Purpose of Prophecy... to Reveal Jesus

Thursday   12-31-15  (Motel 6, Roseburg, Oregon)

Scripture reading:  Rev 19 - 22

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Rev 19:10  Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don't worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." NLT

Rev 19:10 “...worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” KJV

Rev 19:10  “Worship God. The purpose of all prophecy and of all I have shown you is to tell about Jesus."  TLB

O.  The first words of this book, as written in the original Greek are “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”  It is like a title or an expression of purpose.  The King James Version is, in my estimation, the best attempt we have to follow the original script ‘word for word’.  In Rev 19:10 The Living Bible translators the above words to mean that the purpose of all these prophecies is to tell about Jesus.  Sometimes when the verb “to be” is used, the subject and object can be reversed without doing damage to the meaning.  This is what The Living Bible does for us here.  Something like “The spirit (meaning the purpose) of prophecy... is to reveal Jesus.”

A.  Evangelist Roger Houtsma was coming to Argentina for a pastors’ seminar and a stadium meeting.  When he arrived with his team at the Buenos Aires airport he surprised me with, “I am counting on you to teach a session of the seminar.”  I had previously turned him down due to my heavy schedule.  Imagining many hours of necessary preparation, I asked him, “What subject would you want me to teach on?” His answer was instant, “Jesus!  Just Jesus!”  That just happened to be my favorite subject so I took him up on it.  I’m not an expert on eschatology... nor in any other subject, but I love to preach and teach about “Jesus”. 

P.  Heavenly Father, bring me back to the central figure of Your Bible.  May my “prophesying” (preaching) be a revelation of Your Son Jesus Christ.  Fill me mouth with Holy Spirit inspired words that will draw a clear picture of Who He is, His miracle birth, His life dedicated to reach out to the needy, His sacrificial death that purchased Eternal Life for us, His glorious resurrection and His commission to His Church.  Amen.

Ralph