Keys to Prophecy: Prophesy is Not Always Sequential.

It has been said that prophecy is generally conversational in nature. A conversation between God and his children. You and I will often have to pay close attention or we may not notice when the conversation suddenly goes in new directions.

In “Prophecy Principles” Psalm 22 was used to
Illustrate these points.

For instance, look at the death of Jesus as prophesied in Psa 22:14-18. You can read what actually happened about a thousand years later in the Gospels, and see that Psalm 22 was very accurate, but it still was not a rigidly chronological discussion. Nor are few prophecies.

Some speak of this trait as being almost
intolerable.

Some say this is something weird and strange and unknown about Scripture and prophecy. Actually much writing and much history is not always sequential.

Take Will Durant’s “The Age of Reason Begins.”

This is Durant’s history of these things from 1558-1648, a mere 90 years. Is it rigidly sequential? It is divided in to three books:

Book I, The English Ecstasy: 1558-1648

Book II, Faith Fights for Power: 1556-1648

Book III, The Tentatives of Reason: 1558-1648

Similarly, even within these “Books” it is not rigidly sequential, nor can it be. In fact in this case it is a series of parallel accounts. This is common especially in books of history. However, Scripture is sometimes unjustly criticized for not being sequential.

Psalm 22 for instance is generally sequential,
but not rigidly so.

The subject, Jesus death, is announced in the first verse,

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psa 22:1 WEB

Such announcing of the subject at first, is also common in historical accounts. Finally the Psalm ends with all men having to bow before Jesus.

“… All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
Even he who can’t keep his soul alive.”
Psa 22:29

So it is generally sequential, much as with a good history, but not rigidly so.

Similarly, Matthew chapter 24 is generally sequential,
but not rigidly so.

Matthew 24 clearly talks about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (some 40 years into the future), and also talks about the end of this world (very clearly in Mtt 24:36 and the verses following). Evidently, the destruction of Jerusalem is symbolic of the end of this world. However, look at verse 6. It is in the early section about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet.”
Mtt 24:6 WEB

Many quote this of the end of this world, and they are right. Wars and rumors of wars are not a sign of the end of the world! However, “wars and rumors of war,” ARE A SIGN OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM IN 70 AD! You see Jerusalem was destroyed in a Roman invasion of Judea to suppress the Jewish revolt!

So at the start of the discussion of 70 AD is a verse about the end of the world. Generally sequential, but not rigidly so.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Prophecy is Typically Conversational

Some want to impose styles which
are not there.

They may try to make the prophecy to only speak of things which a man of that time could know, or see, or think. Without saying so, they are assuming that God is not real, or He would never care about or communicate with His creation, and would never reveal the future to us. That, all in all, is tall group of assumptions about a God whom we can all clearly see exists from His creations. Compare Rom 1:19-20, and Psalm 19.

Others, of many stripes, want to insist that God only speak this way or that way, but indeed, God the Maker of All, can speak any way He wants.

Think about how ordinary human conversations work.

People may meet each other, ask how the other one is doing, ask about our relatives or friends or mates. They may bring up some big goings on at the time, drop back to talk about the weather, or the crops, or the financial markets, then come back to bring up their mates or their children again. Then they remember what the weather man said about next Tuesday, and talk about a worrisome financial report that some supposed experts put up, or the problem with a child or a mutual friend. Such conversations may go on for a few minutes, or a few hours, in living room, a park, a bar, or a street corner, all with no precise format or structure.

Prophecy often has a conversational syntax.

Sometime we may try to impose some rigid structure that we think it surely must have, but when we look at details we know about here or there, we often have to acknowledge that it is not a rigid format, even though it may irk us. Assumed subjects, dropped verbs, are everywhere.

An easy overall illustration is Isaiah 9

Isaiah 9:1 starts by speaking of the darkness in the land of Zebulun and Naphtal, and then says they will see a great light. That is when they see Christ some 700 or so years later. Then it says all the armor and weapons and garments soaked in blood will be burned, Isa 9:5. When did that happen? Has it happened to “all,” even yet? Then it speaks in dazzling terms of the Christ coming as a child in Isa 9:6-7. Then it drops back to discuss mess in Jacob in Isaiah’s day. Such is common.

Another common technique

is when the topic under immediate discussion, is related to the end of this world. For instance in the letters to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation. The letters start by speaking of where these churches were in the first century of our age, and end up saying something like, “He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.” Rev 2:26 WEB. Thus in time it jumps, how far? Over 2,000 years! All with little or no notice. It is easy to see such in the letters, but really that is a common device all through prophecy.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Not all Prophecy has Been Fulfilled!

It is not very hard to find unfulfilled prophecies in Scripture. Now some have misinterpreted, for instance, Luke 24. Jesus is explaining what has happened after His resurrection from the dead.

“26 Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?” 27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Lk 24:26-27 WEB

Some have gone a little beyond what it says here, and claim that Christ fulfilled (past tense) ALL of prophecy.

