Prophecy
Prophecy
The Importance of Prophecy
Prophecy can be described as God's declaration of future events. While we often focus on Daniel and Revelation as the primary sources of prophecy in the Bible, in reality, prophecy is woven throughout the Scriptures. Let's consider a few examples:
When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them, but He also declared the following prophecy:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
When God revealed His plans to Abraham, notice what was said:
"That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." (Genesis 22:17)
From predictions of the coming Savior to conflicts that would occur at the end of the world, we must understand that prophecy is an integral part of God's holy Word and how He communicates with His people.
Ellen White recognized the importance of prophecy when she said, "Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] GW 148
As Seventh-day Adventists, we often find ourselves engrossed in the symbols and signs found in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It's tempting to focus on Dragons, Horns, Heads, and Beasts, but as God's end-time church, we must keep in mind that our primary focus should always be on the Savior. I say this because I, too, have spent countless hours studying these symbols. Yet, I've come to realize that without Christ, prophecy is merely information. Even if we have perfect knowledge of the future, it holds no value if we do not have a relationship with the Savior. Therefore, we must remember that prophecy serves to affirm the authenticity and trustworthiness of God's Word, and to lead unbelievers to faith. Prophecy is about The Christ, not the crisis.
Prophecy can be described as God's declaration of future events. While we often focus on Daniel and Revelation as the primary sources of prophecy in the Bible, in reality, prophecy is woven throughout the Scriptures. Let's consider a few examples:
When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them, but He also declared the following prophecy:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
When God revealed His plans to Abraham, notice what was said:
"That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." (Genesis 22:17)
From predictions of the coming Savior to conflicts that would occur at the end of the world, we must understand that prophecy is an integral part of God's holy Word and how He communicates with His people.
Ellen White understood the importance of prophecy when she said, "Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] GW 148
As Seventh-day Adventists, we have a tendency to get caught up in the symbols and signs within the books of Daniel and Revelation. It is easy for us to focus on Dragons, Horns, Heads, and Beasts; But as God's end-time church, we must bear in mind that our primary focus should be on the Savior. Please understand, the reason I'm saying this is because oftentimes I find myself studying these same symbols for hours at a time. And when that happens, I have to remind myself that prophecy without Christ is simply information. Even if we know exactly what will happen in the future, what does it matter if we end up burning in hell with the rest of the sinners? This is why, we must remind ourselves that prophecy is not given so that we can sound intelligent; prophecy is given so that we know that God's Word is authentic and can be trusted. Prophecy is given so that unbelievers become believers. Prophecy is not about the crisis, it's about The Christ.
Prophecy can be described as God's declaration of future events. While we often focus on Daniel and Revelation as the primary sources of prophecy in the Bible, in reality, prophecy is woven throughout the Scriptures. Let's consider a few examples:
When Adam and Eve sinned, God punished them, but He also declared the following prophecy:
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
When God revealed His plans to Abraham, notice what was said:
"That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies." (Genesis 22:17)
From predictions of the coming Savior to conflicts that would occur at the end of the world, we must understand that prophecy is an integral part of God's holy Word and how He communicates with His people.
Ellen White recognized the importance of prophecy when she said, "Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” [John 1:29.] GW 148
As Seventh-day Adventists, we often find ourselves engrossed in the symbols and signs found in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It's tempting to focus on Dragons, Horns, Heads, and Beasts, but as God's end-time church, we must keep in mind that our primary focus should always be on the Savior. I say this because I, too, have spent countless hours studying these symbols. Yet, I've come to realize that without Christ, prophecy is merely information. Even if we have perfect knowledge of the future, it holds no value if we do not have a relationship with the Savior. Therefore, we must remember that prophecy serves to affirm the authenticity and trustworthiness of God's Word, and to lead unbelievers to faith. Prophecy is about The Christ, not the crisis.
