The Spirit of Prophecy
By Cara Yeh
Do you remember how Pastor Paul began this study? He encouraged us to study Revelation to get a clearer and more accurate picture of who Jesus is. After all, this book we are studying is the, “Revelation of Jesus Christ,” as stated in Revelation 1:1. He is both the revealed, and the revealer.
In Revelation 19:10b, we are given yet another descriptor of Jesus. It says, “... For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The Greek word used here is propheteuo, which means, “to prophesy, to speak an inspired message, sometimes encouraging obedience to God, sometimes proclaiming the future as a warning to preparedness and continued obedience.”
To be honest, I hadn’t given unfulfilled prophecy much thought before studying Revelation. But, did you know that prophecy makes up nearly ⅓ of the Bible? Not only that, but for every 1 prophetic verse that exists for Jesus’ first coming, there are 7-8 verses about his 2nd coming. That tells me something – God wants us to understand what is to come.
I submit to you that prophecy doesn’t just fill our heads with useless information that we won’t be around to see. It actually serves many purposes. For one thing, it proves the Bible’s divine inspiration by declaring history in advance. Moreover, it serves as a reminder to keep our eyes on God’s promises. Finally, it comforts and calms our hearts, reminding us that God is in control.
Prophecy proves the Bible is true by declaring history in advance. Think back with me to the Israelites in the book of Exodus. The first several miracles that God performed through Moses, the Egyptian magicians were able to perform demonically, as well. When Jesus came, he performed many miraculous signs, but that alone was not the “proof” that He was God – it was that He fulfilled all the Scriptures that had been spoken about Him. More precisely, He EXACTLY fulfilled the Scriptures that had been prophesied about Him. Scholars agree there are roughly 109 verses in the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the New Testament. That means every prophetic word about God’s first coming came to pass literally, exactly the way the Old Testament said it would.
This made me think of Jesus’ words when he said in Matthew 5:18 that He did not come to abolish the law and prophets, but to fulfill them He was the Fulfillment of the Law, as well as the fulfillment of prophecy. In the very next verse, he goes on to say not an iota, not a dot will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Imagine that – not even a dot! If the Bible was this specific about His first coming, should we not at least consider that the prophecies regarding his second coming would also be fulfilled literally, with every ”t” crossed and every “i” dotted?
An important question to consider is, does God hold us accountable for knowing (or not knowing) prophecy? In other words, couldn’t we just claim that the book of Revelation is too confusing and say that we are “pantrib,” meaning “we don’t know or care, but believe everything will ‘pan’ out in the end?” Of course, not knowing prophecy is not a salvific issue. We know this because of the thief on the cross, who simply believed Jesus was the Son of God and was told that very day he would be with Him in Paradise. However, consider Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near." We are promised a blessing for reading and hearing and heeding the words of prophecy written in Revelation.
Let’s dive a little deeper concerning whether God holds us accountable for knowing prophecy. We are all familiar with the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus. Just after the women had found the tomb empty, two men were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, when Jesus drew near and began talking to them. When Jesus asked them what they were talking about, they were surprised he didn’t know about all the things happening in Jerusalem. In Luke 24:21, they confess, “...But we had hoped that He was the one to redeem Israel.” Jesus could have consoled them, and said that these things were hard to understand. Instead, the Bible tells us in Luke 24:25-26 that Jesus actually rebuked them for not knowing Scripture! Listen to His words. “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?”
Ouch! But, Jesus did not stop there. He could have left them to flounder in their folly. He could have left them with a guilt trip and walked away. But, he didn’t. Luke 24:27 goes on to say, “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” After Jesus had rebuked them for not knowing prophecy, he kindly revealed it to them. What a gracious and loving God! And He has done the same for us. Prophecy is written for us in the Scriptures!
Theologian and PhD Andy Woods says, “ Because God revealed these things in advance, Israel and the religious leaders were held accountable for how they responded to the evidence. The fulfillment of first‑coming prophecy not only validates Jesus’ identity, but also provides a firm basis for faith rather than blind belief.”
So, where do we go from here? Let’s look back at the original verse that we started with at the beginning of this article. Revelation 19:10b “... For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” That Greek word propheteuo is used 3 more times in Revelation 22. “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book,” Rev 22:7. “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” Rev 22:10 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.” Rev 22:18. In summary, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, we are blessed in keeping the words of prophecy, and we are not to seal up or add to the words of this prophecy, for the time is near!
You might be asking yourself, “Where do I begin to study prophecy?” Begin with faith, believing God means what he says, and says what he means. Deuteronomy 18:20 tells us the prophets were stoned for getting one minor detail wrong. You can take God’s Word to the bank.
Also, it is important to remember, the Bible is not an encyclopedia – it is not exactly chronological, and it takes effort to study and learn. In Hebrews 5 and 6, we are challenged to eat solid food, not simply be content drinking “milk.” That is to say, it can be difficult to understand at times, and it can be difficult knowing which books to study. Seek Jesus, the revealer. Ask Him to make it clear to you. Use resources and commentaries and scholars, but always check their words against His Word. Cross-reference the book of Daniel with the book of Revelation to get a better picture. Pay close attention to every word, knowing that not a single word is there by accident.
And in all things, do it with joy and humility. JOY! We are His bride, anxiously awaiting our marriage to our perfect groom! He has invited us to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Oh, what joy shall fill our hearts when Jesus returns for His bride! HUMILITY! We can be certain His Word is true, as He is Truth. We not only know the signs of His coming, but we are expectantly awaiting them. Yet, many details we do not know for certain. Hold fast to what is true, and hold lightly the things that we are not certain of, so as not to add to the prophecy found in Revelation.
Thank you, God, for prophecy. You saw fit to reveal to us what is to come, proving You are who You say you are, and Your word is truth.