1
The Importance of Prophecy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p3
The Key to Prophecy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p4
Prophecy and the Covenants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p6
Audio Short from Prophecy and the Covenants. . . . . . . p8
Prophecy and the Future Rule of Christ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p9
Audio Short from Prophecy and the Gentiles. . . . . . . . . p10
Audio Short from Prophecy and the Great White
Throne of Judgement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p11
Prophecy and Your Life Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p11
2
Prophecy is God’s eternal drama. It is the unrolling of God’s plan for the ages. When God gives His names, He
defines Himself as “I am.” He is always forever eternally in the present tense.
When you have a puzzle, one of the best ways to see how it fits together is by examining the picture on the box.
If you simply look at the pieces, they don’t relate as you stare at them. If you get the big view of the box you can
put it in order. Prophecy is the Bible’s way of giving us a big picture of the future.
But at the heart of prophecy actually will be changing our hearts. Not merely informing our heads.
I want you to note five things about the importance
there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me.
of prophecy. First of all, prophecy authenticates the
Declaring”—watch this—“the end from the beginning,
Bible. One of the things that sets the Bible apart is its
and from ancient times things which have not been
prophetic accuracy. How could it be that the prophet
done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will
Micah could say that Messiah would be born in Beth-
accomplish all My good pleasure.’”
lehem (Micah 5:2), when that was hundreds of years
before Christ’s birth in Bethlehem? Why would he pick
Prophecy gives you confidence to trust God. If God
this small little town hundreds of years in advance?
knows tomorrow already, then you and I can go to
Was it a good guess? No, it was the very mind of God.
sleep tonight. In fact, Paul argues over and over again
Second Peter 1:20–21 gives us this this emphasis on
that he got so overwhelmed with God’s character that
why this must be the case. “But know this first of all,
he couldn’t help but worship God whenever he saw His
that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own
powerful plan unfold.
interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an
act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit
Third, prophecy promotes holiness in the believer. In
spoke for God.”
other words, the more prophetically conscious you are,
the better you’re going to live. You see, if you forget
The second thing that prophecy does is that it reveals
Jesus is coming back, you’re going to live like He’s not.
the character of God. When you see God’s program,
then you get to know more about God. Isaiah 46:9–10
Paul says, my citizenship is in heaven, I just have a resi-
makes a very daunting statement relative to God’s
dence here on earth. Because he had a high conscious-
knowledge as it relates to the prophetic program. “Re-
ness of eternity, it affected his pressing on in history.
member the former things long past, for I am God, and
Look at Titus 2:11–13, “For the grace of God has ap-
3
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
peared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to
for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and pre-
deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sen-
pare a place for you, I will come again and receive you
sibly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking
to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (vv.
for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of
1–3). He says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” Proph-
our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Paul says, I not
ecy produces calm in the midst of a storm. In fact, He
only am looking back over my shoulder at my redemp-
goes on to tell us He’s going to send a Comforter to
tion that happened yesterday, I’m looking forward to
take care of us while He’s away.
my redemption that’s going to happen one day.
So what does God want us to do with this information?
Second Peter chapter 3:10–12 says, “And the earth
Brag, no. First Thessalonians 4:18 tells us, “Comfort
with it with its works will be burned up. Since all these
one another with these words.” You see, the point of
things are to be destroyed in this way,” that is cataclys-
prophecy is to produce encouragement. It gives hope.
mically, “what sort of people ought you to be in holy
conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the
We’ve made earth too big. We’ve made Satan too big.
coming of the day of God, because of which heavens
We’ve made people too big. And they all ruin our day.
will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will
Prefer heaven and you’ll be okay on earth. It’s a per-
melt with intense heat!” There is coming a day when
spective thing that gives calm in the midst of chaos
your house will burn. Your bank will burn. Your car will
and difficulty and trials and the like.
burn. The garage in which you house your car will burn.
