Wallace G. Smith

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?

Our world is filled with evil and suffering. How do we reconcile that evil and suffering with the fact that God, Creator of the world, is good and loving?

Philosophers have wrestled with this “problem of evil” for centuries. But God reveals the answer to the problem—the reason for evil and suffering in the world—in the pages of His word. And that answer is perhaps the greatest source of hope the human mind is capable of understanding.

You need that hope.

Join us right now on Tomorrow’s World where we will give you God’s answer to the problem of evil.

Freedom of Choice Means Pain Has to Exist

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible. And today’s subject is one that many struggle to make sense of: Why is the world so filled with evil and suffering if God is good and loving?

In philosophical circles, the topic we are tackling today is called the problem of evil. It’s been stated many ways, but you could summarize it like this:

“God is supposed to be all-powerful and good. Yet, evil clearly exists in the world, resulting in much pain, misery, and agony. Either God is too weak to do anything about it, or else He doesn’t care. In either case—a weak God or an uncaring God implies that, in reality, there is no God at all.”

Hence the existence of evil and suffering (supposedly) proves that there is no God.

In short, it argues that an all-powerful, all-good God simply can’t exist, because there is so much evil in the world that He does nothing about. And if you search around on YouTube and pointless discussion forums on the Internet, you’ll see the problem of evil thrown about as if it had somehow done God in.

Yet, as supposed “proof” that God does not exist, it’s long been recognized by many that the problem of evil falls short.

Many answers have been provided, including the fact that—to truly rule out God’s existence—one would need to prove it is impossible for God to have good cause for allowing evil to exist. And that’s a tall order.

Free Will Means Being Free to Choose Poorly

For instance, as our children grow, we sometimes need to let them experience the result of their wrong choices instead of intervening to prevent problems. Calling every parent who does so a “bad parent” would be naïve.

In the 1970s, philosopher Alvin Plantinga’s argument—that the value of human free will provides God with sufficient moral cause to allow evil—was widely perceived to have won the day, so to speak, demonstrating that, yes, it is feasible that God can have good cause to allow people to choose evil. If humans are free to choose, it’s unreasonable to expect that they will always choose the good.

Still, the problem of evil is not merely a philosophical problem, is it?

Where Does Evil Come From?

When we or those we love are personally stung by the pain and suffering of the world, the arguments of philosophers provide cold comfort. And this world truly is filled with pain and suffering.

On a personal level, how many have been victims of robbery, theft, assault, rape, or murder? And how many suffer at the hands of those who benefit from their suffering? Many of you watching know the burdens of sickness and infirmity. It seems no age—young or old—is immune to disease. And maladies of every sort plague mankind and bring pain and heartache to even the youngest and most innocent among us.

On a larger scale, how many lives have been ravaged by the scourges of mass murder, slavery, genocide, and warfare? Human beings are shockingly creative in their capacity to generate suffering among their fellow human beings.

And beyond the world of man’s cruelty to man, there are earthquakes; floods; droughts and famines; hurricanes and typhoons; plague, pestilence, and parasite. Nature seems intent on reminding us, over and over again, that we are not in control, and our lives are lived at the mercy of merciless forces far greater than we are.

Whether we are sitting amidst our burnt belongings in the smoldering ruins we once called home, or holding the hand of a son or daughter in a hospital room, suffering from a disease we cannot heal, the question of the problem of evil and suffering in the world is very real and very personal.

Why does evil exist? And how does suffering fit into the plans of a supposedly merciful and loving God?

We need more than the abstract assurance of philosophers. We need answers.

And God provides them. When we understand why mankind exists and what the purpose of life truly is, then our lives, even our sufferings, become infused with meaning, hope and, believe it or not, even a profound and unshakable joy.

And the best way to understand the purpose of human life is to go back to its beginning—all the way back to the VERY beginning, in the book of Genesis.

God Created the World as a Paradise—Not of Suffering

And when we do, we see that God did not create the world to be a place of suffering. Genesis 1 and 2 describe the world God created as a paradise. And it tells us of the creation of first human beings, Adam and Eve. There, we’re told in Genesis 1:26,

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26–27).

