[The text below represents an edited transcript of the television version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]
Why Is Reading Bible Prophecy Important?
The Christian Bible holds the Guinness World Record of best-selling book in the world (“Best-selling book,” GuinessWorldRecords.com). Many homes in the Western world have at least one Bible on their bookshelves, and many of them have more than one. But how many people actually read them? And even of those who do, how many read Bible prophecy?
Prophecy makes up a quarter of God’s revealed word, yet for many it is the most neglected part of Scripture.
My friends, we don’t want you to fall into that trap, because God wants you to dive into the prophecies He inspired to be recorded for you to understand.
Join us on this episode of Tomorrow’s World where we explain why you need Bible prophecy.
Avoiding Bible Prophecy Neglects More Than 25% of Scripture
Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World. Today, we’re going to help you understand why you need Bible prophecy.
We’ll also be offering you one of our most popular free DVDs, The Power of Prophecy. This DVD contains four programs that are designed to help you finally begin to understand the prophecies that fill God’s word. Like everything we offer on Tomorrow’s World, there’s no cost to you whatsoever. So, be sure to keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your own free copy.
Now, before we begin, I need to be very clear. Today, I am speaking specifically of Bible prophecy. History is filled with so-called prophets who claimed to tell the future—men like Edgar Cayce or Nostradamus. History has not been too kind to such claims. The same could be said for the weird predictions concerning the year 2012—a weird “end of the world” prediction based on drug-induced, misinterpreted Mayan concepts that did more to sell crackpot books and movie tickets than it did about telling the future.
Bible prophecy is important—so much so that God has filled His own word with it. So it should not be a surprise that the Devil has counterfeited true Bible prophecy and the biblical prophets in countless ways.
But you don’t need the counterfeit—you need the truth! And that’s what I am focusing on today: Real Bible prophecy.
And let’s be honest: Have you ever tried to read Bible prophecy and found it intimidating?
With all of its symbols and visions of harlots and monsters and statues, or talk of antichrists, the fall of empires, heavenly signs—it can seem a bit much.
When I was a young teenager, I remember reading the book of Revelation and reading about the seven-headed beast with ten horns. I told my late grandmother about what I thought it meant—which was completely wrong, by the way—and she looked at me kindly and told me with a gentle smile, “You know, we tend to stay away from that book of the Bible.”
Now, I am definitely not here to speak ill about my grandmother on a television program broadcast around the world. I loved her very much. But for all her wisdom and experience, she had simply never had anyone explain to her the blessings that reading and understanding prophecy can bring into our lives—and the purposes for which God inspired it in the first place.
Think about what avoiding prophecy meant for her—and for you and me.
Between one-fourth and one-third of your Bible is prophecy. Imagine ignoring every fourth word or every fourth chapter. If anyone else demanded that we rip out 30 percent of the pages of our Bible, we would be crying out about censorship and totalitarianism.
When Jesus was about to begin His ministry, He was tempted by Satan, and in response, Jesus made an important statement that we need to listen to today—in Matthew 4:4.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.”
Note that “every word” means every word, not two out of three, or three out of four.
Jesus Christ Commands Us to Live by Every Word of God
In fact, Christ is plain that He wants His followers reading the prophecies he inspired, in both the Old and New Testaments. In Revelation 19:10, we’re told that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” and the very beginning of the book of Revelation, the very first verse of the very first chapter, tells us that Christ revealed the contents of that book under God’s instructions “to show His servants—things which must shortly take place.”
Blessings Come from Hearing Bible Prophecy
And in Revelation 1:3, God gives us a promise:
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
Who doesn’t want to receive God’s blessings? God doesn’t waste words, and He inspired Bible prophecy for good reason. Over the rest of today’s program, we’re going to outline four reasons God inspired prophecy. When you see the truth of each, you understand why it is such a vital part of the Bible, and why you need to dive into it yourself.
