Bible prophecy is an exceptional gift given to us by God. The Creator of the universe, in His sovereignty and authority, provides us with an astonishing glimpse into the future.
Sadly, instead of reading these prophecies with hopeful anticipation, discernment, and assurance, vast segments of the church are spiraling down a dangerous road, failing to recognize the disastrous consequences of three incorrect approaches to Biblical prophecy.
Removing — In the first category are those who ignore Biblical prophecy as a whole; unfortunately, they make up a considerable portion of the church.
In this case, over one-third of Scripture is disregarded entirely, often branded as confusing, divisive, impractical, disruptive, or a stumbling block scaring away new believers. Each of these accusations misrepresents God’s prophetic Word and its powerful impact.
The apostles not only used Bible prophecy as a witnessing tool to showcase the authenticity of Jesus Christ, but they also considered the topic to be essential to a Christian’s understanding from the very beginning of their walk with the Lord. Equipped with knowledge about the future from Scripture, Christians are encouraged (1 Thess. 4:18, Luke 21:28, 2 Peter 1:19), filled with hope (Titus 2:13, Phil. 3:20), receive special blessings (Rev. 1:3), and are promised rewards in eternity (2 Tim. 4:8).
Considering that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10) and Christ frequently urged the church to “watch” for the season of His return (Matt. 24:42), the position of rejecting Biblical prophecy is an untenable position for any believer to take. It is also deeply damaging, leaving us with an incomplete picture of God’s plan of redemption, and having a ripple effect through our understanding of Scripture.
Adding — The second incorrect approach to Biblical prophecy comes at the other end of the spectrum and is related to those who add to the text—sensationalizing or making predictions that go beyond what God’s Word has expressly stated.
While this can also arise from those who declare themselves to be prophets and apostles in the modern day, I would like to focus on those who apply considerable conjecture when examining what God’s Word has to say about the future.
For example, in Ezekiel 38 we read about a future war, where a coalition of countries—including Russia, Iran, and Turkey—will attack the nation of Israel. The prophecy references the death of the Russian leader during this war. The challenge, however, arises when Christians make statements declaring: “According to Bible prophecy, Russian President Vladimir Putin will face his ultimate demise on the mountains of Israel.” Now wait just a moment! The text doesn’t explicitly say that. The leadership in Russia could change tomorrow, and then, in the eyes of all those who heard this declaration, God is viewed as the liar!
This also applies to date-setting and other assumptions added to the text, and it happens routinely among many popular prophecy commentators.
The danger is obvious. When we say, “thus saith the Lord” based on our own conjecture, we damage how others view the authenticity of God’s Word, and consequently, we significantly damage our witness.
Twisting — The third incorrect approach to Bible prophecy surrounds those who twist the text. As the late Dr. Chuck Missler would routinely warn: “Torture the data long enough, and it will confess to anything.” This “torture of the data” is precisely what is occurring among the groups who spiritualize Bible prophecy. When the plain/literal meaning is abandoned, a verse can mean anything under the sun!
One of the most prominent examples surrounds the nation of Israel. Through a significant spiritualization of the text, replacement theology emerged, and God’s future plans and promises to Israel were distorted. Suddenly, the Jewish people were branded as perpetually forsaken, and God’s everlasting covenants were bestowed upon the church. Under this view, Jews were no longer beloved by God, and the modern re-established state of Israel—an awe-inspiring fulfillment of ancient prophesies—was disregarded and demonized.
The spiritualization of God’s prophetic Word didn’t stop with robbing the Jews of their promised future; it has also been used to rob Jesus Christ Himself of His future millennial kingdom, with many distorting His ruling and reigning on the earth as merely symbolic. Once again, these promises were stolen and given to another, as many claim the church is spiritually ruling the earth as we speak!
While a great deal more could be mentioned, it is not difficult to see why “torturing” the text is a treacherous trail to go down.
Rightly Dividing — All three of these approaches to Bible prophecy are monumentally dangerous (Rev. 22:19). God means what He says, and says what He means. While many venture into these positions out of ignorance, or the blind trust in a particular denomination, we must all understand our responsibility to rightly divide God’s Word, examining it with clarity and discernment.
Bible Prophecy was lovingly given by God for a purpose. When we remove it, add to it, and twist it, we are making a significant mistake—one that not only affects our personal understanding, rewards in eternity, and walk with the Lord, but also our witness to the unsaved world.
