Prophecy: Blessedness of Reading, Hearing, and Keeping
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Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of prophecy in the Bible is not merely about foretelling future events but encompasses the revelation of God's will and purpose for humanity. The blessedness associated with reading, hearing, and keeping prophecy is a theme that underscores the transformative power of God's Word and the spiritual enrichment it brings to believers.

Scriptural Foundation

The Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, explicitly highlights the blessedness of engaging with prophecy. Revelation 1:3 states, "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near." This verse sets the tone for the entire book, emphasizing the importance of not only reading and hearing the prophetic words but also keeping them—living in accordance with the divine truths revealed.

Reading Prophecy

Reading prophecy involves an active engagement with the Scriptures. It is an invitation to delve into the mysteries of God's plan and to gain insight into His character and purposes. The act of reading is not a passive exercise but a spiritual discipline that requires attentiveness and openness to the Holy Spirit's guidance. The Berean approach to Scripture, characterized by diligent study and examination, is encouraged for those who seek to understand prophetic writings deeply.

Hearing Prophecy

Hearing prophecy goes beyond the mere auditory reception of words. It involves a heart posture of receptivity and humility, acknowledging the authority of God's Word. Romans 10:17 reminds us, "Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Hearing prophecy, therefore, is integral to the growth of faith, as it allows the believer to internalize and respond to God's revelations.

Keeping Prophecy

Keeping prophecy is the practical outworking of reading and hearing. It involves obedience and the application of prophetic truths to one's life. James 1:22 exhorts believers, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." The blessedness of keeping prophecy is found in the alignment of one's life with God's will, resulting in spiritual maturity and readiness for the fulfillment of God's promises.

The Role of Prophecy in the Believer's Life

Prophecy serves as a source of hope and encouragement, especially in times of trial and uncertainty. It reassures believers of God's sovereignty and the ultimate triumph of His kingdom. The prophetic messages throughout Scripture, from the Old Testament prophets to the apocalyptic visions in Revelation, provide a framework for understanding God's redemptive plan and the believer's role within it.

The Eschatological Perspective

The eschatological nature of many prophecies, particularly in the New Testament, calls believers to live with an eternal perspective. The anticipation of Christ's return and the establishment of His kingdom motivates a life of holiness and vigilance. The blessedness of engaging with prophecy is thus intertwined with the hope of future glory and the assurance of God's faithfulness.

In summary, the blessedness of reading, hearing, and keeping prophecy is a multifaceted experience that enriches the believer's spiritual journey. It fosters a deeper relationship with God, cultivates faith, and inspires a life of obedience and hope. Through prophecy, believers are invited to participate in the unfolding narrative of God's redemptive work in the world.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Revelation 22:7
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Walking with God
... death be admitted to a greater degree of blessedness. ... Give thyself to reading',
(says Paul to Timothy); And ... also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/walking with god.htm

Letter cxxxvii. (AD 412. )
... confidence the everlasting blessedness of the heavenly city. ... and numerous instances
of fulfilled prophecy, the fulfilment ... [2517] We follow the reading of nine ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cxxxvii a d 412.htm

Matt. xxi. 33-44.
... but added also a twofold prophecy, one David's ... the portion of angels, the blessedness
unspeakable, the ... the only possible rendering, whichever reading he accepted ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxviii matt xxi 33-44.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... For the prophecy was fulfilled which said, "The children of ... it is not safe in reading
(the Scriptures ... and those who have fallen from blessedness, together with ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm

Faustus Willing to Believe not Only that the Jewish but that all ...
... I shall be content with rational blessedness. ... now led, to believe in Christ by reading
these books. ... grounded faith holding the agreement of the prophecy of the ...
/.../faustus willing to believe not.htm

Homilies on the Gospel of John.
... His perfect knowledge signified by Seeing and Hearing, [277]92 ... of Heaven, [494]268;
by reading their hearts ... Commandments, keeping them the test of Christian love ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homilies on the gospel of.htm

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... Blessedness, called Right Hand of God, [546]373 ... against, [1150]348; three kinds of,
in reading, [1151]351 ... Evidence, of prophecy, [1169]339, [1170]340 sq.; of the ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

The Plenary Inspiration of Every Part of the Bible, vindicated and ...
... be their high privilege, (and the blessedness of that ... it believing that you are reading
an inspired ... and pronounces, now Miracles, now Prophecy, now Inspiration ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/sermon iv the plenary inspiration.htm

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
... Well may the clearest prophecy in the Bible begin ... for private prayer, and
Scripture-reading, and calm ... the kingdom of heaven and its blessedness described, ...
/.../chapter xix tit 2 6 thoughts.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... to those mansions of glory and blessedness prepared for ... abundant in goodness and
truth; keeping mercy for ... dare not cast off the hearing, reading, and discourse ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

Resources
What is the spiritual gift of prophecy? | GotQuestions.org

What is the prophecy of St. Malachy? | GotQuestions.org

What is the prophecy of 2,300 days in Daniel? | GotQuestions.org

Prophecy: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Subtopics

Prophecy

Prophecy is a Light in Dark Place

Prophecy is a Sure Word

Prophecy is for the Benefit of After Ages

Prophecy is not of Private Interpretation

Prophecy is the Foretelling of Future Events

Prophecy Of Habakkuk

Prophecy Of Haggai

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names) of Apostasy

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Amos

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Cessation of

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Elijah

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Exemplified in Pantomime

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Ezekiel

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): False Teachers

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Haggai

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Inspired

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Isaiah

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Jeremiah

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Jonah

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Proof of God's Foreknowledge