But before we look at the first reason, I want to give you the opportunity to receive a free DVD that will help you understand the prophecies of the Bible. The Power of Prophecy is one of our most popular free resources, with four Tomorrow’s World programs that answer a host of vital questions about Bible prophecy, including:
- What is the mysterious beast of Revelation?
- What are the five keys to understanding prophecy?
- What are the six greatest perils facing the United States?
- What does the Bible say about the future of the EU, Russia, China, Iran, and other nations?
- How can I personally prepare for what is to come and protect my family?
- How can I escape the Great Tribulation?
Unlocking Bible prophecy to your understanding will help the pages of Scripture come to life in a way they never have before. Request your free copy of The Power of Prophecy, and I will be right back to begin explaining why God has inspired prophecies in the pages of your Bible.
Point #1: Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent to avoid punishment
Welcome back! Today, we’re helping you understand why you need Bible prophecy. And the key is understanding why God inspired it in your Bible in the first place. We’re looking at four reasons, and here is the first: Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.
When the Apostle Peter wrapped up the first inspired sermon of the New Testament Church, he told the gathered crowds,
“Be saved from this perverse generation” (Acts 2:40).
My friends, look around you at the world today and tell me—honestly—if you don’t think that his words apply even more powerfully today—almost 2,000 years later—than they did in his day?
Our world is failing because of sin—breaking God’s laws
You can see it, can’t you? The world is coming apart at the seams. Something is terribly wrong with civilization, and while many people claim they know the way to fix it, none of them are saying what truly needs to be said: The world is dying due to sin, the breaking of God’s righteous law. In fact, as we highlight frequently on this program and in our free Tomorrow’s World magazine, some of those nations that have been blessed the most by God are the very nations that are leading the way in breaking God’s law, and teaching others to do so.
One major consequence of sin will be the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord
That path will lead those nations, and eventually the entire world, into the most horrific time mankind has ever known: The Great Tribulation, followed by the Day of the Lord. We read of the times prophesied to come in Matthew chapter 24, beginning in verse 21.
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21).
Note: Jesus says “no flesh” would be saved if God did not intervene. While the punishment for unrepentant sin will begin, frankly, in the United States, Great Britain, and other British-descended nations, it will eventually engulf the entire world, threatening the existence of every living thing.
But God the Father and Jesus Christ make a way of escape available.
God wants all people to repent and turn away from sin
In Ezekiel 33:11, God tells us that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Instead, He warns us about what is coming so that we will repent, so that we will stop sinning and accept the opportunity for escape.
Turn earlier in the book of Ezekiel and read His passionate words to Israel—words that I assure you are meant for nations and peoples today. Read them in Ezekiel 18:30.
“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
Today’s free DVD, The Power of Prophecy, teaches that understanding how God describes modern nations in the ancient words of the Bible is a fundamental key to understanding prophecy. And, believe it or not, modern nations such as the United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, Germany, France, China, Russia, and, yes, the modern state of Israel, as well as many others, are identifiable in Bible prophecy.
And when you understand what Bible prophecy says is coming upon our nations, and how their sins will be visited upon them, then you understand why all of us here at Tomorrow’s World refuse to cease crying aloud and sparing not in declaring those sins and encouraging the world to turn from its sins, embrace its Savior, Jesus Christ, and find escape from the times to come. For repentance is the only means of escape, and prophecy makes this fact plain. Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.
My friends, that means you and me, too. If you want to escape the punishments coming upon this world, then you need to stop sinning and breaking God’s commands and turn to Jesus Christ in repentant obedience.
Point #2: Bible prophecy encourages people in captivity to repent
However, we must see the world not as we want it to be, but as it really is. God certainly does. And the fact is that, sadly, most will not repent and change. In fact, many of you watching may not choose to turn from your sins. Most will go into punishment and into captivity. Then, the second reason God inspired prophecy in the pages of Scripture kicks in: Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.
Like punishment from a loving parent, God’s punishment isn’t harsh just for the sake of being harsh. He hopes individuals will repent before punishment arrives. And even after punishment has come, He continues to hope they will repent. And prophecy plays a role in that, too.
