Saturday, June 18, 2016

God gives us prophecy not to divine the future but to confirm the source is supernatural; it is His authentication. 519-2 - 16 - 5

Prophecy is an invaluable witnessing tool. Prophecies in the Old Testament that were later fulfilled in the New Testament is evidence of the authenticity of a supernatural author who knew the end from the beginning.
2 Peter, 1:19-21, "19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the 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."
When witnessing to someone who refers to the Bible as a collection of fables I often cite the Septuagint, completed about 270 BC. I point out that a hundred plus prophecies found in the Septuagint were fulfilled by Jesus nearly 300 years later.
One prophecy that even the most argumentative unbeliever would have trouble discrediting is Michaeas (Micah) 5:1, "And thou, Bethleem, house of Ephratha, art few in number to be reckoned among the thousands of Juda; yet out of thee shall one come forth to me, to be a ruler of Israel; and his goings forth were from the beginning, even from eternity."
[Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L.. English Translation of the Greek Septuagint, Including the Apocrypha]
I also like to point out the Dead Sea Scrolls and the 32 foot scroll of the Book of Isaiah. Again, prophecy after prophecy given by God to Isaiah have been fulfilled.
Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
Matthew 1:23, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." 
The Valley of the Dry Bones, Ezekiel chapter 37, prophesies the emergence of the state of Israel which happened in May 1948.
Today with groups such as the New Apostolic Reformation the word prophet is used rather loosely.
Deuteronomy 18:22, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." There are several meaning for the word afraid, however, the best fit here is "stand in awe." So we are not to stand in awe of false prophets.

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