Someone once said that Christians treat the book of Revelation like the priest and the Levite treated the wounded man in the parable of the Good Samaritan. They pass by it on the other side. Some avoid prophecy because it seems difficult to understand. Others feel too overwhelmed by the present to think about the future. Some pastors have never even preached from the book of Revelation because they don’t see its relevance to everyday life.
While many Christians are content to leave prophecy’s pages shrouded in mystery and misunderstanding, it is the only reliable information about our tomorrows. God knows the end from the beginning and foretells the future with absolute accuracy. The book of Revelation, along with other end-time prophecies, gives us a snapshot of the events that will precede the end of the world as we know it. The very word revelation means “the unfolding of that which was previously hidden or unknown.”
6 Benefits of Studying Bible Prophecy:
- Prophecy plays a leading role in the New Testament.
- Prophecy proves the integrity of Scripture.
- Prophecy protects us from false teaching.
- Prophecy prepares us for the Last Days.
- Prophecy provides practical guidance for everyday living.
- Prophecy promises spiritual blessing.
1 — Prophecy Plays a Leading Role in the New Testament
Out of the 216 chapters in the New Testament, there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ. If we were to omit all the prophetic passages, we would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. We would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books that mention prophecy. For every prediction about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. Given prophecy’s prominence in Scripture, there can be little doubt about its significance to our lives.
Jesus often spoke about the future and rebuked people who didn’t recognize the significance of the events around them. In Luke 12:56, He said, “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” The people of Jesus’ day had become experts at reading meteorological indicators to predict the weather. Yet, they ignored the prophetic signs of the Messiah’s coming. This warning applies to us as well. Jesus expects us to investigate what the Bible says about the future and seek His guidance as we attempt to understand the day and hour in which we live.
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