[Steve Myers] The Revelation of Jesus Christ. And that word for Revelation? That means to be revealed, to be made clear, to be unveiled, unmasked.

Imagine being on board a cruise ship. You’re just starting to relax and then somehow suddenly you recognize the fact that this ship is doomed to sink. As soon as it leaves port something’s going to happen. So what would you do? Obviously you’d do anything you could to get off that ship because somehow you’ve gotten advance news and you’d do something about it. You think of a sinking ship, any particular ship come to mind? Well perhaps you think of the Titanic probably the most famous world known ship because of the tragedy that it went through.

Traumatic, moving, heart rending, and yet it hold a special spiritual lesson that’s connected to Bible prophecy. Think of the Titanic for a moment. An amazing ship. Technological wonder for its day. But it had a fatal flaw. At least one fatal flaw. It didn’t have the capacity for the number of passengers to get into the lifeboats. It could hold 3,000 passengers plus the crew but a little over 1,100 people could get into the lifeboats. If only they could have known ahead of time.

There was no way that half of them could possibly be saved if the unthinkable would happen. So when it happened few survived that terrible disaster.

Now there is a connection to Bible prophecy because Bible prophecy tells us like the Titanic this world is a sinking ship. Think of the world and this comparison that we can make to the Titanic. Technologically, where do we live? We live in this beautiful world. It’s advanced there are so many conveniences, so many wonderful things that we can experience now. I mean it’s remarkable the electronics that we have and yet here we are in our society and we are just speeding headlong into unchartered waters. We are moving ahead at a rate that we’re full throttle right into the darkness.

Like the Titanic most don’t realize the disaster that can lie ahead. Few realize that things are going to sink. Because Bible prophecy tells us just that, that this age in the Bible points to the fact very clearly this society can’t last, it will flounder. It will go down.

Now you might say well how can you be so sure? God’s Word of prophecy.  Prophecy tells us that very thing. In fact when you read 1 John 2:17 it points to that very fact. It says this world is passing away. It can’t last and it goes on, “but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

So even though there may be these prophetic icebergs that lie ahead there’s hope. Prophecy gives us hope. It tells us things won’t go on the way they are but if you look at verse 8 in 1 John 2 it says the darkness is passing away. Yes there’s doom there’s gloom there’s tragic things that could lie ahead but it says the light is already shining. The true light, the true light is already shining. So there’s even hope in Bible prophecy.

And that’s one reason why you need to understand prophecy. Because this world, this age, this society that we live in in all its wonders all the marvels, it’s like the Titanic. In fact I had an interesting experience one time. We visited a naval base. If you’ve ever been to a naval base it’s quite the experience to see these giant ships and all of a sudden there were these bells that were going off on this one ship. And then there were whistles and they kept repeating and repeating and over a period of time they made announcements and then we heard this final announcement that said “all ashore that are going ashore.” All to point to the fact you’d better get off that ship if you don’t belong there. It’s time to get off.

And you know it reminded me in that same way prophecy gives us those same warnings to get off the ship, to get off the sinking ship and those warning signals kind of like the bells, and whistles and the announcements they’re found right here in your Bible.

And it’s an amazing thing. It’s not something that we can’t figure out. It’s not something that’s overwhelming because Bible prophecy it’s not for scholars. It’s not just for those that are learned or seminary students or pastors or teachers. It’s for all of us. All of us can understand prophecy. In fact there’s an example in the Bible that points to a way that we can learn. That we can discover what God is telling us through His Word. And you can find it over in Acts 8:30. Here’s a situation where a man was reading his Bible. He was reading a portion of the Bible and as he’s reading out loud one of the disciples overheard him. And the disciple runs up to him and he poses a question to the man and here’s what he says in Acts 8:30. He runs to him and he says do you understand what you’re reading? Now this man that was reading the Bible looks at him and he says “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

Well see he recognized this man understood Scripture and he points out the very fact I need help.  I need help in understanding. So the disciple sits up beside him and they start to talk about that Scripture.  And you know we all need help. We all need help in understanding Scripture.

In fact we have a Bible study aid to help because who doesn’t need some direction some times? And sometimes things can seem a little uncertain. So to understand our uncertain world, to understand what God is telling us through His Word, order our booklet “You Can Understand Bible Prophecy.” Because we don’t have to be ignorant about those icebergs that may lie ahead.  You can understand where this world is heading. In fact this study guide will do just like that example in the Bible, really help you to understand. So go online to beyondtoday.tv, call the number on your screen and order your booklet. Get the help that you need.

