Why Study Prophecy?
At a recent presentation of my workshop entitled, “The 7 Things You Have To Know To Understand End Times Prophecy” this question came up and it’s a good one. If we believe the Rapture will take us away before all the End Times events occur, then why do we need to study prophecy…
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
At a recent presentation of my workshop entitled, “The 7 Things You Have To Know To Understand End Times Prophecy” this question came up and it’s a good one. If we believe the Rapture will take us away before all the End Times events occur, then why do we need to study prophecy?
There are several good answers to this question. One of the plainest comes from the Olivet Discourse, specifically Matthew 24:15-16. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel–let the reader understand– then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Even though we believe the Lord was speaking primarily to Israel here, the passage is in the New Testament and He’s clearly commanding all who will read Matthew’s gospel to understand Daniel 9:24-27, a prophecy given to Israel, and likely the key to understanding all End Times prophecy.
Another plain reason is that Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians are chock full of End Times prophecy. Every chapter of both letters contains a reference to the 2nd Coming for an average of one every 13 verses. And this even though it’s pretty clear that Paul taught them and us to expect the rapture before the antichrist is revealed. If the Bible is really the inspired Word of God, why did He have Paul describe events on Earth after the rapture if He didn’t think we needed to know them?
And then there’s the Book of Revelation. John shows the Rapture occurring in chapter 4 but then goes on for another 15 chapters, mostly describing conditions on Earth, before re-introducing the Church in Rev. 19. Same question. Why describe events on Earth after the rapture if He didn’t think we needed to know them?
Some say it’s so those left behind at the Rapture can read Revelation and the Thessalonian letters and find out what’s going on to help them endure the End Times. That may be OK for the middle of Revelation, but John’s book begins and ends with the Church in view, and the Thessalonian letters were written specifically to the Church. For some reason, we’re supposed to know how End Times events unfold.
And Here’s The Best One
And that leads me to what I think is the biggest reason. For that we’ll go first to Isaiah 44:6-8. This is what the LORD says- Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: “I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Here is the two-part test for anyone who would be God. Part one: Accurately recall every event of the past. Part two: Accurately predict every event of the future. Of all the so-called holy writings, only the Bible contains a challenge like this. Other “gods” require that you take them at face value, offering neither evidence of their existence, nor proof of their trustworthiness. But ours says, “I’ll prove that I’m real and that you can trust me.” He tells us our past (sometimes as personally as Jesus did with the woman at the well) and gives us detail about the future that only someone who has already seen it can. “I make known the end from the beginning,” He proclaims, “From ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:10) It’s the way He authenticates Himself to us.
This is so we need never be in the position of having zeal without knowledge, (Prov. 19:2) believing passionately but unable to defend our position. When we share the Gospel with someone, and they respond with, “That’s just something you believe,” it’s good to be able to justify our beliefs with a summary of God’s 4000-year track record for truth-telling (the Old Testament) and to explain that someone who’s been that truthful about the past is likely to also be truthful about the future (the New Testament).
A Personal Testimony
Nearly 20 years ago, as I was first coming to the Lord, two important but unrelated pieces of information came to my knowledge at about the same time. The first was from Earl Nightingale, one of the most influential motivational speakers of all time. We were talking at dinner one evening about the wisdom of man when he said, “Research shows that the average person knows so little about anything that if you were to devote just one hour each day to the study of any subject of interest, within 5 years you would be one of the world’s leading experts on that subject.”
The other piece of information came in the form of 3 cassette tapes recorded by Chuck Missler, a noted bible teacher who would also become a friend. It was a series on Bible Prophecy, a compilation of studies done over the years by various researchers. Its purpose was to show that no matter what set of standards you apply, statistical analysis, rules of evidence, forensic science or whatever, the fact is that no one could predict the future with the 100% accuracy God demonstrates in His Word unless he could look ahead through time and see the end from the beginning, an ability God claims for Himself alone.
I decided to apply the action step from the first piece of information to the subject matter of the second and over the next several years spent hours each day learning all I could about Bible Prophecy. In addition to the Bible, I read every view by nearly every respected scholar before forming my own opinion. (So you’ll know, I concluded that although for reasons of His own God has not divulged every last detail of His plan for the End of the Age, the pre-trib, pre-millennial view is the one most consistent with a strict literal, historical, grammatical interpretation of Scripture.)
If What You Believe Doesn’t Result In Action …
Now I won’t claim to be a leading expert (I’m more a legend in my own mind) but as I studied, the logic of God’s claim from Isaiah 44:6-8 became indisputable. The history of Israel is replete with events first predicted and then performed with faultless accuracy. And when it came to the Messiah, over 300 specific prophecies, given over a span of several thousand years, were fulfilled in detail within one generation, the one in which He lived. I became convinced that through the study of prophecy He can prove His existence to any reasonable person beyond a shadow of doubt.
No rush of emotion for me, no gushing of tears as I stumbled blindly down the sawdust trail while a choir sang “Just as I am,” but a dead certainty that God has to be Who He says He is, and the Bible has to be His inerrant Word. It drove me every bit as humbly to the foot of the cross and yet it gave me a staying power that’s often missing in more emotional conversions. Plus, I now know what I believe and why I believe it and can explain it clearly to anyone who cares to listen. In fact I’ve been doing so for the last 20 years.
Can you say the same? If not, try a little study in prophecy. I bet it’ll galvanize you into action just as it did me, especially as you begin to understand just how little time is left. So if you’re already sure you know Who God is, there’s another great reason to study prophecy. Not so you’ll have a leg up on the world, or be better informed, but so you’ll feel the urgency to get the word out while there’s still time. “People get ready, Jesus is coming, soon we’ll be going home!” Hallelujah! If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 10-31-04
PS. If you’d like to have me present “The 7 Things You Have To Know To Understand End Times Prophecy” to your church or study group, or if you’d like a CD or mp3 recording of the presentation just Email me at
jack@gracethrufaith.com for further information.
