INTRODUCTION: Why should we study prophecy. Isn’t it too difficult, too controversial, too unknowable? What makes it so important?
- Prophecy Makes Up Over One-Fourth of the Bible
- In the Old Testament
- Isaiah through Malachi (minus Lamentations)--16 books
- Much of Psalms and many other passages (Psalm 2; Genesis 49)
- In the New Testament
- 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Jude, Revelation--4 books
- Many other passages (see Matthew 24 and Matthew 25)
- Some Statistics
- First prophecy--Genesis 2:16-17
- First Messianic prophecy--Genesis 3:15
- Last prophecy--Revelation 22:20
- Prophecy is Exalted by God Himself
- Prophetic Declarations Exalt God (Isaiah 41:26; Isaiah 46:9-11)
- We Are Commanded to Take Heed to Prophecy (2 Peter 1:19)
- We Are Blessed in the Reading, Hearing and Obeying of Prophecy (Revelation 1:3)
- Prophecy Proves the Authority of Scripture - fulfilled prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of the absolute authority of scripture--2 Peter 1:16-21
- The Destruction of Cities and Nations
- Tyre--great detail given in Ezekiel 26
- Samaria
- Gaza and Ashkelon
- Jericho
- Ninevah
- Edom
- Babylon --to list a few
- The History of Israel
- The making of the nation (Genesis 12:1-3)
- The years of captivity (Genesis 15:13-16)
- The promise of a land (Genesis 15:18-21 cp.Genesis 49)
- The establishment of a monarchy (Deuteronomy 17:14-15)
- Captivity and worldwide scattering (Deuteronomy 28:63-65; Deuteronomy 29:28)
- Return from captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-14; Jeremiah 29:10)
- Israels blindness to the true Messiah (Psalm 22:21-23)
- The History of the Nations (Daniel 2, 4, 11)
- The Prophecies Concerning Christ (There are over 300 OT references identifying over 60 details about the first coming of Christ. They were all fulfilled!)
- Prophecy Explains the Meaning of History - Without prophecy, history becomes endless and useless; through prophecy, history becomes:
- God Honoring - Resulting in the Ultimate Triumph of God
- The defeat of the wicked (Revelation 19:11-21)
- The subduing of all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
- Dispensational - Proving the Grace of God
- From law to faith (Galatians 3:21-26)
- From Gentile to Jew and back again (Romans 11:25-29)
- Providential - Providing Good For the Saints
- Promise (Romans 8:28)
- Provision (Titus 2:13)
- Fulfillment (Romans 8:18; Revelation 21:3-7)
- Prophecy Arms the Believer Against Cultism
- Against Those Who Date Christs Coming (Matthew 24:36)
- Against Those Who Claim to Be Christ (Matthew 24:5)
- Against Those Who Pervert the Events of Prophecy (i.e., Jehovah Witnesses)
- Their claim to be the 144,000 (Revelation 7:5-8)
- Their teaching concerning Armageddon (Revelation 16:16)
- Prophecy Motivates the Church to Evangelism - this is true historically
- The Imminency of Christs Return
- Redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28)
- Comes as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3)
- The Urgency to Reach the Lost
- Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)
- It is high time to awake (Romans 13:11-14)
- Prophecy Challenges the Believer to Holy Service
- To Watchfulness (Matthew 25:13)
- To Faithfulness (Luke 12:42-44)
- To Comfort (John 14:3)
- As an Encouragement in the Lords Supper (1 Corinthians 11:26)
- To Confidence (Philippians 1:6)
- To Sincerity (Philippians 1:9-10)
- To Faithfulness to the Word (Philippians 2:16)
- To Heavenly Conversation (Philippians 3:20-21)
- To Moderation (Philippians 4:5)
- To Mortification of Fleshly Lusts (Colossians 3:3-5)
- To Waiting (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
- To Brotherly Love (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)
- As a Source of Consolation (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)
- To Sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
- To Obedience (1 Timothy 6:13-14)
- To Pastoral Diligence (2 Timothy 4:1-2; 1 Peter 5:2-4)
- To Love the Second Coming (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
- To Separation (Titus 2:11-13)
- To Look For Him (Hebrews 9:27-28)
- To Patience (James 5:7-8)
- To Endure Temptations (1 Peter 1:7)
- To Soberness (1 Peter 4:7)
- To Bear Persecution (1 Peter 4:13)
- To Godliness (2 Peter 3:11-13)
- To Abide in Christ (1 John 2:28)
- To Purity (1 John 3:2-3)
- To Repentance (Revelation 3:3)