This page and its links are provided to help others study and understand Bible prophecy. 

 

Why is it important to study Bible prophecy at all?

 

 1. Prophecies allow us to know that the Bible is inspired by God and that everything in it is true and reliable. Many people come to Christ through understanding the prophecies, that’s why many evangelists focus on Bible prophecies. ​This approach usually leads to a quick informational conversion which hopefully leads to a heart conversion when they learn more about Jesus. 

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2. Prophecy reveals that “the supernatural world determines the natural world and human history.” (Frederick J Murphy, Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature).

 

Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

 

The great controversy is being fought all around us (the war between God and Satan). 

 

Revelation 12:7-9, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

 

That war moved to earth and we’re caught in the middle of this great controversy. There’s a lot more going on than we know or can perceive. The great controversy drives everything that’s going on in our world. We’re not in control. God is in control. 

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3. The ultimate goal of all prophecy is the repentance and salvation of human beings (The Message of Daniel, God Cares Volume One, C. Mervyn Maxwell, page 235).

 

Everything leads back to Jesus and the plan of salvation. Remember, knowledge does not equate to salvation. Even though I just said studying prophecies leads to repentance and salvation, you don’t have to understand the prophecies to be saved! But, understanding that all the prophecies point to Jesus, it leads people to the plan of salvation. 

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But, as Christians, we should understand the Bible as much as possible to be able to answer questions when we're witnessing to others. 

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4. Jesus referred to some of the prophecies in the Bible, especially the 490 year prophecy.

 

Matthew 18:21-22, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”

 

70 x 7 = 490. This is referring to the 490 year prophecy in Daniel chapter 9. The 490 year prophecy in Daniel 9 is the amount of time God gave the Israelites to turn away from their sins and to return to God and their mission of sharing God with the surrounding countries. This was a sort of probation for 490 years. So in Matthew 18, Jesus is referring to both the question from Peter about forgiveness and the willingness of God to forgive the Israelites. 

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​5. Jesus quoted or referred to Bible prophets numerous times in the gospels and also believed Daniel was a prophet. If Jesus believed in the prophecies of the Bible and referred to the prophets in the Bible like Daniel, then as followers of Jesus we should also know the prophecies. 

 

Matthew 24:15, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)”

 

It then tells us in verse 16 to flee to the mountains. So we need to study Daniel to understand end time events. The book of Daniel is the only book Jesus specifically urges His last day people to study. He also points to stories in Genesis as paralleling last day events, but specifically mentions the book of Daniel. 

 

6. God always wanted people to be informed, aware, and warned about future difficulties. 

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Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

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Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:”​

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Before the flood, God sent Noah to warn the pre-flood world. 

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Before the nation of Israel was sent into captivity in Babylon, God send Jeremiah to warn them. 

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Before Jesus' first incarnation, God sent John the Baptist to pave the way. 

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Before the Israelites were freed from slavery, God sent Moses to lead them. 

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Before the judgment on the Israelites' northern kingdom, God sent the prophet Amos to warn them. 

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Before the judgment on the city of Nineveh, God sent the prophet Jonah to warn them. 

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Before each major event in history, God sent warnings and knowledge of those events beforehand. The same is true now, we need to understand Bible prophecy to know what is about to happen in the world so we can be better prepared and so we can warn those around us. 

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Those are just some of the reasons to study Bible prophecy.