Your clothes will burn. It will all, he says, burn. Don’t get
Finally, prophecy promotes worship and praise. When
so in love with something that’s going to burn that you
we see God’s work coming together in Christ as He has
miss out on the stuff that can’t catch fire.
foretold it, we won’t be able to help but praise Him.
A bride doesn’t wait till the wedding
day to prepare for the wedding. God is
Brothers and sisters, when we study prophecy we’re
saying that when you have a prophetic
getting an early edition. God is letting us know about
tomorrow today. But He’s not letting us know simply
mindset and you live and you line up to
so that we can talk about what we know. People on
that mindset, it will affect what happens
their way to hell need to know about the future to-
in your life.
day. People can go to heaven tomorrow at no cost to
them based on the purchase price of Jesus Christ, but
they need to know that today. There are changes that
we need to make in our lives in light of judgment seat
Fourth, prophecy produces stability during trials. John
of Christ for tomorrow, but we need to make those
14, Jesus is about to leave. The disciples have been
changes today.
walking with Him for three years; they’re now going to
be left alone. Their question is, how will we make it? Je-
It is easy to get so focused in on details that the point
sus says in these well known, well preached, well-worn
for which the details are being provided gets lost. You
pages; “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in
can go to a football game or a basketball game or a
God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many
baseball game. While the concession area is nice, that
dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;
is really not the reason that you are there.
4
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
How they make the tickets, how they clean the seats,
look like Jesus. Now why does God want people to
all has its place, but that is really not the reason that
look like Jesus? Because God can’t get enough of His
you go. You go because of the action on the field or on
Son. When you and I get to heaven, the Bible says that
the court. That is the centerpiece that makes sense of
we will be like He is. We will be replicas of Jesus Christ.
all the peripheral items. Well, that is true of prophecy
too. Prophecy has a lot of details. And people go to
First Corinthians 15:24, 28 tells us, “Then comes the
great lengths to examine the idiosyncrasies of prophet-
end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and
ic revelation. What about the prophecies regarding
Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority
Israel? The prophecies about the church, the rapture,
and power. . . . When all things are subjected to Him,
heaven, hell, the tribulation, Armageddon, on and on
then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One
and on and on. The Bible is so detailed with many of
who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all
these prophecies.
in all.” When this program is finished, the Son is going
to say, “Father, you love Me that much to give Me this
Volumes have been written to discuss the prophetic
redeemed humanity. Well, let Me love You back and
details. But it might be good to focus in on what I
give it right back to You.”
might call the key to prophecy. There is a key, if you
will, that unlocks the door of prophecy. It helps you to
Third, Jesus Christ is the content of prophecy. Look
put all of the individual details in proper relationship
at Luke 24, the story of the disciples on the Emmaus
and maintain them in proper perspective.
Road. Jesus Christ was walking beside them. They
don’t know it’s Jesus Christ. Well, as they were talk-
This key is stated for us in Revelation 19:10. “Then I
ing, Jesus basically asked the question, “What’s going
[John] fell at his feet [the feet of the angel] to worship
on, guys? What is happening?” And they said to Him,
him.” He was so overwhelmed with the revelation that
“Where have you been, stranger? Haven’t you heard all
he had received. “But he [the angel] said to me, ‘Do
this stuff that has been coming down in Jerusalem? We
not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your
thought that this Jesus was going to come and be our
brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship
Messiah and take us out of this mess and take us off
God.” And here is the statement. “For the testimony of
of Roman rule and all of this and they went and killed
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” To the degree that all
Him. But then the women came to the tombs, and they
prophetic details are related properly to Christ is the
couldn’t find the body, and woe are we.”
degree not only that you will understand prophecy, but
in addition to understanding prophecy you will benefit
Jesus says to them, after they finished whining, “You
from the prophetic understanding that you gain. To
fools.” That is not what you call an evangelical compli-
miss Christ is to miss prophecy.
