Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:1-6).
Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 on the United States, the current events in the Middle East, and the COVID-19 global pandemic, there has been a renewed interest by millions of people all over the world about what it is that the Bible has to say about the future. Why? Because only in the Bible we do find God revealing to us in detail the future of this planet and its inhabitants.
Reasons for Studying Prophecy
To Know the
Counsel of God
Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his counsel to his servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways (Heb. 1:1).
As these verses indicate, the prophets received revelation from God and when they wrote, they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Knowing
that God has revealed himself and much about the future to the prophets should
cause us to have a genuine and deep desire to know God and things concerning
the future. God has spoken through His prophets, and as we study the prophets,
we are studying the movements of God.
It Is Important
to God
One third of this collection of books we
call the Bible is made up of prophetic writings. Most of the books in the Bible
were written by prophets; approximately 20 of the 66 books are books on
prophecy while many other books contain either prophetic passages or subjects.
The fact that God has included so much of prophecy in Scripture is indicative that He wants believers to take the study of prophecy seriously. In fact, think of it this way, if you fail to study prophecy, you are failing to study almost one-third of the Bible. This would be inconsistent with what Paul taught when he said that,
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
It Serves as
Evidence for the Divine Origin of the Bible
Think about it, what better evidence is there to prove that the Bible is of divine origin than fulfilled prophecy? Let me capture and summarize the conclusion by providing the following quotes,
Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the (Hindu) Veda. But none of those books contains predictive prophecy.[1]
The question is why? Because predictive prophecy that fails to come true in all its details will expose those writings as false and non-inspired. The Bible, on the other hand is loaded with predictive prophecy, much of which (the exception being that which is yet to be fulfilled) has been fulfilled literally down to the minutest details, showing once again that the Bible is inspired and that everything it says is true and accurate.[2]
It is absolutely astonishing to see how many fulfilled prophecies the Old Testament contains. These prophecies provided details not just generalities, and when they were fulfilled, they were fulfilled down to the minutest detail. We find three kinds of prophecies in the Old Testament: (1) About Jesus the coming Messiah, (2) about people, cities, and countries, and (3) about the Jews.
Some examples of
detailed prophecy fulfilled in Christ:
|
Prophecy |
Fulfillment |
|
Micah
5:2 |
Luke
2:4-7 |
|
Isaiah
53:12 |
Luke
23:32-33 |
|
Psalm
22:16 |
John
19:18 |
|
Isaiah
53:9 |
Matthew
27:57-60 |
Without question, the Bible, unlike any
other literary work of antiquity, enjoys an unparalleled amount of evidence
that clearly demonstrates beyond any doubt that the Bible we hold in our hands
today is as accurate and faithful to the original autographs as we could possibly
have. Any discrepancies are minimal and negligible which in no way undermine
its historic reliability. How did this happen? Well, God not only authored the
Bible, He preserves it as well.[3]
Fulfilled prophecy will bring us tremendous confidence regarding the divine origin of the Bible.
It Reminds Us of
God’s Nature and Sovereignty
Prophecy exalts God, and it causes us to
see Him for who He is in all His splendor and glory. It reminds us that neither
we nor the material universe exist in an empty vacuum where both seem to travel
aimlessly through time and space without rhyme or reason. Prophecy teaches of
God’s attributes, such as His omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence,
eternality, justice, mercy, and love, just to mention a few.
Prophecy clearly demonstrates that God is
in control over all creation, that He is sovereign over all. This Sovereign God
is demonstrated to be the King of the universe who not only reigns over it now
but will reign over it in the future. Consider the words of Psalm 12.
It Reminds Us of
God’s Goodness
Many Christians in many parts of the world experience hardship and severe persecution. Others experience sickness, discrimination, and unresolved problems. But this life is not all there is, prophecy tells us of the joy and victory and glory that the child of God will experience for eternity in the presence of Almighty God. Paul, who experienced tremendous suffering and persecution, was able to declare without hesitation,
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18).
It Provides
Assurance in Difficult and Troubled Times
This truth is clearly illustrated in Genesis 18 and John 13. In Genesis, Abraham, the friend of God (cf. 2 Chron. 20:7), had received God’s promises and covenants. God never withheld from Abraham anything He purposed to do. God told him about the judgment that would fall on Sodom and Gomorrah and prepared him so that when he witnessed the judgment of the two wicked cities, he would not be surprised but rather have confidence in Him. The Lord said,
Should I hide what I am about to do from Abraham? (Gen. 18:17).
Because God moved according to the revealed plan, Abraham’s faith remained unshaken and he continued to walk with God after he witnessed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah did not cause Abraham to doubt God’s character, purposes, or his own safety and security. He could move through the judgment in perfect rest and peace because God had revealed what would come to pass before it did.
In John 13 the Lord prepared the disciples for the most significant event in the history of the world. The Lord Jesus Christ would soon be crucified. The disciples would soon experience not one but two separations from their Lord. The first after His death and burial, the second His resurrection and ascension. How did he prepare the disciples for the separations? In John 13:19 Jesus said,
I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am he.
By doing so, he prepared his disciples for the two separations they would soon experience. In obedience to his command, they gathered in the upper room until he came to them post resurrection. John 20:19 says,
When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
By telling them ahead of time of that which
would come to pass, Christ prepared them so that their confidence in the prophetic
program, in who He was, His power, and His mission, would not be shaken.
