by Bradley W. Maston
There was once a young boy of 9 years old in England named John. His mother had died and his father had gone off to war to fight, leaving young John in the care of his loving grandfather. They lived in a small town several hours away from London; and while John very much missed his father, he enjoyed life with his grandfather—even in all the challenges of war-time England.
Some of the most exciting days were when grandfather would get John dressed up and the pair would find their way into London. There were interesting shops to see, organ grinders with monkeys, shops that sold delicious fish and chips all wrapped up in newspaper. Yes, of all the exciting moments in John’s simple childhood, trips to London were the most exciting.
Each time they went to London there was always an errand to run—something to be picked up or some things which weren’t available in their country town. The pair would meander through the streets, stopping here and there, sometimes to get a penny sweet or to watch one of the street singers.
John and his grandfather stepped out of their cab to face a nut vendor. Candied nuts of any variety were there, and John’s mouth watered. He looked hopefully at his grandfather, who smiled and said, “No nuts today John, we have a ways to walk.”
As they charged through the busy streets of London, John ran ahead at the sound of the organ grinder. The monkey was walking on his hands and going around to each onlooker with his hat extended. John was delighted to see the monkey dance and longed to give him a coin, but when his grandfather caught up he took John gently by the shoulder and said, “Perhaps we will see the monkey later. We must go on.”
As they pressed onward, Grandfather was so determined, yet distracted, that he nearly walked in front of a cab. He quickly apologized and walked on. “Can we rest please, Grandfather? I am starting to trip,” John asked. His grandfather replied, “We will rest soon, and eat too, but we’re not yet where we need to be.”
They walked on for another 20 minutes in silence until they came upon the London docks and saw many people in military dress. And off sitting on a bench was one that seemed familiar. Grandfather nudged John to go to the familiar soldier and he saw the fulfillment of every hope and dream of the past months—his father was home safe and sound! As he fell into his father’s arms, he heard his grandfather say, “Now we can go have nuts and see the monkey, and we can rest with our fish and chips.” But John didn’t hear. Knowing where they were going, and who they would see there, made all the difference.
Like young John in the story, we need to know where we are going to understand our place and purpose in the journey of life. If we don’t know where we are headed, and why we might be heading there, then we may not be heading in the right direction, or we may not prepare for our journey appropriately.
This article will look at seven reasons why every believer must study Bible prophecy. But before doing so, ask yourself whether your greatest longing to read prophecy is because it will draw your gaze to that moment when you will be with Jesus. The study of the prophetic word of God is so frequently reduced to an academic pursuit or a ground for argumentation, but the real reason to investigate the prophetic word is to see Jesus Christ as He is revealed there. This realization is too great to be one of the seven reasons; and it must be the core motivation for Bible students. We must study prophecy to behold our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
OBJECTIONS
There are many objections to the study of prophecy. I know many of them because I was, at one point, fully convinced that this pursuit was unworthy of a Christian’s attention. I avoided and ignored these sections of the Bible for several reasons, a few of which are shared below.
Prophecy Is Too Complicated
There is a terrible misconception that prophecy is far too difficult, complicated and esoteric for regular Christians to understand. Unfortunately, this view has been propagated by those who have presuppositions in place that prevent them from accepting the plain-sense interpretation of the biblical text. But when Scripture is consistently interpreted according to normal principles of context, grammar, and historical background, prophecy is quite simple to understand. After all, God didn’t give us prophecy in the Bible to conceal the future from us but to reveal it. Biblical prophecy is, after all, God’s revelation to us and was not meant to be a mystery. It only becomes complicated, sadly, when people attempt to change the natural sense to accommodate their pre-existing ideology.
Prophecy Causes Divisions
This argument is often used to discourage any serious Bible study. The idea is that once a person has a clear idea of what the Bible says, they are more likely to raise questions when someone puts forth a conflicting idea. At a core level, this is true. All good Bible teaching will cause division—the division between truth and error! This is what separates biblical Christianity from the cults of Mormonism, Seventh-Day Adventism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. There is no question that teaching the truth will always cause division—even as it did with Jesus (Luke 12:51; John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19)—and that is a very good thing.