ment. “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all
that the prophets have spoken. Was it not necessary
Let’s look at four things regarding the key, Jesus
for Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His
Christ, relative to the issue of prophecy, the declaration
glory?” (v. 25). And what did He do, verse 27: “Then
of events prior to their occurring.
beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He
explained to them the things concerning Himself in
First of all, as we’ve already seen, Jesus is the center-
all the Scriptures.” Moses wrote the first five books of
piece of prophecy.
the Bible. Whenever the Jews wanted to refer to the
Old Testament in total they would say Moses and the
Jesus is also the cause for prophecy. God’s prophetic
prophets. Verse 27 says Jesus took them all the way
goal is to create in humanity a group of people who
back to Moses and the prophets and taught them
5
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
things concerning whom—Himself. Now what does that
talking about—the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
mean? That means that Jesus is in the Old Testament.
What He says is “If you had been paying attention to
So this last book of the Bible says that while we are
the Scripture, you wouldn’t be depressed right now. If
going to discuss all these details, I want you to under-
you would have been paying attention to the Scripture,
stand is that this is fundamentally about Jesus Christ.
you would be shouting right now. In fact, if you would
This is about summing up all things in Christ. It is about
have been paying attention to the Scripture, you would
the exaltation, recognition, worthiness, glorification,
know who your Bible teacher was right now.”
adoration of Jesus Christ. And that is why to miss the
Son is to miss life. “He who has the Son has the life; he
If you miss Jesus, you miss everything. The Old Tes-
who does not have the Son of God does not have the
tament is all about Him. All the sacrifices were in
life” (1 John 5:12).
anticipation of Messiah who was to come. The priesthood was all about the high priest who was to come.
The prophets were about the prophet who was to
come. The King was about the King of kings who was
to come. All of the lambs that were slain, the day of
One of the key ways to identify the unfolding of proph-
Atonement, it was all about Jesus Christ.
ecy is through the covenants.
If you don’t see Christ, you become spiritually blind.
In the Bible, covenants are agreements, working rela-
And when you become spiritually blind, your circum-
tionships between God and His people. A covenant is a
stances rule your emotions. Because you don’t see
statement by God about an agreement or an arrange-
things that really are. You don’t see things from God’s
ment by Him in which He relates to His people in terms
point of view.
of what He will do on their behalf.
So, how did He solve their problem? He fussed at them
Now, just like a handshake, a covenant is only good as
a little bit—“you foolish men.” But then He opened up
the people making it. The first covenant, Genesis 3:15,
the Scriptures. He gave them a Bible study as they
we’ll call this the Adamic covenant, but it’s also full
walked along.
of prophecy: “I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall
And when they fellowshipped with the person who was
bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the
the focus of prophecy, then their eyes were opened.
heel.” The key phrase is “I will put.” God is entering into
a relationship, a promise where He determines what is
Finally, Jesus Christ is the culmination of prophecy.
going to happen. Notice there would be shedding of
Ephesians 1:10 speaks of “the summing up of all things
blood, because of bruising the heel and crushing the
in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the
head. The further you go in the Bible, the more infor-
earth.”
mation is added. By the time you leave the Old Testament you’ve got this bigger body of information that’s
Notice the first line in Revelation. John says this is
all clarified when Jesus Christ arrives on the scene in
the revelation of whom, Jesus Christ. Now this book
the New Testament. But here we have in Genesis 3:15
discusses all these events, all these activities, all these
a promise of redemption and of defeat of the evil one
judgments. It talks about heaven, the New Jerusalem,
without getting into the details.
the eternal state. It talks about hell. But when John
And when the unrighteous seed were unrighteous con-
opens the book up, he says let me tell you what I am
6
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
tinually, then God brings a flood upon the earth. Now
rest of human history would surround this one little ol’
after the flood is over, Genesis chapter 9, God enters
nation called Israel. In fact, it’s surrounding it today. All
into what we call the Noadic covenant, the covenant
of history will find its culmination in the Middle East.
with Noah.
