Prophets and prophesy:
Scriptures reveal to us that it was the agency of the Holy Spirit that the prophets received their divine communication, and by this special communication, each prophet became God’s spokesman.
These men were God’s instruments for revealing His will, especially in the predicting and foretelling of future events. And to those who believe not, it is, if possible, our duty to lay out for them every historical fact that verifies prophesies fulfilled.
It’s not the fulfillment of a single prophesy, but it’s the fulfillment of long series of prophecies. Progressive prophesy, giving evidence that they over the centuries had been intended to declare the future of rulers; their empires; their glories, and their failures. The word of God to these saints of God, has proven for all time that the power of prediction had been given them by the Holy Spirit.
Sixteen prophets whose books are in the canon, each having been given a unique place of honor among the Jews and Christians.
God’s prophets have been both analysts, and historians. Large portion of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jonah and Haggai’s books are direct or indirect histories.
1. The prophets of God were preachers of patriotism; their patriotism founded on pure religious motives.
2. They were preachers of a much higher moral code, far sterner and purer then that of the Law. Their declarations were more plainly declared with greater passion, correctness and directness.
3. They authorized, exponents of the Law.
4. They held a greater pastoral office.
5. They were also a political power.
To conclude, prophets were analysts, preachers of patriotism, moral teachers, exponents of the Law, pastors and politicians.
God will never force anyone to believe! But there is a union of definiteness and vagueness in many of the prophesies, thus empower those who are willing to search out and discover the truth to do so. And for those who choose to remain willfully blind, let them remain so.
When studying prophesy, we must keep in mind that some portions of the prophecies were intended to be of a double application, and others to be understood only upon their fulfillment.
Some degree of obscurity is essential to all prophecy; for their conclusions are not intended to gratify man’s curiosity by detailing each and every event and circumstance. Too have absolute clearness would have led to much trickery and many shrewd attempts by false prophets and teachers to fulfill the predictions before the real prophesies end had been accomplished.
In order to understand the prophesies, and to form a correct judgment of any argument for truth, we must not consider each prophesy singularly and apart, but as a whole, viewed them as a chain reaching through the centuries, each manifestly subservient to the same end.
Daniel speaks of four great kingdoms, beginning with head of gold, Babylon, followed by the arms and chest of silver, the Medes and Persians; then the belly and thighs of brass, the Greeks, they followed by the legs of iron, Rome and finally, the feet of Iron and clay mix. Daniel’s prophesy covers some 2600 years from beginning to end. His prophesies would be followed by Ezekiel, the minor prophets, in Matthew 24, Corinthians, Thessalonians and finally the book of Revelation. Each book filling in specific details, making clearer what came before, and in the end producing a grand whole; all completing God’s golden chain for the last tomorrow. Of course, the end comes when the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, brakes in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com