We all like a good mystery.  Perhaps this helps explain my interest in Bible prophecy.  Scattered between the pages of that old Book we find pieces of information about future real-time events that have been left there by the Holy Spirit.

But the purpose of Bible prophecy is not so God’s people can predict the future.  Its purpose is to strengthen their faith.  To His disciples Jesus once said, “And now I have told you before it comes to pass, that when it comes to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29).

Yet, as I said before, some feel that the subject of prophecy is a waste of time. They even think it may be dangerous. These people point to the mistakes past Bible students have made when they tried to link current events with Scriptures.  In their opinion, when these students of prophecy make a mistake, it does more harm than good.

So in many evangelical circles today, the popular mood is that we need to spend more time winning the lost than speculating on prophecies.  It’s not that they don’t believe in Bible prophecy; it’s just that they feel safer placing their attention on those things in Scripture where they believe they have a clearer understanding.

Actually, I can’t argue with their logic.  After all, we Christians are not here to bless the world by our charming presence, but to go out and declare the Gospel message of Jesus Christ everywhere we can. Yet here is where Bible prophecy can help. You see, if it wasn’t for Bible prophecy, I don’t believe I would have ever accepted the Bible as the Word of God.  And if the Bible is not the Word of God, there is no good reason for anyone to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Of course there are other reasons people have for believing the Bible is the Word of God.  I have reasons other than prophecy now myself.  But my point is that God gave us Bible prophecy for a purpose.  It is a powerful offensive weapon in our war against Satan’s strongholds of darkness.  Many people today are like I once was.  Their minds have unknowingly been taken captive by the “Prince of the Power of the Air,” and they’ve been imprisoned behind great walls of skepticism.  Sometimes Bible prophecy is the only weapon that can breach those walls and set them free.

For example, I’m not qualified to stand up to a scientist and intelligently argue about evolution.  I can, however, open my Bible to a passage of prophecy and point to its actual fulfillment in real-time history.  In other words, if the Jewish prophets accurately predicted events thousands of years before they occurred, then I can argue that their message about the coming Messiah should also be considered as well.