And all of history will find its culmination in the little
nation called Israel.
The Flood was so cataclysmic that even God on the
emotional side was affected, but He couldn’t let His
emotions control His justice and His holiness, so He still
had to execute wrath. We don’t want to go into all the
details of it except to say as this covenant is explained
Israel is a key cog in the prophetic
wheel. Your understanding of
Israel will have a lot to say about
your understanding of prophecy.
to Noah, God tells him to establish righteousness in
civilization through government.
God now does the very same thing in a different way
with a man named Abraham. And that leads us from
the Noadic covenant, where God is dealing with government in general, to the Abrahamic covenant, where
God creates a special people. A unique nation that He
would call His own. And He does it with a pagan man
named Abraham, who’s living in a pagan nation called
Almost all of the tour guides in Israel are non-Christian
Ur of the Chaldeans. God is going to call Abraham
but almost all of them are practicing religious Jews to
forth and set forth what is the most foundational of
some level. Either Orthodox or Conservative, and so
all of the covenants in all of the Bible. In other words,
when I went to Israel I had many opportunities to talk
everything you’re ever going to read in the Bible will
about Messiah. I said, “Tell me about Messiah.”
now bounce off of this. It won’t ignore the Adamic
covenant. It won’t ignore the Noadic covenant. Those
And almost to a man they’d say, “We can’t wait until
will still be in place, but the Abrahamic covenant will
He gets here.”
become the central mechanism by which the rest of
God’s program will be measured and unfolded.
“What about Jesus?” I asked.
And here it is. “I will make you a great nation, and I will
“We just don’t believe He was the Messiah. We just
bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall
can’t believe He was the Messiah.”
be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and
the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the
Tied to that national blessing, He’s also going to give
families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3).
Abraham international blessing. Verse 3 says, “and
First, a lot of personal promises are given to Abraham.
in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” In
His name is changed from Abram to Abraham. He gets
other words, “I’m going to make you great. I’m going
spiritual blessings.
to make a people come out of you that will be great.
And through you and the people that come out of you
But God also gives him a national promise. “I’m going
will all the rest of the earth be blessed.” Now of course,
to not only make you a great man, I’m going to make
that’s ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, because Je-
you a great nation.” And now He gives the prophecy
sus Christ shall be the savior of all nations. Abraham
about Israel. The reason this is important is that the
doesn’t know what in the world this means. God will
7
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
not always tell you everything at the beginning of
more as formerly, even from the day that I command-
wherever He’s taking you. You walk by faith not by
ed judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give
sight. To walk by faith is to let it unfold in front of us.
you rest from your enemies. . . . Your house and your
kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne
Click on the horn to the left to hear an audio
short from Prophecy and the Covenants.
will be established forever.” You have to have a nation,
Israel; a land, Palestine; and a king. Those three prophecies would have to be fulfilled. Now when the prophe-
Look at Psalm 105:8–9, “He has remembered His cov-
cies of Messiah are seen, that there will be one who will
enant forever, the word which He commanded to a
come who will rule on the throne of his father David, it
thousand generations, the covenant which He made
had to be proven that Jesus Christ had the legal right
with Abraham. . . .” God made an unconditional cov-
to the throne, that He was from the line of David.
enant with Abraham and He’s made an unconditional
covenant with you and me, the new covenant, whereby
If you read Matthew chapter 1 without this Old Testa-
we are eternally saved when we accept Christ. How-
ment understanding, you think you have got a bunch
ever, within the unconditional covenant God includes
of names, but you don’t; you have proof. “The record
a sub-conditional covenant. This conditional covenant
of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of
will not change the broad covenant, but what it will
David, the son of Abraham.” Now why do you think he
affect is your enjoyment of it. So it’s possible to be on
mentions David and Abraham? Abrahamic covenant.
your way to heaven but not enjoy the trip. And it’s pos-
Davidic covenant. He mentions the two covenants,
sible for Israel to be guaranteed the land but not enjoy
the two key covenant people related to the land, the
the process of obtaining it.
nation, and of course, David, the throne. He spent all
of this time to come down to verse 16, “Jacob was the
The conditional covenant was called the Mosaic cov-
father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus
enant.
was born, who is called the Messiah.”