Some do the same with Acts 3.

So they quote,

“But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
Acts 3:18 WEB

So they say, see! Christ has already fulfilled all prophecy. But it does not say that. Rather it says that the prophecies about what “Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.” That is much different.

Further, they tend to completely ignore the very next three verses.

“19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.”
Acts 3:19-21 WEB

So there are “times of restoration” verse 21, and Jesus must stay in heaven until these times, and God spoke of these things long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. So there are prophecies which have not yet been fulfilled. It even goes further than this a few verses down, where it says,

“Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.”
Acts 3:24 WEB

Some of this is anti-prophecy material

Many have a vested interest in our not understanding the prophets. They are pertinent not only to us, but to the entire Christian age.

Peter tells us prophecy is the lamp of our age.

Peter tells us that prophecy is the lamp of our age, but MANY do NOT believe that, even of those who consider themselves solid Bible believers. Did Peter lie? Or are we mixed up?

“We have the more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the day star arises in your hearts:”
2Pe 1:19 WEB

That itself tells us that much is yet to be fulfilled. And in context Peter is talking mainly about Old Testament prophecy as a “lamp shining in a dark place” for the Christian Age. For he says,

“20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. 21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2Pe 2:20-21 WEB

Someone is mixed up!

Either Peter is mixed up when he calls prophecy the lamp of our age … or you and I are mixed up.

The rest is common sense, and carefully looking at the passages we are reading.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: God Does Act in History!

No! This is not about the confused issues of “miracles.”

Some think that anything that God does is a miracle but that is not so. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “miracle” as,

“a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency: the miracle of rising from the grave.”

The rest of the story is that God does not always operate outside of “natural or scientific laws.” Mankind always operates within “natural or scientific laws,” and can do many things that way, and so can God!

Job comments of God’s actions, and points out that,

“11 Behold, he goes by me, and I don’t see him.
He passes on also, but I don’t perceive him.
12 Behold, he snatches away; who can hinder him?
Who will ask him, ‘What are you doing?’”
Job 9:11-12 WEB

And this is all the time, not just every now and then.

In Psalm 104 it talks in detail about God working in what we would probably call “nature.” It speaks of God as being the one who feeds all the creatures on both land and sea. Further it comments,

It is not just the big events of history, such as the Tower of Babel, where God works, but also in day to day things.

“28 You give to them; they gather.
You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
29 You hide your face: they are troubled;
You take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
30 You send forth your Spirit: they are created.
You renew the face of the ground. ”
Psa 104:28-30 WEB

It pictures God as intimately involved in all that goes on.

The same is true for the big events of history.

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
But victory is with Yahweh.”
Prov 21:31 WEB

“He changes the times and the seasons; he removes kings, and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding;”
Dan 2:21 WEB

Or again,

“All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or tell him, What do you?”
Dan 4:35 WEB

Man can want/will to do something, but God often overrules

“The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.”
Prov 16:1 WEB

“There are many plans in a man’s heart,
But Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.”
Prov 19:21 WEB

And if your ways please God? God will help you,

“When a man’s ways please Yahweh,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Prov 16:7 WEB

And,

“Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
And your plans shall succeed.”
Prov 16:3 WEB

And when God needs something done, what does He often do? God will put it into the hearts of men to do it, just as in Rev 17:17

This is not a complete discussion of God’s workings.

But it is a sampler of His working everyday in many ways.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Oops! Locked by God!

Do we know everything, even if we
understand prophecy? Hardly!

In fact, Paul emphasizes how limited is our knowledge.

“But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.”
2Cor 8:2 WEB

There is much to know, even of this flawed and temporary world that we live in. Of course God does reveal secret things to men.

“The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.”
Psa 25:14 KJV

God often does declare things before they happen.

“Behold, the former things have happened, and new things do I declare. Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Isa 42:9 WEB

Again from Isaiah, and He tells part of the reason that He sometimes tells us things.

“therefore I have declared it to you from of old; before it came to pass I shown it you; lest you should say, My idol has done them, and my engraved image, and my molten image, has commanded them.”
Isa 48:5 WEB

But there is no effort to tell us everything.

The purpose of inspired Scripture is,

“that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2Tim 3:16 WEB

So Scripture and prophecy is not helter-skelter random pieces of information to no purpose. A statement of what will happen is not a piece of theoretical “oh well, this might happen.” Rather this is information focused on what is,

“… profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction which is in righteousness,”
2Tim 3:16 WEB

Are many things still secret? What is the
dividing line?

Yes, many things are still secret.

The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Deut 29:29 WEB

We are told what we need to know, so we can do what we should do.

However, not everyone is supposed to
understand all of this.

“10 The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.””
Mtt 13:10-11 WEB

These are true mysteries, even in the very same sense as many occult secrets / mysteries.

But the wicked will never understand.

Satan is allowed to blind many.

