Why Study End Times Prophecies

You may be asking: “Why should we study end times prophecies?” My answer: Nearly one third of scripture is prophetical in nature, and informs us of thing to come so that we will be prepared, not scared.

The Biblical answer: If Yahweh thinks it is important enough to spend that much time on prophecy, shouldn’t we? But even more importantly, Yeshua commands us to do so!

Say What?
You say: “WHAT in the world are you talking about, Yeshua commands us to know? Huh?”

1 Thessalonians 5:20 says: “Do not treat prophecy as if it were unimportant.”
2 Peter 1:19 says: “You do well to be attentive to the prophetic messages.”

Luke 19:41-44 says: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God’.”
The word time, kairos [G2540 καιρός], means: an occasion, a set or proper season, opportunity, or time. It always designates a fixed or special occasion.

Because the people did not recognize the “season”, forty years later the Temple was destroyed and the Jews scattered to the ends of the earth. How many of the prophetic signs Yeshua commanded us to look for – signs in the sun and moon and stars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes – are we ignoring today?

Matthew 24:32-33 – “Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come.”

The word know, ginōskō [G1097 γινώσκω], a prolonged form of a primary verb; “to know”, means to allow, be aware of, feel, have knowledge of, perceive, be resolved, be sure, understand. In other words, one is not to be guessing, but to absolutely know, to know without exception.

Again, in Matthew 24:42-44, Yeshua says: “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The word translated keep awake,, grēgoreō [G1127 γρηγορέω]; is an active verb meaning to be awake, to watch, to be alert, to keep watch, to keep watching, to be keeping alert, to stay on the alert, and to stay awake. It expects active and concentrated behavior, to be continuously seeking, not a lackadaisical, devil may care, approach to watching.

This is repeated in the phrase “Therefore you must also be ready”: ginomai [G1096 γίνομαι] hetoimos [G2092 ἑτοιμος]; which means to be especially prepared, ready. Three times in one paragraph Yeshua commands us to be on the alert and ready, to know when the time is near.

Mark 13:33-37 puts it this way: “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows in the morning—in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’.”.
Four times in one paragraph Yeshua commands us to be on the alert and ready, to know when the time is near. Yeshua uses both grēgoreō [G1127 γρηγορέω] and agrupneo [G69 ἀγρυπνέω] in this verse.

Luke 21:29-36 affirms: Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of Yahweh is near. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Again, two warnings to be alert and one to absolutely know.

Warnings to listen
Numbers 12:6 – “Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you . . .”
Deuteronomy 18:15 – When Yahweh raises up a prophet, “You are to pay attention to him . . .”
2 Chronicles 20:20 – “Listen to me, Y’hudah and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim. . .”
John 6:45 – “Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me . . .”
Acts 3:22 – “When Yahweh raises up a prophet, “You are to pay attention to him . . .”

One of my favorite warnings to listen is Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema [H8085 שָׁמַע]. Yahweh, by saying Shema, essentially says to his people, Israel; “Shut your mouths, open your ears, and listen to what I tell you!!” Me thinks we listen today about as well as they listened, and like them neither do we then go and actually do what Yahweh has commanded.

Warnings for not listening
Deuteronomy 18:19 – “Whoever doesn’t listen to my words, will have to account for himself to me.”
2 Chronicles 24:19 – Yahweh sent them prophets who warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention.
2 Chronicles 25:16 – “I know that Yahweh is planning to destroy you for refusing to listen to my advice.”
2 Chronicles 36:16 – They ridiculed Yahweh’s messengers until there was no longer any remedy.
Jeremiah 25:3-9 – “I have proclaimed it to you on numerous occasions; but you haven’t listened or payed attention. . . Therefore I will send for Nebuchadnezzar to destroy you!”
Jeremiah 29:19-23 – Yahweh says: “Because you refused to listen . . . I will hand you over to be put to death.”
Jeremiah 35:15 – You have not paid attention or listened to Yahweh so the land will spit you out!
Zechariah 1:4 – They didn’t listen or pay attention so Yahweh dealt with them according to their ways and deeds . . .
Zechariah 7:12 – They didn’t listen or pay attention to Yahweh, so he paid no attention to their prayers . . .
Acts 3:23 – You are to listen to everything the prophet tells you . . . Everyone who fails to listen to that prophet will be removed from the people and destroyed.

Conclusions
So, why study end times prophecies, why be alert to the season, why be able to recognize the nearness of the kingdom of God? Because . . . . . . . Yeshua commands us to do so! Failure to study the prophecies and to listen to what Yahweh / Yeshua is saying may result in their no longer listening to your prayers, which could ultimately lead to death or destruction.

Final Thought for 2023
The stage for Yeshua’s return is being set. Prophecy continues to unfold in an escalating pattern as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. The season of the birth pains is here – they are burgeoning and not going away. Time is short – Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – be sure you have salvation in Yeshua and keep busy reaching the lost.