Now in May 1948 you had the impossible occur. This
That’s important to show that Jesus Christ had the
has never ever happened in the history of the hu-
legal right to the throne of David. Why? Because
man race. What? When a group of people who are
His stepfather who adopted Him was a man named
vanquished from their land for a period of fifty years
Joseph, and he traces Joseph all the way back to the
or more, who ever came back to the land they were
line of David, so that Jesus Christ by His adoption by
vanquished from, still speaking the same language
Joseph has a legal right to sit on the throne.
that they spoke when they were vanquished? That has
never ever happened in the history of the human race
But now the Bible goes into the genealogy of Mary, in
before.
the book of Luke. Jesus Christ not only has legal rights
through Joseph, He had birth rights through Mary. And
Let’s look at another covenant, the Davidic Covenant,
in both genealogies He’s the son of David. That’s why
in 2 Samuel 7:4–16, “The word of the Lord came to
these genealogies are written, to let the Jews know,
Nathan, saying, ‘Go and say to My servant David, “Thus
“Your king has arrived.”
says the Lord . . . I will make you a great name, like the
names of the great men who are on the earth. I will
Jesus brought in another covenant, the new covenant,
also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant
introduced in Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah, while pronouncing
them, that they may live in their own place and not be
judgment on the people for their rebellion against God,
disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any
said, “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
8
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of
Or to put it in Jesus’ words, if the branch no longer
Israel and with the house of Judah.’” So this is a cov-
abides in the vine, “without Me you can produce noth-
enant with Israel, “‘not like the covenant which I made
ing.” We’ve got a lot of Christians trying to produce
with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to
their own sap. We’ve got a lot of Christians trying to
bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant they
conjure up spirituality. You have to be so intimately
broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the
connected with Christ that the sap flows. You still pro-
Lord” (vv. 31–32).
duce good works, but you produce them from the inside out, not because you grit your teeth and say, “I’ve
What is the old covenant that He spoke of? It was the
got to be righteous today.” The dynamic on the inside
covenant with Moses. When He made a covenant with
flows so strongly that it overflows to the outside.
Israel through Moses, it said that if they obeyed they
would be blessed; if they disobeyed, they would be
cursed. The law of Moses was written on tablets and
they couldn’t keep it. The law on the outside when
there is a bad heart on the inside leads to rebellion.
So in the new covenant, God says, “I’m not going to
write it on stone, I’m going to write it on your heart”
(see Jeremiah 31:33–34). Whenever you follow God on
Your expectations always affect your behavior. If you
the inside, you don’t need a list on the outside. There
found out that you were terminally ill and only had one
are two ways you obey God. You obey God because
year to live, I can guarantee it’ll affect your behavior.
you are afraid of the consequences or you obey God
All of a sudden with only twelve months to live, certain
because you love Him so much you don’t want to hurt
things that used to be important wouldn’t be important
Him. In fact, the Bible declares that the church, you and
anymore. Certain things that are wrong you’d want to
me today, partake of the benefits of the new covenant.
get right, because your expectation of death would
That’s why when we take communion it’s called the
transform your functioning in life.
new covenant.
You show me people who have no hope. They don’t
In Galatians 2:21 Paul says, “I do not nullify the grace of
hope to do anything, go anywhere, or be anything.
God.” He’s simply saying don’t get cut off from grace.
