How do I deal with prophecy?

When I study Revelation or other prophetic books like the book of Daniel, I often feel like I'm reading the script for a movie about “The World on the Brink”. Perhaps you feel differently and think that Jesus' death and the gift of forgiveness have solved your biggest problem, the separation from God.

So why do we need the revelation of the end of the world? According to the Bible, because God is planning a future world age (cf. Luke 18:30) and in it there will be no more curse for mankind (as is the case in this world) (cf. Revelation 22:3). This means not only that the concept of “sin” has been defeated by Jesus' death, but also that the world fallen by sin no longer exists in its previous form. All the negative aspects of this curse, even after the birth of Jesus and His death on the cross, will disappear. According to Revelation, however, this disappearance will not be a simple wiping away of the world (cf. Revelation 14).

God gives us the free choice of how we want to live our lives. But in the end, we will have to answer to God for the way we have led our lives. Revelation speaks here of the judgment of evil, which then stands against God in a final effort and is defeated (cf. Revelation 20:7-10). Many theological discussions deal with the question of whether or not this final rebellion of evil will be witnessed by Jesus or His church, or how long it will last (cf. Revelation 3). The Bible says that we should not fear the powers that kill the body (cf. Matthew 10:28), because the victory has already been won.

Revelation describes immovable things on an overall worldly level, which are apparently not very personal and in which everything seems to be predetermined. On the other hand, every person you meet and tell about the gospel can be the bearer of the message and the salvation for many more people, who thereby stand before God in judgment through Jesus. This is an incredibly active role. You are a runner for the gospel of Jesus and can proclaim His message.

Next Step: Think about how you can read Revelation with confidence, because you can be sure that God and therefore good will win in the end.