Foretelling, Forth-Telling, and the Call to Repentance

When most people think about the book of Revelation, they jump to predictions—apocalyptic imagery, end-times timelines, and speculation about global events. But while Revelation certainly contains elements of foretelling (predicting future events), its dominant purpose is often overlooked. Much of the prophecy in Revelation is not about what will happen someday but what God is saying to His people today.

The heart of biblical prophecy is not just foretelling, but forth-telling: proclaiming God’s truth in real-time with a call to repentance, holiness, and faithful obedience.

Stop and Look Again

Before we go any further, let me ask you to pause.

What did you grow up believing Revelation was all about? A coded timeline? A collection of terrifying predictions? A divine puzzle meant to entertain or confuse? It’s time to slow down, set aside what you’ve assumed, and look at what the text says. The meaning is often in plain sight. Revelation isn’t merely a preview of future events. It’s a prophetic warning and call to action for the church then and now.

Prophecy: More Than Prediction

Biblically, a prophet is not primarily someone who predicts the future but speaks on behalf of God. The role of the prophet is to call God’s people back to Him through rebuke, encouragement, correction, and warning.

This is why scholars distinguish between foretelling (future prediction) and forth-telling (present proclamation). Both are valid aspects of prophecy, but forth-telling is far more prominent than most people realize.

In their book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart offer this helpful breakdown of Old Testament prophecy:

• Less than 2% of Old Testament prophecy is messianic.
• Less than 5% explicitly describe the new covenant age.
• Less than 1% concerns events still to come in our time.

In other words, over 90% of Old Testament prophecy is not predictive—it’s confrontational, corrective, and covenantal. The prophets are called “covenant enforcement mediators,” reminding God’s people of what He had already said and calling them to live by it. That same dynamic continues in the book of Revelation.

Revelation as Forth-Telling: God’s Wake-Up Call

While Revelation contains powerful foretelling about Christ’s return and final judgment, it is saturated with present-tense calls to repentance, holiness, and endurance. That becomes especially clear in the opening chapters but continues throughout the book.

Notably,  “repent” appears 12 times in Revelation, making more appearances than in any other New Testament book. That alone should shift how we read it. God isn’t just outlining the future; He’s pleading with His people in the present.

Here are three powerful examples:

1. Revelation 2:4–5 – Return to Your First Love

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” (ESV) Jesus speaks directly to the church in Ephesus. His concern isn’t about their eschatology. It’s about their love. He’s calling them to examine their hearts, repent, and return to Him. That same prophetic word confronts us today.

2. Revelation 3:15–19 – Wake Up from Spiritual Apathy

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot… Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (ESV) To the lukewarm church in Laodicea, Jesus offers both confrontation and compassion. He doesn’t just diagnose their condition, but also calls them to zeal, repentance, and a restored relationship. It’s a forth-telling word every comfortable Christian needs to hear.

3. Revelation 18:4 – Come Out of Babylon

“Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.” (ESV) In the middle of prophetic visions about the fall of Babylon, God inserts a direct word to His people: don’t get caught up in the world’s sins. Separate yourselves. Be holy. This is a new command, not a future theory.

Why This Matters

If we only read Revelation as a prediction manual, we’ll miss what God is trying to say to us right now. These prophetic words are like fire alarms going off meant to wake us up, call us to holiness, and draw us to more profound love and obedience.

Revelation is not just a map of what’s coming—it’s a mirror revealing who we are. Jesus isn’t just coming back someday. He’s speaking to His church today. And He’s asking us: Will you listen? Will you repent? Will you live holy and faithful lives, even under pressure?

Final Thoughts

When we reframe Revelation as primarily forth-telling, its relevance becomes crystal clear. It’s not a puzzle to decode but a sermon to obey. It speaks to the church in every age, calling us to love Jesus more deeply, resist compromise, and live lives that reflect His holiness. 

But the message of Revelation is not only for the church. It’s also a warning to the world. Those who follow the world and reject Christ will be lost. God’s judgment is real, and those who remain in their sin and rebellion will face eternal separation from Him.

Yet there is hope. Those who repent, turn to Christ for salvation, and are washed by His blood will be saved. Revelation is ultimately a book of mercy and grace for those who will listen. 

That’s why Jesus says in Revelation 22:7: “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (ESV) To “keep” means to obey. God doesn’t bless those who merely read or debate prophecy but those who respond in humble faith, repentance, and holiness.

Don’t read Revelation to satisfy your curiosity. Read it to hear God’s voice—and respond.

Reflection:

Like the Ephesian church, have you lost your first love for Christ? Are you lukewarm in your walk with Jesus and spiritually passive or self-satisfied? Is there any area of your life where God calls you to “come out” from compromise? How can you respond to Revelation’s warnings with fresh zeal, repentance, and joy?

Come, Lord Jesus!