For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 WEB

These words from Second Peter make clear the nature of prophecy. Truly prophetic words come from God. They are more than predictions of future events produced from processing historical data and current events. Prophecy is not a cunning attempt at trickery. It is inspired and given by godly men moved by the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is the miraculous revelation of God’s future plans.

Prophecy inspires men to believe in God through its accuracy and significance. Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies. For example, Isaiah  7:14 prophetically gives the circumstances of the birth of Christ saying, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. WEB” Immanuel means “God with us.” Stunningly, Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies. 

Jesus Gives Prophecy

Not only did the Lord fulfill prophecy, but Christ also gave prophecy that came true. Speaking of his body as a temple, Jesus predicts his resurrection on the third day saying in John 2:19, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. WEB” 

Matthew 24:2 gives another example of Jesus’ prophesying. The scripture reads, “‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’ NIV” This prophecy came to pass in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. Each of these prophecies served to reinforce the truth of Jesus’ message and validate his claim of being the Son of God. 

Peter offers his witness to the transfiguration of Jesus as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Further, witnessing the resurrected Christ assures Peter that the Lord will fulfill his other prophecies for the future. And so, Peter teaches that genuine prophecy comes from men moved by the Holy Spirit.

Yesterday’s Devotional: Walk in the Light