As recorded in its pages, God used His true prophets to reveal His will and plan to the people of ancient Israel and many surrounding countries.Prophets were messengers of God’s instructions and prophecies. Unger’s Bible Dictionary notes of the role of the prophets, “The predictive element was a frequent part of the content of the prophet’s message. But this is not the only element. The prophets frequently appear in the role of social and political reformers, stirring preachers of righteousness and religious revivalists in addition to being predictors of judgment or blessing, as the occasion demanded. The prophet’s message was ever religious and spiritual, announcing the will of God to men and calling for complete obedience” (p. 893).
As recorded in the Scriptures, true prophets of God would reveal His plan to the people. They also gave God’s warnings to the people of ancient Israel and other lands. For example, after the death of Jehoiada of Judah, the nation renounced the true God and worshipped idols: “Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass” (2 Chronicles 24:18).
Throughout history, many individuals have followed idols and false prophets. We have to be careful. How can we spot a false prophet? If anyone claims to be a prophet today, but contradicts the simple words of the Scriptures, putting his own words above “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), then he is a false prophet. God’s servants teach according to his word, the Bible, and this also applies to what you are reading on this website! Test us—compare our words with what is in the Bible, and also be sure to test others who claim to teach God’s word.
Biblical prophecy warns people and nations to repent so that they can escape punishment and experience blessings. In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ promises to protect those who are faithful. In a letter to the church in Philadelphia, the Apostle John recorded this message: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
Not only did God’s prophets tell their countries to reform from iniquity; they also revealed God’s plan for the future. One of the most important lessons of biblical prophecy is that government left in the hands of mankind will result in total destruction. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:22, “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
Biblical prophecy tells us that a time of revival is coming soon for our planet. The Apostle Peter wrote that God will “send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:20–21). The time is soon coming when Jesus Christ will rule this earth! This message—the Gospel of the Kingdom of God—is what Jesus spoke, and it is a prophetic message! One can read some of the prophecies of the Millennium in the biblical books of Micah (chapter 4) and Isaiah (chapters 2, 11, and 35).
Yes, biblical prophecy tells us that the world will soon be restored to its natural, unpolluted beauty and richness under the divine administration of the Kingdom of God. We can rejoice over this good news!
The Living Church of God proclaims biblical prophecies and makes them easy to understand. To learn more about how God uses prophecies to reveal his plan, you can read our booklet Prophecy Fulfilled: God’s Hand in World Affairs.
