PROPHECY: What It Is — and Why It Matters
- Ken Kalis
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
In 1994, I heard Family Radio president Harold Camping predict Judgment Day would be on September 6. When that did not occur, he moved the date to October.
Curiously, he scheduled Family Radio events for after those dates and raked in millions of dollars.
Thinking people turned him off, but on and on he went until he died in 2013,
He knew, and his audience knew what the Bible says on this, but ignored it:
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. -- Jesus in Matthew 24:36
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“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.”— Amos 3:7
Prophecy is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Bible. Some treat it like a puzzle to be solved. Others ignore it entirely, as if it were a dusty attic filled with strange symbols. Still others misuse it — twisting the Scriptures to fit personal revelations.
But prophecy matters because God Himself says it matters.
Prophecy is not a game, nor a hobby, nor a codebook to unlock the future. It is the self-revelation of the living God, given for the good of His people.
Today we ask two questions:
What is prophecy?
Why does it matter for the Church today?
1. What Is Prophecy?
Prophecy is God speaking.
Not human speculation.Not imagination. Not private messages whispered in the night.
The apostle Peter puts it plainly:
“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.”— 2 Peter 1:21
Prophecy in Scripture takes several forms:
A. Foretelling — God declaring the future
Isaiah foretold Cyrus by name 150 years before he was born. Daniel foretold kingdoms that rose and fell exactly as God said. Micah foretold the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Jesus foretold His death, resurrection, and return.
B. Forthtelling — God confronting His people with truth
Most prophecy is not future prediction but present correction:
“Return to Me.”
“Break off your sins.”
“Put away your idols.”
“Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.”
The prophets were preachers — but with fire in their bones.
C. Revealing Christ
All prophecy is Christ-centered. Jesus said so Himself:
“Search the Scriptures… they testify of Me.”— John 5:39
From Genesis to Revelation, Christ is the heart of every prophetic word.
2. Why Does Prophecy Matter?4
A. Because God still rules history
Prophecy tells us the world is not spinning out of control. Nations rise and fall at His command. History is not random — it is purposeful, directed, and sovereignly governed.
When kingdoms tremble, and nations rage, prophecy reminds us:
“The Lord reigneth.”
B. Because it keeps the Church awake
Prophecy is an alarm clock.It wakes us from spiritual drowsiness and reminds us that:
Jesus is coming again.
Judgment is real.
Holiness matters.
Eternity is near.
Paul tells us:
“Knowing the time… it is high time to awake out of sleep.”— Romans 13:11
Prophecy shakes us awake.
C. Because it protects us from deception
We live in an age of false prophets, false apostles, false teachers —and people who claim “new revelation” almost daily.
But Scripture warns repeatedly:
“Do not be deceived.”
Biblical prophecy anchors us in the written Word, the only infallible standard.
D. Because prophecy gives hope
Prophecy shows us:
A Kingdom that will never fall.
A King who will return in glory.
A new heaven and new earth.
A resurrection of the dead.
A future filled with righteousness.
It tells us that evil will not have the last word.
Christ will.
3. What Prophecy Is Not
(And why this matters now)
❌ Prophecy is not personal fortune-telling
The Bible never teaches that God gives private psychic readings.
❌ Prophecy is not emotional impression
Feelings are not prophecy.
❌ Prophecy is not a replacement for Scripture
Any “word” that contradicts Scripture is false — no matter how sincere the speaker.
❌ Prophecy is not entertainment
End-times charts and speculation are not the heart of prophecy. Holiness is.
4. The Greatest Prophecy of All
The greatest prophetic word ever given was spoken by Jesus Himself:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away,but My words shall not pass away.”— Matthew 24:35
No prophecy is greater than the person of Jesus Christ:
God in the flesh
Crucified Savior
Risen Lord
Returning King
He is the fulfillment of all the prophets.
Closing Reflection
Prophecy matters because God is still speaking through His Word, and because His promises cannot fail.
It steadies us. It humbles us. It warns us. It comforts us. It anchors us in the unshakeable truth that:
“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”— Revelation 19:10
May the Lord make us wise students of His Word —watchful, prayerful, thankful, and ready for His appearing.
Closing Hymn
Come then, Thou prophet of the Lord,
Thou great interpreter divine,
Explain Thine own transmitted Word:
To teach, and to inspire is Thine;
Thou only canst Thyself reveal:
Open the Book, and loose the seal.
Whate’er the ancient prophets spoke
Concerning Thee, O Christ, make known,
Sole subject of the sacred Book,
Thou fillest all, and Thou alone;
Yet there our Lord we cannot see,
Unless Thy Spirit lends the key.
Now, Jesu, now the veil remove,
The folly of our darkened heart;
Unfold the wonders of Thy love,
The knowledge of Thyself impart;
Our ear, our inmost soul we bow;
Speak, Lord, Thy servants hearken now.
Make not as Thou wouldst farther go,
Our friend, and counselor, and guide,
But stay, the path of life to show,
Still with our souls vouchsafe t’abide,
Constrained by Thy own mercy stay,
Nor leave us at the close of day.
Come in, with Thy disciples sit,
Nor suffer us to ask in vain,
Nourish us, Lord, with living meat,
Our souls with heav’nly bread sustain;
Break to us now the mystic bread,
And bid us on Thy body feed.
Honor the means ordained by Thee,
The great unbloody sacrifice,
The deep tremendous mystery;
Thyself in our enlightened eyes
Now in the broken bread made known
And show us Thou art all our own.
Words: Charles Wesley, Hymns for Our Lord’s Resurrection (London: William Strahan, 1746),
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