History Reveals Prophecy
History reveals the fulfillment of prophecy.
John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.
The point of prophecy is to increase watching and praying...to move the position of the believer closer to the Lord. A wrong application of prophecy is to nail down an opinion of HOW prophecy will be fulfilled and then watch for that thing. Approaching prophecy this way disconnects a person from a growing conversation with the One who gave the word in the first place. This happens at every level of prophecy from a personal word to the most stark and intense Biblical promises, like the Messiah being born to a virgin.
All prophecy is an invitation to respond to the giver of His word. The virgin birth happened, but how it touched individual lives was determined by how people responded to the prophecy and a willingness to believe it when the prophecy became history.
Right now, many are missing an opportunity to have the prophetic unfolding of the book of Revelation work out well for them because they have decided how it will happen and have mostly disengaged from the conversation with the Author of Revelation about His intriguing foretelling of the future. It is designed to be intriguing, or conversation provoking.
Many will argue and discuss how prophecy is unfolding amongst themselves, while missing the opportunity to grow in humility and softness of heart by letting the Giver of the Word intrigue and adjust the heart daily to conform to the Word. Prophecy isn't primarily designed to tell us when or how the future will happen, but rather to build faith and relationship...to make us READY for the future to happen. Vision puts on restraint, when it is real vision.
If prophecy results in disconnecting from growing in humility and a softness as I am adjusted to get ready for the fulfillment of the prophecy, the power of the prophecy to make me ready is lost. The events will happen, and HISTORY will make them clear, but the rewards are gained or lost in how I stay in the humility of the conversation...seeing dimly, learning love, believing it is unfolding even when it's hard to see.
He isn't delaying, but He's also coming in a way that requires faith to see, and humility to be corrected over time.
Matthew 24:44“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47“Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49“and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51“and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The lesson we learn from Jonah isn't that prophecy doesn't work, it is that determining how God will fulfill His word in advance leads to offense and sin.
Jonah 4:1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” 4Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
All prophecy is an invitation to respond to the giver of His word. The virgin birth happened, but how it touched individual lives was determined by how people responded to the prophecy and a willingness to believe it when the prophecy became history.
Right now, many are missing an opportunity to have the prophetic unfolding of the book of Revelation work out well for them because they have decided how it will happen and have mostly disengaged from the conversation with the Author of Revelation about His intriguing foretelling of the future. It is designed to be intriguing, or conversation provoking.
Many will argue and discuss how prophecy is unfolding amongst themselves, while missing the opportunity to grow in humility and softness of heart by letting the Giver of the Word intrigue and adjust the heart daily to conform to the Word. Prophecy isn't primarily designed to tell us when or how the future will happen, but rather to build faith and relationship...to make us READY for the future to happen. Vision puts on restraint, when it is real vision.
If prophecy results in disconnecting from growing in humility and a softness as I am adjusted to get ready for the fulfillment of the prophecy, the power of the prophecy to make me ready is lost. The events will happen, and HISTORY will make them clear, but the rewards are gained or lost in how I stay in the humility of the conversation...seeing dimly, learning love, believing it is unfolding even when it's hard to see.
He isn't delaying, but He's also coming in a way that requires faith to see, and humility to be corrected over time.
Matthew 24:44“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47“Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. 48“But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ 49“and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, 50“the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, 51“and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The lesson we learn from Jonah isn't that prophecy doesn't work, it is that determining how God will fulfill His word in advance leads to offense and sin.
Jonah 4:1But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2So he prayed to the LORD, and said, “Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” 4Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
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