In the Bible God tells us about events prior to their occurrence. We refer to this as prophecy.
Prophecy is one way we know God’s ways and thoughts are superior to ours. Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
No person can ever predict, or prophesy with complete accuracy, without God’s involvement. The test for a prophet was the fulfillment of their prophecies. If even one prophecy was found to be inaccurate, that discounted the prophet as a false prophet. Deuteronomy 18:20-22: “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”
In John 16:1-3, Jesus told His disciples the following: “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”
Jesus was preparing His disciples for the persecution they would experience as they followed in His footsteps.
As we consider His words in John 16:1-3, the apostle Paul comes to mind. In Acts 7-8 we are told the events of the stoning death of Stephen. He was a man who loved the Lord, and served Him without fear. It is an amazing story of faith and trust in God in the face of death.
But God had warned His disciples, in John 16:1-3 that these men who put them to death would truly believe they were doing God’s will. One of those men was the apostle Paul. Acts 8:1 tells us that Paul was at Stephen’s stoning, and approved: “And Saul approved of their killing him.” [Paul was originally named Saul, but God changed his name according to Acts 13:9.]
Next, we need to remember what God did in Paul’s life. Once Paul was saved, and truly became God’s disciple, the persecutor became the persecuted. It is likely that at this time God’s words to John would be realized by Paul.
Paul’s conversion to Christ also proves the extent of God’s love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. 1 John 1:9tells us that God will forgive anyone who confesses their sin: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is not a mere mouthing of words, but a heartfelt sorrow being expressed for transgressing the Word of God. Since God forgave Paul, a murderer, and King David, an adulterer and murderer, He will also forgive us when we are truly sorry for our sins, and ask His forgiveness, and walk in repentance. God said He would forgive, and He did it, and still He forgives today.
When we read about prophesies being fulfilled, it is invigorating to our faith. Everything God says is totally trustworthy, and provides hope for His people.
Consider the prophesies regarding Jesus. This site: https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.htmlprovides a nice list of prophesies fulfilled by Jesus – His birth, death, and resurrection – 300 prophesies from God were fulfilled by Jesus, and this provides some of those prophesies.
But God has more prophesies to fulfill – those that detail the future of our world, and the life to come. They include prophesies of Jesus’ return, and some description of His millennial reign, and what the new heaven and new earth will be like.
The book of Revelation was given to the apostle John as prophetic words to provide encouragement, and to strengthen the faith of His people. Almost 2,000 years later, those words are still encouraging and strengthening God’s people.
Some people run from the prophesies in Revelation because they are challenging to understand. But God will bring about the described events, in His perfect timing. We shouldn’t shy away from reading Revelation, and the other prophetic books, but should allow the Holy Spirit to bring us understanding, in His timing.
Because God told us events would happen, and they have happened, we can be completely confident that everything else His Word promises will also happen.
For instance, in Romans 8:28, God tells us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Though we may not always experience the immediate working of God in our contrary circumstances for our benefit, because He said it, we can trust it to be the truth.
What promise or promises from God’s Word give you encouragement to continue on when life is hard.
Consider Stephen, who knew his earthly life would soon be over, and how he trusted God:
Acts 7:54-60: “When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Stephen, facing a brutal death, asked God to forgive those who, in their ignorance (just as Jesus said they would do in John 16:1-3), stoned him.
Many men and women came against God’s people, and they are still doing so today. But God is not missing any of it, and He is working it all for the good of those who love Him, and serve Him, as Stephen and Paul and so many others have done so, and continue to do so.
It is very exciting to live knowing that God has everything under control. Fulfilled prophesies support this truth. Since God told us it would happen, and He has proven through Jesus that He brings about the fulfillment of His prophesies, we can completely trust Him for His watchful care over us today, and for His complete fulfillment of the remaining prophesies in the Bible.
We all need Jesus! Do you believe you need Jesus? If not, please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.comso we can discuss why we all need Jesus.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you.
Copyright 2023 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.