The World Ahead

Bible prophecy predicts a new age-a 1,000-year period on the Earth that will be characterized by peace, prosperity and mind-boggling progress. Consider just a few of the scriptures that describe this world ahead of us.

Micah 4:1-4 "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days [today and the coming years of this pulsating, dynamic 21st century] that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken." (All Scriptures quoted from the New King James translation unless noted otherwise)

Notice the highlighted phrases. This Kingdom of God will operate as the world's Chief Executive Nation. The prophet refers to this international leader as " . . .the Lord . . .the God of Jacob." This leader will operate an international education program that teaches people a new way of life, characterized by peace and prosperity.

Zech. 14:8-9 "And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea. In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be--The Lord is one and His name one."

Rev. 19:16 "And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

These and other prophecies concerning the coming of a world-ruling Kingdom have never been fulfilled. Yet, the Bible is replete with the records of fulfilled prophecies. If other prophecies have been fulfilled, will these for our time and beyond become fulfilled, too?

Let's consider the origin of these prophecies.

God first revealed coming this new age sequentially and in symbolic terms to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon shortly after He raised up the Babylonians to take the Kingdom of Judah into 70 years of captivity. Let's set the background by looking at God's word through the prophet Jeremiah: "Then the Lord spoke to me, 'Look, Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I replied, 'I see a branch from an almond tree. And the Lord said, 'That's right, and it means that I am watching and I will surely carry out my threats of punishment.' (Emphasis mine throughout unless noted otherwise). Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked, 'What do you see now?' And I replied, 'I see a pot of boiling water tipping from the north.' 'Yes,' the Lord said, 'for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. They will set their thrones at the gates of the city. They will attack its walls and all the other towns of Judah. I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil-for deserting me and worshiping other gods. Yes, they worship idols that they themselves have made. Get up and get dressed. Go out, and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. For see, today I have made you a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings, officials, priests or people of Judah will be able to stand against you. They will try, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord have spoken." (Jer. 1:11-19-All biblical quotes are from the New Living Translation unless noted otherwise.).

Prophecy is human history written in advance

God fulfilled this prophecy in short order, even during Jeremiah's lifetime because the fulfillment provided credibility for Jeremiah regarding prophecies that would be fulfilled thousands of years later.

Pick up the story in 2Kings 24 and 25: "During Jehoiakim's reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he changed his mind and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him. He sent them to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets. Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord's command in order to remove them from His presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive." (2Kings 24:1-4-New International Version).

Here, it says that God spoke warnings to Judah through prophets. We have seen God's word through Jeremiah. Let's consider another prophet that God sent to warn Judah of what was coming. Consider the word of the Lord through the prophet Habakkuk: "This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received from the Lord in a vision,. 'How long O Lord must I call for help? But you do not listen! Violence! I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me. Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery.' The Lord replied, 'Look at the nations and be amazed! Watch and be astounded at what I will do. For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it. I am raising up the Babylonians to be a new power on the world scene.

They are a cruel and violent nation who will march across the world and conquer it,. They are notorious for their cruelty. They do as they like, and no one can stop them. . . . On they come, all of them bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a wind from the desert, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their defenses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them. They sweep past like the wind and are gone. But they are deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god.'" (Hab. 1:1-11). That's not all, God also raised up the prophet Amos to bring a similar message: " 'O people of Israel, I am about to bring an enemy nation against you,' says the Lord God Almighty. 'It will oppress you bitterly throughout your land-from Lebo-hamath in the north to the Arabah Valley in the south.'" (Amos 6:14).

So you see, the house of Judah was not without ample warning from the Lord. This same fact holds true today. Consider what the prophet Amos said: "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey. Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does a trap ever spring shut when there's nothing there to catch? When the war trumpet blares, shouldn't the people be alarmed? When disaster comes to a city, isn't it because the Lord planned it? But always, first of all, I warn you through my servants the prophets. I, the Sovereign Lord, have now done this." (Amos 3:1-7)
Well, what about us? Does the Bible explain current events prophetically? Are there authentic and validated prophets in the Church today who can help us understand what all these strange events occurring around the world mean to us today and beyond? We will explore these questions in part two of this series