Learn The Bible

 Home Antioch Church LTB University LTB Blog Links Page
Bible Issues
Bible Knowledge
Children's Page
Cults & False Doctrines
Creation Science
Daily Portions
Devotional
History
Ladies
Online Bible
Questions & Answers
Sermons
Sunday School
Thoughts & Meditations
Contact Us
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

The Importance of Prophecy

Studies in Bible Prophecy Outline #1

Search LearntheBible.org

 

Open the Bible Question Form to send your own question.

 

INTRODUCTION Why should we study prophecy.  Isn’t it too difficult, too controversial, too unknowable?  What makes it so important?

I.            Prophecy Makes Up Over One-Fourth of the Bible 

            A.            In the Old Testament 

                        1.            Isaiah through Malachi (minus Lamentations)--16 books

                        2.            Much of Psalms and many other passages (Ps.2;Gen.49) 

            B.            In the New Testament 

                        1.            I & II Thessalonians, Jude, Revelation--4 books

                        2.            Many other passages (see Matt.24&25) 

            C.            Some Statistics 

                        1.            First prophecy--Genesis 2:16-17

                        2.            First Messianic prophecy--Genesis 3:15

                        3.            Last prophecy--Revelation 22:20 

II.            Prophecy is Exalted by God Himself 

            A.            Prophetic Declarations Exalt God

                          Isaiah 41:26; 46:9-11 

            B.            We Are Commanded to Take Heed to Prophecy

                          II Peter 1:19 

            C.            We Are Blessed in the Reading, Hearing and Obeying of Prophecy

                          Revelation 1:3 

III.            Prophecy Proves the Authority of Scripture

              -fulfilled prophecy is one of the greatest proofs of the absolute authority of scripture--II Peter 1:16-21 

            A.            The Destruction of Cities and Nations 

                        1.            Tyre--great detail given in Ezekiel 26

                        2.            Samaria

                        3.            Gaza and Ashkelon

                        4.            Jericho

                        5.            Ninevah

                        6.            Edom

                        7.            Babylon

                                      --to list a few 

            B.            The History of Israel 

                        1.            The making of the nation--Genesis 12:1-3

                        2.            The years of captivity--Genesis 15:13-16

                        3.            The promise of a land--Genesis 15:18-21(cp.Gen.49)

                        4.            The establishment of a monarchy--Deuteronomy 17:14-15

                        5.            Captivity and worldwide scattering--Deuteronomy 28:63-65; 29:28

                        6.            Return from captivity--Jeremiah 25:11-14; 29:10

                        7.            Israel’s blindness to the true Messiah--Psalm 22:21-23 

            C.            The History of the Nations

                          -Daniel 2, 4, 11 

            D.            The Prophecies Concerning Christ

                          -There are over 300 OT references identifying over 60 details about the first coming of Christ.  They were all fulfilled! 

IV.            Prophecy Explains the Meaning of History

              -Without prophecy, history becomes endless and useless; through prophecy, history becomes: 

            A.            God Honoring--Resulting in the Ultimate Triumph of God 

                        1.            The defeat of the wicked--Revelation 19:11-21

                        2.            The subduing of all things--I Corinthians 15:24-28 

            B.            Dispensational--Proving the Grace of God 

                        1.            From law to faith--Galatians 3:21-26

                        2.            From Gentile to Jew and back again--Romans 11:25-29 

            C.            Providential--Providing Good For the Saints 

                        1.            Promise--Romans 8:28

                        2.            Provision--Titus 2:13

                        3.            Fulfillment--Romans 8:18; Revelation 21:3-7 

V.            Prophecy Arms the Believer Against Cultism 

            A.            Against Those Who Date Christ’s Coming

                          Matthew 24:36 

            B.            Against Those Who Claim to Be Christ

                          Matthew 24:5 

            C.            Against Those Who Pervert the Events of Prophecy

                          i.e., Jehovah Witnesses 

                        1.            Their claim to be the 144,000--Revelation 7:5-8

                        2.            Their teaching concerning Armageddon--Revelation 16:16 

VI.            Prophecy Motivates the Church to Evangelism

              -this is true historically 

            A.            The Imminency of Christ’s Return 

                        1.            Redemption draweth nigh--Luke 21:28

                        2.            Comes as a thief in the night--I Thessalonians 5:1-3 

            B.            The Urgency to Reach the Lost 

                        1.            Now is the day of salvation--II Corinthians 6:2

                        2.            It is high time to awake--Romans 13:11-14 

VII.            Prophecy Challenges the Believer to Holy Service 

            A.            To Watchfulness--Matthew 25:13

            B.            To Faithfulness--Luke 12:42-44

            C.            To Comfort--John 14:3

            D.            As an Encouragement in the Lord’s Supper--I Corinthians 11:26

            E.            To Confidence--Philippians 1:6

            F.            To Sincerity--Philippians 1:9-10

            G.            To Faithfulness to the Word--Philippians 2:16

            H.            To Heavenly Conversation--Philippians 3:20-21

            I.             To Moderation--Philippians 4:5  

            J.            To Mortification of Fleshly Lusts--Colossians 3:3-5

            K.            To Waiting--I Thessalonians 1:9-10  

            L.            To Brotherly Love--I Thessalonians 3:12-13

            M.            As a Source of Consolation--I Thessalonians 4:14-18

            N.            To Sanctification--I Thessalonians 5:23

            O.            To Obedience--I Timothy 6:13-14

            P.            To Pastoral Diligence--II Timothy 4:1-2; I Peter 5:2-4

            Q.            To Love the Second Coming--II Timothy 4:7-8

            R.            To Separation--Titus 2:11-13

            S.            To Look For Him--Hebrews 9:27-28

            T.            To Patience--James 5:7-8

            U.            To Endure Temptations--I Peter 1:7

            V.            To Soberness--I Peter 4:7          

            W.           To Bear Persecution--I Peter 4:13

            X.            To Godliness--II Peter 3:11-13

            Y.            To Abide in Christ--I John 2:28

            Z.            To Purity--I John 3:2-3

            AA.          To Repentance--Revelation 3:3

 

 

Send Page To a Friend

Join the Learn the Bible mailing list
Email:

 The Fundamental Top 500

 

See Also

© 2006 Antioch Baptist Church Knoxville Tennessee