Words like the “Rapture,” the “Tribulation,” and “Judgment” are used daily in our Christian conversation, church meetings and in the media without consequence or understanding. What do these words mean? How do we understand their purpose? And how does it affect Me? In a day in which Israel is threatened with the possibility of Nuclear attacks, the US seems to be more divided on faith than ever and Christians everywhere are asking why; we will look to God’s Word for the answer to these questions and seek to gain understanding as we look to the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1. WHY STUDY PROPHECY?
• What is Prophecy? History written in advance
a. Isaiah 46:9-11 “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times thins which have not been done, saying, ‘My prupose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pas. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”
• Many people are fearful when approached with the word prophecy
• Some feel as though their lack of understanding is unworthy of knowing what God has in store for his people
• We read horoscopes, tabloids, and watch the weather channel to see what is coming, but when it comes to our future as Christians many turn a deaf ear
• Prophecy is one of the most exciting things in God’s Word; 28% of the Bible is dedicated to prophetic speaking
a. Prophecy acquaints us with the most important subject of the ages: GOD’S PLAN FOR MAN
b. Studying Bible prophecy convinces us that there really is a God
c. The literal fulfillment of prophecy teaches us that prophecy should be interpreted literally
d. The study of prophecy prepares the Christian to avoid the deceptions of the many false prophets that are arising in our day
e. The study of prophecy promotes an Evangelistic Church
f. The study of prophecy tends to purify the believer
g. Prophecy offers confident hope in a hopeless age
• Although we don’t know the date and time of the return of Christ; we can know the situation’s that will facilitate the rapture of the elect
• Matthew 24:32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.” “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors!”
• Two things are evident in this passage:
a. The certainty that this ‘blooming’ will occur
b. The uncertainty of the time
• Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
• Have you ever noticed in the spring of the year that the trees get ‘red tips’ and then all of the sudden everything turns green? Seemingly overnight. Jesus was teaching practically and on a level that He knew the people hearing and reading would understand
• The coming of Jesus Christ will come much in the same manner, we hear about it everyday, and all of the sudden the world is looking around wondering why millions of people have disappeared
2. PROPHECY ACQUAINTS US WITH GOD’S PLAN
• What is God’s plan?
• God’s plan is for He and His greatest creation; man, to have a close, personal, and intimate relationship with one another
• Genesis 1:27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of god created he him; male and female created he them.” “And God blessed them…”
• Proverbs 8:17 “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.”
• God has always had a plan of redemption for those that love him
a. Noah
b. The 3 Hebrew Children
c. David
d. Us
• We cannot know God’s plan for our lives if we don’t know his word
• Deuteronomy 6:6 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart.”
• The parable of the ‘Ten Virgins’ (Mt. 25:1-13) gives us a glimpse into the necessity of knowing God’s plan for us in our lives: For when the master comes, it will be too late to prepare
• God’s plan was for a Deliverer to come into Israel, Israel turned a blind eye when He did not set up an earthly kingdom
a. Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”
• God’s plan is for us to
a. Know his word
b. Proclaim his word
c. Be prepared by his word
3. STUDYING BIBLE PROPHECY CONVINCES US THAT THERE REALLY IS A GOD
• God is the only being capable of predicting the true future
• Prophecy is ‘History written in advance’
• How can we know that a prophet is real? How do we know that they are telling the truth?
a. Deuteronomy 18:22 “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.”
• A true test of a prophet of God is that everything spoken by him will come to pass
• God reveals mystery to us in his word and through the spirit (Daniel 2:28) “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets…”
• We know that the spoken word of God is true, its contents are exposed everyday in attempts to disprove its words
4. PROPHECY PREPARES US
• Throughout history there have been many false prophets and false teachings. Prophecy teaches us, however, that this will increase as the coming of Christ approaches
• Matthew 24:4-5 “…Take heed that no one deceives you.” “For many will come in My name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
• Jesus predicted that the devil will use many ‘false teachers’ to portray spirituality, godliness and will lead many away from the truth.
• II Corinthians 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
• Satan is capable of cunning transformations to lead the world astray
• We know that Satan is the ‘father of all lies,’ so we must protect ourselves from his deceit
• How do we do that?
a. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
• We protect ourselves with godliness, holiness, and the word by which we should live. Separating ourselves from the filth of this world
5. PROPHECY PROMOTES EVANGELISM
• If we know that the prophecies of the Bible are true and will come to pass; then this should motivate us into becoming soul winning Christians
• If we knew how to become millionaires we would work diligently to get there
• If we knew we were going to succumb to a deadly illness but could prevent it, we would do everything to do so
• If we then, know that Jesus is coming for His people, shouldn’t we be preparing ourselves and others for His arrival?
• What is evangelism?
a. The promulgation of the gospel
b. Promulgation means to “proclaim publicly”
• Any healthy church is a church that is not afraid to witness outside its walls
• A wise church is one that believes God’s word, becomes intimate with God’s word, and proclaims God’s word
• Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• This is not just a decree from Jesus to evangelize, but a commandment and guide as to what to do with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us
6. THE STUDY OF PROPHECY TENDS TO PURIFY THE BELIEVER
• I John 3:2-3 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
• We know that according to Ephesians 2:8-9 that we cannot be saved by our works
• But when we understand that as a Christian, it’s by our works we shall be judged, we should always being striving towards a pure life to be found acceptable in the eyes of Jesus
• I Corinthians 3:13 “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”
7. PROPHECY OFFERS HOPE IN A HOPELESS AGE
• Hope is key to survival in this world
• How awful to think of all the wickedness in this world with no way to overcome it
• Through the study of prophecy we have abundant hope:
a. Hope that in persecution we are protected (Romans 8:35-39)
b. Hope that this is not all there is to our existence (John 10:28) “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
c. II Thessalonians 2:16 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,”
• As we look around this old world, we know that our existence has certainly taken a toll on its resources.
• Places like Japan have literally run out of room for its citizens, China is aborting female babies; our air is being contaminated with toxins from billions of pounds of pollutants everyday. The existence of this earth cannot sustain itself much longer, God must and will intervene, and he will do so through and by the prophetic words of his Holy Book.
