Post by Tom Green on Jan 28, 2007 11:34:36 GMT -5
What is Bible prophecy?
Christians believe that a Bible prophecy is a God-given revelation
of the future. God gave His prophets, including Moses, Ezekiel,
Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophecies of the future. He did this to
prepare people for the future, and to show that He is the one true
God and that He is all-powerful.
A prophecy is not a prediction of the future - it is a promise about
the future. God gave promises to His prophets. He told them, for
example, that the Jews would be forced out of Israel, scattered
worldwide, persecuted worldwide, and that they would eventually
return to Israel. All of these promises have been fulfilled.
There are different kinds of prophecies. Some prophecies are about a
Messiah, which means "anointed one" or "chosen one." These are
called "Messianic" prophecies. Christians believe that Jesus is the
fulfillment of these prophecies. There also are "end time"
prophecies. These prophecies refer to a time of war, famine and
pestilence, after which a Messiah will reign over the world with
justice and righteousness. Christians believe that this Messiah is
also Jesus, who will return in the future.
The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies. Some were fulfilled more
than 3000 years ago. Others have been fulfilled since then. And, by
our count, more than 50 have found fulfillment or partial
fulfillment during the past 200 years. Many Bible prophecies have
found fulfillment more than once, such as the prophecies that the
Jews would have Israel as their own country. (The Jews had
sovereignty over the land of Israel about 3400 years ago up until
about 2700 years ago, and again in 1948).
Based on our own personal studies, it appears that the majority of
Bible prophecies have these characteristics in common:
1. Bible prophecies involve specific places
Bible prophecies often involve specific places. And usually that
place is all or part of the Jewish homeland. Many prophecies refer
specifically to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Judah is the southern
part of the Jewish homeland. Jerusalem is Israel's most important
city. It was established as the Jewish capital by King David about
3000 years ago. When prophecies involve other nations, such as Tyre,
Babylon, Nineveh or Edom, it is because those nations had sought the
destruction of the Jewish homeland, or the Jews, or both.
2. Bible prophecies involve specific people
Bible prophecies almost always involve a specific person or persons.
And they usually involve the Jewish people as a group, or a Jewish
person as an individual, such as a king or a Messiah. Sometimes a
Bible prophecy will involve someone who is not Jewish, such as a
king who will attack Israel (example: Nebuchadnezzar) or a king who
will help the Jewish people (example: Cyrus). Nebuchadnezzar and
Cyrus lived about 2600 years ago.
3. Bible prophets are Jewish
God chose to reveal His words to one group of people - the Jews.
This has helped to ensure that we have one source of information for
God's teachings. And, because Israel is literally in the "middle" of
the world, near the convergence of the three continents of Asia,
Africa and Europe, the Jews have been in a unique geographical
position to influence the world with the monotheistic teachings of
about one true God. The Bible, in Exodus 19:6, said the Jews were to
be a "nation of priests." The Jews were to teach the rest of the
world about God. And, during the past 2000 years, the Jews have
accomplished this remarkable feat. Through the influence of the
Hebrew scriptures, about half of the world's people have abandoned
their pagan religions and now worship a monotheistic God.
4. Bible prophecies were usually delivered in Israel
Bible prophecies usually were delivered in the Jewish homeland of
Israel or Judah. (About 2900 years ago, Israel split into two Jewish
kingdoms called Judah and Israel. Today, the Jewish nation is united
again and is called Israel). However, there are exceptions: Some
prophecies, for example, were delivered in Babylon when the Jewish
homeland had been destroyed about 2600 years ago and many Jews were
taken as captives to Babylon.
5. Bible prophecies explain why a particular event is going to happen
Bible prophecies often include an explanation as to why a particular
event is going to happen. In Micah 3:11-12, for example, the prophet
Micah said about 2700 years ago that Jerusalem would be destroyed
and "plowed like a field" because its leaders had turned away from
God. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem a century later. In the
year 135, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and literally plowed part
of the city.