However, that does not excuse a person from being divisive. While truth will always cause division and friction, a divisive person can make divisions out of agreement! This is, in fact, the real problem that many have with the study of prophecy. They have been negatively affected by divisive and argumentative people who have used Bible prophecy as the expression point for their divisive nature. To this we must consider the following verses:
Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. (Titus 3:10)
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (Romans 16:17)
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:3)
For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. (1 Corinthians 11:18)
These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. (Jude 1:19)
So, how can believers refrain from being divisive if truth itself causes division? The life of Christ within the believer will always drive us towards truth, but also towards patience, mercy, and love. We are to pursue unity as best we possibly can (Eph. 4:1-3) while also not ever neglecting the truth (Eph. 4:14-15). This means our discussion about prophecy may require patience when dealing with brothers and sisters who disagree. It is the attitude of the individual, not the study of prophecy that causes division within a Bible-believing church.
Won’t It All Just “Pan Out” in the End?
A dear friend of mine sometimes uses the term “Panillennialist.” This is one who believes “it will all pan out in the end” regardless what prophetic view a person holds. While this faith is not ill-placed—God really does have things well under control—it has some problems. This is the typical response of people who are incapable of dealing with conflict. It sounds pious, but it is actually lazy. The Lord has given us information, minds to know it, language to communicate it, His Spirit to illuminate us, and gifted teachers to edify us. To just cavalierly pass off that reality with the wave of the hand is like looking at someone’s artistic masterpiece—their life’s work—and saying, “Meh, that’s fine. I don’t really like art.”
I Don’t See How It Affects Me from Day to Day
This is likely the most common reason that prophecy has disappeared from the pulpits of America. The American Christian is increasingly like a small child who only wants his immediate impulses and appetite fulfilled as quickly as possible. In this way, prophecy gets put to the side as “not applicable.” Nothing, however, could be a more disgraceful misunderstanding. When God seeks to transform the believer through His Spirit and His word, it is not simply a set of legalistic choices to be made differently. Rather, the believer is transformed to the very core by understanding and replacing the lies of the world with the truth of the word. This means changing core beliefs on what we do and don’t believe and on where we come from and where we’re going. While a correct view of where the world is headed may not affect what type of car you buy, or directly affect how you treat your family, it will indirectly affect every decision you make because biblical prophecy clarifies God’s overall plan and where we stand in the fulfillment of its particular details.
Reason #1: God Revealed Prophecy
We must consider the important word “revelation.” The opening verse of the Book of Revelation uses this word:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. (Revelation 1:1)
The Greek word translated “revelation” here is apokalypsis and it means to uncover. Imagine an artist unveiling his masterpiece or the curtain finally being lifted on the Broadway stage. There is a wonderful excitement when something is uncovered. And that is all the more exciting depending upon the quality and character of the one doing the revealing. In the case of Bible prophecy, it is God Himself revealing things to us. This should be a great point of interest for every true believer, if we are genuine in our desire to behold Christ.
To make a bit more of this point, the familiar words of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 must be recalled:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
“All” in verse 16 is the translation of the Greek word pas, and it means all! Every word of Scripture (including the prophetic portions) is inspired. The wonderful Greek word for “inspiration” (theopneustos) in verse 16 means “breathed out.” It speaks of that which comes forth from God’s mouth, just as our words come from our mouths! And this means that the prophetic portions of Scripture are useful for teaching us; that is, orienting us rightly to reality. Prophecy reproves us by showing us what is and is not valuable, worthwhile, and delightful. Prophecy correctsus by setting our hearts on God’s priorities and our hopeful affections on His return for us. Prophecy trains us in righteousness as it reminds us daily that this moment is not all we have. There is an eternity ahead, and that means every moment counts! What we do with our lives affects how we and others will spend eternity, and that is a big deal.
Thus, it is no overstatement to proclaim boldly that without the study of the prophetic word, we will not come to spiritual maturity (“complete,” v. 17) or be adequately prepared “for every good work” (v. 17). Does this sound like God meant prophecy to be optional? Indeed, the prophetic portions of the Bible are necessary and we must study them.
Reason #2: Prophecy Comprises More Than a Quarter of Scripture
Bible prophecy experts such as Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, as well as many others, have undertaken to evaluate how much of the Bible is prophetic in nature. How much of the Bible gave information about the future at the time in which it was originally written? The best figures come in at 29 percent. Let that sink in. More than a quarter—nearly a third—of the Bible is prophetic in nature. One can hardly imagine a positive marriage where the husband voluntarily ignored almost a third of the statements of his wife! Yet this is precisely what happens when believers say they are not interested in Bible prophecy. By doing this, believers are effectively telling the God of the universe, “Shush! I am not interested in what You have to say.”