Humans Were Made in the Image of God

Unlike any of the animals God made, we see that He made mankind as a sort of analog of Himself—sharing with them His own image and likeness, with the capacity of reasoning, judgment, and morality. And man was given a level of dominion over the creation—again, picturing what God possesses, but on a much smaller scale.

The importance of being made in God’s image is hard to overstate. In fact, skip ahead for a moment to chapter 5 and verse 3. There we read of Adam and Eve’s reproducing themselves in their son, Seth.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (Genesis 5:3).

The use of this phrase is not a coincidence.

God Created Man With Potential to Join God’s Family

The larger picture of Scripture, supported from Genesis to Revelation, is that God created man as a part of a process of reproducing Himself and growing His divine Family, intending to produce countless children. Today’s free resource will demonstrate this astonishing truth to you beyond the shadow of a doubt. God intends man to one day share in His divine and glorious existence, ruling and creating throughout the cosmos forever.

This is why, unlike the animals, man was made in God’s own image and given analogous capacities and responsibilities—yet something vital was missing. While God is spirit, as Jesus tells us in John 4:24, man is physical—limited. And unlike God, who has eternal life inherent within Him, mankind was made with the potential for eternal life, but also for eternal death. Because being an eternal child of God requires holy and righteous character, and developing godly character requires choice.

Intrinsic Motivation: God Wants Us to Choose Wisely

So, Adam and Eve were given the opportunity to CHOOSE. God planted a tree in the garden that could provide them eternal life, and a tree that represented the knowledge of good and evil. And He lovingly told them which one to choose. If they continued choosing the right tree, the tree of life, then God could continue working with them, developing them, caring for them. But if they rejected Him and His instructions, then they would eventually die, refusing eternal life and obedience to their Creator.

God Gives Freedom of Choice—and Allows Us to Make Wrong Choices

You can read of their choice in Genesis 3. In short, they chose disobedience. They chose to accept the temptations of the devil and to take on themselves the “right” to choose what is good and evil, and what is right or wrong for themselves. They rejected God’s instruction, rejected God as their Creator, rejected His purpose for them, and rejected His care for their lives.

Pain Comes From Wrong Choices

And all of the suffering of the world has flowed from that choice. Yet it’s easy to sit here and blame Adam and Eve. The Apostle Paul makes it very plain that every single one of us, in our own way, has repeated their mistake for ourselves in our own lives. As he writes in Romans 3,

“There is none righteous, no, not one”… for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23).

Think about it—and be honest with yourself. At any point in your life, was there a right thing to do, and you chose the wrong one? Was there a loving thing to do, and you chose a selfish one? Was there ever anything God tells us to do, and you chose not to? Or anything God tells us NOT to do, and you did it anyway?

In our own, individual ways, each of us has fallen short of the character of God—and, thus, fallen short of our purpose to become His children.

God Allows Suffering to Teach Us That We Need Him

And the world around us reflects this condition. We sin, and we suffer. Those around us suffer. Our children suffer. We kick God out of the world that He made for us and tell Him we can run it without Him, and that same world becomes a place of suffering.

Yet even in the midst of all of this evil, all of this suffering, God’s purpose remains. He is still working to create a family full of billions upon billions of glorified children of God who will live with Him forever in glory, majesty, and power. And the means by which He is accomplishing this not only resolves the problem of evil, but provides profound meaning in our suffering and life-changing hope beyond that suffering that you need to grasp.

Sin Is the Root Cause of Suffering

In fact, the Bible says something important in Proverbs 26:2.

Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.

The reason we suffer is because of sin—disobedience to a God who loves us too much to prevent us from learning, as a civilization, what it means to appoint ourselves the masters of “right and wrong” instead of accepting the guidance of a loving God who plans so much better for us.

If we examine the suffering we experience, all of it—every bit of it—comes from humanity’s choice to disobey God.

Pain: Feeling the Effects of Our Own Sins and Others’ Sins

Sometimes we suffer because of our own sins. We see this in many of the problems that plague us: Addictions, sexually transmitted diseases, some instances of poverty and wasted lives. But we suffer, too, as we are impacted by the sins of others—just as a pebble thrown in a lake disturbs the water in every direction.

