1. Introduction to Prophecy

DISCOVERING DISCOVERING BIBLE BIBLE

PROPHECYPROPHECY(Presented by the Christadelphians)

www.korbible.net

Week No. Seminar Topic

1 Introduction to Prophecy

2 Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ

3 Prophecies of Daniel (1)

4 Prophecies of Daniel (2)

5 Prophecies concerning the Jews and Israel (1)

6 Prophecies concerning the Jews and Israel (2)

7 Prophecies concerning the future of the world (1)

8 Prophecies concerning the future of the world (2)

Week No.

"Discovering Bible Prophecy" Seminar Topic

1 Introduction to Prophecy - Contrast wishy washy predictions (eg: Astrology, Nostradamus, Psychics,

Fortune Tellers etc) with Bible Prophecy- Different types of Bible Prophecies- Example of Tyre (Eze 27,28).

2 Prophecies concerning Jesus Christ- His Birth- His Life- His Sufferings and Death- His Resurrection- His 2nd Coming

3 Prophecies of Daniel (1)- Historical background to Daniel/Babylon/Nebuchadnezzar- Nebuchadnezzar's dream and interpretation- The Stone and interpretation

4 Prophecies of Daniel (2) - Revision of Daniel Ch.2- Four beasts and interpretation- Reference to Rev. 13 regarding the 4 beasts

Week No.

"Discovering Bible Prophecy" Seminar Topic

5 Prophecies concerning the Jews and Israel (1)- Why the Jews? - God's Witnesses (Isa 43)- Promise to Abraham (Gen 12)- Blessing and cursing (Lev 26 / Deut 28)- Luke 21 (emphasis on AD 70)

6 Prophecies concerning the Jews and Israel (2)- Scattering of the Jews / The Holocaust- Regathering of the Jews - Jer 30,31 snippets- Valley of Dry bones (Eze 37)

7 Prophecies concerning the future of the world (1)- Armageddon (Rev 16)- Ezekiel 38 (summary detail only)- Zech 14

8 Prophecies concerning the future of the world (2)- Resurrection of the dead- Kingdom of God on Earth (Isa 35, Isa 11, Ps 72, Isa 65)- New Heavens and New Earth concept- Last Days decline in morality (warning! etc)

Definition of Prophet/Prophecy• Prophet - God’s Spokesperson:

“ I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” (Deut 18:18)

• Prophecy - God’s message that the prophet spoke:

- Forthtelling

- Foretelling“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)

Types of Prophets• Who did not write books of the Bible:Eg: - Abraham (Gen. 20:2,7)

- Nathan (2 Sam 7:2)

- John the Baptist (Luke 7:8)

- Jesus (Luke 1:76)

• Who wrote books of the Bible:Eg: - Moses (Deut 34:10)

- Isaiah

- Ezekiel

- Daniel

Many have claimed to be prophets

• Augury - reading the future in animals entrails

• Hepatoscopy - divinations through animal livers

• Auspices - predicting the future by the flight of birds

• Astrology - reading the signs in the stars• Prophets - individuals who received divine revelations directly

• Sorcerers - witches, magicians, horoscopists, tarot card readers, palmists, tea leaf readers, clairvoyants

• Oracles - priests and priestesses who gave ambiguous answers to specific questions.

Bible - Result of the Prophets’ work

A significant part of the Bible is prophecy in its English

sense of foretelling the future

“ We also have a more sure Word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed . . . ” (2 Peter 1:19)

Can Prophecy be Tested?

• By Time:“ when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent .” (Jeremiah 28:9)

• By Truth: (See Isaiah 8:19-20)

• Testimony to God’s existence:(See Isaiah 46:9-10)

• For comfort & hope:“ For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)

Purpose of Bible Prophecy?

• Warning of God’s judgments:“ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household . . .” (Heb 11:7)

• Literal:“ And I will scatter you among the nations, and will draw out a sword after you. And your land shall be waste, and your cities waste.” (Lev 26:33)

Types of Prophecies

•Symbolic:“ And another sign was seen in the heavens. And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads! And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them onto the earth. . .”

(Rev 12:3-4)

• Let the Bible interpret itself wherever possible. • Determine whether passage is Literal or Symbolic. Symbolic prophetic language is consistent.• Prophecies can be short term, long term or have a dual application.

Keys to understanding

Prophecy

• Prophecies must be read in context with a view to understanding the circumstances of those who received it and the purpose for which it was given.• Prophecy is an integral part of the Bible. Therefore any interpretation must be consistent with the rest of Scripture.

Fulfilled Bible Prophecy - TYRE

• Founded by the Phoenicians in the 3rd millennium BC.

• A powerful trading city with harbours on the mainland and on an island 800m off the coast.

• 1440BC - Described as a strong city in Joshua 19:29

• 1000BC - Hiram, King of Tyre, was a great friend of King David (1 Kings 5:1)

Fulfilled Bible Prophecy - TYRE

Probability of the Ezekiel 26 prophecy coming true:

Many nations take part in the fulfilment (v3)1 in 5

The city made flat like the top of a rock (v4)1 in 100

Fisherman would spread their nets on it (v5,14)

1 in 10

Nebuchadnezzar shall take old Tyre (v7)1 in 3

Its stones & timber to be laid in the sea1 in 10

Old city would never be rebuilt1 in 20

1 in 3,000,000 chance of fulfilment

Fulfilled Bible Prophecy - TYRE

“For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon . . . He will slay with the sword your daughter villages in the fields . . . He will direct his battering rams against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers . . . your strong pillars will fall to the ground.” (Ezekiel 26:7-11)

• However, because of the siege lasting 13 years, most of the wealth of mainland Tyre had been removed to the fortified island 800m offshore.

Fulfilled Bible Prophecy - TYRE

“ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you . . . and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. It shall be a place for spreading nets in the midst of the sea . . . ” (Ezekiel 26:3-5)

• Fulfilled in 332BC when Alexander the Great built a causeway from the mainland to the fortified island 800m offshore using rubble from the long destroyed mainland city.

“ and you shall never be rebuilt” (v14)(the old mainland city was never rebuilt)

Fulfilled Bible Prophecy - TYRE

Fulfilled by Alexander the Great in 332BC

“ For Tyre built herself a tower, Heaped up silver like the dust, And gold like the mire of the streets. Behold, the Lord will cast her out; He will destroy her power in the sea, And she will be devoured by fire ”

(Zechariah 9:3-4)

Prophecy of Tyre - SUMMARY

• 960BC - King Hiram provided workmen & timber for the temple in Jerusalem.

• 587BC - It was besieged by the Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon for 13 years. Mainland Tyre fell.

• 332BC - Alexander the Great, angered by Tyre’s defiance, scraped mainland Tyre clean for material to build a causeway to the Island 800m offshore. It fell after only 7 months.

• The city gradually declined in influence from that time.

•Mainland Tyre was never rebuilt on the ancient site.

•Fisherman use the ancient site to spread their nets today.