The Bible is perhaps one of the oldest and most respected religious texts in history, and within its pages is a section devoted to prophecy. The Bible says that God can use prophets to reveal his desires to his people and his plans for the future. This section provides an introduction to what the Bible says about prophecy and how God uses it in his plans for humanity.
The Bible states that God spoke to the prophets and revealed his plans for the future to them. The prophets then wrote down these revelations in their books and these books became part of the Bible. Prophecy is referenced throughout the Bible, including in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. In some cases, these prophecies are general statements of God’s will, and in others they provide specific details of what will happen in the future.
God uses prophets to reveal his plans to his people, often times sending messages to tell them what to do. In the Old Testament, we find several examples of God sending prophets to deliver his message. God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and he sent Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah of impending disaster.God also used prophets to warn of judgment for those who disobeyed him and to point the way to salvation for those who would turn to him.
But not all prophecy is from God. Some prophets are motivated by human ambition or greed and they can lead people astray with false promises or predictions. The Bible warns us that we must test the spirits to see if they are from God or if they are simply the work of man. The Bible says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
One of the ways to test the spirit of a prophet is to see if their predictions come true. The Bible says, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously” (Deuteronomy 18:22).
Ultimately, our faith must be grounded in the truth of the Word of God and not the words of man. As the Bible says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Even though there are false prophets who try to lead God’s people astray, we can be confident that God will protect his people and lead them in the right direction.
Divination
The Bible also mentions the practice of divination or the use of various occult methods to predict the future. Divination is condemned in the Bible and is seen as contrary to God’s will. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.”
The Bible warns us not to turn to divination and to trust in God instead. We are told to trust in him and lean not on our own understanding. God is the one who knows the future and his plans and purposes will be fulfilled in his own timing. We can be confident that he will fulfill his promises and that our future is in his hands.
God’s Plan Of Redemption
Ultimately, God’s plan of redemption is at the heart of the Bible’s prophecies. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God’s ultimate plan is to reconcile us to himself and to bring us into his eternal family. The Bible says, “For it pleased the Father that in him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:19-20).
Prophetic words contain glimpses into God’s plans for his people and his ultimate plan of redemption. Even in the midst of suffering, God’s people can take comfort in the knowledge that God is in control and that he has a plan for the future. Through his prophets, God reveals his desires for his people and his plans for the future.
The Role of Faith
The Bible also speaks of the importance of faith in regard to prophecy. We are told to put our faith in the Lord, not in the words of men. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). We must trust that God knows what is best and that he will fulfill his plan for us. We must also trust that God will use prophecy to lead us in the right direction.
Our faith must be firmly rooted in the truth of God’s Word and not in our own understanding. We must be obedient to what God has revealed to us and trust that he will bring it to pass. No matter what prophecies may come our way, we must remember that God’s plans will be accomplished in his own time and in his own way.
God’s Timing
Finally, we must remember that God’s timing is not the same as ours. The Bible says, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). We may not always understand why God delays fulfilling his promises or why certain prophecies take longer than we expect. But we must remember that God is in control and that we must trust in him and his timing.
God’s plans for the future are sure and certain even if we may not always understand them. We can be confident that God will fulfill his promises in his own perfect timing. And we can be sure that through prophecy, God will continue to lead us, protect us, and guide us in the way that he desires.
The Admonition to Seek God
The Bible tells us to seek God and his kingdom first. We must remember that he is the source of all wisdom and knowledge and that we can trust him to direct our paths. We must also remember that God sometimes speaks through dreams and visions and we must have an open heart to receive his words and respond in obedience. The Bible says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
God may speak to us through prophetic messages, dreams and visions, but we must also seek him first. We must remember that God is always with us and that he desires to communicate with us. We can trust that his plans for us are good, and through prophecy, he will continue to lead us in the way that he desires.
Heeding The Warnings
The Bible also warns us to be on guard against false prophets. We are told in Deuteronomy 18:22 to test the spirits and see if they are from God or if they are simply the work of man. We must be careful not to be misled by false promises or predictions and to rely solely on God’s Word as our source of truth. We must be discerning and wise so that we can recognize false prophets and protect ourselves against them.
As we study and understand the Biblical accounts of prophecy, we can be sure that God is faithful and will fulfill his promises in his own perfect timing. We must seek God and his kingdom first, and be vigilant against false prophets, so that we can discern what is true and live in obedience to God’s will.
The Testimony of History
The testimony of history also bears witness to the faithfulness of God in fulfilling his promises. Throughout the ages, God has sent prophets to his people to reveal his plans for the future. And he has kept his promises and seen them to completion. To be sure, God still speaks to his people through prophetic messages today and continues to lead them according to his will and his plans for the future.
The Bible states that prophecy is a gift given to us by God that can be used to point us to his plans and his will. As we study the accounts of prophecy in the Bible, we can be inspired by the faithfulness of God as he fulfills his promises. We must rely on his Word and trust in his plans for us, and through prophecy, we can be sure that God will continue to lead us in the right direction.
Obedience to the Word of God
In the end, we must be obedient to the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. We must remember that God’s plans for us are ultimately for our good, and it is only through obedience to his Word that we can experience his blessing and protection. The Bible tells us to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. We can trust that God knows what is best and that his plans will be fulfilled in his perfect timing.
The Bible teaches us that prophecy is a gift given to us by God and that he uses it to reveal his plans and purposes to his people. We must be vigilant in discerning true prophets from false prophets, trusting in the Lord and relying on his Word. And we must be obedient to God’s will and trust that he will fulfill his promises and lead us in the way that he desires.