Our societies suffer the ravages of diseases that would not exist if we would look to the laws of God as our guides in matters of health, and look to the God of heaven who has the power to heal and bless. And the Creation suffers disasters as mankind refuses to turn to the Creator—the One who can control the forces of nature that lie beyond our grasp.

And why God won’t simply snap His fingers and make everything all right makes sense when we consider the purpose for our lives in the first place. Human beings aren’t simply “pets” to God—fun playthings for Him to care for and make sure we’re fed, watered, and happy all of the time. He seeks to turn us into members of His family—full and glorious children of the divine family of God.

And unlike pets, we have a role to play in that purpose. We must learn to think like God, react like God, and choose like God.

Suffering Builds Character in Us—and Teaches Lessons

We are here to develop the mind and character of God Himself—to grow to reflect Him on the inside in the same way He has made us to reflect Him on the outside, in His image and likeness.

When we comprehend that, then our suffering takes on meaning, because we know that what we learn in that suffering, how we respond to evil in the world, and the godly character we develop becomes part of an eternal reward that will far outshine any pain and anguish we will ever know in this life. When we comprehend that, then how we grow in our trials contributes to that future of glory.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this coming time, and this coming existence, in Romans 8:18.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul is saying that comparing light from the smallest matchstick to the light of the sun, or a mote of dust with a mountain range, would make more sense than comparing the sufferings of this life with the glory that God is building within those He is working with to develop His own righteous, godly character. Let’s continue:

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:19–21).

God intends the entirety of Creation, the whole universe, to be given over to the glorified children of God—you and me, if we repent and commit ourselves to Jesus Christ to allow God the Father to reproduce Himself and His character in us.

God Promises That Pain Will Not Last Forever

Paul writes that all of creation—the whole of created reality—is waiting for the liberty and glory that will come with the revealing of the children of God at Christ’s return.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now (Romans 8:22).

This, my friends, is the answer to the problem of evil and suffering—seeing that suffering not as an eternal condition, but a passing phase that, just like the pains of childbirth, are serving a purpose that will bring joy and happiness such that the suffering will never come to mind again.

Such a fact should remind us of the words of Jesus, spoken on the final Passover of His earthly ministry.

A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world (John 16:21).

And how much more joy will be known when that birth is not of a human being, but the expanded and glorified God family?

My friends, God is not silently watching us suffer in the cold, dark distance. For those willing to yield their lives to Him, to repent of their sins and turn to His Son, embracing His beautiful purpose for their lives, He is present in our suffering—working within us for His purposes, building within us a future, and creating within us a glorious existence that will last throughout time.

Our suffering is profoundly personal to Him. And He proved this to us in the most intimate way possible.

God Promises to Wipe Away Every Tear (Revelation 21:4)

He displayed this fact by sending His Son to suffer, just as we do.

Already one of the two members of the God Family, the One that John 1:1 calls the Word, the Logos, condescended to become like His Creation—like us—and become the man Jesus Christ. He came and, unlike us, followed His Father’s laws and way of life perfectly.

His obedience did not bring the praise of men, but their hatred, their contempt, and their violence.

The prophet Isaiah described the suffering that Christ would endure in this life:

Despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities… He was oppressed and He was afflicted… He was led as a lamb to the slaughter… (Isaiah 53:3–7).

Jesus Christ, Our Example: Learn Obedience Through Suffering

One whose life of love and generosity deserved nothing but praise and adoration was given instead mockery, threats, beatings, abandonment, torture, and execution. And through it all, He remained faithful to God, His Father.

As Philippians 2 explains, though He had existed in the form of God, He was willing to set that aside and become like us so He could suffer as we do, and:

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8).

Having done so, He was resurrected and given once again the glory He had set aside and the existence that He had before. But now from Heaven He makes Himself available to live His life again through His Spirit within those who are willing to repent, obey, and fulfill God’s purpose for their lives by following Him.