“in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.”
2Cor 4:4 WEB

“Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but those who are wise shall understand.”
Dan. 12:10 WEB

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Oops! Locked by Misdirection, Ignorance or Oversight!

I think that many of our unconscious errors in Scripture are because of

1.) being misled, either accidentally or on purpose. There are many who deliberately mislead us so that they have more control of us, or can exploit us. As Scripture points out, many would mislead us from such motives.

“having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;”
2Pe 2:14 WEB

2.) However another area of misdirection is our just not doing our homework as we should. Sometimes we too uncritically accept what others say without actually testing the ideas we hear against Scripture.

Sometimes we do not think and reason and study as we should. Perhaps at other times we tend to read our own ideas into Scripture instead of actually listening to what Scripture has to say.

3.) Sometimes either accidentally or on purpose we start neglecting parts of God’s word, and so overtime our views of Scripture and the world become distorted, because we are not playing with a full deck! Paul tells us,

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2Tim 3:16 KJV

SO HOW MUCH Scripture “is PROFITABLE for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness”?

The answer is all of it is! And if we use all of it, then we can be,

“… throughly furnished unto all good works.”
2Tim 3:16

But if we habitually neglect parts of Scripture, then we will be missing some of the spiritual vitamins and minerals that we need.

Now we are not under Moses law, it has been taken out of the way, nailed to the cross, Col 2:14. Even so it is true that,

“Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.”
Rom 7:12 WEB

That indeed sounds like something that we should be able to learn from, and it is. So even though we are under the law of Christ, Gal 6:2, etc., we should be getting even “doctrine” from Moses law, BECAUSE:All scripture … is profitable for doctrine,” 2Tim 3:16 KJV

So in 1 Corinthians 9 Paul uses a regulation about oxen from Moses law (“You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain. ” Deut 25:4 WEB), to prove that full-time ministers of Christ should be paid!

Sometimes we accidentally neglect
parts of Scripture

Sometimes we merely like some portions of Scripture more than others. This is true of both preachers and teachers and also those in the pew. At other times, current errors in society and the church mean that we emphasis some parts over others. Then over time, that perhaps needed emphasis, results in neglect of vital parts of the truth, much to our detriment!

How you approach things is very important:
your “angle of entry.”

So it has been that many portions of the church have completely neglected prophecy, much to out detriment.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Keys to Prophecy: Oops! Locked by Men!

Indeed, some do try to take away the
keys to knowledge.

Jesus spoke of some who where doing that in His day.

“Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”
Lk 11:52 WEB

The lawyers were concentrating on the regulations of the law, and the minutest details of this and that, and ignoring the more important issues of justice, mercy, and compassion. The keys to knowledge are always a central issue. Often men have reasons to subvert what is true and good and pure. These things happen in all sort of situations.

AC or DC?

Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943. U. S. inventor born in Croatia of Serbian descent. In 1944 the U. S. Supreme Court ruled he was the actual inventor of radio. It appears some of his discoveries are still being suppressed.

Sometimes the issues are money and power. Around 1900 AD there was a terrific battle between “DC” electricity (Direct Current, the kind you get from a battery), and “AC” electricity (Alternating Current, the kind of electricity that you have in your house from the power company). AC electricity was being designed and built by electrical genius Nicolai Tesla who had developed all of the devices necessary for the generation, transmission, and use of AC. Also AC electricity was far more efficient than DC, and could be economically transmitted great distances, whereas DC could not.

But there was a problem. One of America’s biggest financiers, J. P. Morgan, had gained financial control of another genius, Thomas Edison. Edison had developed some huge DC electrical systems for powering lights and homes and factories. J. P. Morgan was invested up to his eyeballs in DC electricity, and Tesla’s new inventions could make almost all of that investment worthless. So what could be done?

Suppressing the truth about the advantages
of AC electricity.

Thomas Edison, 1915. Most of the pictures and movies of electrocuting animals are being suppressed on the internet as of this date. Movies of him electrocuting Topsy the elephant in 1904 can be seen as of this date

The J. P. Morgan interests started a science war against AC electricity claiming it was too dangerous to use for everyday things. (Some call this “The Current War,” 1886-1904 prox.) Thomas Edison actually had public demonstrations of the dangers of AC electricity. He publicly electrocuted dogs and horses to show how dangerous all of this was, and some of these demonstrations were filmed and can still be seen even today. Suppressing the truth to make money.

There is also much suppression of the truth
concerning much prophecy.

But God has something to say about these things.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
Rom 1:18 WEB

Why do they do that? Because,

“Because they hated knowledge,
And didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh. ”
Prov 1:29 WEB

So it is a choice, and we can and do make choices, even about prophecy.

Such things are the backdrop for many
religious battles

“49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.””
Jn 11:49-50 WEB

They were manipulating religion to secure money and power, and were afraid that their setup would be destroyed by Jesus teachings. The “solution”? Have Rabbi Jesus murdered!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901