We see this purpose for prophecy reflected in passages such as Deuteronomy 4. Yes, Deuteronomy was written to ancient Israel long ago. But today’s free DVD, The Power of Prophecy, will explain why its words have meaning for many modern nations today. And in those words, God inspires Moses to explain to Israel about the punishment they will receive for their sins, and how they can still choose to change. We see this starting in verse 27.
And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them (Deuteronomy 4:27–31).
It is our sincere hope that many if not all of you listening will repent, turn to God with all your heart, and sincerely commit your lives to obeying Him. But for those who do not and who find themselves under the soon-coming punishment of the Great Tribulation, then we hope these words of Deuteronomy 4 will come to mind—that you will remember that the times you are experiencing were prophesied and came about exactly as the Bible said they would. And that you will at that time turn to God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Cry out to Him in those times! And if you turn to Jesus Christ in your captivity with a whole heart, committed to obeying Him, then He will hear you.
Yes, the second reason God inspired prophecies in the pages of your Bibles is that Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.
Well, so far, the reasons for Bible prophecy we’ve covered have been a bit of a downer! The next reason we will cover will visit the other extreme, as we see that prophecy also brings us the greatest hope in all of human history—a hope you need in your life!
We’ll cover that in a moment—but first, let me pause to remind you how to get your free DVD, “The Power of Prophecy.” This collection of four Tomorrow’s World programs is a must-have for anyone who has been confused or intimidated by prophecy before but who longs to understand it. God inspired prophecy to be understood! Don’t regret missing out on the life-changing information in this DVD. Order yours now, and I’ll be right back to explain the great hope of mankind that is revealed in the words of Bible prophecy.
Point #3: Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God
So far, we’ve seen that God uses prophecy to warn nations to repent and escape punishment, and He uses it to inspire those who do not repent to turn to Him in the midst of their punishment.
The third reason for Bible prophecy highlights the irony of Christians who say that you don’t need to pay attention to prophecy, because it illustrates why prophecy is at the heart of the message Jesus Christ came to preach.
The third reason is that Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
Too many think Jesus Christ only came to tell people how they can be forgiven of their sins. And, yes, the forgiveness of sins is a source of joy and cause for praise! But that is only one facet of a larger message God sent His Son to preach. We read of that message in Mark 1:14–15.
Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
That Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to be established at the return of Jesus Christ is one of the most hope-filled and life-transforming messages you can ever hope to comprehend.
And focusing as it does on future events, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is inherently a prophetic message. In fact, many prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments POINT US to different, hopeful details of that Kingdom’s reign! For instance:
- Revelation 20 speaks of the 1,000-year removal of Satan the Devil and proclaims that glorified, faithful Christians will reign alongside Jesus Christ during that time.
- Zechariah 14 explains how all the nations of the world will assemble in Jerusalem each year for the joyous Feast of Tabernacles.
- Isaiah 35 tells of the transformed and beautified earth, and the healing of all who are blind, deaf, and unable to walk.
- Zechariah 8 tells of how small children will be safe to play in the streets.
If you are a longtime viewer or a subscriber to the Tomorrow’s World magazine, then you know the many prophecies of the Kingdom of God are a special focus of this ministry. God has commissioned us to preach the Gospel of Christ’s coming Kingdom—and we do.
And you need the hope that comes from understanding about that Kingdom. That’s why you need Bible prophecy. There is a reason the Apostle Peter called the prophetic reign of Jesus Christ the “restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is a prophetic message, and if you are ignoring the prophecies of your Bible, then you are ignoring the beautiful descriptions of tomorrow’s world that the Almighty inspired in the pages of Scripture to fill you with a hope and longing for that soon-coming world.
Again, Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
Point #4: Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power
A fourth, vital reason for prophecy is that Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power.
And in a world like today’s, in which every week seems to bring news of more upheaval, chaos, and heartbreak, we need a reminder that our loving Creator is truly in control.
God points to this purpose of prophecy in Isaiah chapter 46, beginning in verse 9.
“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it” (Isaiah 46:9–11).
