“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.”2 Peter 1:19 (KJV)
Why study prophecy?
God says He declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). Prophecy builds faith: when we see predictions fulfilled in history, we can trust God's promises about the future. Peter called prophecy “a light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19), and Revelation promises a blessing to those who read it (Revelation 1:3).
Daniel 2: history in advance
Many people begin with Daniel 2: a king's dream of a great statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay. Daniel explains it as a sequence of world empires, beginning with Babylon, and ending with a stone “cut out without hands” that becomes a kingdom which “shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). Comparing the prophecy with history is one of the most faith-building studies you can do.
The sanctuary: a picture of salvation
God told Moses, “let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). Every part of that sanctuary, the lamb, the altar, the priest, the Day of Atonement, pointed to Jesus. Hebrews explains that Christ is now our High Priest in “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Hebrews 8:1–2). Understanding the sanctuary makes the whole plan of salvation come into focus.
The 2,300 days
Daniel 8:14 says, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” Using the Bible's own day-for-a-year principle in prophecy (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6), and the starting point given in Daniel 9:25, the decree to restore Jerusalem in 457 BC, this prophecy reaches to AD 1844. Daniel 9 also pinpoints the time of the Messiah within the same period. We walk through the dates step by step, with charts, in our study.
Jesus is coming again
The climax of prophecy is the return of Jesus. He promised, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself” (John 14:3). His coming will be visible to all: “every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7), and it will bring the resurrection of those who died trusting in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). Until then, death is described as a sleep (John 11:11–14). That is a hope worth studying.
Questions for reflection
- Read Daniel 2:31–45. Which kingdoms might the metals represent?
- How does Hebrews 8–9 connect the earthly sanctuary to Jesus' work today?
- What does 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 teach about those who have died?
- How should the promise of Jesus' return affect the way we live now?