The goal of prophecy is this: because Jesus loves you so much, He wants you to know what is coming on earth. Jesus wants you to escape all the things that will happen. Many pastors are confused about Bible prophecy. Most pastors do not teach the Bible correctly.
They speak of “the church” as if all Christian churches were from Jesus. In the first century, that was the case. Today, Jesus says there are two churches in Revelation and Bible prophecy. Who is John, who wrote the book of Revelation? He was sent to warn us of things to come.
Luke 21:36 — “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Is Jesus saying here that as long as you believe in Him, you will be safe? No. Why? Because Jesus knows that many people who call themselves Christians are not truly Christians. By their fruits you shall know them.
Matthew 7:16 — “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” People today are so caught up in appearances that they cannot understand anything. Not only do people today avoid answering when someone speaks to them, but in the long run, this practice makes a person unable to answer questions or think for themselves. It is by practicing answering questions that we become able to answer correctly.
Who is John that wrote the book of Revelation? We shall see. Bible prophecy is a test from Jesus that distinguishes the sheep from the goats. Another practice common today, one that will bind people to destruction, is that people no longer believe in absolute truth. This is very serious — if God is not the ultimate authority on truth, then who is?
Then man would be the one who creates truth; man would be the one who decides what truth is; man would be the authority on what is good and bad. But man is not God. This is idolatry, insolence, blasphemy, arrogance, and lying. So many Christians I talk to no longer believe that when a man of God speaks, God is speaking through him. For them, the ultimate authority has become human reasoning.
Who Is John That Wrote the Book of Revelation? Why Did Jesus Send Prophecy?
When someone asks me, “What is the proof the Bible is true?” I say: Bible prophecy. Because no human being can tell what will happen 2,000 years in advance, to the very day. Not one human being can do that. But God can — as in Revelation 9, where He tells us 2,000 years in advance, to the very day, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, prophesied as July 11, 1840. This proves the Bible is true, since only God can tell us, far in advance, the events that will happen on earth. God sent prophecy as the ultimate proof that the Bible is true.
John 13:19 — “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”
John 14:29 — “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.”
Isaiah 42:9 — “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Prophecy is the best way for someone to know that the Bible is truly true, since only God can know the future.
Who Is John Who Wrote the Book of Revelation? For the Work of the Ministry
Ephesians 4:11-13 — “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
This verse was written in the first century. At that time, there was only one church. Paul says God gave prophets for:
- The work of the ministry
- The perfecting of the saints
- The edifying of the body of Christ
- The unity of the faith
In seeking to know who John, the writer of Revelation, truly is, we must understand that Paul is not saying all Christians in the end times would be united in one organization. In the first century, there was one church, one belief, so unity was, and still is, important. But today there are two main groups of Christians:
- Babylon, the antichrist — Revelation 17 and 18
- The Remnant — Revelation 12
The church of Jesus today is found in Revelation chapter 12. This church has a prophet, given for the unity of this true Christian group that will go on to heaven. John speaks of the Babylon Christians, and you can read our series on Babylon in the book of Revelation, which clearly shows that Babylon represents the fallen Christian churches.
Paul says here that prophecy is given so that the body of Christ — today, the remnant church — would be edified, so that people would stand united in the faith. A prophet helps people know correct Bible teaching. If there is no prophet in the church, everyone makes up their own ideas of what the Bible teaches, and confusion results.
Who Is John That Wrote the Book of Revelation? Every Wind of Doctrine
In fact, God wrote the book of Revelation, and the whole Bible. But God chooses human beings, as the Bible says — holy men of God — to write His book, since men are unable to discern right and wrong correctly on their own. God sends the Bible as a map.
Ephesians 4:18 — “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
When there is a prophet from God, we know that the revelations, visions, and dreams in which God speaks to him or her are from God. We can safely trust that their Bible teaching is correct — no more being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.
Ephesians 4:14 — “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
I heard a YouTube channel say recently that we no longer need prophets, and that “these people” or “so-and-so” follow a prophet rather than follow Jesus. When people say this, they fail to understand that:
- Human beings are totally unable to understand or discern right and wrong correctly since the fall of Adam.
- God sent us a book, the Bible, to tell us what is right and wrong.
- God sends prophets into the church so that members do not come up with all kinds of false beliefs and doctrines. As the prophet is inspired by God, God tells His people, through the prophet, the correct Bible teachings.
The reason God sends prophets, even until today, is so that we not be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.
I have seen this in many Christians and churches today: they have no prophet, and members come up with all kinds of strange teachings and confusion. A true prophet of God settles false teachings and brings unity among believers.
Who Is John That Wrote the Book of Revelation? Prophets in the End Times
God said that He will have prophets in the end times we are living in today. God said that even daughters and maidens will prophesy. We already saw that the end-time church of Jesus would be called the Remnant, and that the fallen churches are called Babylon and the antichrist — noting that Babylon has daughters: there is a mother church, Babylon, and her daughters.
Joel 2:28 — “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” We are living in the end times. God said He would have prophets — even women prophets. What, then, are the characteristics of the Remnant?
- She keeps the commandments of God
- She keeps the Sabbath
- She preaches the three angels’ messages to the world
- She preaches the hour of His judgment message, or the sanctuary message
- She has the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy
Revelation 12:17 — “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” She keeps the commandments of God — the Sabbath being one of these commandments, and a sign of the end-time church of Jesus.
She also has the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 19:10 — “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy — the end-time remnant of Jesus will have a true prophet.
Revelation 14:8 — “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She preaches the three angels’ messages to the world. Churches that do not preach the three angels’ messages to the world are not the end-time remnant of Jesus.
Revelation 14:6 — “…to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” This is not a local movement but a worldwide church. Finally, she preaches the hour of His judgment — the first angel’s message, also called the sanctuary message, or the 2300-day prophecy.
Revelation 14:7 — “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” The only movement that fulfills all these characteristics of the end-time remnant of Jesus is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her prophet is Ellen G. White. God has had women prophets before — Huldah, Deborah, Miriam the sister of Moses, Anna, and other women prophets.
Repeat after me: Father God, thank You for Bible prophecy. Help me understand Bible prophecy and where we are in history. Please forgive my sins. Help me to receive the end-time message of Your remnant church, in the name of Jesus. Amen.