Because as you consider prophecy we need to understand, we should understand, even though some may look at the Bible and look at prophecy and think it’s just a puzzle to me. It doesn’t have to be. If you just look at one piece of a puzzle, just this one little piece, you can’t tell too much about it can you? Not very clear what that might be. And so if you think of prophecy all doom and gloom, catastrophic events. No that’s far from the truth. That just is not the case.

There are many pieces to the puzzle and many of the prophecies point to times you might not think of. Times that are good times. Times that are peaceful.  Times that are happy. Times of restoration. Times of family and togetherness. Because prophecy is written for us today and God wants you to understand. He wants all of us to understand. It’s like getting that advance warning. It’s like looking at the news of tomorrow, today. It’s kind of like history that is written in advance. And the Bible tells us that’s the case. It doesn’t have to be this mysterious puzzle.

In Romans 15 it tells us specifically about God’s word and that you know it doesn’t have to be this mysterious puzzle. So in Romans 15:4 it says this, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” So prophecy and this prophetic puzzle really points to the fact life doesn’t have to be a puzzle. The future doesn’t have to be this mystery. God’s Word puts all those puzzle pieces together and then the picture begins to come clear.

And so when we recognize Bible prophecy and we begin to put those pieces together we can have an understanding that whatever life may bring, whatever situations our family’s may face, God points to a bright future. A bright future for what’s going to happen in this world. A bright future for your family. A bright future for my family.

This is some of the ladies in my family. And God wants us to put that puzzle together so things can be clear.  And even though you might think of this book of the Bible that seems so difficult to understand, well what book comes to mind when you consider that? Well it might be that last one. That last book Revelation, oh wow that’s too much isn’t it?

No, not when you recognize the pieces that fit together. In fact the very beginning of the book of Revelation says something amazing. Here’s how it begins in the very beginning of Revelation. It’s one of those things that points to the clarity of having that puzzle together. It starts out verse 1, chapter 1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” And that word for revelation, that means to be revealed. To be made clear, to be unveiled, unmasked, and so it’s supposed to be clear. To make known what God’s purpose and His plan and His will and the things that are going to be happening. To make it clear. And in fact it even says just a verse later, verse 3, it says “Blessed are those who read and those who hear the words of this prophecy.” Blessed, you are blessed for reading it. Blessed for striving to understand it and then it says and those that keep the things that are written in it.

So there’s this connection to understanding, this connection to doing in our life. And you know when you understand you recognize God’s blessings. You recognize even though my life seems out of control, even though there’re challenges, God is in control. God is in control. He knows what’s going on and I can put my trust, I can put my faith, I can put my confidence in Him because He supersedes, He intervenes, He guides world affairs when and as He wills. And when it comes to the big picture He does that and even when it comes to the smaller things He does.  We’re reminded of that in the book of Daniel. 

In Daniel 2 it discusses that very concept of how God is involved in our world. He knows what’s going on. He understands and He oversees all of it. So the book of Daniel, Daniel 2:20 we’re reminded of that very fact. Daniel says “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever.  For wisdom and might are His.  And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.  He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness and light dwells in Him.”

So when we’re worried, when we’re anxious, when we’re fearful, can we look to God? Yeah, it eases our fears with what in the world is going on? About what’s going on in my life? You see it eases our personal lives as well, our personal world recognizing God’s in charge. And we can understand, He wants us to understand.

So prophecy helps guide us to recognize these things that are happening in our world so we can interpret them. We can understand that event, we can understand that news report, and in that way prophecy can be compared to watching the weather report. How many of you watch the weather channel? It seems like we get hooked on the weather channel. And of course they’re looking at the sky, they are looking at the clouds, they’re looking at the barometric pressure and all the things that are going on and they’re predicting when the weather’s going to change and how it’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen.

Christ did that in the book of Matthew. Christ made a connection between the weather and His plan and prophecy. So in the book of Matthew here Christ talks about the weather. Matthew 16 is where He rehearses this connection prophetically from the weather to what’s happening in prophecy. So notice what He says about it in Matthew 16:2. Here’s what Christ had to say. He says “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather.” So he’s recognizing people know this. He says “the sky is red.” Then He says “in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today,” why? Well because “the sky is red and threatening.”