It Guards Us
against False Teachings and Prophets
There are many passages in the Bible that discuss Satan’s work and strategy in the world. Scripture clearly teaches that in the latter days, false teachers and false teachings will increase substantially in number, certainly something we are experiencing more and more today. Consider the following passages regarding false prophets and teachers:
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves (Matt. 7:15).
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock (Acts 20:29).
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:12-13).
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of
light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of
righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve (2 Cor.
11:13-15).
It Serves as a
Light Shining in a Dark Place
Many books written since the use of the first atomic bomb, clearly show the uncertainty and concern that man has about the future. The wars following World Wars I & II, the rise of militant Islam, the events of 9/11 in America, and the COVID-19 pandemic, just to mention a few, have only added to that uncertainty and concern.
The New Testament clearly teaches us that the prophetic Scriptures are vital as to a lamp shining in a dark place. Consider the words of 2 Peter 1:19,
We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Peter has just related what he had seen and heard on the Mount of Transfiguration in verses 16-18,
For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!” We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
A vision and a voice from heaven was
testifying of the glory of Jesus Christ. Peter says that we have the prophetic
word as a confirmation of God’s plans which he himself saw and heard on the Mount
of Transfiguration. The prophecies we have in the Old Testament are completely trustworthy.
In a time of distress, uncertainty, fear, and darkness, the only lamp
shining in a dark place is the prophetic word. How foolish if we neglect
the only shining lamp that can afford much knowledge about the future.
It Motivates Us
to Holy and Righteous Living
Considering what prophecy reveals to us not only about the future of the universe and about our personal future, but about God Himself, it should serve as a tremendous motivator for living holy and righteous lives. John tells us that we are to,
…remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming (1 John 2:28).
And again, he states,
And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure (1 John 3:3).
In other words, believers who live in anticipation (and we should) of Christ’s second coming, will live in such a way that their lives will be characterized by consistent purity and holiness. The presence of sin in their lives will not be allowed because it would hinder the work of the Spirit in achieving personal purity. Christians, who allow sin to take residence in their lives, are Christians who do not understand the importance of living in anticipation of His return. Christ illustrates this very point when He states that those who seem to have an “I don’t care” attitude concerning His return, become guilty of living in a way that will stimulate or encourage sinful behavior.
It Brings Us
Hope
Often the only things that keeps some people from completely giving up on everything is a ray of hope. Man will continue to move forward even if he is stripped of most things, but take hope away from him, and he has nothing left. Hope is that dim light at the end of an exceedingly long tunnel, a tunnel man is willing to travel through as long as that light is not extinguished. Unfortunately, the hope many have today is a false hope, yet they fail to understand that. Living without Christ is like traveling through that tunnel with nothing more than the illusion of light at the end of it rather than the reality of said light. Dying without Christ is complete hopelessness.
The biblical definition of hope is to have “firm confidence.” As Christians, we can have that firm confidence because we know what the future holds and who holds the future. Hope results from two things, (1) from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which comes from having trusted Him as Lord and Savior, and (2) from the study of God’s Word which includes the study of prophecy. Hope comes from the confident expectation that God will do and accomplish everything He has promised. Why do you think God included prophecy in Scripture, well, among other reasons, because He wants prophetic truth to change the way we think, the way we behave, the way we live, and the way we view Him. You see, only real hope can bring about that kind of change. In writing to Titus, Paul stated,
While we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).
There is a great deal of comfort and hope for all Christians who love and study the Word of God. In Romans 15:4, Paul wrote,
For whatever was
written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have
hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.
It Promotes
Active Service
The expectation that the Lord might return for His people at any moment certainly provides much incentive to remain active in service in His name. In 1 Thessalonians 4-5, Paul, in dealing with the truths concerning Christ’s return for His people, points out the practical result in the Christian’s life:
Now we ask
you, brothers and sisters, to give recognition to those who labor among
you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you (1 Thessalonians 5:12).
Since we have the benefit of having and understanding the prophetic Scriptures and are able to see how all the parts fit together, “So then, let us not sleep,” which here indicates idleness and cessation of all activity or service. He admonishes,
So then, let
us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be
self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get
drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be
self-controlled and put on the armor of faith and love, and a
helmet of the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians
5:6-8).
It Will Help Us
Establish and Maintain the Right Priorities
Prophecy has a way of reminding us what matters; it gives us perspective. It helps us distinguish or differentiate between the unimportant, somewhat important, important, and most important things in life. Peter, in 2 Peter 3:10-13, tells us of the coming judgments in the Day of the Lord and then proceeds to admonish us on how we ought to live here and now in light of the coming end-time judgments in the Day of the Lord and then exhorts us on how we ought to live in light of these ultimate realities.
But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass
away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and
the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to
be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy
conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God and hasten its
coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and
the elements will melt with heat. But based on his promise, we wait for
new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
It Promotes
Evangelism
In the long history of the Church, church
history has taught us that the greatest evangelistic periods of the church were
the periods when prophecy was both studied and taught. Consider for example the church in
Thessalonica; this was an evangelistic church precisely because the apostle
Paul had spent time teaching them prophetic truth. After the Dark Ages, the
Bible was translated into the common language and the Bible was once again
being read and studied. By the nineteenth century, the study of prophecy had
been rediscovered, which resulted in the birth of the greatest missionary and
evangelistic endeavors of the modern church era.
In fact, prophecy is one of the greatest evangelistic tools we have for reaching others for Christ, in addition to the fact that it serves as undeniable proof and evidence for the existence and sovereignty of God and for the divine origin of the Bible.
[3] Ibid., pp. 39-40.
Copyright © 2020 by Miguel J Gonzalez Th.D.
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