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 Spirit of Prophecy Defined
In the above verse, the “spirit of prophecy” is defined, and we learn that it is synonymous with the testimony of Jesus. “The testimony of Jesus IS the spirit of prophecy.” One may ask, “What, then, is the testimony of Jesus?” The word “testimony” simply means “witness,” or “record.” The writer of Revelation, John the apostle, tells us in his first epistle that Jesus Christ is indeed a witness.
I John 5:7 – “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Jesus Christ, along with His Father and His Spirit, is a witness. He has a record, or a testimony. Can we know what it is he witnesses to us? Can we know what the record, or testimony of Christ is? Absolutely, and John makes it known:
I John 5:9-12 – “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And THIS IS THE RECORD, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
The testimony of Jesus Christ, then, is that eternal life is in Him. Eternal life hinges on past events; namely the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Prophecy is composed of future events having not yet occurred. Prophetic events, though yet unfulfilled, are as sure to happen as the past events that brought us eternal life. The spirit of prophecy hangs on the fact of Christ’s testimony. Christ died; Christ was buried; Christ rose again. His apostles preached this boldly and without reservation, fear, favor, or apology. These events are sure – they happened! They came about just exactly as the prophets declared that they would. And in Revelation 19, John reminds us that HIS prophecy, the book of Revelation, would likewise be fulfilled.
If I could describe the testimony of Jesus in one word, I would describe it this way: SURE. It is unmovable, undisputed, undeniable, and unquestionable. The unfulfilled events of John’s prophecy are as sure as Christ’s testimony. Just as sure as the record declares that Christ came to earth, born of a virgin, the seals will be opened. Just as sure as the witness testifies that Christ was anointed of the Holy Ghost, the trumpets of Revelation will sound. Just as sure as the testimony assures me that Christ was crucified, the vials of wrath will be poured out. Just as sure as the record affirms that Christ was buried, the beast will arise to rule. Just as sure as the witness of scripture proclaims that Christ was not left in hell, but rose from the dead, Christ will again return to the earth with the saints to judge the world.
I have been stirred to write a few posts regarding prophetic subjects. Currently, I am unsure of how many subjects I will cover. As for the subjects I do cover, be it known to the reader that I can in no way bring out every point on every subject in a single post. These are massive subjects relating to Bible prophecy. Though I will give some thoughts on these subjects, there will be much left unsaid. Some subjects I would like to discuss in upcoming posts include:
1) The Day of the Lord
2) The Nation of Israel in Prophecy
3) Israel and the Great Tribulation
4) The Church and the Great Tribulation
5) Daniel’s Seventy Weeks
6) The Salvation of the Nation of Israel
7) The Regathering and Restoration of the Nation of Israel
8) The Judgment of the Nations
9) The Man of Sin and the False Prophet
10) The Rise and Fall of Babylon
11) The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Again, these are massive subjects. I would like to cover them briefly in the coming posts, but I cannot guarantee that I will cover all of them. I will begin to cover these subjects, and we will see how it goes.