So Christ makes this connection and then He says “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” So there should be this connection that we understand that our fascination with the weather, observing what’s happening, looking at the clouds, the formations. It should all tell us something. It could all be a great reminder. Observe and analyze what’s happening out in this world. Observe the signs of our times, notice conditions in the world because like the weather they can change almost instantly and suddenly a storm blows up and destructive storms can materialize and wipe out a community. And yet other times the weatherman makes a prediction this is going to happen, we’re going to get 6 inches of snow and then it goes the other direction and we get none of it. A storm can develop and just dissipate, goes away.

Well you know Bible prophecy can be like that. And you might look at this and say well we’ve had false alarms before, it may come up again. But when you recognize what Christ said He said you can be sure there’s going to be a big storm at one point. It is on the horizon. Christ spoke of terrible storms. He talked about tribulation. He talked about earthquakes. He talked about wars in this world. He talked about pestilence. He talked about diseases. These things are coming. He predicted lawless society and persecuted Christians and you don’t have to be some expert meteorologist to figure that out. Even though we need help He’s telling us if you can tell the weather you can understand Bible prophecy and it doesn’t have to seem mystical, it doesn’t have to seem unreal, it doesn’t have to seem difficult.

In fact, the Bible makes predictions more accurate than the weather channel. And when you look at the Bible and get the help you need to understand you can make sense of it. You don’t have to count on the weather forecast because when you properly understand, it’s clear, it’s consistent, and it’s reliable.

So get our study aid. Call the number on your screen. Go to beyondtoday.tv. Download your copy you can be a better predictor than that meteorologist on the weather channel. You can understand Bible prophecy because it’s such a reminder for us and like the weather that changes we need to be on alert. We need to be ready for whatever change may happen. And Christ talked about that very clearly. In Mark 13 He gives us a 3-fold warning.

In Mark 13 here’s what He says. Christ said “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” In other words He’s saying be on guard. Better take your rain gear with you. It might not look like rain but you’d better be ready, you’d better be ready. And so He’s making this connection between those difficulties that are happening out in the world to being ready spiritually. Are we spiritually ready, personally prepared, ready for the return of Christ? Ready for this world and it’s system to be over and watching events and connecting them to our personal spiritual health? It shows our readiness.

And so in a sense if we’re just in it to try to figure out what’s going without being spiritually prepared we’re in trouble. We’re in trouble. Watching, being aware, and spiritual readiness they go hand in hand. And even though you might not be able to tell the exact day we can understand the framework. We can understand the overview. We can understand trends that are going so that when we see it happen – oh yeah – we recognize it. We see it. And in fact God tells us He’s not going to leave us unaware. He’s going to help us.

In the book of Amos. Amos 3:7 it tells us that very thing. That the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to the prophets. To His servants. He tells us that very thing so prophecy doesn’t just leave us hanging, it gives us hope. And even though Christ spoke of dire difficulties, peace, and hope and comfort. And even though it may look unclear, life may seem very difficult to sort out. Maybe your life looks a little bit like this. Maybe as you look out in the world it looks like a mess. It’s in disarray, it’s confusion, it’s just things going every different direction like these threads on the back of a tapestry. And yet when God opens your mind the world looks different. Your life looks different. It doesn’t have to look like this jumbled mess of threads because if you’re ready, if you’re ready to have a better hope, a better future, a better grasp on life, stand in awe of God. Recognize Him supreme in your life because with God you can have an entirely different perspective. It will turn your life around. When we put God first it’s a whole different view. When we turn to God you turn the tapestry over and the picture comes clear.  

When we look to Him in repentance, we seek His will in our life that jumbled mess comes clear and it makes sense. It makes sense today, it makes sense. So when life is fuzzy, life seems a little confused, get out your Bible. Ask for God’s direction in your life. If you need help, order our Bible study aid "You Can Understand Bible Prophecy". Beyondtoday.tv or the number on your screen, call it because we can recognize that prophecy not only deals with the world and its conditions in the nations but it also deals with my life. And our study aid and the Word of God will help you to have personal guidance from God.

