The Prophetic Timeline God Wants you to Know
Friday, October 31
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NIV)
“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.”
Devoción
Did you know that over one-fourth of the Bible is prophetic in nature? A little over one in four verses in Scripture talk about events which, at the time of their writing, were to take place in the future. One of the beautiful things about living in the time we live in is that many prophecies have already been fulfilled, and we can look back at history to verify them. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies alone at His first coming, such as being born of a virgin, which was foretold in Isaiah 7:14. Many other prophecies, like what Paul writes here about the man of lawlessness being revealed, are still yet to be fulfilled.
Prophecy is so important that when Jesus’ disciples said to Him in Matthew 24:3, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus’ response takes up the entirety of the next two chapters. His response, known as the Olivet Discourse, appears in three out of the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The reason John doesn’t mention it in his Gospel is probably due to God giving him the assignment of writing the entire book of Revelation, which details much of the same time period.
Amos 3:7 says that God does nothing without revealing His plans to His servants the prophets. In fact, the very time of Jesus’ first coming was prophesied in Daniel 9. The Magi were familiar with it, but the Pharisees and crowds of Jerusalem were not, and Jesus rebuked them for not recognizing the time they were living in (Luke 12:54–56).
If God uses over 25% of His Word to communicate events to come in the future, He probably wants us to familiarize ourselves with them, as it’s important to be able to discern the time and season we live in. John even mentions a blessing on those who read, hear, and pay close attention to the prophecies of Revelation (Revelation 1:3).
Oración de hoy
Querido Padre Celestial,
Thank You for Your Word, which provides us answers for today as well as tomorrow. Please lead me in Your truth to make me ready for Your coming and to tell others of Your salvation through Jesus Christ. Guide me in Your Word to the promise of deliverance You provide from the things that are coming upon the earth. Make me ready to share with others who ask about the hope I have in You. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Aplíquelo hoy mismo
As we see prophetic times unfold before our eyes, there is peace and joy in knowing what the end of the story is. There is victory in Christ! It is pertinent in these times to become familiar with the Scriptures about prophecy in order to be ready for His coming and to warn those without salvation that the kingdom of God is at hand. We owe it to ourselves and others to study the Word of God. People are now looking for answers.
Recursos
- The best way to study scripture and grow in the knowledge of God’s word is through small groups. Join a Connect Group today.