January 7, 2022 | Prophecy
Regarding prophecy, Christiananswers.net gives this explanation:
Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away.
For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel’s promised Savior and Prince 483 years after the Persian emperor would give the Jews authority to rebuild Jerusalem, which was then in ruins. This was clearly and definitely fulfilled, hundreds of years later.
There are extensive prophecies dealing with individual nations and cities and with the course of history in general, all of which have been literally fulfilled. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Christ Himself at His first coming. Other prophecies deal with the spread of Christianity, as well as various false religions, and many other subjects.
There is no other book, ancient or modern, like this. The vague, and usually erroneous, prophecies of people like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and others like them are not in the same category at all, and neither are other religious books such as the Koran, the Confucian Analects, and similar religious writings. Only the Bible manifests this remarkable prophetic evidence, and it does so on such a tremendous scale as to render completely absurd any explanation other than divine revelation. (Christiananswers.net).
The prophecy found in Scripture is unmatched in its incredible accuracy. In fact, not a single prophecy made in the Bible has ever failed to be fulfilled, or will ever fail to be fulfilled.
Some of the most remarkable prophecies are those related to the Lord Jesus Christ. A mathematician once calculated the odds of just 17 of these prophecies being fulfilled at 1 chance x 1 billion x 1 trillion! That is 480 followed by 30 zeros! With these kinds of odds, it’s only natural to assume that a higher power is involved.
2 Peter 1:21 reminds us that, “..no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Evidence that our God is a personal God who interacts with His people.
So, if prophesies were such an important part of Christian history, why are there no prophets today? It’s because we are blessed not to need them as the people once did. The gaps in our understanding have been accomplished through Christ. In God’s Holy Word we find everything we need to know.
That’s not to say that the Holy Spirit doesn’t work to give people special insight into something or to direct them through divine intervention. Still today the Holy Spirit works within God’s people to keep them on the narrow path to heaven. Epiphanies still happen for people who place their hope and trust in Christ.
The devil knows this so he counters it with a host of false prophets so that people might be led astray. Peter again warns us, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
Many people will tell you to go this way and that claiming special knowledge, but unless it matches with the instruction that God has already given us through His Holy Word, it is false and should be avoided. God will never depart from the wisdom He has already given us. We are to trust in Him alone for our direction.
God told the people of old that to test if a prophet was true, you wait for the result. If what He had prophesied came to pass, then he could be trusted, if not then he must be separated from you. Today the advice is the same but in a different way. If someone speaks wisdom found in God’s Word He is to be believed, if he adds to it, he is to be ignored.
God is still working in and through His people by His Holy Spirit to guide us and to keep us faithful. The prophets of old might be gone, but our helper is still at work, leading us to glory. Trust in the wisdom that God has provided and let Him take you to places you never dreamed you’d be. Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Your Spirit to guide us and help us to place all of our hope and trust in His direction. Amen.
