God's Word for Tuesday, 6/11/19, With My Commentary

“… for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”

(Isaiah 46:9-11 KJV)

My commentary:

People like to talk. We talk to each other and to ourselves. We talk about the weather, politics, religion, current affairs, the news, and other people. We talk about memories, making comparisons to today. And most of all, we like to talk about our plans for the future.

But what do we know about the future? Almost nothing at all, of course.

And yet people love to try and predict what lies ahead. Sure, we can guess what things will be like in a few hours or days, or even a few weeks. But let’s be honest: the farther ahead we try to look, the less certain our guesses become.

Anyone who tries to tell us with certainty about future events is usually regarded as a crackpot.

It’s easier to guess about future developments or inventions if we don’t tie them to a particular date. If we do mention a future date, it’s impossible to accurately say what will actually happen at that time. Yet everyone wants to know what the future holds; we all want to know what’s going to happen.

There is one source of future information, and it has been proven over and over to be 100 per cent accurate. You probably know the book of which I speak, and it’s called the Holy Bible.

The Bible is the only religious text which includes prophecies, many of which were set down in writing thousands of years ago. And yet every one which concerns dates and events in our past has been shown to be accurate.

Jesus’ disciples were men just like us, as far as human nature goes. They wanted to know if He came to overthrow the Roman occupation and set up a new kingdom. They didn’t understand the different prophecies in what we call the Old Testament about what the Messiah would do. The Scriptures refer to a suffering Messiah, and also to a victorious Messiah. Not even the learned scholars of that era rightly discerned the differences.

But even after His disciples understood that He wasn’t here to gather an army and fight the Romans, they still wanted to know about the future. Jesus spoke often about things which were still to come, but that wasn’t specific enough for them.

“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3 KJV)

Jesus then told them of a sweeping vista of future events as humankind becomes more and more callous and sinful, culminating in God suddenly rescuing His people from the coming troubles and taking us to be with Him (verse 31).

But notice that even He did not specify a date: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (v. 36)

He went on to talk about specific conditions which would precede this catching away of the body of believers, and in those conditions we can easily see the modern world already fitting into the pattern.

“For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (verses 38 – 44)

What then are we to do, to prepare? Be ready, be prayerful, and keep yourself in right standing with God. Jesus said that if we are to be ready, we must be as “a faithful and wise servant” (verse 45) in constant preparation for our Master’s return.

We must be overcomers: “Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee ... He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:3,5)

So what is the purpose of Biblical prophecy? To instruct us about things to come, and point the way toward the things we need to know, to be successful followers of our Lord Jesus.

Or, in other words:

“Mind what you have learned. Save you it can.” (Master Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back)