And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Revelation 19: 9-10 (NRSV).
Prophecy, or foretelling the future is a popular idea in modern American culture. Christians speculate about the coming of the Beast, and the degradation that our society and churches have experienced and will continue to experience. Prophetic scripture should certainly never be ignored or downplayed, but it is important for Christians to keep in mind that the testimony of Jesus is grace, and it is for grace that all prophecy has been proclaimed since the beginning of time.
Genesis 3: 1-19 describes what happened when man sinned and God had defined the consequences with which man must live his life. Immediately following this passage, in verses 20 and 21, Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living, and God made durable garments for the man and woman to cover their nakedness (or their sin). Adam's naming of his wife shows that they recognized the significance of their sin to all mankind, and by the same token, God's grace that covered their sin also covered the sin of all mankind. This is the very first prophecy, spoken and acted by God, and the prophecy proclaimed that grace will cover the sin of mankind.
Remember this! God's grace was before sin, and when we repent and recognize our sin, God's grace will cover us. This prophecy has constantly been fulfilled since the beginning of time. When we hear prophecy of the end times, it is a call for us to proclaim God's grace.
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