And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.  2 Peter 1:19, ESV

Depending on the context, darkness can be dangerous and disorienting, full of unknowns and what-ifs.  I still remember the fear I felt as a kid walking upstairs to the second story of our home when all the lights were still turned off.  But once that light switch flipped, all was well.  A little light makes a big difference.  That's why Peter urges believers to pay close attention to the prophetic word "as to a lamp shining in a dark place" (2 Pet. 1:19).  It overcomes what feels threatening and puts into perspective what feels confusing.  Unfortunately, many of us have had the opposite experience when it comes to the prophecies of Scripture, resulting in the negligence of prophecy or even the complete avoidance of it for some.  What if the prophecies of Scripture aren't supposed to darken our path but brighten it?  

A REVELATION OF JESUS

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place... Revelation 1:1, NKJV

The book of Revelation often gets a bad rap for filling our minds with mystery rather than clarity, but the term translated as "revelation" literally means unveiling.  Its intent is to reveal, to make known, to uncover the truth about something.  And right from the beginning, John tells us what precisely this prophetic book is supposed to bring to light:  Jesus Christ.  That, my friends, is the focus of Revelation and of ALL the writings of the prophets.  Jesus Himself underscored this singular focal point of the Bible:

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  John 5:39-40, NKJV

Though the Pharisees of Jesus' day were astute students of Scripture, they had completely missed the Savior.  Do we do the same when we approach the prophetic word?  

While there's value in understanding the beasts and timelines in prophecy, their significance is only as great as they shine light on who Jesus is!

This is why Peter summarized the message of the prophetic word that he made known to believers as "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:16).  When we pay attention to Bible prophecy, let's approach it with this gospel lens in mind and eagerly expect the pages of prophecy to answer this fundamental question:  What does this show me about Jesus?  Beyond the understanding of information, we can expect the prophetic word to brighten our picture of who Jesus is in character and what He values in heart.

A DEVELOPMENT OF TRUST

And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe.  John 14:29, NKJV

If the focus of prophecy is Jesus, then the intended goal of prophecy is to build our trust in Him.  In John 14, Jesus is preparing the disciples for His absence, the reality that He would no longer be "present with" them as He had been for the previous three and a half years.  Sure, this may have sounded like bad news to His followers in real-time, but ultimately this prophetic revelation was intended to lead them to experience His "peace," to not "be troubled," and instead grow a deeper trust in Him.  The content of prophecy may not always be rosy, but its intended consequence is always redemptive and meant for relationship-building.  

Consider this Old Testament description of God's prophetic revelations and His intentions for our good:

Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7, NKJV

In the context of Amos 3, God is outlining a divine order of operations so to speak -- before He  performs judgment or intervenes in human affairs, He'll make known His purposes through His prophets.  Why is that significant?  He doesn't have to tell us that He's up to something.  God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants.  But He chooses to reveal His plans to His prophets not just as a generic heads up that something ominous will happen but as a pointer to the fact that He is actively working for our redemption and eternal interest.  

The prophetic word shines light on events and even catastrophes happening around us to help us trust that God is working for our good through it all.

As we pay attention to the prophecies of Scripture, we can add these questions to our framework of reflection:  1) How can I trust God more in light of this?, and 2) What is God promising to do in this?

A GROWING BRIGHTNESS

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. Proverbs  4:18, ESV

In Proverbs 4, Solomon uses the light metaphor not to describe the prophetic word but to portray the experience of God's followers in general as one that progressively grows over time just like the sun moves from dawn to high noon with ever-increasing brightness.  When we apply this principle to the our grasp of the light of God's prophetic word,

we can give ourselves time to grow in our understanding of prophecy.

 Let's be real, when it comes to the books of Daniel and Revelation, the meaning of each symbol and their historical fulfillment are not always easy to keep straight.  The lamp of this portion of the prophetic Word may seem as dim as the dawn to us now, but as we study and re-study their pages over time, our picture of Jesus and trust in Jesus through these apocalyptic prophecies will grow brighter and brighter to the full light of day.  Remember, Daniel himself didn't fully understand all the visions he received in real-time (cf. Dan. 8:27), but he continued to seek understanding by studying previous prophetic revelation and doing so with earnest prayer (cf. Dan. 9:2-3).  Similarly, if we feel limited in our grasp of the prophetic Word, we don't have to throw up our hands in frustration.  Instead, we can continue to prayerfully study God's Word, comparing Scripture with Scripture and expecting God to increasingly open our hearts and minds to the revelation He longs to give us.

🙏🏼 Prayer for today...

Thank You Lord for giving us the prophetic word not to cloud our lives with mystery but to fill them with heaven-sent clarity.  Thank you for revealing Your character, Your heart, and Your redemptive activity through it all in increasing measure.  Please make us a people who give it our full attention.  Stir our hearts to read and re-read the prophecies of Scripture with a renewed focus on Jesus that strengthens our trust in Jesus.