“But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
–Luke 10:42 (NLT)
I believe the study of prophecy requires balance, but we live in a world of extremism. In order to see what different forms this extremism takes, we only need to look at one example.
Think with me about all the needless starvation in the world. Then, think about the small group of people who have exorbitant riches. I think you would have to agree that there are two major extremes at work here.
when it comes to prophecy, the same extremes can be seen. Some people love to ride the roller coasters of emotion and speculation. These people get carried away by speakers who say that the end is near, and set dates for the Lord’s return. I have heard some of these speakers, and they make it sound like they’re sure Jesus will come within the next five minutes. While we can see a broad outline of times and seasons during our lives, a preoccupation with trying to narrow down these times is nothing short of blasphemous. Even Jesus said that He didn’t know the hour of His coming, so we have no right to predict it ourselves.
The other extreme of prophecy is to ignore it altogether. Many people say that prophecy isn’t applicable to our daily lives, but I have to reject this view. One third of the Bible is made up of prophecy, and the same Bible tells us that all scripture is inspired by God. Therefore, I don’t have the right to pick and choose.
In our Bible study, I am going through the book of Revelation, and it’s surprising how many people have never read it. The main excuse is that these people don’t understand the symbolism in this book. But don’t wait for perfect understanding to come, for God’s Spirit will help you apply the truths that you need.
Someone once pictured reading the Bible like this: When I’m eating fish and run across a bone, the fish is not discarded. Instead, the bone is put aside, and I go on eating the meat. So it is with the Word of God. If we don’t understand something, we need to ask God for wisdom, and then go on reading.
Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing for those who read and hear it. “That’s great,” you say, “but what is the purpose of prophecy?”
According to the Bible and my own experience, prophecy can be described with these four wordw: purification, consolation, expectation and exaltation.
In the Bible, a great emphasis is placed on purity, so let’s look at what that entails first. Many times, we concentrate so much on doing things that we forget the importance of friendship with God. We are like Martha in our opening story which Jesus told. We are too busy with other things, and we don’t stop to spend quality time with Him.
If you have ever put clean laundry out in the sun, you know that it needs to stay out there for some time before it dries and smells fresh. The Bible says that we are a pleasing aroma to God. But like that laundry, we need to remain in the light of His word in order to maintain the freshness of a close walk in His presence.
The apostle John says that anyone who has the hope of heaven purifies himself, and prophecy holds out that hope in a unique way. By looking at things which have already been fulfilled, we see that God is both sovereign and faithful. But just as we must set the laundry in the light, we must set our minds on Christ in order to enjoy the fruits of abiding in Him. This means that whenever we face hardship of any kind, we must have an unwavering focus on our King, and prophecy is one tool which can help us sharpen that focus. It shows us again and again how precious we are in the sight of God, as He offers consolation to His children. Not only does He redeem us, but He walks through the storms of life with us.
When the churches in Revelation are suffering, He not only holds out the hope of heaven, but also His peace and fellowship on earth, which bring strength. In the same way, He offers you and me the same consolation. The Bible tells us that we love Him because He first loved us, and love is the motivating force in prophecy.
God loved you so much that it was prophesied He would come down to earth to die, and because of His great love for you, He will overcome the world at the end of time.
Keeping our eyes on Christ’s triumph in prophecy leads us to live a life of expectation. This kind of life doesn’t lead us to set dates. Instead, we are filld with a quiet peace. We are assured by scripture that God’s timing is perfect. Therefore, we know that He could come back at any time. If we have this attitude, it will lead us to a life of victory as well.
The final word we want to look at is exaltation. When Christ becomes more and more majestic in our lives, we can enjoy lives of power, praise and purpose. Prophecy, then, should lift us up to new heights, while allowing us to see our sinfulness in a new way.
Scripture says that if we draw close to God, He will draw close to us. Allow His prophetic Word to work in your life, filling you with new boldness and compassion, and you can learn to step out for Him in ways you thought impossible.
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