• Original photograph by Ryoji Iwata from unsplash

Destiny is not a matter of chance.

In this third article in the series we turn our attention to how we can be sure that God has a plan and purpose with this earth. The key points made in the first two articles were that in a similar way to which wind and electricity exist as unseen forces, so too God exists. We can discern His power and might around us if we choose to take notice. Also in the second article we saw that amongst all mankind's striving for the "ultimate experience", there is embedded into God's plan an 'ultimate experience' on offer to all people.

As is often pointed out in the pages of this magazine, the Bible is not just a single book. In fact it is 66 separate books divided into 'Old Testament' (39 books) and 'New Testament' (27 books). They were written over a period of about 1,500 years by 40 different writers, who lived in various locations throughout an area of the ancient world now known as the Middle East. On closer examination we find that there is a consistent message from God via these 40 authors. Our English word 'Bible' comes from a Greek word 'biblos' meaning book. In this sense it is a book from God with a unique and compelling message for any individual who cares to take time and a humble approach to understand its meaning.

Within the 66 books of the Bible there are a number written by prophets. This article examines who they were, some aspects of what they had to say and how the message was revealed to them.

Who were the prophets?

The records of the prophets are found predominantly in the Old Testament. They were ordinary people from different walks of life with whom God chose to communicate. They delivered God's message concerning His plan and purpose. Often they would be guided to speak words of condemnation against the Jewish nation and sometimes against the nations around them. They also communicated information about the future concerning God's long term plans, culminating in the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth.

Many of these prophets lived at different times from one another and never met or even knew each other. Some of them wrote dedicated books, headed with their name, containing the message they were inspired by God to write. Others were involved in Jewish events and, whilst they were named as prophets, they did not produce a written book.

How was the message revealed to the prophets?

When the prophets were moved to prophesy, the message was significant and had some bearing upon a person or group of people, or even whole nations. The Apostle Peter wrote about them like this:

"...We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

• 2 Peter 1.19-21

From this passage we understand that God, using His power, the Holy Spirit , moved these men to prophesy and write down their prophecies. We note from Peter's words that prophecy is not open to "private interpretation" or as the NIV puts it "no prophecy ... came about by the prophet's own interpretation". The prophets were driven by God's power to undertake their work. We can see this demonstrated with some force in the prophecy of Jeremiah:

"O LORD, you induced me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; everyone mocks me. For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, "I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in his name." But his word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not."

• Jeremiah 20.7-9

The resultant language of the prophets was typically prefaced, "Thus says the LORD..." (See for example Isaiah 45.1,11,14,18 and Jeremiah 31.2,15,16,23).

The chart below shows the prophets and the kings of Israel against a timeline. This makes it easier to understand where they all fit in, because the books which make up the Bible are not bound together in chronological order.

What was the message of the prophets?

The prophets had various messages to pass on to differing audiences. In many cases they were sent to prophesy against Israel because of their failure to obey the commandments of God. In other cases they would prophesy against the nations surrounding Israel because of their aggression towards Israel. Sometimes the fulfilment of a prophecy would be almost immediate, and sometimes it would be many centuries or millennia in the future. Some prophecies are extremely detailed and others are very broad and give outline information, especially if they are long-term predictions.

Long-term prophecy

Here is a brief review of a well known prophecy which appears in the book of Daniel. You need to read Daniel chapter two in detail to get the full picture of what happened. It is a long-term and far reaching prophecy that highlights God's plan with the nations surrounding Israel for some 2,600 years from the time of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to our own times and beyond. It is interesting to note that until the middle of the last century there was no trace of a place called Babylon or its empire. Critics could once claim that the Bible was inaccurate on this point. However, out of the sands of the desert in Iraq the city of Babylon was discovered by archaeologists. Details like the signature of Nebuchadnezzar on the bricks of the city were found. Many Jews were in Babylonian captivity from around 600BC. The king dreamt something but when he awoke he could not remember what it was. He called for interpreters who could neither ascertain what the dream was nor what it meant. A captive Jew named Daniel prayed to God, who revealed to him what the dream was and what it meant.

In the dream there was an image made of four different metals. The metals represented four world empires. The prophecy of Daniel tells us that the head of gold was Nebuchadnezzar himself, representing the Babylonian Empire. The chest and arms of silver was the Medo-Persian Empire, the belly and thighs of bronze the Greek Empire and the legs of iron the Roman Empire. The feet were part iron and part clay representing different nations that cannot mix, diverse in their religions, political aims and culture.

The image was struck on the feet with a stone that had been cut out without hands (Jesus Christ). The image was destroyed and ground to dust which blew away like the chaff on a threshing floor (the present world order). The stone then grew and became a mountain which filled the whole earth (the kingdom of God).

Bible students understand that the feet and toes of un-mixable iron and clay represent the condition of the nations today, following the breakup of the Roman Empire. Daniel told the king what would happen next:

"And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out ofthe mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold — the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

• Daniel 2.44,45

The accuracy of the first part of the prophecy concerning the image, is something which gives us enormous confidence in the Bible. It is a matter of historical fact that the Babylonian Empire, represented by gold was the great empire of its day. Daniel confirmed this as part of the interpretation of the dream. The Medo-Persian Empire did supersede Babylon and was known as the empire of silver, the Greek Empire was next, represented by bronze, then the Romans, represented by iron.

The Roman Empire has come and gone and today we can see the remnants of that Empire failing to mix with the varying religious and national regimes across Europe and the Middle East.

This prophecy gives us a "fix" on our position in the Divine calendar. Daniel chapter two shows us what we might call a broad brush stroke of Bible prophecy, because it is about many nations and lands and depicts clearly what the defining point of God's interactive plan and purpose with the earth is all about, but it doesn't go down to specific detail.

Of course there are smaller, more detailed long and short-term prophecies in the Bible which space does not allow us to address in this article. The Light Magazine special issue entitled "Light on Bible Prophecy" reviews selected Bible prophecies in more detail, examining their relevance to us today.

Unfulfilled prophecy

When we look across the narrative of the Bible in its entirety we see that there are some prophecies that are clearly not yet fulfilled. The most important example of this is the certain establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth.

We should note the accuracy of the prophecy of Daniel chapter two. Much of it has been fulfilled, in the sense that each empire successively gave way to the next − gold, silver, bronze and iron. But the end of that prophecy has not been fulfilled. Christ's "Mount Olivet Prophecy" in Luke chapter 21, which is partly unfulfilled, confirms what Daniel predicted about the end of the days when the stone cut out without hands smashes into the feet of the image. After speaking about the signs that will herald his second coming Jesus said:

"Then will they see the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

• Luke 21. 27

The most stupendous unfulfilled prophecy which exists in the Bible is that Jesus will return to the earth to establish a world-wide kingdom. We believe that the true import of Christ's words in Luke chapter 21 will soon become apparent to everyone.

Conclusion

We have looked at who the prophets of the Bible were and some aspects of the messages that were revealed to them by God. We have seen in particular the broad brush strokes of Daniel chapter two which gives a panoramic view across the ages of mankind from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the establishment of the kingdom of God on the earth.

God's plan and purpose with the earth and mankind upon it is indeed interactive. The Divinely inspired The biblical record requires our active reading and we are invited to join the body of people, whom the Bible tells us, God will save eternally.