How to Teach Prophecy

Teaching prophecy is a specialized skill

The difficulty arises in the attempt to be accurate in an arena where the Lord himself has told us that no one knows and that no one will figure it out. This is why He uses the image of a thief coming in the night.

However, there is much we do know. All we need to do is teach what we know and clearly label as speculation what we do not know for sure. What we do know for sure is: The King is coming soon!

We are responsible to warn the people—that they might be saved and be ready when He comes.

Why teach prophecy?

The main reason is that prophecy comprises at least 27% of the Bible, some say 30%, and I would say it’s quite a bit higher than that because many of the prophetic verses are not identified as such—so about a third. We discovered how that worked when Jesus came the first time.

Israel changed all modern prophetic understanding

Both amillennialism and confusion were the result of the general belief that Israel was gone and would never be a nation again. Most of the prophecies leading up to the great Tribulation, Armageddon, and the King of kings assumed that Israel was a nation. That had not been true since 67 ad. In May of 1948 that all changed—in a single day. The birth of Israel was the fulfillment of many prophecies. Ezekiel 36 & 37 were largely fulfilled almost instantly. The valley of dry bones was being resurrected.

Prophecy is very hopeful and exciting

We’re about to see the Lord God Almighty fulfill what He said He would do so many years ago. Many of the prophecies we expect to be fulfilled in the next few years were written 3,000 years ago. The Bible has come alive!

In modern American culture, the major awakening came about through Hal Lindsey’s societal shaking book, The Late, Great Planet Earth. That made prophecy popular.
It started the much wider discussion we see around us today about the apocalypse. So, why do you need to know prophecy? To answer the questions of your peers and to lead them to the Lord. Fear of the End is a great motivator. The Lord uses it regularly to get people’s attention.

Of course, accepting Jesus as fire insurance is not a great way to enter the Kingdom, but the Holy Spirit can redeem anything if He’s given a chance. Plus it is extremely exciting to realize that the earth is going to be remodeled almost as much as it was by the Flood in the very near future.

The result will be our Messiah sitting on the throne of Jerusalem, the completion of the line of King David—on top of the highest mountain on earth. It is truly an exciting time to be alive! David Bergsland has been teaching prophecy for just less than 40 years. His goal is to share with you what the Lord has taught him in that time. Many of his conclusions may surprise you. You need to take them seriously. For truly, no one knows the day nor the hour.