The Importance & Role of Prophecy

What most people ask about are current events in light of prophecy, but I want to focus on something a little different. I want to ask two questions:

1)     Are you interested in prophecy as a Bible subject?

2)     Are you intimidated by prophecy?

You don’t have to answer out loud. The important thing is that we are being honest with ourselves. The only answer we don't want is an untruthful one. Are we interested in prophecy, and are we intimidated by prophecy?

I have heard some say, “I’m just not interested in prophecy.” This is a rather serious problem, and I say this not because I think our understanding of the exact order of latter-day events is essential to salvation, but I say this because it’s misunderstanding the subject of prophecy as a whole. It’s viewing “prophecy” contrary to how God wants us to view it.

That being said, if someone is disinterested in prophecy, there is typically a reason why. We are talking about the revelation of the very future itself, so why would someone not be interested in this?

Prophecy is a subject that I love it because it’s faith strengthening, but also because it shows the intricate nature of God’s plan and how the grand end is going to be achieved from our present day. When we understand how something works, we have greater appreciation and attachment to it. That is why I love prophecy. It produces that strong, real faith and confidence in God’s plan.

My one reserve with the subject actually has nothing to do with prophecy itself, but rather how it is often treated by some – and I believe this is largely why many decide that they’d rather not fool with it.

Why Some Avoid Prophecy

Perhaps more than any other Bible subject, discussions about prophecy can tend to become divisive and combative very quickly, and it’s sometimes treated as its own special subject that must be studied differently than other Bible subjects. I don’t think this is a widespread issue, but it sounds out from some influential places. Lately, there’s been discussion about different views and why one is “obviously” the best, and claims are made in resolute terms – “This IS the right way to understand it, and everyone who thinks otherwise is wrong.” One class even said that the identification of latter-day players is essential to “securing our hope” – giving this the importance of first principles. I hope that is not what was meant, but it is what was said.

There is certainly one correct interpretation to a prophecy. We can’t interpret prophecies any way we like because they do not belong to us. They are God’s prophecies. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:20 that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”, meaning that we cannot say, “I see it this way and you see it that way, and we both are right.” God gave His prophecies with specific intent in mind, and it is our duty and privilege to seek that meaning out, whatever it may be.

Yet I feel that we are often going beyond our limits in stating some things in such dogmatic, sometimes almost belittling terms, and it made me think of something Bro. John Peake once said in an address on prophecy, and my entire class can be summed in his words. Rather than quote him, I’ve trimmed a short excerpt from his talk so you can hear him for yourself. In my view, he puts “prophecy” as a subject in its proper place. Pay close attention to what he says at the beginning about why we should all be interested in it.

You may listen to the clip below (recommended), or you may read the transcription below that.

“Prophecy is something, of course, that should interest all of us. Actually, our hope – the hope of Israel – is prophetic. The promises are prophecies, and they are the foundation stone of our hope. Prophecy was given to us for a purpose. It was given to us so that we might be forewarned of things to come and encouraged at times when we become discouraged, particularly as things seem to go on and on and nothing of great significance happens…

“It’s an unfortunate thing that throughout the decades that the Christadelphian body has been in existence, the interpretation of prophecy has been sort of a hobby among brethren, and brethren have taken this very seriously. In fact, it has the tendency to become a very personal thing. It can have the tendency to be the cause of serious argumentation and strife. In other words, it becomes ‘my theory’ of what’s going to happen against ‘your theory’, and even friendships in the Truth have been dissolved as a result of such disagreement.

“Well this is foolish – utterly foolish. It’s a misuse of this great gift of prophecy that God gave us in His Word, and it puts the emphasis in exactly the wrong place. Instead of being for encouragement, it becomes a source of strife.

“People have said that, ‘Prophecy is always fulfilled, but never in the way we think it’s going to be fulfilled,’ and this is a true statement. The prophetic word was not given to us to make us appear wiser than others. It is not given to us as the means of the expression of our own intelligence or egos, because in one way or another, everyone who attempts to expound prophecy is going to be wrong. I have been wrong myself, and I freely admit it. Some of the things I tell you tonight I expect to be wrong. Not that I would willfully deceive you, but after all – I’m only a very fallible human being. So I don’t take my interpretations of prophecy very seriously. All I can do is say, ‘As far as I can see, this is the way it looks to me.’ Therefore, it has no more importance than that, and don’t any one of you go home and say, ‘Brother Peake says such and such is going to happen in a certain way or at a certain time,’ because I don’t say that. I only say that, ‘So far as I can tell, this seems a possible, or even a probable, happening.’”