And I’ll show you people who are not maximizing their
A lot of Christians are doing all the right things but hat-
potential, constantly getting into trouble, constantly
ing their Christian life. “I’m not doing anything wrong
empty because they have no hope. The Bible refers to
but I’m so miserable as a Christian.” What’s wrong with
the return of Jesus Christ as the blessed hope. It is the
those Christians? They’re cut off from grace. They’re
great expectation of the church that time is not all that
still trying to operate under the wrong law. They’re still
there is, but out there is eternity and a series of events
with Moses.
in God’s prophetic structure that will lead in to that
eternal dwelling place.
You see, under Moses, you had an external code to
conform to. But you could do all of those external
things and still not be on the right track with God. In
the new covenant, which replaces the Mosaic covenant, your relationship with God is not written on
stone, the Ten Commandments, it’s written on your
heart.
9
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
we’ve come back with Jesus Christ at Armageddon to
watch Him defeat His enemies. This leads to an event
described in chapter 19 of the book of Revelation, verses 7–8: “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory
It has dawned on me the reason why
many of us aren’t doing better is
we’ve lost our expectation. So therefore, our hope has not affected our
behavior.
to Him, for the marriage of the lamb has come and His
bride has made herself ready.’ And it was given to her
to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the
fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
When the Bible refers to the marriage supper it’s talking about a reception. This is a party that’s going to
last one thousand years—the millennium. The millennium is where the bride of Christ will enjoy the marriage
supper of the Lamb or the feasting of our relationship
Everyone today wants a utopia. Everybody wants
with Jesus Christ as His church.
worldwide peace and prosperity. Modern man is doing everything he can to create that which the Bible
Only the saved go into the millennium. At the end of
predicts one day will come but that cannot come until
the tribulation in Matthew chapter 25 Jesus puts the
Jesus Himself brings it, because of the sinfulness in the
sheep on the right and the goats on the left. He says in
heart of men. But Scripture promises that Jesus will
verses 32–34 that the sheep are invited in with Him. Je-
bring in that day.
sus says to the goats, “Depart from Me, accursed ones,
into the eternal fire.”
Click on the horn to the left to hear an audio
short from Prophecy and the Gentiles.
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be
After the tribulation, after the battle of Armageddon,
released from his prison. First Corinthians 15:24 says,
mankind will be introduced to the thousand-year rule
“Then comes the end.” It’s the end of history, when Je-
of Christ called the millennium. The concept of the
sus delivers up the kingdom to God the Father. All hu-
millennium is simply this: it will fulfill God’s purpose for
man rebellion against God has finally been squashed at
man. God’s purpose for man was that man would rule
the end of the millennium. The Son, Christ, will take His
on earth. In Genesis 1:26, God says, “Let Us make man
millennial kingdom and deliver it over to His Father. So
in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them
it now becomes the rule of God the Father. What you
rule. . . .” The best way to understand the millennium
see here is a picture of the Trinity in motion. You have
is a return to the Garden of Eden. The millennium is
the Son doing his job to perfection and then delivering
going to reveal that men do not sin just because of the
it over to the Father, and what was true of the millen-
devil, nor do they sin because of the environment. The
nial kingdom becomes the normal eternal operation of
millennium is the perfect environment, with a righteous
heaven. That echoes in eternity.
ruler. In other words, there will be nothing going on
in the atmosphere to make you sin. So you will not be
But the whole purpose of Christ establishing the
able to blame the devil or the neighborhood in which
church was that there might be a place that models
you live.
the kingdom while we wait for it. The job of the church
should be to set in place the mechanisms of the king-
Remember believers have already been raptured.
dom. For example, he says, in 1 Corinthians 6:2, that
We’ve already been at the judgment seat of Christ and
saints shall judge the world. That leads him to con-
10
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
clude, since saints are going to judge the world, can’t
God regularly breaks into human history for good and
you judge one another? In other words, he looks to the
for bad; it’s just that people don’t want to call it God.
future to talk about how we should be functioning in
They want to call it luck or chance. They want to call it
the present.
a quirk of nature. They don’t want to recognize God.
