelation, that's where we discover all the things that we wouldn't know otherwise.
• 11:10
  So out of that comes inspiration and that's what we're talking about here, you know, that's one of the key verses that we cite throughout that whole module is the fact that God is the one that those words are God breathes as it says in second Timothy.
• 11:24
  The prophets, when they were given their prophecies, it wasn't just their ideas or something that they they came up with, but it was God's inspiration, the Holy Spirit oversaw and super intended what specific words were written down as prophecies. In many cases, there's a special with Daniel, he even asked, hey, I want to know about this prophecy. I'm paraphrase and Daniel here, but and then Daniel was told, go your own way, Daniel, this is for the time of the end.
• 11:52
  A lot of times the prophets were given prophecies and wrote them down faithfully as God led, but they didn't even fully understand the full import of them themselves.
• 12:02
  And the other aspect of it is that it's not of any private interpretation, it's not like there's some person that has special ability to understand what the prophets said.
• 12:12
  It's there for all believers to understand. We're all in a level playing field. There's no super Christian out there that can interpret scripture. And matter of fact, what happens then is certain people start to twist scripture and they do it.
• 12:26
  The authoritatively, so people think they know what you're talking about, but as a believer in Jesus Christ, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to illuminate the text that he initially wrote.
• 12:36
  So it's a beautiful pairing of it's not a private interpretation. God has a specific meaning for the prophecies and he can help us understand that as we study the Bible and compare scripture with scripture.
• 12:48
  So God revealed himself to us through scripture through the word of God. There is special revelation that you mentioned and yet there are people today, Todd, who are getting new revelations.
• 13:02
  There are people today that would maybe label themselves apostle or prophet. That confuses a lot of people maybe especially newer Christians. They hear these read about the prophets and the Old Testament and they read what Paul writes.
• 13:18
  But what about modern day quote unquote prophet? I got to put that in the air quotes prophets. Share about that for a moment.
• 13:27
  I'd be glad to and some of these are well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ who just to be honest just don't know any better. But really what they're saying when they say I have a prophecy from God or a word from God, they're putting their words on the equal level with the Bible and that's scary.
• 13:47
  God's word is complete but all 66 books we have there's no reason for prophecy now and actually there's a verse on a blanket on the exact reference in the New Testament that says that our faith is built on the foundation of the prophets and the apostles and then we're being built on top of that and Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone.
• 14:08
  So last time I checked foundations were only built once you don't put a foundation of apostles on top of a 2000 year old foundation of apostles.
• 14:18
  So I don't personally believe there's any apostles today. I do believe we all have gifts that the Lord has given us to use in ministry for building up the body.
• 14:27
  But I don't believe there are true prophets or apostles today. I think those were time stamp thing for a certain purpose until the word of God was complete.
• 14:38
  Now we can encourage I agree with you by the way. We can encourage others with the word with scripture. We can be a given word of admonition or encouragement.
• 14:47
  But we to say to say the the say the Lord or to say here's a word from God.
• 14:52
  Yeah anyway friends. Yeah we're going to take a brief pause with Todd Hampson his website Todd Hampson.com and we've got a brand new book to tell you about coming out when we come back and also we'll answer that question is Bible prophecy being fulfilled today.
• 15:09
  That's next.
• 15:10
  Today's show is brought to you by Harbinger's Daily world news biblically understood stay informed at Harbinger's Daily dot com.
• 15:20
  Well 2025 kicked off and we came out with a new YouTube channel for world view matters and it's going very well we'd love for you to subscribe that's world view matters.
• 15:40
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• 15:49
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• 16:01
  You can download that for free Todd Hampson you've got a lot going on you're speaking you're doing the Academy you're working with Jeff Kinley and doing the podcast you've got a couple different books on the way but this one you you told me about one coming up in early May and that's not too far from now called answering tough questions about the end times what blows my mind guys I don't know how thick this is but 100 Q and a's about about.
• 16:30
  Well prophecy so tell us about that now I mean I'm sure you had to get get your heads together go what are we going to put in here tell us about this book.
• 16:41
  Yeah you bet yeah it is we get you know through the podcast and other online events and venues we get a lot of questions from people and we do our best to answer as many of them as we can but some of them are recurring they come up over and over again.
• 16:55
  So we basically kind of distilled it down to and pair phrased them or coupled them together but what are the top 100 questions that are the burning questions on most people's minds.
