Why is prophecy of today not recorded in the bible?
What an interesting question! The scriptures are full of prophesy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, concerning the nation of Israel, concerning the future state of Israel, and concerning the eternal state for all people. But what about the day we are living in? Are there prophesies concerning these days? Let’s first read Colossians 1:23-26, “…I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” The Apostle is speaking of something that had not been directly spoken of in the Old Testament. He is speaking of ‘the church’, a “mystery which had been hid from ages and from generations.”
As such, we do not have any prophesies in the Old Testament concerning this ‘church age’ in which we live. The fact that the Lord would reach out to the Gentiles was not a mystery. We read in Isaiah 28:11-12, “For with stammering lips and ANOTHER TONGUE will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” This shows the Lord would use people of different tongues, or languages, as witnesses of His grace to the Jewish people, His chosen earthly people. What was a mystery, was that the Lord would take the Jewish people and the Gentiles and make them ONE in Christ. We read of this in Ephesians 2:14-16, where it says of the Jews and Gentiles, “For he is our peace, who hath made BOTH ONE, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” Romans 10:12 says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” This ONE BODY, is the body of Christ, the church, which was an unrevealed mystery to those in the Old Testament. Instead of being an ‘earthly people’ we are a ‘heavenly people’.
With all that said, we do have prophesies concerning the church given to us in Paul’s epistles. His writings do include ‘prophesy of today’. These prophesies concern this ‘church age’ that we are living in.
- 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
- 1 Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
All of these prophesies, and many more, show that in the latter days of the church age, there will be a declension of those who truly love and follow the Lord. Men will seek their own pleasures, having no concern or desire for those things which honor the Lord. Indeed, they will be “lovers of themselves…more than lovers of God.” I believe that day is upon us. It is the return of the Lord to take out His own from this world that will end this church age. It is the rapture of the church that we look forward to. I encourage you to read 1 and 2 Thessalonians to learn more about this incredible event when the Lord shall return to the clouds to take us out of this world and to be with Him forever. (245.4)