Christians believe that a Bible prophecy is a God-given revelation
of the future. God gave His prophets, including Moses, Ezekiel,
Isaiah and Jeremiah, prophecies of the future. He did this to
prepare people for the future, and to show that He is the one true
God and that He is all-powerful.
A prophecy is not a prediction of the future - it is a promise about
the future. God gave promises to His prophets. He told them, for
example, that the Jews would be forced out of Israel, scattered
worldwide, persecuted worldwide, and that they would eventually
return to Israel. All of these promises have been fulfilled.
There are different kinds of prophecies. Some prophecies are about a
Messiah, which means "anointed one" or "chosen one." These are
called "Messianic" prophecies. Christians believe that Jesus is the
fulfillment of these prophecies. There also are "end time"
prophecies. These prophecies refer to a time of war, famine and
pestilence, after which a Messiah will reign over the world with
justice and righteousness. Christians believe that this Messiah is
also Jesus, who will return in the future.
The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies. Some were fulfilled more
than 3000 years ago. Others have been fulfilled since then. And, by
our count, more than 50 have found fulfillment or partial
fulfillment during the past 200 years. Many Bible prophecies have
found fulfillment more than once, such as the prophecies that the
Jews would have Israel as their own country. (The Jews had
sovereignty over the land of Israel about 3400 years ago up until
about 2700 years ago, and again in 1948).
Based on our own personal studies, it appears that the majority of
Bible prophecies have these characteristics in common:
1. Bible prophecies involve specific places
Bible prophecies often involve specific places. And usually that
place is all or part of the Jewish homeland. Many prophecies refer
specifically to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. Judah is the southern
part of the Jewish homeland. Jerusalem is Israel's most important
city. It was established as the Jewish capital by King David about
3000 years ago. When prophecies involve other nations, such as Tyre,
Babylon, Nineveh or Edom, it is because those nations had sought the
destruction of the Jewish homeland, or the Jews, or both.
2. Bible prophecies involve specific people
Bible prophecies almost always involve a specific person or persons.
And they usually involve the Jewish people as a group, or a Jewish
person as an individual, such as a king or a Messiah. Sometimes a
Bible prophecy will involve someone who is not Jewish, such as a
king who will attack Israel (example: Nebuchadnezzar) or a king who
will help the Jewish people (example: Cyrus). Nebuchadnezzar and
Cyrus lived about 2600 years ago.
3. Bible prophets are Jewish
God chose to reveal His words to one group of people - the Jews.
This has helped to ensure that we have one source of information for
God's teachings. And, because Israel is literally in the "middle" of
the world, near the convergence of the three continents of Asia,
Africa and Europe, the Jews have been in a unique geographical
position to influence the world with the monotheistic teachings of
about one true God. The Bible, in Exodus 19:6, said the Jews were to
be a "nation of priests." The Jews were to teach the rest of the
world about God. And, during the past 2000 years, the Jews have
accomplished this remarkable feat. Through the influence of the
Hebrew scriptures, about half of the world's people have abandoned
their pagan religions and now worship a monotheistic God.
4. Bible prophecies were usually delivered in Israel
Bible prophecies usually were delivered in the Jewish homeland of
Israel or Judah. (About 2900 years ago, Israel split into two Jewish
kingdoms called Judah and Israel. Today, the Jewish nation is united
again and is called Israel). However, there are exceptions: Some
prophecies, for example, were delivered in Babylon when the Jewish
homeland had been destroyed about 2600 years ago and many Jews were
taken as captives to Babylon.
5. Bible prophecies explain why a particular event is going to happen
Bible prophecies often include an explanation as to why a particular
event is going to happen. In Micah 3:11-12, for example, the prophet
Micah said about 2700 years ago that Jerusalem would be destroyed
and "plowed like a field" because its leaders had turned away from
God. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem a century later. In the
year 135, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and literally plowed part
of the city.