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What is Bible prophecy all about? Thank you!
I’m glad you asked. It’s a subject many don’t
know the answers to but many talk about.
Bible prophecy, while not exclusively focused
on the endtimes, is God’s revelation to man of
things past, present and future.
Most are only concerned with God’s revelation
as foretelling the future. However, God also
revealed secrets from the past otherwise were
beyond the scope and powers of man’s ability.
Prophecy Revealed the Past
For example, God asks Job: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Who determined its measurements? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone?, (Job. 39:3–5)
Job, who lived in ancient times could not possibly have known anything about the origins of the world without revelation. That is Bible prophecy. A prophet was first a teacher of God’s revelation.
Moses, called a prophet of God, revealed through God, the creation recorded in Genesis. Moses, born centuries later, learned the truth behind the creation directly from God. That’s prophecy pointing backwards. (Gen. 1)
Prophecy Spoke to the Present.
Christ could look at the woman of Samaria and accurately describe all the details of her life. (John 4:17–18).
Revealing to her the questionable character of her past, she responded, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet, (v. 19).
He needed not for anyone to instruct or testify to him of man for God knows what it is man, (John 2:24)
Bible Prophecy Revealed the Future.
Perhaps the most fascinating concept of prophecy is God’s ability to accurately forecast the future without trends or any indicators of even the remote possibility that such events could occur.
God knows the end from the beginning.
In fact, many of these “future” prophecies were so “out of the box” that they were dismissed as nonsense until they came to pass.
This is also the area of prophecy which fascinates man. For years, men have majored in the claims that they are able to foretell the future. In this, they part company with God. Here are a few reasons why.
- Man cannot know the secrets of God except they are revealed to him by God, (Deut. 29:29; 1 Cor. 2:11).
- No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. Thus, no man can claim he has knowledge of some divine event that is not first revealed in scripture and explained by scripture.Why is this true? It’s because God is the revealer of secrets. (Dan. 2:22, 28)
- Prophecy never came by the will of man. Men can’t will themselves into prophetic utterances. God moved men to speak through the Holy Spirit
In the words of David: “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue.” (2 Sam. 23:2)The apostles were told do not even think or premeditate what they would speak for the Holy Spirit would give them the words within the specific hour.
“But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak.
But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.” (Mar. 13:11; Matt. 10:19, 20)
- The prophetic office has been sealed up and closed for almost 2000 years, never to reopen again.God prophesied that he would “seal up vision and prophecy.” (Dan. 9:24).
This was one of six things he would accomplish when he destroyed the fleshly nation of Israel, their sanctuary and temple in 70 AD.To seal up vision and prophecy means to close the office of divine revelation and fulfill bible prophecy.
There is no such thing today as the prophetic office.
There is not one man (or woman) alive who can prophesy by divine revelation from God.In fact, God revealed that anyone claiming to do so after Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, should be killed by his own parents for speaking lies in the name of the Lord, (Zech. 13:2–5)
“God promised that he would “cut off” the names of the idols from the land and they shall no longer be remembered. While cutting off the idols, God likewise says: “I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.”Once God shut down and seals up the prophetic office, he says that in that day “every prophet” will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; and would say, I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.
Some may object and say these were the unclean spirits and false prophets.
However, false prophets were put to death for prophesying falsely long before, during and after Zechariah’s and Daniel’s prophecies concerning the end of that office, (1 Ki. 18:40; Jer. 28:15–19).
- The shame of today’s modern day endtime prophets. The truth of these words are seen in the embarrassing exhibit before all the world of the repeated failures of so-called future “fortune-tellers” and “doom and gloom” forecasters.
Anyone who claims that by divine revelation they are prophesying concerning the end of the world today is out of step with God’s word and falls under the anathema of these texts.
Here are a few examples of those who falsely prophesied the end:1975: Jehovah’s Witnesses
1977: William Branham
1979: Televangelist Pat Robertson planned to go to Jerusalem in order to film and broadcast the Second Coming of Christ.
1981: Emil Gaverluck predicted the Rapture would occur.
1989: Hal Lindsey in his book The 1980’s: Countdown to Armageddon, asserted that the “decade of the 1980’s could very well be the last decade of history as we know it.”
1994: Harold Camping prophesied the end.
1995: Edgar Whisenant predicted that Christ would come at 12:01 A.M. on September 25, 1995. *
For all references see “That Day and Hour by Francis X. Gumerlock.
*Edgar Whisenant also wrote the infamous Pamphlet: “88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988: The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hash-Ana) September 11–12–13”
The list is endless and some continue to this day to bring shame upon Christianity by these lies they tell in the name of the Lord.
- Christ’s words that all prophecy ceased when Jerusalem fell in 70 AD are a commentary on Daniel’s prophecy of seal up vision and prophecy. “But when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that its desolation is near…For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” (Lk. 21:20–22)
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.” (v. 32)
It all boils down to one simple fact. Those who claim to prophesy the future end of the world and see endtime signs in every tornado, hurricane, Middle East skirmish, political upheaval or the arise of the antichrist in every prominent world ruler, do not believe the words of Christ.
Study a more accurate perspective of the endtime. Grab your copy of the Re-Examination, a study of the Lord’s return in 70 AD. Click here to order.
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