The Purpose of Prophecy

When people think of the prophecy of Daniel and Revelation, they have visions of the future chiefly in mind. But the purpose of prophecy is not primarily to satisfy our curiosity about the future.

                                          There are three larger purposes:

1)      To demonstrate that the Bible is from God: Since no one can know the future except God (Is 46:9-10), fulfilled Bible prophecy proves that it is God who is speaking to us through the Bible and not merely human beings. (Deut 18:21-22; John 13:19) Miracles on the other hand are not a safe sign that God is speaking because false prophets can often perform miracles. (Matt 24:24)

2)      To encourage God’s People: The prophecy of the Bible encourage God’s people in every age, letting them know that ultimate victory belong to God; everything is going to turn out all right in the end. (Dan 12:1-3; Rev 17:14)

3)      To provide Instruction for Hard Time: The prophecies of the Bible provide instructions to God’s people in the last days, a time of great stress and confusion. Through these instructions, God’s people come to understand what is happening to them and how to respond to it. (Rev 1:3)

Prophecy is more that prediction; it teaches us that the same God who rules over the nations also wants to rule in the heart of every person on earth. Since events increasingly suggest that we are living near the end of earth’s history. We can turn to prophecy to provide the answers and the encouragement that today’s people need. The God who “changes times and seasons”, who “sets up kings and deposes them” will give “wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Dan 2:21).