Pain and Suffering: Our Resistance Training to Enter the Kingdom

For those who do, then these times of evil and suffering can be seen for what they truly are—mere birth pangs before they, too, are born into the Family of God and into the glory Jesus Christ now has with His Father, which will be revealed at His return. A time when they will join Him in His Kingdom to begin building a world, and ultimately a universe, that will never know evil and suffering again.

As the Apostle John was told, in vision, of that final estate:

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3–4).

May God send His Son soon to finally solve, once and for all, the real problem of evil.

Thank you for watching. If you would like to learn more, consider ordering our free study guide What Is the Meaning of Life? You can get it by going to TWTV.org/Life.

If you like what we have here at Tomorrow’s World, we hope you’ll consider subscribing. And if you want to be notified when more comes out, just click the bell. Thanks so much!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of the TV version of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What Happens When Unbelievers Die?

A cold hard fact of life is that the vast majority of humanity has lived and died without ever accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior—in fact, most of them without ever hearing His name spoken aloud. For many, this fact is more than a statistic, as they agonize with concerns about a dead loved one, unsure of their fate in the hereafter.

Yet the true answer concerning the fate of the unsaved is far more joyous and hopeful than almost anyone understands!

You need the hope of your Bible’s answer to the question of where the unsaved go when they die. Stay tuned.

How to Understand God’s Plan of Salvation

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.

The question we’ll tackle today has been a source of needless doubt, heartbreak, and hopelessness for many over the centuries: Where do the unsaved go when they die?

The answer to this question is one of the most hopeful and profound truths of the Bible. So today we are offering a free study guide to anyone who requests it, so they can study the topic themselves in their own Bibles. The title is Is This the Only Day of Salvation? and you’ll want to keep an eye on your screen for the information you need to get your own free copy.

In Acts chapter 4, we read of an exchange between the Apostle Peter and angry Jewish religious leaders who were upset that he’d just healed a man in the name of Christ. Let’s read it, beginning in verse 10.

Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. … Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:10–12).

Billions of People Never Knew Anything About Jesus Christ

But causes a problem, doesn’t it? Because of the billions of human beings who have ever lived, relatively few have ever heard of Jesus Christ and His message.

Now let’s set aside for the moment the fact that most people who believe they have “accepted Christ” have not actually accepted Him at all, but have fallen for what the Apostle Paul called “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Again, let’s set that aside and be as generous as we can for the sake of this discussion.

Today, Christianity is just about as big as it’s ever been. For the more than 8 billion people currently on planet earth, a little less than a third, between 2 and 2½ billion, consider themselves any sort of “Christian.”

And if we go back to the beginning of Christianity around 2,000 years ago, population scientists estimate that as many as 65 BILLION people have been born in those two millennia (“How Many People Have Ever Lived on Earth?” Population Reference Bureau, November 15, 2022)—the vast majority of whom have never been any sort of “Christian.” In fact, most of mankind throughout history has been “unsaved” and never even heard the name of Jesus Christ, let alone His message.

So, what happened to them?

It isn’t just a question about cold statistics. Many have agonized over the fate of their loved ones, and others have been turned off of the Bible, believing the God of Scripture to be cruel and capricious.

Frankly, it’s a question I personally wrestled with as a young man. I asked everyone I knew and respected—my parents, my grandmother, my pastor—even my geometry teacher!

They all had answers, but the answers never completely fit the Bible.

I heard that God might ignore that some people hadn’t had an opportunity to accept Christ for forgiveness and would just save them anyway. But that didn’t fit Peter’s words in Acts 4, and it seemed to make Christ’s sacrifice unnecessary. And I knew that wasn’t the case, since Romans 3:23 said that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Jesus Christ Spoke of a Future “Day of Judgment”

Some suggested that maybe God foreknew that those who never heard the Gospel would not have accepted it anyway, so He didn’t bother to send it to them. But that doesn’t even match Jesus’ own testimony. For instance, look in Matthew 11, starting in verse 20.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you” (Matthew 11:20–24).

Note that Jesus says clearly if the people in Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom were given the same opportunities that his audience had been given, then they would have repented before they died.

It all started to make God seem so unfair. Yet passages such as Acts 10:34 and Romans 2:11 made clear that God is very fair and “shows no partiality.”

