What do you think of when you hear the words “Bible prophecy?” For many of us, words like confusing, scary, end of the world, terrifying beasts, and others pop into our heads. It doesn’t really help that when people are teaching about prophecy, they usually advertise with a focus on global conspiracy or a coming crisis. Don’t get me wrong—Bible prophecy is incredibly important! But what is the real purpose of prophecy.
It’s easy to focus more on the beasts, kingdoms, and conspiracies surrounding the prophecies than anything else. Many people spend countless hours trying to figure out how the words of the US president or the pope fits into what we know about prophecy. But what if we’ve got it all wrong? Is prophecy primarily designed to show us what the beasts are doing or where the Lamb is leading.
When Jesus shared some prophecies with His disciples, He said, “I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you may believe” (John 14:29).
The purpose of prophecy is to build faith and trust in God, not fear. It’s not about having insider knowledge or predicting every crisis. It’s about learning to trust that God is never surprised by what’s happening and that His promises are just as sure as His prophecies.
Revelation 19:10 puts it clearly: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” If your study of prophecy does not ALWAYS lead you to love Jesus more, trust Him deeper, and reflect His character more clearly, then you’re missing the point. The spirit of prophecy is Jesus’ testimony!
Yes, prophecy warns us that difficult times are ahead. But that’s not where we should place our focus. We already know how the story end. If you trust God and have a close relationship with Him, it doesn’t matter what happens arounds you.
Prophecy is really not about showing how bad things are going to get. It’s all about showing how faithful God is to save His people through it all.
I want to encourage you to study prophecy. But don’t get distracted by speculating about all the craziness in the world. Keep your focus on Jesus. And keeping pointing people to Him. No matter what happens, your mission as a follower of Jesus stays the same—continue to grow closer to Jesus every day and help others find the peace and assurance that only He can give.
Follow the Lamb. Don’t focus too much on the beasts.