CHAPTER 3: THE PROS AND CONS OF PROPHECY STUDY
Prophecy study is indeed a fascinating subject. Within the past several decades God's Spirit has endowed the church with prophetic understanding that did not exist centuries ago. However before we go any further let us examine the pros and cons of prophecy study. Our enemy comes to us as a deceptive spirit. He will try to use our interest in prophecy to serve his goals instead of God's. In times past people were burned at the stake because of their prophetic beliefs. Let's make sure that we are studying the subject for all the right reasons.
PROPHECY STUDY CAN BE A GOOD THING:
1. IF IT REINFORCES OUR FAITH IN THE BIBLE.
One of the strongest arguments infavor of divine inspiration of the Bible is fulfilled prophecy. The Bible records some amazing fulfilled historic prophecies.
A. During His at least 36 years on Earth, Jesus had fulfilled no less than 62 Old Testament prophecies.
B. Egypt's experience of seven years of plenty that was followed by seven years of famine was a ful-fillment of two of Pharaoh's God given dreams.
C. The Book of Daniel, that was written no later than 530 BC, successfully predicted the succession of the ancient kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Daniel also successfully predicted the cleansing of the Temple after the 1150 days of desecration done by Antiochus IV in 164 BC (Daniel 8:14).
All of these fulfilled prophecies plus many many more all provide proof that only an all-knowing God who knows the beginning from the end could have written the Bible.
2. IF IT SERVES AS AN EFFECTIVE WARNING TO THE UN-GODLY
Ninevah was the capital city of the hated Assyrian Empire. It was so wicked it was known as the "robber city". God choose Jonah to proclaim to the Ninevahites that their city was marked for judgment. Jonah was reluctant to go. He even needed a big fish to set him back on track. But when Jonah finally did arrive, he prophesied that Ninevah would be overthrown in just 40 days.
Unlike the Sodomites, who mocked the preaching of Lot, the Ninevahites heeded the message and repented. The result - instead of experiencing judgment the people were granted grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The once wicked city was spared.
"...by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil." (Proverbs 16:6)
3. IF IT PROVIDES INSPIRING HOPE FOR A PERSECUTED CHURCH.
Revelation was written during a time of intense Christian persecution by Jews and the Roman government. Satan did all he could in hopes to stop the Gospel message of salvation by faith in Christ alone, before it could reach the ends of the Earth. The prophetic images of future victory by Jesus and His elect that Revelation declared, showed the church that no matter how horrible life would become on this Earth, God would ultimately have the last word.
"The wicked will be turned into hell and all nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17)
PROPHECY STUDY CAN BE A BAD THING:
1. IF WE ALLOW FALSE HUMAN PREDICTIONS TO RUIN OUR FAITH IN THE BIBLE
God is perfect but Bible teachers are not. Some Bible teachers have brought reproach on the faith by making end-time predictions that do not come true. Wild predictions touch on sensational. "Wow, you mean the world will end THIS year!?" Sensationalism might grab the attention of some people but when nothing happens in retrospect the words will sound foolish.
Here is an example. In 2011 many Christians around the world believed Family Radio's dogmatic prediction that Jesus would definately return on May 21 of that year. Sober Christians used cautious optomism by still making plans for the future. Unfortunately other believers quit their jobs, stopped paying their bills, ran up large creditcard debt, and even cashed in their retirement savings so that they could tell the world that 2011 was going to be the big year. They were basically saying, "Since the world is going to end this soon then why worry about money and bills?"
When 2011 came and went with no Second Coming many of those people were left heartbroken and penniless. Some may have had their faith in the Bible ruined.
Family Radio paid a hefty price for this mistake. FR had to sell three of their top radio stations in Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington just to keep their ministry afloat. An important principle was violated:
"Blessed is that servant when his Lord comes finds in so doing." (Matthew 24:46)
We are to live and work as if the Second Coming of Christ weren't for another 1000 years. Yet we are always to be ready should it happen today.
A good book on the subject of false predictions and doomsday hype is Guesses and Goofs and Prophectic Failures - What to Think When the World Doesn't End by Jessica Tinklenberg de Vega.
2. IF IT CREATES DIVISION WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Too many Christians in recent years agrue too much about their views of the end. Some churches will make an end-time scenerio a condition of salvation. "You are not truly saved unless you believe as we do concerning the last days. Do you believe in the building of a third temple or a pre-tribulation rapture? Watch out your soul depends on it."
No end-time scenario is a test of salvation. This is just a ploy of the enemy to create fear, confusion, and division within the body of believers. The sad result will be that our soul-winning efforts will be hampered. I remember one speaker saying:
"The whole world is dying at our doorstep and we're arguing about whether or not the church is going to go through the tribulation."
3. IF IT OVERSHADOWS OUR DESIRE FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Let's ask ourselves an important question, what is more important - knowing Christ better and being slowly transformed into His image or opening a Bible just for the sake of reading about the end?
Chuck Swindoll once shared a story about a traveling Bible teacher who stopped at a local church to give a series of nightly sermons on the subject of the end-times. Every night the church was packed because everyone in that town wanted to know when the world was going to end. One night he informed the congregation that he was going to take a night off from prophecy teaching and instead preach about the basics of Christianity. The Lordship of Christ, the fruit of the spirit, and the like would be taught. He also told the people which night he would give that sermon. When that night came only half as many people showed up.
Prophecy study can be a fasinating subject but our desire for spiritual growth should never take a backseat to prophecy study.
4. IF WE ALLOW FALSE GOSPELS AND EXTRA BIBLICAL TEACHING TO CLOUD OUR UNDERSTANDING
Christians are not the only people who believe that our present world is heading for a coming apocalypse. The world's false gospels have their views too.
Jews believe that when their Messiah comes that he will rule the nations with a rod of iron. The problem is that they reject Jesus as being their Messiah.
Muslims believe that when Jesus comes back he will setup a worldwide Muslim kingdom.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a coming military clash at Armageddon. The battle will be followed by a new Paradise Earth.
Herbert Armstrong followers still believe that when Jesus comes back he will rule the world from the throne of England.
UFO cults believe that someday soon an armada of spaceships will beam them all aboard their crafts and take them to a distant planet of peace and love.
Those who follow the writings of the medieval seer Nostradamus believe in the coming of a third anti-christ who will plunge the world into another major war.
All I can say is that we are living in deceptive times. All of us are called upon to believe the Bible. God has given us His Word. That is enough. We need to allow God's Spirit to enlighten our understanding of what He has to say about the last days.