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Publicly Proclaimed

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Sure Fulfillment of

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Tribulations of the Righteous

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Written in Books

Prophecy: (Respecting Individuals, See Under Their Names): Zechariah

Prophecy: A Gift of Christ

Prophecy: A Gift of the Holy Spirit

Prophecy: Blessedness of Reading, Hearing, and Keeping

Prophecy: Came not by the Will of Man

Prophecy: Christ the Great Subject of

Prophecy: Despise Not

Prophecy: Fulfilled Respecting Christ

Prophecy: Gift of, Promised

Prophecy: Gift of, Sometimes Possessed by Unconverted Men

Prophecy: Give Heed To

Prophecy: Given from the Beginning

Prophecy: God Accomplishes

Prophecy: God Gives, Through Christ

Prophecy: God is the Author of

Prophecy: Guilt of Pretending to the Gift of

Prophecy: How Tested

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Cannibalism Among the People of Israel

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Captivity of the Jews Predicted and Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Concerning John the Baptist (As the Forerunner of the Messiah)

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Concerning the Rebuilding of Jericho

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Conquests of Jeroboam

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Death of the Prophet of Judah

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Destruction of Ben-Hadad's Army

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Destruction of Sennacherib's Army, and his Death

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Extinction of Baasha's House

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Extinction of Jeroboam's House

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Four Generations of Jehu's Descendants to Sit Upon the Throne of Israel

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Jezebel's Tragic Death

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Judas Iscariot's Self-Destruction Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Judas' Self-Destruction Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Rachel Weeping for Her Children

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: Spiritual Blindness of the Jewish Leaders Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: That Blindness Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: That Purpose Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Betrayal of Jesus by Judas Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Birth and Zeal of Josiah

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Captivity of the Southern Kingdom (Judah)

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Death of a Man Who Refused to Strike a Prophet

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Death of Ahab

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Death of Ahaziah

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Death of the Samaritan Lord

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Deliverance of Jeremiah Predicted and Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Destruction of the Ship Predicted and Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Drought, Foretold by Elijah

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The End of the Famine in Samaria

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Invasion of Judah by the Chaldeans Fulfilled

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Invasion of the Southern Kingdom by the Chaldeans Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Mission of Jesus Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Predicted

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Outpouring of the Spirit Fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Striking of Syria by Joash

Prophecy: Miscellaneous, Fulfilled: The Transporting of Elijah to the Heavens

Prophecy: Old Testament Messianic Passages Quoted in the New Testament

Prophecy: Punishment For: Adding To, or Taking From

Prophecy: Punishment For: Not Giving Ear To

Prophecy: Punishment For: Pretending to the Gift of

Prophecy: Receive in Faith

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Filled With the Holy Spirit

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Moved by the Holy Spirit

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Ordained by God

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Raised up by God

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Sent by Christ

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Sent by God

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Spoke by the Holy Spirit

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Spoke in the Name of the Lord

Prophecy: They Who Uttered: Spoke With Authority

Prophecy: Written by an Amanuensis

Related Terms

Irhaheres

Shebna (9 Occurrences)

Ir-ha-heres

Obadiah (21 Occurrences)

Apocalyptic

Literature (2 Occurrences)

Magi (4 Occurrences)

Accommodation (1 Occurrence)

Canonicity

Oded (3 Occurrences)

Jakeh (1 Occurrence)

Gog (12 Occurrences)

Prophesying (58 Occurrences)

Prophesyings (1 Occurrence)

Prophetic (9 Occurrences)

Weeks (17 Occurrences)

Immanuel (3 Occurrences)

Reading (58 Occurrences)

Nahum (3 Occurrences)

False.

Nations (683 Occurrences)

Habakkuk (3 Occurrences)

Prophets (270 Occurrences)

Iscariot (11 Occurrences)

Jehoiakim (37 Occurrences)

Jezebel (20 Occurrences)

Scroll (70 Occurrences)

Ministry (44 Occurrences)

Star (16 Occurrences)

All (60349 Occurrences)

Desire (565 Occurrences)

Haggai (14 Occurrences)

Uttered (60 Occurrences)

Nathan (42 Occurrences)

Zephaniah (11 Occurrences)

Zealot (4 Occurrences)

Kol

Nazarene (19 Occurrences)

Utterances (9 Occurrences)

Utterance (21 Occurrences)

Groan (32 Occurrences)

I-iii

Introduction (3 Occurrences)

Fulfillment (19 Occurrences)

Eldad (2 Occurrences)

Described (16 Occurrences)

Discerned (17 Occurrences)

Modad

Proportion (15 Occurrences)

Branchbough

Barnabas (33 Occurrences)

Burden (111 Occurrences)

Balaam (62 Occurrences)

Bel (3 Occurrences)

Canaanite (74 Occurrences)

Cananaean (2 Occurrences)

Shiloh (34 Occurrences)

Shall (64703 Occurrences)

Bath (13 Occurrences)

Heavens (548 Occurrences)

Jehovah (20094 Occurrences)

Yahweh (6653 Occurrences)

Zadok (50 Occurrences)

Servant (738 Occurrences)

Biblical

Type (12 Occurrences)

Theology

Dragon (20 Occurrences)

Earth (10501 Occurrences)

Messiah (9 Occurrences)

Zedekiah (63 Occurrences)

Judas (42 Occurrences)

Premillennial

Divination (25 Occurrences)

Seer (21 Occurrences)

Exercise (35 Occurrences)

Millennium

Nineveh (23 Occurrences)

Prophecy: A Gift of the Holy Spirit
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