There is a rather little referenced scripture that paying more attention to would benefit us. It is a response of Christ to His religious and unbelieving enemies. They espoused a love for and belief in the Scriptures but had an altogether wrong approach to them. Here is that text:
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The primary purpose of the Scriptures is to reveal the person and nature of God. I find it beneficial to apply this to the study of the prophetic Scriptures. It is a great temptation to study prophecy to satisfy ourselves regarding a knowledge of the future. Certainly there is some use in that direction but I doubt that it is a primary use of prophecy. We can get all wrapped up in timing and predictions and loose sight of what is really important.
As we study predictive prophecy we find a couple of dominant matters. Number one, the predictive Scriptures are predominately about Israel. These prophecies clearly express God’s determination to restore Israel as the leading kingdom of the world. The other predominate (if there can be two things that are predominate) subject is the judgment of the nations. God is going to bring the world into account for its behavior.
So then, what is the point? It is simply that God is in charge of the world and that He has not abandoned that right or activity. A right study of prophecy will lead us to a conscious awareness of the supremacy of God and our accountability to Him. It is no great observation to say that there is a lamentable and fateful lack of such awareness in our world today. It is absolutely foolish to live in ignorance and denial of a clearly known future. Notice what Peter attached to one of his observations regarding the future:
2 Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
Prophecy has a purpose well beyond the satisfaction of our curiosity.