Well, then maybe God just didn’t care! Yet, Scripture, too, contradicted this. 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God “desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

So, maybe it meant that God was simply not powerful enough to save most people. But the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, declares the sovereign God to be the Almighty, calling Him in Revelation 19:6 “the Lord God OMNIPOTENT!”

With so many billions dying “unsaved” who never had even a chance to be forgiven of their sins, it can move us to ask as Abraham once did,

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25).

Our Hope Is in the Resurrection

But the good news is that there IS an answer! And the Bible’s truth about what happens to the unsaved when they die is a beautiful source of joy, comfort, and hope that everyone needs to understand.

In the rest of our program, we’ll explain four key biblical facts that will lay out for you the answer to the question of what happens to the unsaved when they die.

But before that, let me give you a brief opportunity to request today’s free offer, Is This the Only Day of Salvation? With this free study guide, you will be able to sit down with your Bible and see the hope-filled truth with your own eyes and in the pages of your own Bible.

One of our Tomorrow’s World magazine subscribers from Texas ordered this booklet and wrote to us to express her thanks:

My prayers were answered when my blinders were taken off by the power of God through your literature. I have just finished reading your publication, Is This the Only Day of Salvation? I often wondered about the unsaved but could not find any answer that I knew in my heart to be true. Now, I know.

You need to know, too. Here’s the information you need to get your own free copy, and I’ll be right back to look at the four facts that explain the fate of the unsaved.

1. All of the Dead Are Awaiting Resurrection

Welcome back! Today, we’re explaining the true fate of the unsaved when they die. And the key to understanding the hope-filled answer lies in grasping four biblical facts.

Fact #1: All who have died—saved and unsaved—await a resurrection.

Most think that, once you die, your immortal soul either flies off to heaven and bliss if you’re saved or plunges into the depths of hell and torments if you’re not. But this isn’t the case.

Of all humans who have ever lived, Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:16 that the only one who has immortality at this time is Jesus Christ. Instead, the consistent teaching of the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments, is that we are mortal, and that after we die, we await a resurrection from the dead.

Again, don’t just believe me—believe your Bible.

The Apostle Paul Did Not Say His Hope Was to Go to Heaven

When Paul was challenged on multiple occasions, he didn’t say that his hope lay in going to heaven one day. Read for yourself in Acts 24:15.

I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

He refers to the resurrection as his hope in Acts 23:6, as well, and he discusses it in many other passages. As we’ll see, he even devotes much of 1 Corinthians 15 to describing the resurrection, a future time when Christians will finally “put on immortality.”

Frankly, the focus of mainstream Christianity on “going to heaven” or “going to hell” is simply NOT the focus of the Bible, the Apostles, or Jesus Christ and the Church He founded. God’s word consistently points us to the resurrection from the dead as our hope and focus.

My colleague here on Tomorrow’s World, Gerald Weston, recently dived into that topic in depth on his program “When You Die—Then What?” You can find that program on our website at TomorrowsWorld.org or on our YouTube channel.

So, the short answer to today’s question about where the unsaved go when they die is that—according to the Bible—the unsaved are awaiting a resurrection from the dead, just like the saved are. But that’s where things get very interesting.

2. The First Resurrection Is for Faithful Christians

Fact #2: Faithful Christians will rise in the First Resurrection.

As already mentioned, we read of this resurrection of the righteous in many places. For instance, let’s look at one of my favorite passages in 1 Thessalonians and chapter 4.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

It’s interesting how many seek to comfort the grieving by speaking of their loved ones in heaven, when the Bible itself says that it is the resurrection of the dead at Christ’s return that should be our source of comfort. But that’s another discussion for another time.

This resurrection of the righteous dead is spoken of in great detail, as well, in 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul writes that the faithful are given “spiritual bod[ies]” (v. 44) of “glory” and “power” (v. 43) it takes place at “the last trumpet” (v. 52) when Christ returns.

The Apostle John says in 1 John 3 that at the resurrection when Jesus Christ “is revealed” (v. 2) we will finally see Him “as He is” (v. 2), in glory, and we “shall be like Him” (v. 2).