• 17:05
  Then we catalog them in 10 sections that are chronological what I mean by that is section one is 10 key questions about stage setting events in the end of the end of the church age.
• 17:19
  Section two is 10 questions about the rapture and then you move into the tribulation period all the way into millennial kingdom and eternity so they can read it cover to cover and learn a lot about the chronology of end time events.
• 17:32
  But they could also the way most people use it is it's kind of a resource for.
• 17:37
  Oh hey I got I always wondered about the millennial kingdom I'm not I don't quite have a handle on that let me see what these questions are so they'll dive in there or we have a lot of people who are in student ministry or leading a small group and they just keep it as a reference source book.
• 17:53
  If a question pops up they're like hey well let's go see if that questions in the tough questions about the end times book so that's the goal that's the plan and we can't wait to see how people use it I think it's going to really hit people right where they need it and be kind of a good resource on several different fronts.
• 18:09
  Yes keyword resource that people can have accessible right there in their desk so you and Jeff what a God ordained team you are when did you guys start working together I don't remember if I asked you that.
• 18:25
  So we years ago before I even wrote my first book I contacted him because I've read a couple of his books and so this was maybe 2014 2015 something like that and I asked to interview him on a little little YouTube channel I started way back then.
• 18:42
  Because I was noticing that most Christians even though the world seemed like it was going crazy we're not studying or understanding Bible prophecy so I wanted to kind of introduce people I knew to some good authors and show them that it's not all sensationalized there is a biblical way to look at it and it is relevant to our times right now.
• 19:02
  So long story short he we just kind of connected both of us grew up unchurched so we kind of both kind of saw things the same way and love to write and put things together in a way that that is accessible to people and and not done have a lot of a whole lot of big Christian words and stuff in it so to speak.
• 19:22
  So we just really hit it off and then he also connected me with my initial agent and when I had a book concept so I got a thank him for that I told him so do I have to give you royalties for all my books for the rest of my life so we have this ongoing joke.
• 19:38
  But anyway so we connected on that and then we started seeing each other at conferences where we would be speaking so we got to spend a little time together and then we just started getting to know each other and then he said he told his wife I was walking through the living room and I just sends God saying you need to partner with Todd and so he called me up he said man I don't know what this looks like but I feel like we're supposed to do some ministry together I feel like we could and at the same time I was praying about you know you can always do more with another person so it's kind of like who.
• 20:08
  Not how I want to do more ministry but a lot of times it's not how can I do it but who can I add to my team or who can I partner with so I've been praying that so it was kind of an answer to prayers well and we really did it literally is just God put us together we're great friends genuine friends and everything that we're doing we I swear from the podcast to the prophecy pros Academy to the public conferences.
• 20:34
  We're building the plane while we're flying it we're looking like all right Lord we sent you're telling us to do this we're going to move out in faith and every time he blesses it so like you said at the top of your show and with everything you're doing God gets all the glory because all all we're doing is saying yes Lord use me however you want you want to use me and I'm willing to go and I think that's what God is looking for you know we're there's nothing super special about me as a person other than the fact that I'm imperfectly submitting myself to God to say use me
• 21:04
  however you want and he keeps opening these doors but that's how we met I was a long answer to your short question no that's great and by the way that's a big word big word submission because it is hard yeah to just submit yourself fully and continue to live in that place so Todd just give us a few bullet points on whether Bible
• 21:25
  prophecy is being fulfilled today because you hear a lot from people and maybe some people like to sensationalize certain world events right we're watching Israel and then we're looking at technology and just give us a few of your thoughts on the walk us through this in the last couple of minutes here you bet yeah I did that video because I would I frequently get questions people sending me a link to a news item or a video that somebody produced and said hey saying hey is this a prophecy that's being
• 21:55
  fulfilled right now so basically what what I'm showing that video is that right now we're in this stage setting era where we're seeing we're witnessing the trend lines moved toward everything we've read about that's going to be fulfilled prophecy but technically speaking we're not seeing fulfilled prophecy now as you mentioned Israel becoming a nation again absolutely a fulfillment of prophecy but that was almost like a bonus that the Lord gave gave us because that didn't have to happen before the rapture that could have happened after that
