God's Purpose for Bible Prophecy

THAT YE MAY BELIEVE

There is another short commentary-type verse in John’s gospel that helps to give a defining role to the purpose of prophecy.  It’s just a short verse and easily overlooked.  Jesus is speaking in this commentary in John 13:19, He says; “Now I tell you before it comes, that when it comes to pass you may believe that I am he.”  Jesus repeats this saying in John 14:29 and somewhat again in John 16:4.  What is Jesus saying by this comment on His own words?  First He is saying that He is God because He is speaking the future on His own authority.  The first part of that verse says, “Behold I tell you before it come,” says that Jesus has knowledge of the future.  Only God knows the future.  He is proving He is God by telling us the future by himself not because He is inspired to speak or that He is speaking on behalf of the Lord like all the prophets did before Him.  Jesus is speaking the future on His own authority because He spoke as God because He is God.  The second part of that verse says, “that, when it is come to pass ye may believe that I am he,” shows us the reason indeed the purpose for all prophecy from Jesus.  That purpose for telling us the future is so that we will believe in Him.

Knowing the future is very special.  There are many pretenders that say they know the future but only God knows the future completely.  God has designed the use of prophecy to not only tell us about the future but by using prophecy and fulfillment He proves himself to us.  God not only knows the future completely but He tells us about it, to prove who He is to us so we will come to Him and know Him.   By prophecy God proves Himself to us by doing something that we are incapable of doing so we will know He exists, believe in Him and love Him above all else, the result of all this is relationship.  God wants us to respond to prophetic fulfillment in a faith that starts relationship.

The word ‘believe’ in that verse from John 13:19 has a dual meaning from the Greek that not only means to have faith but it also means ‘to trust.’  Jesus tells us the future before it comes so that we will decide to have faith in Him.  We can’t have faith in something we don’t believe exists or in someone we can’t trust so the Lord provides proof after proof by prophecy after prophecy of His existence for the express purpose of creating relationship with you.  

PROPHECY’S PROVING GROUND OF FULFILLMENT

There is a new bridge in my town that spans an interstate highway. The tall columns of reinforced concrete of support that hold up the bridge are very far apart, so far apart that they seem to be unable to support the weight of not only the bridge but the traffic on the bridge. I don’t like crossing that bridge because I don’t see how it is strong enough to support the weight demanded of it, especially the span in the middle of those supports. The surface of the bridge is not smooth like a new bridge should be; there is some sagging between the concrete seams so there is an up and down motion one feels while driving across the bridge. That rough ride on a new bridge adds to my apprehension when I’m driving on it.  I admit that more than once I have gone around that bridge because I don’t trust it.  I think that some morning I’ll open the morning newspaper and see a picture of twisted steel and crumbled concrete collapsed on the interstate and a headline that says, ‘bridge collapses onto interstate,’ with an accompanying sub-headline that says, ‘engineers baffled by bride collapse.’  Well I won’t be baffled at all, I’ll know why it fell down; those supports were way too far apart!  

All praise to God because He is not like that bridge, because He has provided so many proofs that support His testimonies so that we can trust in Him.  Faith and trust no matter how small at first is the initial step that starts a relationship with God.  Faith is the twin sister of trust.  When God proves Himself by Bible prophecy we move towards Him in faith and trust and the result is relationship.  We don’t trust strangers with our credit card number and other personal information; we only trust those who prove themselves worthy of our trust.  God is more worthy of our faith and trust than any person.  Trust and faith are the building blocks of relationship. 

God is in a position of constantly proving Himself to all generations from the time of Adam and Eve to today.  Just name one Bible character that didn’t know and experience or speak prophecy.  Everyone in the Bible knew about prophecy and they all knew that true prophecy came only from God.  They knew that He proves Himself by prophetic fulfillment to them because they couldn’t see Him so He gave them prophecy to prove he is real, to prove that He is Almighty God.  He gives us the whole Bible record of prophecy and their fulfillments to prove His existence so that we can come to Him and know Him. 

Remember that Jesus said that when it is come to pass you may believe?  It is by fulfilled prophecy that faith is created.  The End-Times prophecies are not fulfilled prophecy, not yet anyway, so it doesn’t prove God exists.  End-Times prophecies warn us of what is coming, but the last days prophecies are not something we place our hope in.  Certainly the inheritance that we will receive according to the promises of God are not fulfilled yet either, but unlike End-Times prophecies the prophecy/promises of our inheritance is where we derive so much of our hope in Christ and that is a sustainer of our faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says this too; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”   God proves He alone is God by creation and by prophecy and fulfillment.  God draws us into relationship by prophecy.  Prophecy proves that He is and once we believe that He exists we learn that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out.  Prophecy is an essential part of our faith, created and put there by God to build our trust in Him.   What is the most important reward that God gives to those who diligently seek Him?  Relationship with the Almighty!