“The subject of prophecy is both zealously pursued and pointedly avoided by many Christians. Some are intrigued by the possibility of knowing what the future may hold, and are eager to be more informed about what the Bible has to say about the future. Others fear that to place one’s hope in or alter one's life due to what may amount to a sincere yet sincerely wrong speculation, is potentially more trouble than it's worth. There are also those who just plain have no interest in putting forth an effort to understand prophecy, complaining that it's language is sometimes ambiguous and there are too many other mental labors involved.

While overzealousness can be detrimental, fear, apathy and laziness regarding prophecy are the greater evils because they are more akin to disobedience. After all, the Bible does present a great deal of prophetic material for the very purpose of being understood and acted upon. God Himself declares throughout His Scriptures that its content is presented at His command for our benefit. ‘Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord?...Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.’ Isaiah 45:21, 22. ‘And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people.’ 2 Chron. 36:15.

There is no doubt, however, that recorded prophecy raises some problems. On the one hand, if it is misinterpreted or misapplied, the results can be disheartening or mistaken at best, and both physically and spiritually devastating at worst. On the other hand, if we tend to avoid or ignore the prophetic insights given in the Bible, we could similarly be led down a path that will eventually end in our destruction.” (McMahon & Oakland, Understand The Times, 1990, p.26-27)