(December 23, 2010) If you are a Christian how would you answer the following question: What is the most important element in the Bible? Many, if not most, would say God’s plan of salvation. From a human perspective that indeed is the most critical part of God’s revelation to humanity. God created humans to fellowship with Him and love Him. It was so important to God that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us so that we could fellowship with Him for eternity instead of being separated from Him forever. Thus, the Gospels and the New Testament are very important in revealing God’s plan of salvation to us. Still, others may say the most critical element of the Bible is the revelation to God’s creation of His nature such as His love, His mercy, His grace, and His compassion. This indeed is important and helps us as humans to understand the purpose of our existence. Some may have other answers to this question. However, I believe the most important element from God’s perspective is prophecy.
Other religions declare that their founders or gods have the answers to life’s existence. How do we know they are not right in their beliefs? A biography of Buddha or Muhammad or other religious leaders can help us to know their nature and attributes just as the Bible does concerning God and His Son Jesus (although as a Christian I believe the Holy Spirit confirms with our spirits the truths about God). Their holy writings may contain some miraculous stories or some truths about human existence just like the Bible. So what separates the Bible from the other religious writings that have arisen throughout human history? How do we know the Bible is true (apart from the spiritual confirmation in our spirits)? God Himself answered this question.
“5 ‘To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal And compare Me, that we should be alike? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. 7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble. 8 Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.’” (Isaiah 46:5-10)
God says that He alone is God and there is no other God. He alone declares the end from the beginning. God is stating here that the proof that He is God are the prophecies He revealed declaring what was going to happen in the future. By doing this He is proving that He is God. God’s word is full of thousands of prophecies that have come true and others that will come true. All the prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the suffering Messiah came true with the first coming of Jesus Christ to earth and thus proving that Jesus is the Anointed One or Messiah. There are all kinds of prophecies in the Bible. Jesus prophesied of His approaching crucifixion, death, and resurrection to His disciples. He also prophesied that Christians will suffer persecution because of Him and will be hated for His name’s sake. Old Testament prophets under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit spoke of judgments that would come against Israel because of their rebellion against God. A New Testament prophet told the apostle Paul that he would be arrested and bound when he visited Jerusalem for the last time. And of course both the Old and New Testaments prophesy of the End-Times.
Since God declares that He uses prophecy to prove that He is God and that there is no other god means that prophecy is of the utmost importance in proving that the Bible is true and thereby proving that God’s plan of salvation is true and all the other aspects of His nature and His purpose for human existence are true. Therefore, biblical prophecy should be of the utmost importance to Christians and should be studied. You can rely on what God’s Word says is going to happen in the future and the End-Times because He alone is God, “declaring the end from the beginning” .
