Why Is Prophecy Important?

Watch: The Exile

In 1908, William Blackstone wrote a book called Jesus is Coming: God’s Hope for a Restless World. Inside, he devoted an entire chapter to the practical benefits of studying prophecy - he listed 40, I’ve listed a few of my favorites here:

1. Studying Prophecy Empowers Us to Live PRODUCTIVE Lives

Some people think a keen awareness of the second coming of Christ will turn us into lazy souls who stand around gazing upward in some kind of useless trance. But in reality, the opposite is true. In the greatest sermon ever preached on the Second Coming (the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24–25), Jesus listed the “signs of the times” and described the events surrounding His return. Then, He told a series of stories illustrating the importance of being productive and prepared.

“Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing,” He said (Matthew 24:46).

Denis Lyle, a Baptist pastor in Belfast, Northern Ireland, tells of a tourist who visited a beautiful mansion on a lovely lakeshore in Switzerland. The house was surrounded by well-kept gardens connected by tidy pathways. There wasn’t a weed in sight.

“How long have you been a caretaker here?” the tourist asked the gardener.

“I’ve been here twenty years.”

“And during that time how often has the owner of the property been in residence?”

The gardener smiled. “He has been here only four times.”

“And to think,” the visitor exclaimed, “all these years you’ve kept this house and garden in such superb condition. You tend them as if you expected him to come tomorrow.”

“Oh no,” replied the gardener, “I look after them as if I expected him to come today.”¹

Jesus is coming back—coming any minute, coming soon, maybe coming today. These are some of His last words recorded in the Bible: “Surely I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20). The more aware we are of His impending return, the more motivated we’ll be in our work for Him in these last days.

Jesus is coming back—coming any minute, coming soon, maybe coming today.

2. Studying Prophecy Motivates Us to Live POSITIVE Lives

The book of Revelation also promotes a positive mindset. As we study it, we begin to realize that everything that is happening in our world today is heading somewhere. In the book of Revelation, as in no other book, we see God’s sovereign hand upon the affairs of the world. We see Him in control even though so much here on earth seems out of control.

John says that Jesus Christ is “the ruler over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). This is not a statement about the future reign of Christ. It is a statement about His present reign. Jesus not only will be King, He is already King over the kings of the earth.

As the conditions of our world worsen, Jesus said we shouldn’t hang our heads in depression or shake our heads in confusion. We should lift up our heads in expectation, for our redemption draws near (Luke 21:28). After Paul told the Thessalonians about the sudden return of Christ for His people, he said, “Comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

3. Studying Prophecy Motivates Us to Live PURE Lives

Here’s a final benefit from the study of Revelation: it fosters purity in our lives. Several years ago, a prominent minister named Dr. J. C. Massee went to a show he felt he shouldn’t have attended. After a few minutes, he abruptly rose and left. His friends followed him out, asking what was wrong. Dr. Massee explained that Jesus could come at any moment. “I don’t want Him to [find] me here!” he said.²

Dr. Massee explained that Jesus could come at any moment. “I don’t want Him to [find] me here!” he said.

The Bible says, “When He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

The study of Revelation isn’t just for “prophecy freaks” or “Second Coming scholars.” It’s for every Christian who loves Jesus Christ and is anticipating His appearing. It’s comprehensible and it’s compelling, and it will change our lives. It is a practical book with tangible benefits, and those who study it are happier, holier, healthier people.

Further your study of Bible prophecy with these resources from David Jeremiah.

¹ Denis Lyle, Countdown to Apocalypse (Belfast: Ambassador Books, 1999), 21.

² Walter B. Knight, Three Thousand Illustrations for Christian Service (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1947), 602, 605.