The future

Nothing sells as well as prophecies. It's true. A church or ministry can have a stupid theology, a weird head, and nonsensical strict rules, but they have some world maps, a pair of scissors, and a stack of newspapers, along with a preacher who can reasonably well express himself, then it seems, people will send you bucketfuls of money. People are afraid of the unknown and they do not know the future. So it seems that any old street vendor who comes along, claiming that he knows the future, can muster a very nice following if he is smart enough to fake God's signature for his predictions by juggling scriptures like a circus artist ,

But one thing we need to understand if we don't want to fall for pushy prophets is this: Biblical prophecy isn't about the future. It's about coming to know Jesus Christ. If you want a perfect case for the addiction to prophecy, just hand your mind over to the self-proclaimed messengers of God so they can fill it with fabrications about which particular despot is actually the "king of the South" or the "king of the North," or "the beast," or "the false prophet," or the tenth "horn." It will be a lot of fun, very exciting, and almost as spiritually useful as playing Dungeons & Dragons for the rest of your life. Or you could take a lesson from the Apostle Peter. He had some thoughts on prophecy—its origin, its value, and its purpose. He knew what it was all about. And he shared that information with us in 1 Peter.

“Regarding this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that was to come to you, searched and sifted with the greatest care, trying to understand what time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ, who was in them, was indicating when he had previously testified about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they should not serve themselves, but you, by speaking the things that have now been preached to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.” (1Pt 1,10-12).

Now here is the "inside information" for us, straight from the mouth of Peter:

• The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, is the source of prophecy (Offenbarung 19,10 says the same).
• The purpose of the prophecy was to predict the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• When you have heard the gospel, you have heard everything there is to know about prophecy.

And what did Peter expect from his readers who received this information? Simply this: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and set your hope fully in the grace which is offered unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ" (verse 13). Fixing our minds on grace means living out the "new birth" (v. 3) by faith as we "keep loving one another from a pure heart" (v. 22). Wait a moment, say. How about the Book of Revelation? Revelation foretells the future, doesn't it?

No. Not in the way the prophets think addicts. The image of the revelation about the future is simply that one day Jesus will return, and everyone who receives him with joy will share in his kingdom, and anyone who opposes him will be left empty-handed. The message of the Book of Revelation is a call never to give up in the service of our Lord, even if we are killed for it, because we are safe in His loving hands - regardless of what the seemingly never-ending parade of evil systems, governments and people would like to do something to someone.

Biblical prophecy, including the book of Revelation, revolves around Jesus Christ—who He is, what He has done, and the simple fact that He will return. In light of this truth—the truth of the gospel—prophecy includes a call to “holy living and devout conduct while we await the coming of the day of God.” (2Pt 3,12)False portrayals of biblical prophecy only distract attention from its true message – the “simplicity and purity that is in Christ.” (2Kor 11,3)The addiction to predictions sells well, but the cure is free – a good dose of the unvarnished gospel.

by Michael Feazell