NATURE AND ORIGIN OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY

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1 B iblical prophecy from its beginnings has created in human beings wonder and irresistible attraction. Like no other part of the Scriptures it challenges the mind and opens a field of deep studies that rewards the student with rich knowledge and strong hope. In Prophecy Code you will study some of the most amazing prophecies of the Bible. Prophecies that show you with exact accuracy your time in history and what is yet to come. But, due to time and space limitations, this seminar will serve you as a spring board from where you can throw yourself into a lifetime study of hundreds of other prophecies contained in this marvellous book. This lesson is an introduction. With it we will establish principles that will guide your study for the rest of the seminar. We will set foundations that are absolutely necessary to understand the material you will encounter later. NATURE AND ORIGIN OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY Q1. What does the word prophecy mean in the Bible? Revelation 1:1, 3 (1174) The Biblical concept of prophecy is twofold. It firstly means predictions about future events. But it also refers to the complete spoken or written message of a prophet, in this case John. In this seminar we will concentrate on the prediction aspect of prophecy. Q2. What is a prophet and what role does he/she fulfil? a. Hebrews 1:1 (1147) b. Exodus 7: 1-2 (57) These two texts answer our question in a nutshell. The first tells us that prophets are people God uses to communicate with human beings. The second illustrates this point for us. Moses was afraid to go and speak to Pharaoh because he had speech impairment. God told him PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 1

2 that Aaron would be his prophet, this means that Aaron would speak to Pharaoh Moses messages. The original word for prophet in Hebrew and Greek means a spokesman. Some one who speaks in place of some one else: a mouthpiece. Q3. Where did the prophecies communicated by the prophets originate? a. 2Peter 1:19-21 (1166) b. 2Timothy 3:16 (1144) c. 2Samuel 23:1-2 (315) The Bible is a compilation of the writings of about 40 different prophets that lived in a period of about 1500 years. As you search the Scriptures you will never find one of these prophets claiming that the prophecies they communicated were their own invention. They unanimously claim that their messages came from God. They were simple mouthpieces through which God passed messages to other human beings. Thus, Peter says that prophecy never came by the will of men, or that it was not the fruit of their imagination. Paul tells us: all of the Scriptures (Bible) were given by God through inspiration. And Samuel gives as an example when David himself said that God s word was in his tongue. Q4. Does the Bible give an example of how this happens? Fill in the blank spaces to discover the answer Revelation 1: 1-2, 4 (1174) The Revelation which gave to show His servants things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His to His servant John, to the which are in Asia. Revelation 1:1-4 is the introduction to the letter John sent to the seven churches he mentions. However, he is clear PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 2

3 that the message he wrote came from the Godhead. And he gives us a clear description of how the prophecies he wrote came to him. Even though John does not mention it, we can conclude by what Peter told us (the prophets were moved along by the Holy Spirit to speak. 2Peter 2:21), that the Holy Spirit empowered John to communicate the message faithfully. Thus, the 7 Churches received the message God intended them to receive. This process is called INSPIRATION. It refers to the way God chooses humans, communicates with them, and empowers them to transmit the prophecies in their own language, with their own style but, above all things, in a trustworthy manner. Even though the prophet bears the message, nonetheless it is God s Word he is communicating. We can see then, that even though there are many prophets who wrote the Bible, behind them all there is the mastermind of God. Thus the message of the Bible is God s Word. HOW GOD COMMUNICATES WITH PROPHETS We have already seen the process of inspiration; however let us turn our attention to how it happens. Q5. What does the Bible say God would do before doing anything? Amos 3:7 (889) Many times in the Bible we find this verse illustrated. Whenever God was going to punish a city or group of people because of their wickedness, God would first reveal His secret to a prophet and send him with a message so that the people would know and have the opportunity to repent (see the book of Jonah). PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 3

4 Q.6 How did God communicate with prophets? a. Numbers 12:6 (137) b. Daniel 7:1 (864); 8:1-2 (866) It is clear that God communicated with the prophets through dreams and visions. It appears that dreams are different from visions in that they take place at night and when the prophet is asleep. Visions are given at anytime and the prophet is takes an active part of what is going on in the vision. In both cases the prophet communicates directly with angels who lead them and given them interpretation and assistance to understand what they are seeing. (see Daniel 7: 16; 8: 15-17; 12: 5-7; Revelation 19: 9-10; 22: 8-9) Q7. What were some of the physical reactions of a prophet while in vision? a. Numbers 24: 3-4 (151) b. Daniel 10:8-10; (868) c. Revelation 1: 17 (1174) When a prophet receives a vision he/she looses all human strength and falls as dead, then is supernaturally strengthened to continue on. It looks also like the prophet is in an unconscious state or a trance with the eyes wide open and not breathing (see also Ezekiel 1:28-2:2; Daniel 8: 17-18; Acts 10:9-10). PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE THE INTERPRETATION OF BIBLE PROPHECIES Q8. Why do we need to interpret prophecies? Revelation 1:1 (1174) Many of the prophecies contained in the Bible, specially those of Daniel and Revelation, have been encoded in PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 4