The First Resurrection Happens Before the Millennium

Honestly, there are too many beautiful verses related to that resurrection for us to recount now. But one passage is particularly vital for our purposes today. We find it in Revelation 20, where the beginning of Jesus’ reign with the glorified saints is described. Let’s read verse 4.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).

That thousand years is the Millennium that begins with Jesus’ return to earth. Here we are told that the glorified, resurrected Christians will reign with Him for those thousand years.

A Later Resurrection Happens After the Millennium

But note the next verse:

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5).

Note that! The resurrection of faithful Christians is only the first resurrection. A “first” implies at the very least a “second!” And indeed, the verse says that “the rest of the dead”—that is, those who were not saved—“did not live again until the thousand years were finished.”

So there is a later resurrection of those who were not Christians in this life, taking place 1,000 years after the first resurrection.

God highlights this timing in many ways in Scripture, though few read carefully enough to notice—or else are so caught up in their own preconceived ideas that they don’t read the Bible for what it truly says.

My friends, we are on the verge of answering today’s question about the fate of the unsaved—right in the pages of your Bible. We only need two more points to complete the whole picture.

Before we continue, allow me to pause very briefly to give you an opportunity to request your own in-depth, free study guide on today’s topic—titled Is This the Only Day of Salvation?

Thousands of people have already felt the comfort and joy that comes with having their fears for their loved ones lifted and replaced with hopeful anticipation. Don’t miss out on experiencing that joy for yourself.

Order your copy right now, and I’ll be right back to explain, in detail, the fate of the unsaved.

3. The Second Resurrection Is for the Rest of Humanity—Unbelievers

Welcome back! Our last point left us on the very edge of revealing what happens to the unsaved after they die. Let’s jump right back in, with our next fact.

Fact #3: Those who died in ignorance will rise in the second resurrection.

Again, this second resurrection was implied in Revelation 20 and verse 5. In fact, let’s read verse 5 again, along with verse 6.

But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Revelation 20:5–6).

Now, this passage is focused on the first resurrection, but reading it carefully tells us a great deal about the second resurrection.

Details About the Second Resurrection

For instance, it highlights that the second death has no power over those in the first resurrection. That implies that those who rise in the second resurrection, at the end of the 1,000 years are still mortal—given physical bodies once again, just as they had in this life.

Later in the same chapter, we read even more about this resurrection of the unsaved to physical life.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works (Revelation 20:11–13).

There is so much here to unpack. Let’s take a closer look, but let me highlight again that today’s free resource dives into all of this with so much more detail.

But for now, we’ll have to move quickly.

The Dead Will Be Judged by Their Works and by the Bible—After the Second Resurrection

Notice that the passage says that “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12) and the works they then did were judged by what was written in the books.

Well, by what books are Christians judged in this life? The books of the Bible! And the Greek word for “books” in Revelation 20 and verse 12 is biblion, the Bible!

Just as 1 Peter 4:17 and James 2:12 say that Christians are in a time of judgment now, those in the second resurrection will have entered a time of judgment, as well.

God Is Fair

Note, too, that it says that the “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12). This is important, because the books of the Bible are not open to everyone in this life. In John 6:44, Jesus is plain that no one can “come to [Him] unless the Father … draws him.” And when God does call someone, He opens the Scriptures to their understanding—just as He did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus and with His apostles (Luke 24).

In this life, God calls people to follow His Son and opens the Bible to their understanding. And Revelation 20 describes this same process happening with the unsaved in the second resurrection.

The Great White Throne Judgment: God Will Open the Book of Life for All—After the Second Resurrection

And verse 12 adds: “another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.”

Now, keep in mind, everyone whose name had been written in the Book of Life had already been resurrected in the first resurrection—the resurrection of the faithful. The only reason for the Book of Life to be opened again in the second resurrection is for more names to be written in.

My friends, God truly is fair! Everyone who has ever lived will have an opportunity to have his or her mind opened and to learn the truth.

Those who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ and had His life-saving message opened to them in this life will have that opportunity.

Understanding this beautiful truth answers other mysteries, as well.