The Importance of Our Speech

I can think of no better way to say it. I’ve always admired Bro. Peake for his temperance and moderation. I’ve also admired his cognizance of the severe limitations of our mortal frame, and the tendency of the flesh to assert itself even in discussions centered around the Scriptures. It’s ironic that our conversations about Biblical things can be carried out in such fleshly ways, but that is our nature.

This made a significant impression on me when I first heard it, and I believe it is the only right position that we can take. Not only does it ensure that our discussions around prophecy serve the purpose that God intended (which is to strengthen and encourage one another), but it’s truly the only reasonable approach we can take given our current situation and state. For some reason, we attach so much of our pride and reputation on how “well” we understand prophecy, and this is missing the point.

Particularly with unfulfilled prophecy, we need to ensure that we are speaking only with the amount of certainty we can reasonably have about a subject. If we say that “such and such is going to happen exactly as I say when I say it will happen,” we not only repeat the mistakes of many before us, but we are putting too much reliance on our own abilities, and we run a great risk of misleading others.

The approach Bro. Peake shared prevents what I call the “boy-cried-wolf effect”. If we are dogmatic of how and when things will happen and it doesn’t go that way – this only needs to happen once or twice before people stop listening to what we have to say, and what we intended to be educational and encouraging to others suddenly has the opposite effect of discouraging them. As has unfortunately happened before, some abandon attention to prophecy entirely.

Think of it – those who speak on prophecy a lot do so because they likely spend more time on it than others. We tend to put those people on a pedestal as “the prophecy person”. But if they end up being wrong when they seemed so sure of themselves, then what affect does that have on the rest of us? The natural thought is, “That person knows more than I do about the subject, and if they can’t figure it out, how am I supposed to figure it out?” We often underestimate the impact we can have on others.

Not only this, but the harder we proclaim a certain thing, the more difficult it is to admit that we were wrong should things prove otherwise. It is easy to make bold statements, and it is even easier to write them – but their effect on those who hear us can be tremendous. Before we take a strong, fierce stance, let us ask ourselves whether we are so confident in our view that we are willing to base our salvation upon it. Are we that sure of our understanding of it? We do well to pause and consider our words before we speak them. It brings to mind two verses from Proverbs which tells us of the power of our words:

Proverbs 12:18 (YLT) – A rash speaker is like piercings of a sword, And the tongue of the wise is healing.

Proverbs 21:23 – Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

This brings us to the importance of how we view, talk about, and study prophecy both individually and collectively as a body. We need to ensure that we are not accidentally (or intentionally) discouraging others from studying prophecy on their own, because it is a critical subject.

Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish…

The Problems of Our Day

As I mentioned, there’s been discussion about which interpretation of latter-day prophecy is correct, and many conclusions are shared in a dogmatic, concrete way – that “this is right, and everything else is completely unscriptural.”

Now, there are certainly some outlandish views which are not rooted in the Scriptures, but there are many which have their foundation in the Bible, but veer off as they begin to build upon it. What I mean is that we need to be careful when we label someone’s views as “unscriptural”, because many of the things which lead to various interpretations are all rooted in the Bible. The different views often come up when use different passages for our foundation to build upon, and that is part of the problem. Oftentimes, the entirety of Scripture is not considered, or as I think happens more frequently, is given equal weight.

I believe it’s in that same address on prophecy that Bro. Peake later says (quoting from memory), “Prophecy is throughout the entire Bible from beginning to end, and if we hope to get even remotely close to a correct understanding of latter-day prophecy, all aspects must be considered and fit together.” We cannot ignore or give half-hearted attention to certain passages which present problems with our view, and this is often done.

If something is true, it can withstand any scrutiny and answer any questions posed against it. If there are no good answers to the questions, then this likely means that there is a problem with our view. Something doesn’t fit, and that means we need to go back to the drawing board – not necessarily to start over completely (though that sometimes is the case), but to find what piece doesn’t fit. I’ve done this many times and may do it again.

Many of you know me and some of my thoughts on prophecy, and they vary in some ways from what is rightly often termed “the traditional view” held by brethren from nearly 200 years ago. Over the years, I’ve heard classes and talks which “nail down” the issue and show “in the clearest of terms” that views like mine “unscriptural” and “obviously wrong”, and I’m always intrigued when someone brings these to my attention, because I think, “Finally, someone has got it all correct and can perfect my understanding.” I’ll listen to them, but I’m always disappointed and underwhelmed because the strength of most of the arguments typically lies not in the argument itself, but in the confident, assertive way in which it’s said. I find holes in many of the arguments, but since these are given in a one-way-communication style, there’s no opportunity to ask questions about them. This is worrisome, because some things flatly misrepresent what a passage says. I’ll cite two examples, both of which come from influential platforms, and I ask that you look into each of them yourself.