The reason we study eschatology—that’s the ten-dollar
Peter, however, has a response. He says then they
word for end-times prophecy—is to learn how we are
maintain this, when young people hear in school that
to function while we wait on Him. We’re supposed to
evolution and not creation is responsible for the world
create the clips of the upcoming show. I like to call
that exists, that you are on your own, there is no God
them previews of coming attractions. So we get just a
to break through, he says “it escapes their notice that
little bit of heaven while we wait for heaven to come
by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and
and the kingdom of man to rule on earth.
the earth was formed out of the water and by water,
through which the world at that time was destroyed,
Click on the horn to the left to hear an audio
short from Prophecy and the Great White Throne
of Judgement
being flooded with water” (2 Peter 3:5–7). He gives two
illustrations of God breaking in to history, creation and
condemnation.
In Genesis 1 nine times God says, the Bible says, “And
God said.” God said “let there be,” and there was. Now I
like reading Genesis 1 because when God speaks it has
to happen. God said, “Let there be light.” And there is
To be sure, while I cannot predict the day or the hour
no stutter. The next line says, “And it was so.” God said,
when Jesus Christ is going to return, the rumblings
“Let there be animals and fish in the sea.” And there
behind the curtain sure seem loud. I cannot point to
is no stutter. It simply says, “And it was so.” God said,
when the curtain will open, but I can hear the props
“Let the water be separated from the dry land.” And
being set up. It seems like it’s almost curtain call. The
the Bible simply says, “It was so.”
question we must ask is “How should we then live?”
What should the reality of our expectation of the re-
God not only demonstrates that He can break in by
turn of the Savior and our expectation of the dawning
creation, He also demonstrates He can break in by
of the new eternal day mean for you and me? Let’s get
judgment. Peter is referring to the flood. That’s why
practical.
you’ve got to be familiar with the Old Testament. The
Old Testament time and time again shows you that
We can talk about all the theories and we can discuss
God will break through. And at a moment’s notice, He
all of the idiosyncrasies related to prophetic thought
can create you or He can wipe you out.
and dialog. But what does it mean for the functioning
of the moment?
First John 3:3 says that those who are looking forward
to the coming of Christ purify themselves while they
God has not left us without a final word on this subject.
wait. It is a purifying thing to look long term and to act
In Peter’s second epistle, chapter 3, Peter spends virtu-
in light of the look.
ally the entire chapter answering the question, “How
should we then live?” What then should our hope for
The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:11 that we are like foreign-
the future do for our pains, problems, frustrations in
ers. “You are residents of earth, citizens of heaven.”
the present?
Don’t become citizens of earth. Earth is not your home.
11
TonyEvans.org
Prophecy: God’s Eternal Drama
Don’t treat it as home. This is rental property. Enjoy the
sure you’re cooperating with God’s program. And then
world, benefit from the world, but don’t love the world.
making sure your life is in line with His purposes. And
then you will live life as life was meant to be lived.
The challenge we face today is the challenge to have
our expectations affect our behavior. He says to keep
If there is a responsibility that you’ve neglected, per-
your eyes open. “Therefore, beloved, since you look for
haps because you were tired of waiting for the prom-
these things, be diligent” (2 Peter 3:14). Look with your
ise, and now you are working against the promise with
eyes, be diligent with your life, be diligent to be found
something in your life, confess it. The purpose is that
in Him in peace, spotless and blameless. In other words,
we might be a blameless people. Claim it, confess it,
you want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faith-
commit to it.
ful servant.”
Amen.
Church, He’s coming back again. I don’t know the day
or the hour. I do know He said, “Live in the light of His
To go deeper with Tony Evans on God’s Eternal
presence.”
Drama, visit TonyEvans.org and look for the Prophecy
How should we then live? For God’s promises, what-
2 Volume series or call 1-800-800-3222.
ever He says is true. Hold Him to it. But then make
12
TonyEvans.org