Reason #3: God Stakes His Very Reputation on Prophecy
One of the most wonderful and remarkable things about Christianity, in contrast to the world’s religions, is that it is constantly testable and verifiable. This means that when the Lord speaks in Scripture about the future of individuals, families, nations, and the world, we can hold up our Bibles to the historical record and see if the two agree perfectly. Old Testament saints tested a prophet’s words in this way according to Deuteronomy 18:20-22:
20 ‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’—22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
The accuracy of the prediction was a clear sign that it came from God. As a result, writing and speaking prophets would make near and distant prophecies so that their messages could be tested against reality. But that is only a test of the message and messenger—the Source is what is most important! In Isaiah 41:21-29, the Lord demands that the Israelites account for their love of idols and idolatry:
21 “Present your case,” says the Lord.
“Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.
22 “Let them bring forth and show us what will happen;
Let them show the former things, what they were,
That we may consider them,
And know the latter end of them;
Or declare to us things to come.
23 Show the things that are to come hereafter,
That we may know that you are gods;
Yes, do good or do evil,
That we may be dismayed and see it together.
24 Indeed you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.
25 “I have raised up one from the north,
And he shall come;
From the rising of the sun he shall call on My name;
And he shall come against princes as though mortar,
As the potter treads clay.
26 Who has declared from the beginning, that we may know?
And former times, that we may say, ‘He is righteous’?
Surely there is no one who shows,
Surely there is no one who declares,
Surely there is no one who hears your words.
27 The first time I said to Zion,
‘Look, there they are!’
And I will give to Jerusalem one who brings good tidings.
28 For I looked, and there was no man;
I looked among them, but there was no counselor,
Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29 Indeed they are all worthless;
Their works are nothing;
Their molded images are wind and confusion.
In this passage it is the Lord’s ability to declare future events that is the primary evidence of His deity. When we consider how much trouble people go to in order to predict the future, it is astounding. We look to trends, facts, figures, and statistics; yet these are only somewhat reliable indicators of what is yet to come. In the darker moments people may consult mediums, spiritists, astrologers, and fortune tellers to try to ascertain information about the future. Even our fantasy and fiction stories are obsessed with being able to peer across the veil and see the future.
Yet all of those practices are forbidden. God has staked His very reputation upon His ability to accurately declare future events. We are to be satisfied with what He has revealed. When we ponder why this may be so important to God, it becomes clear: the more certain we are that God’s word is right and true and accurate, the more likely we are to listen, heed, and obey it! Thus, taking the time to evaluate the Bible’s prophetic information gives us more confidence in applying God’s moral and personal directives.
Reason #4: Knowing Where We Are in God’s Plan Enables Us to Cooperate
In the story at the beginning of this article, John wanted to follow every little distraction, but his grandfather knew that they needed to get to the dock to meet John’s father on time. If we understand where we are in God’s amazing plan, then we can cooperate with Him properly. There are many different views of what the Church is meant to be doing today. This variety comes when we do not read, understand, and apply the Bible. We get sidetracked into other causes, activities, and endeavors, some of which may even be very good but still fall short of what the Lord wants every believer to be focused on and occupied with.
If you were going on a vacation, you would pack according to your destination. You probably wouldn’t pack a parka to spend a week in Hawaii. Similarly, understanding where the Lord is directing this world gives us a clear idea of how best to occupy our time and affections during our short stint on this planet.
On an even more serious note, understanding the Lord’s prophetic plan can keep us from cooperating with agendas that run counter to God’s. For example, we are told clearly in the Bible that the Antichrist will one day dominate the globe for the period known as the Tribulation. This means that any efforts of Christians to create or support a one-world government now are really only doing service to the Antichrist.
Reason #5: Prophecy Reveals God’s Character
Without the finality of the biblically described end, we are left with a woefully inadequate view of God’s character. If we are unaware of how God intends to close the drama here on planet Earth, then we may be easily convinced that God is somehow okay with what is going on in the world today. Think of it! The many horrors and tragedies that occur in this world every single day would lead us to the horrendous conclusion that God approves of evil. Yet, when we understand what the Bible tells us about the future, we see that this time is a grace period for mankind to turn to the Lord in faith before He finally declares “Enough!” and puts His foot down.
Apart from the prophetic word, we do not see clearly the justice and righteousness of God. In fact, believers are called to lay aside our own desire for vengeance on the basis that God Himself will render to people their just desserts in His good time. Romans 12:19 gives us this perspective:
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
It is only when we understand that God will indeed pour out His wrath on this unjust and rebellious world that we can truly entrust to Him the affairs of our own personal lives. Put plainly, it is the pursuit of the understanding of prophecy that enables us to trust in God’s goodness, justice, righteousness, holiness and grace in all circumstances and at all times. A person who does not know Bible prophecy does not have a complete picture of God.
