One of my old friends, now in Heaven, was once reading in the book of Revelation in a street car in Copenhagen.  He abruptly closed his Bible and had no more energy to read further.  He was horrified as he read what is still coming to this world before the Lord finally takes over.

I understood him so well.  I get the same feeling when I in the closing chapters f Zechariah rea what tribulations and bloodshed Israel will still have to face before Messiah intervenes.  I sense another terrible storm on its way in the Middle East, and I shudder.

However, my old friend in question, one of the best Bible teachers I´ve ever known, and myself had good reasons to say as Billy Graham once put it at a press conference in Gothenburg (Sweden) many years ago.  He said, “ Concerning the world situation I´m optimistic, for I have just read the closing chapters of Revelation, and it will all come to a happy end!”

I frequently mention Israel these days, not as her political agent, but in the light of the prophetic word pointing at Jesus Christ, “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”  (Rev. 19:10),  i.e. the whole aim of biblical prophecy is to call our attention to Christ and His ultimate triumph.  So yes, I´m optimistic, too.

Animated by the Spirit of the word I could yesterday sit down with an old noble patient at our local hospital.  We didn´t know one another.  I said to her, “I´m visiting one of our friends, but I also hoped to meet someone like you!”  The contact was established.  I didn´t talk politics nor the Middle East nor Washington, but had the joy of calling her attention to Joh. 3:16 again and again and again.  As a token of friendship I gave her my  “lucky penny” on which Joh. 3:16 was marked with conspicuous letters.

That´s what prophecy does to you, making you share your testimony with others, giving them a “lucky penny” or something else that has to do with the gospel.  The world is in crisis and “men´s hearts failing them from fear”  (Luke 21:26), -  our governments offer no hope, - “Have you any hope of tomorrow?”, Churchill asked Billy Graham in Downing Street in 1954 – but we have the hope of the gospel and the assurance that it will all end well.  And soon Billy shared that hope too with old Winston.

That´s your and my calling also, is it not?

Dec. 6, 2012 – jn