An Example from Obadiah

One speaker cited a portion of Obadiah 1:18, the part which says, “there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau”. The speaker stated that this was fulfilled in AD70 by the Romans during the same time that they besieged Jerusalem, and the Romans destroyed all of the Edomites. The speaker declared that this prophecy has been completely fulfilled, and therefore those of the house of Esau have no part in latter-day prophecy. But if we read the whole verse, we find the Spirit saying a very different thing:

Obadiah 1:18 – And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

While the speaker said that the Romans were the cause for Esau’s demise, the verse says that it is the house of Jacob and of Joseph. This is Israel, and Israel has never done this. If the events of a prophecy have not taken place yet, it must be fulfilled in the future. This indicates that the house of Esau must still play a role in latter-day events and that this prophecy is not yet fulfilled.

In support of this is the rest of the chapter. The verses following verse 18 describe the aftermath of Esau’s demise and depict something else that has not yet happened:

Obadiah 1:19-21 – And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.  (20)  And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.  (21)  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

This is the inheriting and possessing of the land as promised to Abraham, and we see that the destruction of Esau results in the kingdom being “the LORD’S”. In that class, however, these verses were not even mentioned by the speaker, but anyone who only listened and trusted the speaker likely thought that the matter is settled. There are other examples of this, some from recent weeks.

An Example from Psalm 83

Many make bold statements saying that Psalm 83 has no place in latter-day prophecy, and that is good and fine if that is what the Scriptures teach. But the most popular argument in support of this is that this is a parallel passage or a “commemoration” of 2 Chronicles 20. In those days, Edom, Ammon, and Moab came against Judah in a way that is similar to how Psalm 83 describes the attack, and God destroyed them. Psalm 83, they conclude, is just a commemorative Psalm to celebrate the victory.

There are a number of serious issues with this, but the most basic of them is readily apparent if one simply reads the passages. Here’s a list of the enemies who came against Judah in 2 Chronicles 20, and here are the nations which Psalm 83 says will come against them: 

2 Chronicles 20	Psalm 83
Ammon - vs. 1, 10	Edom - vs. 6
Moab - vs. 1, 10	Moab - vs. 6
Mount Seir (Edom) - vs. 1, 10	Ishmaelites - vs. 6
	Hagarenes - vs. 6
	Gebal - vs. 7
	Ammon - vs. 7
	Amalek - vs. 7
	Philistines - vs. 7
	Tyre - vs. 7
	Assur - vs. 8

2 Chronicles 20 is missing seven out of the ten enemies that are supposed to have come against Israel. 70% of the players are missing. Do these talking seem to be referring to the same event? If it is, then the Spirit is following man’s method of recording history. It is common to find nations embellishing their victories. They say that they defeated 10,000 people when it was only 4,000. That is what is happening here if this is a commemorative Psalm – it is misrepresenting what happened. The Spirit does not do this.

This is a glaring and very basic difference, but it is typically not even acknowledged by speakers. Again, had the listeners themselves not looked into it, they would be none the wiser. This is why it’s important to be able to discuss and share ideas with one another. It not only helps find inconsistencies within our own view, but it helps hold one another accountable to be good Bible students. “Iron sharpeneth iron,; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). All of this is to say that we need to be able to discuss our views with one another in a clear, Christ-like way, and we need to ensure that what we teach others is sound as much as we can possibly ensure.

Prophecy & Ourselves

I want to change direction and look inwardly. There are many absolutes in Scripture like first principles, and these must be believed because God says they are the essential doctrines for salvation. But regarding prophecy, specifically that which has yet to be fulfilled, is it okay to admit, “I don’t know what this passage is talking about”? Is it okay to think, “I grew up believing that such and such was the case and have even taught that to others, but having looked at it more closely on my own, I’m not sure that this is the correct view”?

