Therefore, we recommend considering this small book as a textbook for studying the prophetic books of the Holy Scriptures, i.e. reading it with only the revealed text of the Bible in front of you. Most of the quotations from the Holy Scriptures are given from the text of the so-called Synodal translation. In some cases, the translation belongs to the author.

2. Prophecy

2.1. Prediction and forecast

The future has always been the object of close attention of people, regardless of their origin, cultural or intellectual level, occupation, political and other views. Perhaps this interest is to some extent determined by the fact that the answer to the question "What does the coming day have in store for me?" is associated with the search for the meaning of life.

For many modern people, prophecy is synonymous with divination, prediction of the future. In everyday consciousness, there are two approaches to the problem of the future: passive and active.

The first approach can be characterized by the phrase "come what may". This approach only partially looks passive, since it does not necessarily imply indifference to the problem of the future. However, people of this type are more or less characterized by a fear of the future, which is sometimes so great that it paralyzes all activity.

In contrast, people of the second type try to actively change their future. They perform various actions designed to learn something about the future and somehow influence it. As a protection from future troubles, these people, in addition to natural methods, such as strengthening their position in society, accumulating money, changing their place of residence, etc., often resort to supernatural, magical actions.

Prediction is synonymous with the concept of forecast.

Scientific forecasting, which is so important in our time, despite all the differences in research methods and areas of its application, is based on the study of already existing development trends that are carried over into the future. This approach gives very good results, especially during periods of relatively stable development of certain phenomena. Whether we are talking, for example, about forecasting the weather, the development of industry or the military-political situation in the world, forecasting often gives brilliant results. But it is not able to take into account completely new, as yet unknown factors that can have a decisive impact on its change in the future. For example, the discovery of atomic energy and the beginning of the production of nuclear weapons greatly changed the military-political situation in the world. But no scientific efforts could have predicted this new era in the early 20s of the last century. Such statements are beyond the capabilities of science.

Thus, forecasting is an important area of social, political, scientific and almost all other spheres of modern life. But it is in no way a prophecy.

2.2. What is a prophecy

In the Bible, prophecy is not at all based on taking into account the trends already existing in this world, but on the fact that is fundamental for the Holy Scriptures and for faith in general, that God, the Creator of this world, does not abandon it in His love and has His providence for this world, which in the Bible is called His will. And only His love can somehow explain the indisputable and repeatedly noted in the Bible proclamation of God's will about the fate of this world, the peoples inhabiting it, and even individual people.