5 symbolical language. They were not intended to be taken literally. The symbols were given to convey meaning. Thus, the first task of a student is to find out the meaning of the symbols and then apply them to the particular prophecy. Q9. How are we to interpret the prophecies of the Bible? 4 a. 1Peter 2:20 (1166) b. Luke 24: (1024) Peter s words are a warning to students of Bible prophecy. We are to be careful not to interpret it according to our own opinion. Prophecy is not of private interpretation. Jesus tells us the secret of how He interpreted Bible prophecies. We are to interpret them by what the Bible says. See how He did it: In order to prove to the disciples that the prophecies of the Old Testament spoke of His death and resurrection He showed them in all the Scripture. That is what we are to do when studying the Bible, particularly prophecies. Let the Bible interpret itself! The keys to unlock all of the prophetic symbols of Daniel and Revelation are found in the Bible. Daniel and Revelation are companion books. In Daniel are given many of the secrets to unlock Revelation. On the other hand Revelation unlocks many of the mysteries of Daniel. As a matter of fact, the book of Revelation borrows phrases and imagery from most of the books of the Old Testament and also from the 4 Gospels. It provides a conclusion to all the books of the Bible. Q10. What do we need to keep in mind as we study the prophecies? 1. Let the Bible interpret itself. (Isaiah 8:20) PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 5

6 2. Find out whether prophecy is symbolical or not. 3. Decode symbols. 4. That which in the Old Testament is literal and local in the New Testament is Symbolical and Universal. (Hebrew 12: 18-24) 5. Jesus, the Gospel and God s Kingdom are the centre of all prophecies. (John 5: 39; Acts 8:31-35). 6. All prophecies predict real historical events. Daniel and Revelation predict events that cover the history of the world from the times of either Daniel or John to the end of the world and the establishment of God s kingdom. Q11. Is the book of Revelation a book no one can understand? Revelation 1: 1, 3 (1174) No! It is not. Revelation is an open book. The title itself manifests it. The first few words confirm it: the revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation means to unveil, to show. And, that is exactly what God intends. He sends the message to show His servants. God desires us to understand Revelation and has placed in it incentives for us to do it. Q12. What are the dangers of intentionally misinterpreting prophecies? a. 2Peter 2:1 (1166) b. Revelation 22:18-19 (1190) To intentionally interpret the prophecies of the Bible to suit our own opinion is a fatal error. Because doing so leads people astray God is very zealous in guarding what He has given. PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 6

7 ESSENTIAL ATTITUDES FOR THE STUDY OF PROPHECY Q13. What attitudes does the student of prophecy need to have in order to receive the benefits of the study? Revelation 1: 3 (1174) i. ii iii Blessed is an old word that means to be happy or joyful. That is God s promise to those who are willing to study and to pay heed to what the prophecy says and are also willing to treasure the teachings by an obedient attitude. Else where the Bible teaches us that we also need to approach the study with prayer (see Psalm 86: 11), with a humble disposition (Isaiah 57:15) and requesting God to give us wisdom (James 1:5). PURPOSE OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY Q14. Why did God give us prophecy? a. 2Peter 1:19 (1166) b. 1Thessalonians 5: 1-5 (1137) c. Revelation 1:1 (1174) The purpose of the prophetic messages is to help us see and understand the times in which we are living. They give us confidence that God is still in charge of the events of history. They also help us prepare for the time when Jesus will return in great glory. Even more they show God s love and care and move us to enter into a relationship with Him. Q15. What has God promised to those who are willing to practice the things they learn from their study? Revelation 22: 14(1190) PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 7

8 What an incentive! God has given us the knowledge of the prophecies and if we are willing to study them and obey what they say, then He promises that we will have eternal life and live in that city where He dwells. The invitation is yours, so it is the decision. What are you going to do with it? Q16. Is it your desire to dedicate time to study God s Word daily? PROPHECY CODE SEMINAR LESSON 2 PAGE 8