The First And Greatest Prophecy Series

Today we will begin a series that will study Biblical prophecy from the beginning to the end. We will be starting in Genesis and concluding in Revelation, studying the most significant biblical prophecies in the order in which they were revealed in Scripture. The reason for this study this summer is that much like May 21, 2011 (Harold Camping’s last prediction of Christ’s return), September 2015 has been promoted as the Beginning of the Tribulation.

On a daily basis we read of current events that look a lot like the characteristics of the Tribulation period: War, Terrorism, Theological apostasy, Big Brother, the alignment of nations, the world’s focus on Israel... all these current events seem to align with Biblical prophesy. New books like “Blood Moons,” and “The Mystery of the Shmitah” tell people that the Tribulation will begin in September or October of 2015. So, it’s a good time for our Church to learn again the importance of proper interpretation of biblical prophecy.

This will be the MOST IN-DEPTH SERIES on prophecy I have preached!

The study prophesy as it unfolds throughout Scripture.

Most people who have an interest in prophesy start with REVELATION, but this leads to inaccurate interpretation. WE must start at the BEGINNING! That means examining the very first prophecy found in Genesis 3:15.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” (Genesis 3:15, ESV)

In much the same way that John 3:16 summarizes salvation, Genesis 3:15 summarizes God’s plan of redemption and the scope of human history.

About this verse, Arthur Pink wrote,“Who but He who knoweth the end from the beginning could have given such an accurate outline of subsequent history, and packed it within the limits of this one verse?” Arthur Walkington Pink, Gleanings in Genesis (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2005), 43.

This is the first promise in the Bible!

There are four essential truth’s revealed in God’s FIRST LESSON in Prophesy

Truth #1. REDEMPTION is the Central Theme in Prophecy

Adam and Eve’s rejected FELLOWSHIP with GOD. They chose to be RULED by DESIRE rather than to be RULED by God. JESUS CHRIST would have to REDEEM his creation before he could RULE over it.

FOUR JUDGMENTS are given in relation to Adam’s sin:

1. SATAN (3:14-15)

2. the WOMAN (3:16)

3. the EARTH (3:17-18)

4. the MAN (3:17-19)

God provides more than just judgment. He also unveils the CONFLICT of the AGES and the HIS ULTIMATE GLORY.

RENEE SHOWERS has written a powerful book that examines God’s plan through the ages, beginning with Creation and man’s fall into sin, and concluding with God’s Eternal Kingdom. The book is “What on Earth is God Doing: Satan’s Conflict with God.” The following quote is from the opening pages of that book. It’s a lengthy quote, but very much worth reading.

The Bible’s philosophy of history begins with the eternal, personal God who existed as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Spirit. Prior to creation nothing else existed but God.

In eternity past, God determined to have a kingdom over which he could rule as sovereign Kin (1 Tim 1:17). Since it is impossible to have a kingdom without subjects, and since nothing else existed to serve Him, God created the subjects over which He was to rule.

The personal, created subjects were of two major kinds. First, God created angelic subjects. These angels were spirit beings, not possessing bodies of flesh and bone (Matt 22:30; Heb 1:13-14), but they did possess intellect (2 Sam 14:20) and the ability to communicate (Gen 10:1-2). They were more powerful than the other kind of created beings (2 Peter 2:11). Although made to dwell in the heavens, they were given access to earth after its creation (Gen 19:1; Mat 24:36). Certain angels were made superior in intelligence, power, and authority over others (Dan 10:13; Eph 1:21; Col 1:16). The Bible does not reveal exactly how many angels God created, but it does mention one hundred million plus thousands of thousands more (Dan 7:10; Heb 12:22; Rev 5:11).

The second manor kind of personal subject created for God’s kingdom was the human being. Inasmuch as God had created the earth to be part of his domain, he intended to have on it a kind of subject that would administer his rule over everything else on the planet. Just as some kings divide their kingdoms into provinces, place a subject as governor over each province, and hold each governor responsible to administer his province well on behalf of the king, so God created man, placed him as governor over the earth, and held him responsible to administer the earth well on behalf of God (Gen 1:26, 28; Psalm 8:3-9). In other words, God intended the government of the earth to be a theocracy....