It must also be noted that God has outstanding promises yet to be fulfilled. The Lord promised Abraham that his descendants would have the land of Canaan (Genesis 12 and 15) and would be blessed forever. God promised to regather Israel and bless them (Deuteronomy 28–30). He promised David that his Descendant would sit upon his (David’s) throne forever (1 Chronicles 17 and 2 Samuel 7:8-29). If God were to decide simply to end world history with these promises to Israel still unfulfilled, He would hardly be the faithful God whom Scripture describes. Yet, in the study of prophecy we see the Lord’s faithfulness to Israel and His Church fulfilled completely.
Habakkuk is a wonderful case study on this topic. This prophet of God saw the world around him and all of his countrymen rejecting God and abandoning Him for idolatry and immorality. He was questioning how God could allow this. The Lord then responds by revealing the upcoming judgment by using the Babylonian empire as the corrective force. That leads Habakkuk to ask the second question: how could God use an unrighteous nation like Babylon to discipline the less unrighteous children of Judah? Then God reveals to Habakkuk that He will settle that account and all accounts according to His perfect standard of justice!
Reason #6: Prophecy Gives Understanding and Patience in Trials
Coming to our trials with a “Why me?” attitude is natural. Christians very often approach their trials with the cry of “What did I do to deserve this?” Yet, based on a biblical understanding of reality and the time in which we live, we would never expect to have a life without trials and tribulation. There is no promise in the Bible that Christians will avoid sorrow, pain, suffering, sickness, persecution, or even death. Quite to the contrary! Those things are promised to all those who are actively growing in their relationship with Christ (Phil. 1:29; 2 Tim. 3:12).
Horrendous damage has been done by the “prosperity gospel,” and the worst is that it has been normalized. Believers who openly reject the prosperity preachers on television often act surprised when they meet with opposition or sickness in their own lives. Modern Christianity has accepted a “prosperity lite” message that gives the false idea that if you are a “good Christian,” things will basically go well for you. This is a horrible lie. While many believers may be blessed to live a long and happy life, many of us are specially designated to suffer in various ways. Prophecy keeps this very much in perspective and reminds us that this world is not our home. We are sojourners here, not residents.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 gives us even more understanding of the critical role of prophecy in the life of the believer:
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
The phrase “fallen asleep” is a euphemism for physical death among believers in the church at Thessalonica. There were many who died, and death is a sorrowful event. Yet, Paul informs us that believers need not mourn in the same manner as the pagans who have no hope—because we do have hope! This is not to say believers won’t mourn losses of health, family members, and friendships. But we don’t mourn as those without hope because we know that these absences are only temporary. The believer will be united with all those deceased loved ones at the very moment of the event we popularly call the Rapture. To ponder this event fills suffering believers with comfort, hope, and peace. No truly good thing will be lost in the life of the believer.
Reason #7: Prophecy Puts the Gospel at the Forefront
Only when we understand how seriously God takes sin do we come to understand the great and wonderful truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the study of prophecy we appreciate the horrors from which we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. An incorrect eschatology leaves us asking, along with all of the worldlings of today, “Salvation? From what do I need to be saved?” If we understand what God has ahead for mankind, we will put the great power of the gospel at the very head of our every effort. Peter dealt with this precise issue in his final epistle. Many, even then, thought the Lord may be slow to keep His promises, but Peter corrects them.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
The Lord stays His hand of judgment so that the maximum opportunity may be given for men and women to change their minds about Jesus Christ and come to faith in Him. If this is the purpose of this time period, ought not that same gospel be at the heart of our every effort? Of course it should! When we understand that this earth will melt with great heat, and that this world is not the eternal state, we should stop loving this world (1 John 2:15-17), and begin to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we understand what is ahead for the earth, we will understand the value of Christ’s sacrifice to save us from that time of judgment. But if we lose sight of the end times, we’ll lose the urgency of our message.
Conclusion
These seven simple reasons to study Bible prophecy hardly begin to scratch the surface of the immense need in the body of Christ to study, teach, and proclaim the prophetic message. Yet they are a start. As the body of Christ looks to the prophetic word to behold the Son of God, we will be transformed from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). As we set our affections upon His coming we will not waste them on the paltry fare of this world (Col. 3:1-4). As we seek to know Him by looking at all that He has ahead for us, we will be more thoroughly equipped to represent Him in this world. ■
Bradley W. Maston is the pastor of Fort Collins Bible Church in Colorado and is one of the Bible teachers at the 2018 Duluth Bible Church Fall Bible Conference.