Prophecy

Surely the Lord will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.... Amos 3:7

Prophecy, the teachings of scripture, especially as they apply to the end of time, seems to capture the mind of serious Bible students. Why was prophecy given? What importance does it play in our daily living? How can we be sure of its accuracy or certainty? Isaiah 49:9,10 states: “Remember the former things of old: for I am God....and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.” Bible prophecy is a remarkably detailed and infallible preview of world history, and its fulfillment bears witness to its divine inspiration. It paints a very vivid picture of earth’s history as to where we’ve been, where we are and what is to come in the final days of earth’s history. God has not left us in the dark concerning His plans for His creation. Many find the study of the prophecies to be confusing, full of visions, symbols and beasts that seem unreal and far beyond their understanding. They come to the conclusion that they are not meant to be understood since they are so cloaked in darkness. Like a gold mine, the Bible contains very valuable, but hidden treasure, and we must discover and dig for its precious gems of truth. The Bible tells us of our origin, our purpose, and our destiny. The Bible tells us that man needs God...God does not need man. The Bible tells us that God loves man...and man rarely loves God. And finally, the Bible tells us that this world and its problems are not going to last forever. There is an end. Jesus is coming back to gather His children unto Himself. When every means of earthly support is taken away from mankind during the great tribulation, people will want some serious answers about God, and those answers will have to come from the Bible, and the Bible only. This is why Bible study, especially prophetic study is so necessary. When the terrible predictions of Revelation begin to unfold, opinions will mean nothing. We must know the Bible and understand its teachings.

As the signs of the times seem to indicate that the end is near, even at the door, the study of prophecy takes on new meaning. God has given us prophecy that we may trust Him....’I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.” (John 13:10) Prophecy is very important in the plan of salvation. Prophecy is a prediction of what God said He would do and history is a confirmation of what He has done, shining light into the dark uncertainty of tomorrow. When we understand prophecy it reveals more clearly who God is and His plan for the redemption of mankind. Once we understand what God is going to do, we can better prepare ourselves for what lies ahead.

Spirituality has decayed in America for the same reason it decayed in ancient Israel...we have forgotten God. When people lose sight of God, the quality of life deteriorates quickly, as we can definitely see in today’s world. The apostle Paul predicted in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. A very accurate picture of humanity today?

Many believe that the end is near, but there are also scoffers. Those who follow there own desires and refuse to heed the teachings of scripture regarding the last days. They believe nothing has changed over the centuries and life will go on as usual. Those who believe in Scripture, the prophecies and the soon return of Christ must endure ridicule and persecution for their faith. Because most of the world does not know the Father, Jesus Christ whom He has sent or the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, and because the love of God is not widespread, we face perilous times. Listen to what Paul says about those living in the last days....”they have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:29-32) Mankind today has fulfilled this prediction with precise accuracy, and the future holds little hope that mankind apart from God can change the course of his sinful nature.

Mankind continues his daily routine of life, totally unaware of the hand of God upon the movement of history and the affairs of mankind. He perceives not the signs of the times, the nearness of Christ’s Second Coming. or the tribulation that must fall upon an unrepentant and godless generation. They know nothing of Christ’s work in the heavenly sanctuary for the sinner, the judgment hour message or the doom of spiritual Babylon as it receives the wrath of God poured out without mixture. Where do we find these most important issues? We find them in the Word of God. The prophecies that point with unfailing error in their predictions....some fulfilled, some yet to be.

Those who study prophecy study the deep things of God with a desire to know and understand His divine plan of salvation for mankind. Many feel that prophecy has nothing at all to do with salvation and feel no desire or need to understand it. But prophecy has everything to do with our salvation. If the doctrine of salvation reveals the justice and mercy of our creator, then prophecy reveals the fullness of His plans to redeem His children. A careful study of prophecy allows us to see where we are in the great chain of events. It will also give us greater knowledge and wisdom in understanding Satan's great plans to counterfeit or destroy the plan of salvation. Satan knows that if he can keep mankind cloaked in darkness regarding God’s working in our life, he has more opportunity to win the battle for our souls.

The year 2000, many believe, may be a turning point in the history of mankind. As we face this new millennium many scoff at the possibility that the world may face a time of trouble such as the world has never seen (Matthew 24:21), and they have become complacent. They slumber on totally oblivious to their desperate need. Every generation has hoped to see the Lord’s return in their lifetime, but there is an air of concern today as warnings in nature and the movements of church and state in the affairs of man stirs the heart. How can we be so sure that we face the cataclysmic events of end? Could this be the last generation before we face events that precede the second coming of Christ? The answers lie deep within the pages of prophecy for all those who desire to know and understand.

The prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation are a vivid blueprint of God’s working in the lives of His creation. Jesus himself, speaking about the book of Daniel, commanded His followers, “whoso readeth, let him understand (Matthew 24:15). And in the book of Revelation Jesus added, “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Revelation 22:7). These two books are the only ones in the entire Bible that our Lord so identified and instructed His followers to study. Dare we ignore such instruction as we face what lies on the horizon?