The World Will No Longer Be Blinded

For instance, in the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul laments that his fellow Jews and Israelites were refusing to accept the Gospel and that God had “blinded” them, “given them a spirit of stupor” (Romans 11:7–8), so that they would not understand.

Every day around him, his fellow Jews were dying—unsaved, unable to see that their own Savior had come in their day.

Yet, rather than despair, Paul states in Romans 11:30–31 that those who have in his day “now been disobedient” will eventually “obtain mercy,” explaining:

For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all (Romans 11:32).

Surrounded by Israelites dying daily without accepting the Gospel, Paul says confidently in Romans 11:26, “And so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED!”

How could he be so boldly confident? Because he understood that there was a future resurrection to come for those God was not calling today.

The Second Resurrection Is Back to Physical Life

In fact, Paul had likely read about that physical resurrection many times, just as you can in Ezekiel 37. There, God gives Ezekiel a vision of a valley of dry bones and describes restoring dead sinners to physical life of bone, sinew, and flesh, so that He can put His Spirit in them and they can learn His ways (Ezekiel 37:7–14).

God describes these physically restored people as “the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:11)—or just as Paul said in Romans, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

And the Israelites are not alone in the second resurrection. Jesus Christ plainly says in Matthew 12:41–42 that Gentiles, too, such as the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South will “rise up in the judgment WITH this generation” of Jews.

No one will be left out. What a glorious time that judgment period to come will be!

But it is not yet the end of the story. We will see the whole conclusion of the matter in our last segment.

But first, let me take one final opportunity to encourage you to request today’s free literature: Is This the Only Day of Salvation?

My friends, this topic is too important for you NOT to prove it for yourself. This booklet, Is This the Only Day of Salvation?, dispels the myths woven by modern Christianity with the light of God’s word, and replaces despair and confusion with joy and hope.

Get your free copy right now, and I’ll be right back to give you God’s word on the conclusion of His great and merciful plan.

4. After the First and Second Resurrections Is the Lake of Fire for the Unrepentant

We’ve seen that God is fair, and He will give everyone who’s ever lived a real opportunity to have their minds opened to know His truth and to commit to His Son. But God will not rob us of our free will, and He will not force anyone to choose life over death.

And the implication in Scripture is clear that some will not accept obedience to Jesus Christ, and will choose to remain wicked, disobedient, and in rebellion against their Creator.

That brings us to fact #4: After the first and second resurrections, the incorrigibly wicked are destroyed in the Lake of Fire.

Let’s turn to Revelation 20 again and see what takes place after the second resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment period. We’ll see it described in verses 14 and 15.

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14–15).

Yes, the incorrigibly wicked who refuse to repent will be burned up, cast alive into the lake of fire, where they will be destroyed and made ashes under the feet of the righteous, as the Lord of Hosts says in Malachi 4:3.

At that point, with His Family grown to an innumerable multitude to include ALL who are willing to accept the lordship of Jesus Christ, and the incorrigibly wicked utterly destroyed forever in eternal death, the plan of God will be complete. And the saved will step into the rest of eternity, enjoying all of existence—physical and spiritual—as their inheritance alongside Jesus Christ and their loving Father, in the Family of God, forever.

No, the countless billions of unsaved in this life who never had their mind opened by God to the truth of Jesus Christ are NOT lost forever.

God really is fair. He will give everyone a real, true opportunity to embrace or reject His offer of salvation.

He is not capricious. He is not random. And he is not weak.

He is fair. He is merciful. And He is the Omnipotent God who reigns supreme—and who profoundly loves EVERY human being He has created.

And with Him, no one falls through the cracks.

Our short question may have had a long answer. But it’s a beautiful answer. And it’s the answer from God’s inspired word.

I hope you won’t fail to get your own copy of today’s free offer, Is This the Only Day of Salvation?, so you can truly PROVE this beautiful truth about the second resurrection for yourself.

And I hope you’ll 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 the truths of God’s word, the warnings of end-time prophecy, and the hope of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Until then, take care.

[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.

1. Bible prophecy warns people and nations to repent so they can avoid punishment.
2. Bible prophecy encourages those in captivity to repent.
3. Bible prophecy announces the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.
4. 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.