In the book of Revelation in the Bible, prophecies concerning the Kingdom of God and His Second Coming are detailed. Being the final book of the Bible, the prophecies are brought to a conclusion. The lives of believers serve as a continuation of the New Testament, the successive pages of the book of Acts. Just as God expected the Jews to spread His love, He now expects His believers to extend His love to all people. Thus, it is crucial for believers to align themselves with God to comprehend His plans well in advance. Whenever believers fall short in this aspect, it seems that the prophecies come to a halt.
Prophecy Defined
God, being well aware that in the future, people would struggle to comprehend the true nature of prophecies and would face difficulty in distinguishing between prophecies and fortune telling, took measures to clarify the concept of prophecy through His disciple Peter. He provided an explanation of what prophecy entails and how it would initially manifest to us.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)
For numerous followers, it seems that the prophecies persist, as they confuse fortune-telling with authentic prophecies. When individuals in the service of God disclose a person’s dire circumstances or predict and remedy a terminal illness, they are often misinterpreted as making prophecies. Even the servants of God, influenced by their human faculties, may forecast calamities, famine, or epidemics with assurance about their resolution.
It is crucial to recognize that, through Elijah, God did not predict the famine, yet it swiftly came to pass. Similarly, Elijah did not proclaim that the famine would end in three years. Although the miracles and prophecies of the prophet Elijah were tied to both catastrophe and the blessings of a family, they revealed the greater plan of God for the people. Today, many individuals are unable to connect their prophecies and miracles with the broader purpose of God, instead seeking only to attain the title of “Prophet.”
Purpose Of Prophecy
We learn from the Scripture that the prophets of God were alienated from the people and were always in the presence of God, listening to His instructions or warnings for the people. They were innocent and did not fully understand what God was speaking through them. Instead of seeking understanding, they relied on God and His faithfulness.
When Elijah announced the famine, he did not speculate about its end or concern himself with his own survival. He allowed God to speak through him, unaware of the potential repercussions. Similarly, when the prophet Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus, he did not question how a virgin could bear a child; he simply delivered the prophecy.
According to God, the prophecies concern His Kingdom and its fulfillment, rather than the prosperity and blessings of His people. When He created the world and all that is in it, He rested on the seventh day to bless everything, rendering prophecy unnecessary to inform us about His blessings.
Understanding The Prophecies
If we consider our understanding of the prophecies, it becomes clear that we have not fully grasped their meaning. Similarly, no one has comprehended the prophecies of God in their entirety, as each individual has interpreted them through the lens of their own limited perspective. The Jews anticipated the arrival of the Messiah as the embodiment of the familiar prophecies, yet they failed to recognize Jesus as their Messiah. This misinterpretation extended beyond the Jews to include Jesus’ own disciples, who were gripped by fear when they believed that Jesus had departed forever, failing to comprehend the significance of his earlier teachings.
I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.
John 13:19(NIV)
The nature of individuals was prophesied by God, who referred to them as non-believers, despite their self-identification as believers (Isaiah 48:2). It is imperative to understand that rather than labelling ourselves as the sons and daughters of our Father God or as servants of the Most High God, it is of utmost importance that God designates us as His children and servants, as evidenced by His testimony about Moses (Numbers 12:7). Similarly, God should declare us as innocent individuals, as Jesus testified about Nathaniel (Luke 1:47). Despite His knowledge of us, God desires to adopt us as His children.
For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron,
Isaiah 48:4-5(NIV)
your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, ‘My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’
It is evident that individuals who lack a deep understanding of God may ascribe to more familiar sources. Furthermore, in today’s world, some individuals exploit prophecies to advance their personal agendas and build their own reputations. Despite being informed in advance by God about His actions, people often attribute them to human authorities. The thoughts we entertain involve the exclusion of the Sovereign God from our consciousness.
When Jesus was crucified, despite His repeated warnings, many believed that it was the Roman Government that had crucified Him. It is only through constant communion and conversation with God that such misconceptions can be avoided.
The chief priests and our rulers handed him (Jesus) over to be sentenced to death, and they (Roman authorities) crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
Luke 24:20-21a (NIV)
However, God does not want to give His glory to anyone else and hence, He decides not to prophecy but to tell about new things and let it happen. Again, if we speculate these new things with our fortunes, it will be hard for us to understand and receive his new blessings. Regarding God’s provision, it will be provided by Him and there is no need for Him to tell us. For example, no one could have ever imagined the gadgets we have today during the 1980s and no one had prophesied it. But God provided it as per the need of the hour.
Prophecy in God’s perspective is not about His provision but about His governance and Kingdom. No one can prophecy what God is saying, because of our focus on this world and its need. God asks us to pray for the heavenly things to happen on this earth. There is no need for us to claim that we have heard prophecies or we know the plan of God in advance. Instead, we have to align our lives with the essence of the Living Word.
You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? “From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you. They are created now, and not long ago; you have not heard of them before today. So you cannot say, ‘Yes, I knew of them.’
Isaiah 48:6-7 (NIV)
Prophecies That Have Come to Pass
While the prophecies about His Judgment and His Second Coming are yet to be fulfilled, God may reveal more about His Kingdom if we learn to expect godly things from Him. The new thing God speaks about in the Old Testament is that He has sent His Son to us to give us eternal life and He gives us the faith to believe in Him so that we will become a new creature with God calling Him, our Heavenly Father. What else could one expect? Is it not a new thing that God has given us, that He is once again rejuvenating us in His image?
Let us refrain from indulging in speculation about our destinies based on prophecies. Instead, let us find reassurance in His guidance and strive to comprehend the true significance of the prophecies. We must align our thoughts with those of God to comprehend His plans well in advance.
By setting aside trivial matters, let us seek to understand the prophecies concerning His judgment and eagerly anticipate that day, placing our trust in Jesus, who is the way to our eternal life.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
The prophecies continue unabated, yet it is imperative for the believers to interpret His prophecies with the utmost reverence and understanding.
The Jordan Valley 
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