Three Keys to Understanding Prophecy

I have a confession – I have struggled to read through the Old Testament prophets. Maybe you can relate.

Knowing that I shouldn't neglect this portion of the Bible, I did my best to rush through Old Testament passages and treat them as something to check off my list. I never slowed down long enough to understand what the passage was actually saying.

But I had to ask: Is this what God intended for me? Is this how God wants me to encounter, understand, and be transformed by Him?

I don’t think so.

Like me, you may be hesitant to dive into the Old Testament. So much rebellion. So much judgment. Perhaps it feels outdated or even redundant. But God has something deep for us to uncover. He longs for us to understand our utter need for Him and see His glory amid the darkness of fallen humanity.

So rather than rush through or avoid Old Testament prophecy, I remind myself that God has placed beautiful truth and encouragement here. As I encounter God through the Bible, I approach His prophecy much like I approach any part of His Word.

As an example, let's look at the book of Ezekiel.

What is the context?

Ask: How would the original audience have heard this passage? What makes this passage unique?

Ezekiel spoke to the Israelites, who found themselves as exiles in Babylon. Their persistent sin and rejection of God brought the painful consequences their prophets foretold. Separated from their homeland, their temple, and everything familiar, the displaced people surely questioned their security and future. The people’s plight, however, was not beyond God’s reach. God raised up 30-year-old Ezekiel, who found himself beside a foreign river rather than serving as a priest in the Jerusalem temple, the service for which he had prepared his entire life.

God gave Ezekiel a vision of His glory and the devastating judgment still to fall on Jerusalem. The faithful prophet warned the people of the coming trouble, called out their sins, and pled for them to repent. But through Ezekiel, God also unveiled His redemptive purposes for His people. Though the Israelites were scattered and broken, God promised to restore what sin had destroyed. Sin yields disaster but God offers hope and a promising future for those who turn to Him.