[Steve Myers] We're continuing our series in prophecy looking at the Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24 when Christ was on the Mount of Olives. The disciples came to Him and their first question was when, when would these things happen? Christ had just talked about things concerning the temple and His return. So they asked that most basic question that so often I think we all ask: when would these things happen? When would this come about? And so they sincerely wanted to know from Christ and have Him tell them. We need to know. When is this going to happen? And we all…
[Darris McNeely] It's the most often asked question that people have probably about Bible prophecy.
[Steve Myers] It certainly is and I think we need to answer that question. Can we answer that question? It's an important one to consider.
[Darris McNeely] The truth is we cannot answer that question because in Matthew 24:36 Jesus Christ said that only the Father knows the answer to that question. And He said not even the angels in heaven know the time of Jesus Christ's return to this earth. There's not really any plainer statement in scripture. And probably that's one of the first keys, and maybe even the most important key to understand about this and how to determine and discern someone who's a false prophet making a false prediction is when they set a date—when they put on a calendar—let's say, what date would we put up there to say that they want to come back? September 21st. And someone says this is when Jesus Christ returns based on their calculations—you can pretty well be guaranteed that is a false prediction right there.
[Steve Myers] And like you said that first key then I think is what? No one…
[Darris McNeely] But the Father…
[Steve Myers] No one knows—and we'll except that Father in that. No one knows as Christ said in verse 36 of Matthew 21. No one knows except the Father. That's an important key.
[Darris McNeely] It is. It's no plainer—and yet probably the one that is most often violated. There's another principle, another key that you can find and it's back in Deuteronomy chapter 13. Again remember that the warning against false prophets, false teachers, and false predictions really begins with the prophets in the Old Testament. Moses wrote about it, Deuteronomy chapter 13—we'll put this up here on the board—in verses 1 through 5. He begins and he says, "If there rises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and he gives you a sign or a wonder." A sign—September 21st, June 15th, December 2nd, whatever it might be. "And the sign or the wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you saying, 'Let us go after other gods, which you've not know. And let us serve them.'" He says, "You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul." And so he says if someone entices you with an idea, a sign or a wonder, and really begins to turn you away from clear scriptures, clear teaching, they're turning you to another god. That god might be their own personality, their own charisma, their own cult or personality they have created as being a biblical scholar, or a predictor, or some great individual of spiritual knowledge. They're turning you away from the true God to themselves and that's idolatry. And that's what Moses was warning against here. He said in verse 4, "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice. You shall serve Him and hold fast to Him" (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). God's law, God's commandments should be at the heart of any teacher of the Bible or the way of life. And when they turn any of us aside from the clear teaching of scripture, then we can have a pretty good key and understanding that they're turning away to a false prophet.
[Steve Myers] And I think that is such an important point to realize that you've got these false predictions that don't come to pass as Darris mentioned. That's certainly an indication. I think there's a third thing that also comes into play as you started to indicate. And it's a principle that's found over in Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 8. And in that section of scripture, it is so clear in verse 20 that it points out the fact, if they don't speak the true gospel, if they don't speak according to the law, they don't speak according to the testimony of Jesus Christ—they are false prophets. They are false teachers, false ministers. Do not follow them. So these are important aspects that we can consider when listening to a minister, listening to a prediction. Does it fit with what Christ warned us about?
[Darris McNeely] Now, also, keep in mind, this is not to discount Bible prophecy. This is not to belittle true biblical prophecy. That's not our intention or our goal. It is really important that we do study Bible prophecy—study it with an understanding of what God is teaching us and what God wants us to do. In our next episode in this series we're going to again come back to the all-important key of why to study Bible prophecy and what's the most important—some of the most important things that we should learn out of it as we continue to study into this topic of Bible prophecy and you.
[Steve Myers] That's BT Daily. Thanks for watching.
