At ISOW, we pride ourselves on our cutting-edge prophecy courses. In fact, Bible Prophecy is one of our six divisions as well as one of our certificate categories. You might ask, however, why we put so much of an emphasis on studying prophecy in the first place.
Many people, Christians included, conflate the term “prophecy” with mysticism, outlandish claims from hucksters, or a gift from a bygone biblical era. While those things can all be true, a healthy understanding of prophecy and an educated look at its use in Scripture can have real benefits beyond just novelty and intrigue.
Prophecy as a gift can serve many purposes within the church, but one of its most important functions in Scripture is to provide a supernatural element of proof that God is speaking through His prophets to legitimize their message. Did you know that many prophecies in Scripture have already been fulfilled, very specifically, in historical events? Some notable fulfillments include Christ’s birthplace, His exact manner of death, the fall of Babylon and subsequent release of captive Jews, and even – much more recently – the precise way in which Jerusalem’s suburbs have been built up since 1948.
Skeptics may claim that these prophecies were forged later to give the appearance of foreknowledge, but archaeological findings such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and others have proven that these prophecies predate their fulfillment – often by hundreds or thousands of years.
Understanding prophecy has practical benefits for the modern church, as well. It can help put world events into perspective, bolster one's faith, and help the church prepare for what it should be working toward in the future.
Without a healthy understanding of prophecy, the church can stagnate and forget to work toward its goal. This doesn’t mean that Christians should take the imminence of end-time events for granted, but that they should instead view prophecies as milestones that provide a sense of urgency in fulfilling their mission. There is more to the body of Christ than merely getting attendants in a building. With even just basic knowledge of prophetic Scripture, the church can maintain perspective of its critical mission to reach the world.
Want to learn more about prophecies and the proof that they’ve been fulfilled? How about prophecies from the same authors that have yet to be fulfilled? Come browse ISOW’s Bible Prophecy Division today!
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