So read His word and as we read it, it should move us. It should move us. Not just to know about God. Not just to understand some event. When will Christ return, I can figure it out exactly. Or I can figure out what this beast is or 666, or I understand exactly everything about the 2 Witnesses.  Wait a second. Is that the purpose of prophecy? Just to try to understand those things? Or is there more?

It’s about who we are. It’s about our relationship with God. The Apostle Peter talked about that very fact. He talked about the challenges that this world will face. He talked about the time that things will be different. When this world will have to face the consequences that it’s brought upon itself. And the conclusion he came to is absolutely amazing. Here’s what Peter said in 2 Peter 3:10. Peter said “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” Of course you think of prophecy, the dire gloom and doom, the predictions of tribulation and disease. Yeah that all comes to mind when you read what Peter wrote there.

Alright is just knowing those things good enough or should we do something about it? You see that’s what Peter says. Next sentence. We know these things are going to happen. We can watch, we can understand, we see the storm clouds on the horizon. We see that iceberg out there. So then Peter says “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.” You see prophecy should move us and not to figure out dates and times or how we can save our own skin but it should move us to a life of love. A love toward God, a love toward our neighbor, a life of service motivated and moved to do right.

In fact just a couple of verses before this in chapter 1 Peter says something I think so critical to this. He says “we have the prophetic word confirmed.” God’s blessed us with His Word, He’s given it to us. He says don’t just let it sit there; this is like a light that shines in a dark place. And this world is a dark place but God’s telling us don’t let your life be a dark place.

Look to His word because prophecy is completely reliable. Pay attention to it. Even though prophecy shows this world, it’s rough out there. It is rough out there. But God tells us prophecy can be like the day that dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. So it points to that very fact.

When we understand that prophetic framework not only for what’s happening in the world but what’s happening in my life then I can make the choices to submit my life to God. To choose to follow His word. To understand what His plan and what His purpose. If we don’t understand what God’s plan is how can we fulfill our purpose in life? You see when we recognize the truth of God we recognize more, more than just what will Iran do? What will Korea do? You see God puts that in perspective and we recognize that very fact. That God does have a purpose and a plan and this world, this system that man has devised cannot last. It is going down.

But we don’t have to go down with it. We can make the choices to draw close to God. And so when we think about that our life, our personal life, doesn’t have to be a storm. It doesn’t have to be cloudy and dark and dire in our own personal life because we can draw close to God. It doesn’t have to be a puzzle.

Our life is one that we have to live in anxiety and fear and worry about what’s going to happen to me personally. Because as I submit to God I draw near to Him and while prophecy helps me to understand world events it also tells us God’s in charge. God’s in charge so that no matter what happens He can protect us. He can guide us. He can lead us. In fact He’s got a perfect time, a perfect timing for everything and He knows what’s best. He knows what’s best.

And so when we recognize His word we certainly can understand there is reason for hope. It’s not all doom and gloom. And we can understand and in fact God wants to reveal His word and His will and His way in your life. That’s what He wants. He wants the best for every single one of us.

He also reminded Peter to tell us. He wants all of us to have life. He wants us all to come to repentance. He wants us all to navigate these storms of life so that we can come through to the light. We can be a part of His family in His Kingdom. And no matter what life may bring we will be spiritually ready.

So can we take comfort in that? Absolutely! God wants us to have a confidence. He wants us to take courage because we can look to Him and recognize His promise and His plan for the future are undeniable. When we recognize the power of the Word of God and we make those changes in our life to put Him first, when we recognize the power of the Word of God, we can make sense of life. Because you can understand Bible prophecy.

[Narrator] Please call for the booklet offered on today’s program “You Can Understand Bible Prophecy.” Prophecy is God’s inspired revelation to mankind. God shows us who He is and how He has an amazing plan for all people. It shouldn’t be a mystery. This free study aid will help you see the true magnitude of prophecy as it places the past, present, future into clear perspective. Order now. Call toll free 1-888-886-8632 or write to the address shown on your screen. When you order this free study aid we’ll also send you a complimentary one year subscription to our Beyond Today magazine. The Beyond Today magazine brings you understanding of today’s world and hope for the future. 6 times a year you’ll read about current world events in light of Bible prophecy as well as practical knowledge to improve your marriage and family. Call today to receive your free booklet “You Can Understand Bible Prophecy” and your free 1 year subscription to Beyond Today magazine. 1-888-886-8632 or go online to beyondtoday.tv