Читать книгу Field Guide to the Wild World of Religion: 2011 Edition - Pamela J.D. Dewey - Страница 38

The primary purpose of prophecy in the Bible, even predictive prophecy, is to clarify to specific people what God plans to do to them or for them—based upon their own actions. The focus is not on the event that may come, but on the hearts of the people involved. Nations whose leadership and citizenry are involved in blatant disobedience toward God are warned to repent to avert His anger. Nations that are discouraged because they are under chastisement from God are encouraged with promises of a bright future if they will turn and obey. It is also clear that many of these promises of good and evil are based on universal principles—any nation which will undertake to serve God can count on His eventual blessings; any which turn their back on Him can count on His eventual intervention to discipline them.

In this context, study of Bible prophecy is a useful tool to encourage the individual Christian, or groups of Christians, to consider carefully the fruit of obedience and disobedience to God.

But this is not the usual emphasis of End Times Prophecy pundits and groups. Although they may occasionally mention this aspect of Bible prophecy, they are usually much more focused on “figuring out” a chronological scheme for exactly what God is going to do in the near future. And it is here that danger lies for the individual Christian who may be tempted to be swept up into active involvement in such a ministry. For most of the teaching about Bible prophecy is not really about Bible prophecy in general, but on what is termed in theological circles as biblical apocalypse.