You Cannot Force Prophecy
The Bible exhorts us to watch and pray in anticipation of our Lord’s return. Part of watching is discerning the times and the seasons, which includes study of the end times. However, the end times should not become an obsession. It seems every time there’s conflict in the Middle East, new end time teachings immerge, to include a flood of quickly written books. To be clear, many are trying to present the best information possible. Nonetheless, it is easy to get ahead of ourselves, and miss important elements of Scripture.
Often events appear to be prophesy unfolding before our eyes, and on occasion some are actual fulfillments. 1948 is a great example, which is when Israel became a nation again, which was prophesied long ago. For centuries, there was no evidence it would ever happen; but it did! God’s Word is true. There is a lesson to be learned here: sometimes the lack of evidence is the evidence. The reverse is also true. What appears to be evidence is a distraction.
The short of it is we cannot force current events to be the fulfillment of prophecy. They can serve as types and shadows of things to come. That is not to say none are an actual fulfillment, nor will we ever see any come to pass. Not by a long shot. In fact, we could miss them when they do. We don’t want to be oblivious to the times and seasons in which we find ourselves. The so-called spiritual leaders during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, did not discern the time they were in.
Luke 12:54-56 And He said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time (see also Matthew 16:1-4)?
That being said, there is a danger of bending Scripture in order to fit one’s theory, or leaving passages out that might negate it -even with the best of intentions. Information bias is a thing. It is a type of cognitive bias in which one is so focused on a certain supposition that he overlooks information that might change his viewpoint. One may actually distort evidence he or she is evaluating.
2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
We need Holy Spirit to lead us in our search of scriptures, which may include whether or not He leads us to study end-time prophecy. He may lead us there, or He may lead us in other directions. His call!
Another consideration is God withheld information concerning the last days. Daniel and John serve as a couple examples. This alone makes it difficult to be conclusive.
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Revelation 10:4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (read verses 1-3 for fuller context).
Of course, God does get very specific about events, which includes many intricate details. When it comes to studying the end-times, or any other subject for that matter, we can cannot be haphazard in our endeavors. A few passages of Scripture, what so and so says, and throwing in some newspaper and magazine articles will not get it. Too many believers are going by hearsay, and not studying for themselves. It requires patience and diligence.
What Did Jesus Say?
To be clear, prophecy is unfolding before our eyes, but the question is on what should we be focusing? Especially, as it relates to the return of our Lord Jesus and end-time events?
Acts 1:6-8 When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His Own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
When the disciples asked Jesus about restoring Israel’s kingdom, essentially, He said that wasn’t their concern; rather, they were to focus on being empowered by the Holy Spirit, and becoming His witnesses. The resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment is part of the Doctrine of Christ (see Hebrews 6:1-3); however, Jesus emphasized making disciples. That’s part of being ready for His return.
Matthew 24:44-46 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
The Lord can come when we least expect it, and it may be that He won’t in our lifetime. Nonetheless, every day is someone’s last day on earth. None of us knows when we will be standing before Him, which is why it’s important to be faithful at all times. Likewise, until the appointed time, it is imperative to reach as many lost people as possible.
