Lesson 10: Books of Prophecy – Discovery

As we study prophecy, we must keep some important principles in mind:
> Not all prophets are from God
> We can tell who is from God and who is not by whether all their prophecies come true
> ALL God’s prophecies will come true
> Not all God’s prophecies are meant for every person

First, not all prophets are from God. During the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, while these two men of God warned people of coming judgment from God if the people did not change their ways, other prophets insisted God’s love for His people would not allow Him to do them harm. Others insisted God’s promises of blessing could never be set aside by the people’s personal actions. These false prophets were wrong because they failed to acknowledge one important fact about God – His prophecies cannot be changed by people to fit what people want to hear. Many are conditional on people trusting in and obedience to God’s will.

Second, we need to pay attention to prophecies. As we read those in the Bible, we need to check to see if they actually came true – in the case of God’s prophecies, the fact they actually are fulfilled just as He said they would be will build our confidence in Him for those which have not yet happened. It will also make us more sensitive to what is happening around us today as we recognize events taking place that were foretold by God hundreds or thousands of years before they happen.


Third, we must never overlook the fact that prophecies HAVE been fulfilled just exactly as God said they would be. We must never just explain them away as unimportant to our life. For example, the large number of prophecies in the Old Testament telling about Jesus’ first coming to earth were fulfilled in precise detail. Even verses which had not earlier been realized as being Messianic prophecies were suddenly identified as such as Jesus fulfilled them in ways no amount of human effort could ever have made possible. See the depths of who Jesus is by the prophecies He has already fulfilled. All the rest will also be completed just as fully and precisely.

Fourth, be careful not to attribute a prophecy to the wrong person or nation or people for fulfillment. For example, God prophesied Abraham would become a great nation, and all people of the earth would be blessed through him. The prophecy and promise was made to Abraham, not to the rest of us living today. God will not make a great nation of each person who claims that prophecy for themselves.

*Read Matthew 1 – what prophecies are listed there from the Old Testament as being fulfilled in Jesus’ birth?