Every time I saw them, they asked the same question, "What's going to happen next in prophecy?" But time proved they truly didn't want to know the answer! They wanted only to observe. What about you? Are you a spectator or a player?
by Cecil E. Maranville
Two brothers lived in the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on a cattle ranch. They had asked my church to send a minister to answer their Bible questions, and I drew the assignment.
The first time I met them, they asked, "What's going to happen next in Bible prophecy?" We discussed the subject at some length. It was clear to me that they had studied the Bible's prophecies in detail. In addition to talking about what might happen next, I also showed the brothers the underlying purpose for all prophecy—something they had overlooked.
I called on them some weeks later and they asked the same question. They asked it again on my third visit. Every time, I attempted to stir them to look deeper into this important subject. I was unsuccessful.
Eventually, I realized that they actually didn't want to know; they only wanted to observe! They were students of prophecy to be sure, but they were spectators, not players. They wanted only one thing out of studying prophecy: They wanted to know if the world was close to its end. We parted company on friendly terms.
What's the difference between being a spectator and a player in regards to prophecy?
Prophecy becomes personal
Typically, spectators of prophecy are looking for disasters. It's true that Jesus foretold that in the time of the end "there will be famines [critical food shortages], pestilences [disease epidemics], and earthquakes in various places" (Matthew 24:7).