Many of you are familiar with my friend and longtime Tomorrow’s World presenter Richard Ames. He loves to emphasize a vital truth that he summarizes in three simple words: “GOD REIGNS SUPREME.” And if any of you knew Richard Ames personally, then you know he lived his life in the light of those words!
God uses prophecy to help teach you that truth and to make it that much more real in your heart and your mind—in your life. Bible prophecy teaches us that God is faithful and can be trusted. It reveals that all of human history, from the beginning to the end, is simply the unfolding of His plan for mankind—and it reveals that plan.
When we trust God, then even in our hardships, we can have faith that He is in charge and is working all things to our good, as we’re told in Romans 8:28. It is that trust in God’s power to fulfill His purpose that moved the Apostle Paul, in all his hardships to begin his letter to Titus in this way:
Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began… (Titus 1:1–2).
Only the Creator has the ability to declare the end from the beginning and to guarantee it will be so. And such a Creator is not only worthy of our love and worship, He is also worthy of our trust. Prophecy helps to remind us that He has total sovereignty and power, and we can trust Him with our lives.
God Shows Your Life’s Purpose With Prophecy
When we put these four purposes of prophecy together, we see that Bible prophecy is not just some academic pursuit or some “fortunetelling” game in which we try to predict the future and see if it turns out the way we thought. You need prophecy because there is a purpose God intends to work in your life. We’ll discuss that purpose in the conclusion of our program.
First, let me take advantage of this last break to encourage you to order today’s free DVD, “The Power of Prophecy.” We don’t just want you to understand that prophecy is important. We want you to UNDERSTAND PROPHECY. This free DVD will help get you on your way. One of the four messages on this DVD is “Five Keys to Understanding Prophecy,” and it will begin to explain how to take the often intimidating symbols and messages of Bible prophecy and make their meaning plain. It’s time to stop avoiding prophecy and, instead, dive into the deep end. This DVD, “The Power of Prophecy,” will help you get started. Order your copy now, and I’ll be right back to help us see what all of this should mean.
Prophecy is meant to change your life—for the better
Today, we’ve discussed four reasons God inspires prophecy in the pages of your Bible.
- Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.
- Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.
- Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
- Bible prophecy demonstrates God’s total sovereignty and power.
When you think about these reasons, it’s plain that God doesn’t intend prophecy to be some sort of academic exercise or just some sort of secret code we have to crack to know what the future holds. Rather, God is using prophecy to produce an impact in your life. He seeks to change your life and draw you closer to Him—to bring you more in line with His purpose for your life.
God intends prophecy to move you to repent—to change your ways day by day, turning from sin and disobedience to His laws, and turning to repentance, embracing the rulership of His Son, Jesus Christ. Whether we do this before punishment comes our way, or even in the midst of that punishment, a transformed life is what He seeks to achieve with His inspired prophecies.
Bible prophecy reveals hope for your future
And with prophecy, God gives form to our hope for the future. By pointing us, in prophecy, to our future roles in His Kingdom—as glorified children of God, helping Jesus Christ to beautify this world and serve others by helping them to understand the ways of God more fully—God gives us a goal that gives meaning to our lives. As Christ says in Matthew 6:33, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”—and prophecy helps to make that Kingdom real to us, painting a beautiful and detailed picture of tomorrow’s world that helps us to envision the world He longs to build alongside us.
Finally, when life gets difficult, and we pass through trial and hardship, it is prophecy that reminds us that God is great and good, and that in all things He reigns supreme in the heavens—that no matter our current circumstances, the end of all things is in His hands, and we can rest assured that He is in control.
My friends, you need what God wants to place within your life through the words of prophecy He has inspired in the pages of His Bible. And if you are ready for what He longs to give you, today’s free DVD will be a great place for you to start. I hope you will order your copy today.
And I hope you will come back next time! When you do, Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair, and I will be right here waiting for you—ready to share with you the teachings of Jesus Christ, the powerful hope of the Kingdom of God, and the end-time prophecies of your Bible and their meaning. Until then, take care.
