Friday Night Message: The Bible - Past, Present and Future, Part VI

June 7, 2024

Good Evening Brethern…

The title of this current series of Friday Night Messages is The Bible – PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE.

1. The PAST – The Bible as history

    1-A Key to Understanding the Present
    1-B The Principle of Cause and Effect
    1-C Lessons from the Past

2. The FUTURE – The Bible as prophecy
 

    2-A – A vision of the future
    2-B – A warning to the wicked

The previous message dealt with parts 2-A and 2-B. Tonight we will discuss a third
principle of the Bible as prophecy.

2-C – A motivation for the righteous

God wants the elect, those who are called, to continue to serve and obey Him.

Reading the prophecies of end-time events, contemplating the horrible fate of those who ultimately reject
God, considering that our behavior will determine our eternal future … can certainly motivate us to
continue steadfast in the faith.

In fact, many first become interested in the church of God because of a genuine fear for what will happen
to them if they don’t change and begin to obey God. Hopefully these individuals will mature and grow in
their approach towards God and obedience, but it may be a good starting point for some.

And on a more positive note, we as NT Christians can look to prophecy as a positive motivator. It is true
that many prophecies pronounce doom and gloom for the wicked. But many other prophecies
contain wonderful promises for the obedient … eternal life, fellowship with God, the opportunity to help
mankind, a chance to restore this planet, a glorious new body, perfection of character, and pleasures
forevermore.

Heb. 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen .
The things not seen include the resurrection, the millennium, etc. Our hope is in those things that are yet
prophesied to happen.

Heb. 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

We believe that God will reward us … therefore we will endure to the end, and continue in Godly behavior
So essentially, the purpose of prophecy is to encourage moral conduct, for both those who currently
disobey God, and for those who have been called now and made their commitment to God through
repentance and baptism.

Let’s elaborate on this point even further by turning to the book of Revelation – the one book in the Bible
that’s associated with prophecy probably more than any other.

Rev. 19:9-10 – These are the true sayings of God. … I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren, who
have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

What does this verse mean? What I write below is not UCG doctrine … rather it is Fred Whitlark’s
plausible explanation. So, what was the testimony of Jesus during His earthly ministry?

Matt. 5:17-19 – I have not come to do away with God’s law, but rather to fulfill it.

Matt. 7:21-23 – Who will not be in the kingdom of God? Those who commit iniquity.

Matt. 19:17 – If you would enter life, keep the commandments

John 14:15, 21, 23 – if you love me, keep my commandments

Even in the book of Revelation (again, this book is viewed as being primarily prophetic in nature, rather
than moralistic), notice the close connection between commandment-keeping and the testimony of Jesus
Christ.

Rev. 12:17 – And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her
offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ .

And I could go on and on, but I think that this is sufficient to prove the point about the testimony of Jesus
Christ. And then what about that word spirit, in the phrase “the spirit of prophecy”?

Spirit – is the Greek word pneuma – usually associated with God’s Holy Spirit, or in conjunction with the
nature of things in God’s realm, the spirit world.

But in our language, you hear such statements and phrases as “That’s the spirit”. OR “the spirit of ’76” OR
“the spirit of the law”. In such instances, the word has the meaning of attitude, disposition, or frame of
mind … the real meaning of the true intention of something … the essential quality or main characteristic
of something.

The Bible also uses the Greek word pneuma in this fashion, and that is the obvious meaning of the word
here in Rev. 19:10. What this passage of scripture is really saying (I BELIEVE), is that the testimony of
Jesus – that is to obey God’s commandments, is the real purpose or intention of prophecy. Godly, moral
behavior is therefore the very essence of prophecy.

Next Friday Night let’s turn our attention to the present.

Have a relaxing Sabbath,
Fred