THE IMPORTANCE OF BIBLE PROPHECY

1. Prophecy warns unbelievers. The future for unbelievers is not a happy one. Death and judgment await them. The wicked are warned about the future again and again (Pro.14:12; 2 Th. 1:8-9).
    
2. Prophecy comforts believers because their future is bright and happy (1 Th. 4:13-18). The Bible gives strength to live by and comfort to die by. A believer can bravely face death because he knows what God has said about the future (Phil. 1:21-23; 2 Cor. 5:8).
    
3. Prophecy proves that God’s Word is true. No prophecy in the Bible has ever failed. Everything that God has said about the future has come to pass or will come to pass. As we see prophecy being fulfilled we are reminded that God’s Word "is Truth" (Jn. 17:17) and that God "cannot lie" (Ti. 1:2).
    
4. Prophecy gives us a true picture of the world’s problems. As we look at our world we see wars and crime and sin and sickness and all kinds of problems. Without the Bible these things would trouble and disturb us. But God’s Word helps us to understand why these things are so, and how they will come to an end.
    
5. Prophecy helps us to know what to expect.   A person would be upset and troubled by wars if he thought that there should not be any wars in the world.  But Jesus told us to expect wars (Mt. 24:6-7). The believer is not shocked by reports of wars; he expects them. Knowing what to expect also keeps us awake (Rom. 13:11). If your family knew that a thief would try to enter the house at 3:00 a.m., would they sleep that night? God has told us about the future so that we can be spiritually awake and ready (1 Th. 5:4-8; Mt. 24:43).
    
6. Prophecy increases our understanding of the Bible. A large part of the Bible is prophetic (tells us about what will happen in the future). If a person does not understand prophecy then he will not understand the Bible. Just as a person would not be very educated if he did not understand arithmetic and mathematics, so a person is not very sharp spiritually if he does not understand prophecy.
    
7. Prophecy helps us to know God’s will. If I never learn what the Bible says about the future, then I will not know what God’s purpose is for my world and for my life.
    
8. Prophecy helps the believer to walk with God. You cannot walk with God unless you know which way God is moving. In Genesis 18, Abraham needed to know that God was going to judge Sodom. God wants His children to know what He is going to do (Gen. 18:17).
     
9. Prophecy stirs and stimulates us to live a holy and righteous life (Hos.14:9). The better we understand the future, the better we will walk with God today. Knowing that Christ could come at any time, should make a difference in how I live (Ti. 2:11-14).
     
10. Prophecy helps us to help others. Our unsaved friends do not understand what is going on in the world and to them the future is dark and unknown. We have the answers that they need! We can say, "Let me show you what God says about that."   The Jewish people have faced great persecution and horrible terrorist attacks.  We can befriend the Jews and help them to understand that God has a wonderful plan and a wonderful future for the nation Israel (Isaiah ch. 2, ch. 11, Jer. 31, etc.). The better we know the Bible the better we will be able to help others.