• 22:25
  the rapture so personally I believe that that scripture teaches the next prophetic event on the horizon is the rapture of the church which triggers everything else so the the chaos left behind the rapture opens up the door for the anti Christ to arise and then for the tribulation to start and all that stuff but what is fascinating so I so I try to clarify that for people so that they're not confused by videos they see or things they hear to say that
• 22:55
  what what we are seeing is the trend lines towards those things so when we just like the first century when Jesus came on the scene he rebuked people for not realizing the time they were in I believe we're in the season of the Lord return now is that going to happen in my lifetime I don't know for sure it could some days it seems like Lord you're coming today but other times you know we we have to be patient and allow God to be God and just let him work out the timing and and the whole thrust of
• 23:25
  the first and second Thessalonians is live every day like the Lord could return today and live every day planning for the future as if he's not returning in your lifetime it's a it's a healthy tension that we should live with as believers but it's the right way to go I love the two of the things you said trend lines and stage setting because I agree absolutely and starting with Israel becoming a nation and now what's prophetic there's a coalition of nations that have are already around it
• 23:55
  Israel their enemies right all these Muslim nations and dictatorships and they're all Israel's enemies and they're this tiny tiny state like New Jersey right the size of New Jersey and it is absolutely mind-boggling but God is sustaining them in the last couple minutes you want to share a little bit about how miraculous that is that they are still standing after all this the hate the animosity the attacks
• 24:19
  yeah absolutely and by the way along with the prophetic trends I believe there's also prophetic conditions that are ongoing one of those being anti-semitism the enemy hates the Jewish people and in every era has tried to destroy them so that that's part of this
• 24:36
  Israel becoming a nation is the super sign that the trend lines are are heading in that direction because nothing that we read about in the future
• 24:46
  Tribulation period can happen without Israel being in the land again being in control of Jerusalem being in control of the temple mount
• 24:52
  And also when we read passages about that that era we see the full culmination of that anti-semitism
• 24:59
  But yeah God's miraculous hand is absolutely protecting Israel as stated in scripture
• 25:06
  The that the fact that they had the two largest ballistic missile attacks in history on that tiny little nation and nobody died and God protected them
• 25:15
  You know we read in the book of Daniel in a few other places about the archangel Michael protecting Israel
• 25:21
  I guarantee you the archangel Michael was busy the past past year year and a half protecting the people of Israel so
• 25:29
  The beauty of that is people should look at what's going on with Israel
• 25:33
  Realize that no matter what news item you look at somehow some way it links back to Israel this tiny little nation
• 25:40
  And that should be that's like the neon light the super sign of the end times that Israel's a nation again
• 25:46
  That all eyes are on Israel. It's at the center of the world once again
• 25:51
  And you know the the amount it's a true David and colliah scenario the number of enemies that have come against them
• 25:58
  The fact that they're still standing and that when you go to Israel you feel safe you feel protected that it's almost like in a little a little bubble
• 26:06
  scripture says it's the apple of God's eye it says he will neither slumber nor sleep
• 26:11
  And that's one one last side side thought on that is
• 26:16
  That's also why I teach a lot about the literal interpretation method of scripture because it's very clear that God has
• 26:22
  Unconditional promises to Israel the Abrahamic covenant the Davidic covenant and then even Paul affirms all that and Romans 11 that one day
• 26:30
  All Israel will be saved
• 26:32
  So I think that's another important thing for Christians to wrestle with is is does God still have plans for Israel and
• 26:39
  Israel becoming a nation again in 1948 and then everything that's happened in the past year is a screaming neon light
• 26:45
  Neon sign saying God's attention is on the tiny nation of Israel once again
• 26:50
  Brother I agree with you 100% and yet for some reason over here in the west that neon light is being you know blocked somehow we're ignoring
• 27:00
  So many people are ignoring
• 27:02
  Israel or the like the biblical illiteracy sure doesn't help but anyway
• 27:07
  Brother goes by so fast with you and
• 27:10
  I want to have you and or Jeff on when the new book comes out and that's in May
• 27:15
  So I don't you don't have to commit right now on the podcast, but we'll do it. We'll do it
• 27:21
  All right friends
• 27:23
  Check out the brand new and coming out also go to Todd Hampson.com prophecy pros so much
• 27:27
  He's got going on him and Jeff so brother. Thanks for your time today. We really appreciate it Todd
• 27:33
  You bet likewise. Thanks for the time and it's great hanging out with you. It's time here
• 27:37
  Friends God bless you and as always keep speaking the truth about things that man
• 27:44
  You