If we answer no, then we run into issues. If it is wrong to test an interpretation through questioning it, then the truth itself would not have been uncovered by the pioneer brethren. Particularly if it is Scriptural evidence that causes us to question our views, we not only SHOULD investigate it, but we have a responsibility to. If the Bible is truly our ultimate guide – and we must be diligent that it is – then there are only two results that come from questioning an interpretation:

1.     Our questions will be answered and our doubts settled, or

2.     We will discover a better interpretation.

When think of it this way, there is only profit in studying a matter. In concept, I believe every Christadelphian agrees that our beliefs should be rooted resolutely in Scripture and be able to stand up to any criticism, but, as with anything, the fleshly element makes it difficult. We are prideful beings, and it’s easy for us to take a position of refusal and say, “I don’t need to consider views on prophecy which challenge my own views – I already have the truth.” But this is often just a dressed-up way of saying, “I’m fearful that they might have a point – and then what?”

Really think about it. Has anyone ever shared an article or class with you that challenged something you believe? If so, you were likely not eager to watch it. But why? Again – if what we believe is really true, we should be able to see the holes in the reasoning presented. But if they have a point, we will see the holes in our own positions. We do not like feeling vulnerable, and we do not like being wrong. But we must always be asking ourselves – What is it that I am after? Do I want validation for my personal convictions, or do I want to understand the truth of what God has revealed to us? Regardless of the subject, it’d a wise practice to pause for a moment before we even open our Bibles to ask ourselves this question.

We all seek truth, and that means that we must be willing to at the least hear out someone else’s view. This doesn’t mean we have to engage in a drawn-out conversation with every person with a different idea than us, but it does mean that we shouldn’t avoid conversation or at least hearing another view. One difficulty is that thoughts are shared on a non-conversational platform like YouTube, or we get frustrated with one another before we can even reach a true conversation.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 – the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  (25)  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

“Things Aren’t Progressing”

One final thing I wanted to mention before I share some closing thoughts is the tendency for us to think, “People say that Christ is returning soon, but nothing of any importance is happening on the political scene. I thought God was supposed to be working and fulfilling His prophecy?”

The first thing worth mentioning is that we are specifically warned against this way of thinking. Peter says in

2 Peter 3:1-4 – This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:  (2)  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:  (3)  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,  (4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

“Everything is continuing as normal” is the mindset. As Bro. Peake mentioned, there are times when we feel this more than others, and this is part of the reason why God gave us prophecy. The Bible was given to us that we might be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2), and one of the most profound “transforming effects” it has is how we view time. We learn to see time not from our severely limited, narrow point of view, but from God’s point of view. What seems like ages to us is so finite in His mind. The more we read our Bibles and go through life, the more we realize that our lifespan is a very brief span.

James 4:14 – For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Psalms 39:5 – Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

If we feel like things are taking too long, maybe we need to adjust our perception of things.

Another possibility is that we may only be following world events on the surface level. We see the news headlines and perhaps nothing more, and since many of the headlines sound the same, it seems that nothing changes. But those who read news articles and pay close attention can see the moves being made by the angelic host. The problem is not that things aren’t progressing – it’s that we aren’t paying close enough attention. Is this something we should grumble about?

Another possibility (and the last one we’ll mention) is that we are assuming every “development in prophecy” should be a big, news breaking event. Perhaps we’re looking for headlines which say that Israel is about to be attacked by an Islamic or a Russian confederacy, when what leads up to that are a number of smaller, less “news breaking” events that we aren’t looking for. Essentially, we are looking for the wrong kinds of things.

There are other possibilities, but it’s important that we do our best to stay focused on these events, and – as I am personally grateful for – Bro. Myles with his DWW does most of the heavy lifting for us on this. Instead of having to scour all of the news sites ourselves, Bro. Myles uses his free time to compile the most relevant news items and share them in a nice, concise email for us each and every day. You can sign up for his newsletter here - DWW Home.

Closing Thoughts

I want to close with a letter from Peter which he wrote to show the ecclesias how sure our hope is with evidence from his personal, lived experience. We hear these verses often, but let us really look at what Peter is saying here as he strengthens these believers:

2 Peter 1:16-21 – For we (the Apostles) have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  (17)  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (18)  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (speaking of the vision of the transfiguration)  (19) (On top of that) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:  (20)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  (21)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Prophecy should act as a light in this dark world, so instead of thinking it’s too difficult for us or that we aren’t smart enough to understand it, we need to study it and talk about it in a profitable way. Our greatest emphasis should be on the first principles which comprise our mutual foundation and made us heirs of the promises. Our conversations about prophecy should help strengthen and reinforce our anticipation for those promises. This is the role of prophecy.

At Christ’s coming, he will supply whatever is wanting from our understanding. The important thing is that we are being encouraged and exhorted to walk humbly with our God and are found avidly looking and longing for Christ when he arrives.

In the Hope of Israel,

Tanner Hawkins