The Bible is a book of God's prophecy; not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will never disappear from the Bible until everything is accomplished. Since God is faithful, upright and just, He surely fulfills all that He has planned and purposed. So it is really a beautiful thing to pay attention to the prophecies of God and to live in accordance with God's prophecies; that is the best way to live an upright and righteous life (Isa 14:24; 2 Pe 1:19).

Let's take a look at the teachings of the Bible concerning the blessings and glory for those who live in accordance with the prophecies, and think about what kind of life we should live according to the prophecies given to us in this age.

Christ submitted Himself fully to the prophecies

On the night Jesus was praying at Gethsemane after celebrating the Passover, a large crowd sent from the chief priests and the elders, accompanying Judas Iscariot, came to capture Jesus. Then Peter drew his sword to defend Jesus and tried to fight against them, but Jesus stopped him and reminded him that it was a process of the prophecy in the Bible being fulfilled.

Mt 26:50-56 . . . Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? . . . Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

"How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" Through these words of Jesus, we can see that Christ walked the path of life exactly as preordained by the prophecies of the Bible. The Jews, who would not usually try to seize Jesus, came in a hurry to arrest Him after the Passover; Jesus could have ordered more than twelve legions of angels to defeat them, but He didn't. What do you think the reason was? When Jesus was captured, He was led like a sheep before her shearers is silent; He just remained silent when He was flogged; and He willingly died on the cross. Jesus did it all in order to fulfill the prophecy. All this occurred because it was prophesied in the Bible.

Every prophecy of the Bible is absolute. Jesus Christ is God Almighty who can do everything, but He set us an example by submitting Himself completely to the prophecies, through which He was glorified (Php 2:5-11). From this, we can understand that every prophecy contains God's deep purpose to show His glory to all people in the world.

At the end of our life in accordance with the prophecies, there are surely glory, blessings, eternal life and the kingdom of heaven. Let's confirm this fact through the work of Jesus, so that we can also live according to the prophecies like Jesus.

Every prophecy certainly comes true

In the Gospel of Luke, we can see Jesus walking with His two disciples on their way to Emmaus and teaching them that every prophecy is to be fulfilled without fail.

Lk 24:13-27 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. . . . He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Jesus was resurrected in three days according to the prophecy, but His disciples did not believe it. Jesus rebuked them for being slow of heart to believe the prophecies and explained to them everything that had happened to Him: As prophesied, He became a sin offering and died on the cross with the wicked, one on His left and the other on His right; according to the prophecy, His body was buried in a rich man's tomb; and He rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion.

While the disciples were listening to Jesus, their hearts started to burn within them. ‘That's right! Everything was prophesied in the Bible, yet why didn't we believe it but just think about it realistically?' Only then did the disciples realize it.

Christ's resurrection from the dead in three days was beyond human imagination and comprehension. Not only for the disciples but for everybody in those days it must have been hard to believe that Jesus, who had suffered so severely and died on the cross, was raised from the dead. However, Jesus' resurrection was already prophesied in the Bible, and everything took place according to the prophecy, not according to common sense. Now let's take a look at the Old Testament prophecy that shows Christ's suffering and its meaning.

Isa 53:1-9 . . . He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. . . . and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. . . . He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. . . . He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, . . .

The prophet Isaiah wrote in detail about Jesus—the Christ who would appear 700 years later, including His physical appearance and everything that would happen to Him—He would be flogged, pierced with a spear, crucified with the wicked and buried in a rich man's tomb. His prophecy was fulfilled exactly by Jesus after 700 years. Jesus' life, from His birth to His death and resurrection, fully matched all the prophecies spoken through many prophets of the Old Testament.

Who on earth can foretell things that will happen in the future and fulfill them precisely? All of this is possible because God Almighty Himself plans it and carries it out. Everything is to be fulfilled as prophesied in the Bible.

The glory for those who respect the prophecies

We need to seriously think about what kind of attitude we should have towards the prophecies of God. In ancient Israel, when the kingdom of Judah was destroyed by Babylon, there was the prophet Jeremiah who prophesied that Judah and the surrounding nations would serve the king of Babylon for 70 years, and there also was a false prophet Hananiah who distorted God's word with his own thoughts. Many people who followed the false prophet were all destroyed, but a small number of people who believed the prophecy of God and overcame hardships were finally able to return to their country in glory, being freed from the Babylonian captivity after 70 years.

God also foretold that the truth would be trampled on by Satan for a time, times and half a time, and according to the prophecy there was a period when the truth was trampled. He also prophesied that the truth would be restored and the saints would possess the kingdom and power again. According to this prophecy, the people of Zion are now keeping the commandments of God and their faith.

Thus, God fulfills everything that He prophesied. Now we have to look into the prophecies of the Bible and live a life of faith with a firm belief that everything will be fulfilled according to the prophecies.

Da 12:1-3 . . . But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

It is prophesied that those who lead many people to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever and ever, and that there will also be those who will suffer shame and everlasting contempt. This is the prophecy which God has given us today to grant us the glorious and eternal blessings of heaven.

This prophecy will also surely be fulfilled, just as other prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled exactly until now; not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, has disappeared from the Bible until everything is accomplished. In the process of leading many people to righteousness through preaching, there may be hardship or persecution. However, we must not forget that it will lead us to the eternal kingdom of heaven in the end.

Mt 24:12-14 "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

Mk 16:14-16 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The gospel of the new covenant is the mighty word of God; those who believe and obey the gospel will be saved, but those who do not obey it will be punished. Jesus Himself has taught us that this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. So, the gospel is preordained to be preached to the whole world in the end, no matter what hindrance may appear. This is God's prophecy.

Then, what kind of life should we live to receive God's blessings? When we believe and obey the words of prophecy and testify to Christ, God's blessings are guaranteed to us. We are the prophesied people who have been entrusted with the mission to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Spiritually, we are given the most valuable task of completing God's work of salvation (1 Pe 1:12).

Let us become the protagonists of the last prophecy

Jesus has taught us that every prophecy of the Bible is to be fulfilled without fail. Keeping the teaching of Jesus in mind, we should joyfully carry out the work of leading many people to righteousness, so that we can share in God's glory and shine like the stars for ever and ever, according to the prophecy for us in this age.

Lk 24:44-47 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." . . . and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

As Jesus prophesied, "Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem," all people around the world are now streaming to Korea—the land of prophecy in the east where Heavenly Mother dwells—to receive the forgiveness of sins and the blessing of life from Heavenly Mother, the new Jerusalem. What do you think is the reason why all these things are now occurring before our very eyes? It is God's mighty work of prophecy, and who can hinder it?

In this prophetic age, God has called us to be the protagonists of the prophecy and said, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Mt 28:18-20). We have now come to Zion, the city of truth, where there is the new covenant which Jesus declared and the apostles preached. Since Elohim are with us here in Zion, the light of the gospel will spread quickly to Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Heb 12:22-24; Isa 33:20-24).

Those who live in accordance with the prophecies will surely enter into the glory of God. Believing in every prophecy of the Bible firmly, let us live according to the prophecy. God has appointed us as the protagonists of the prophecy. Without despising this glorious blessing, let us shine the light of the glory of Elohim brightly all over the world.