--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like Jonah’s word, Revelation as prophecy…" description: "\"“Like Jonah’s word, Revelation as prophecy seeks mainly to stimulate faithful response among John’s audience, not to provide an absolute blueprint for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/david-a-desilva-35254_prophecy_like-jonah-s-word-revelation-as-prophecy_3087178.jpg" --- # Like Jonah’s word, Revelation as prophecy seeks mainly to… ![“Like Jonah’s word, Revelation as prophecy seeks mainly to stimulate faithful response among John’s audience, not to provide an absolute blueprint for an uncertain future.” quote by David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/david-a-desilva-35254_prophecy_like-jonah-s-word-revelation-as-prophecy_3087178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/david-a-desilva-35254_prophecy_like-jonah-s-word-revelation-as-prophecy_3087178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/903/david-a-desilva-35254_prophecy_like-jonah-s-word-revelation-as-prophecy_3087178.jpg) > ““Like Jonah’s word, Revelation as prophecy seeks mainly to stimulate faithful response among John’s audience, not to provide an absolute blueprint for an uncertain future.”” [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The purpose of Revelation is to inspire faithful reaction, not to give a precise future map. **In simple terms:** Revelation aims to motivate believers, not predict specifics. Key Takeaway Focus on personal faith response rather than exact predictions. Themes religion interpretation faith motivation Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological interpretive When to use this quote - personal study - sermon preparation - faith community discussions - academic analysis Key Concepts prophetic literature theology apocalyptic genre Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your reading of prophetic texts? - What role should certainty play in faith? A Different Perspective Interpretations can vary, leading to conflicting expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Prophecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophecy/) [Revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelation/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Uncertain future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncertain-future/) ## Related quotes > [“Jonah 3:1: “The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-howerton/jonah-3-1-the-word-of-the-lord-came-to-jonah-a-second-time/) [Mike Howerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-howerton/) > [“People are a soul-ego-spacesuit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-emunds/people-are-a-soul-ego-spacesuit/) [Stefan Emunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-emunds/) > [“Spirituality is 80% attitude and 20% knowledge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-emunds/spirituality-is-80-attitude-and-20-knowledge/) [Stefan Emunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-emunds/) > [The Book of Revelation, difficult as it may be for "literalists," becomes much simpler when we read it typologically, as a mosiac of allusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-book-of-revelation-difficult-as-it-may-be-for-literalists-becomes/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [“As I stumbled into confusion about what was real and what was not, the strangest thing happened: The world disintegrated. Reality collapsed, or my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-emunds/as-i-stumbled-into-confusion-about-what-was-real-and-what-was-not-the/) [Stefan Emunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-emunds/) > [“The universe is a gigantic amusement park in which we can have a ride or two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-emunds/the-universe-is-a-gigantic-amusement-park-in-which-we-can-have-a-ride/) [Stefan Emunds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-emunds/) > [“While such prophecy could include a predictive element, it was also—and perhaps primarily—a declaration of God’s action in the present or an announcement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/while-such-prophecy-could-include-a-predictive-element-it-was-also/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“This tenet, however, ignores the primary purpose of prophecy, which is not to give hard and fast statements about an unchangeable future, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/this-tenet-however-ignores-the-primary-purpose-of-prophecy-which-is/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“It is always a starkly private moment when a governor first apprehends his subject as a man—perhaps not as an equal, but at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/it-is-always-a-starkly-private-moment-when-a-governor-first/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Religion often partakes of the myth of progress that shields us from the terrors of an uncertain future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/religion-often-partakes-of-the-myth-of-progress-that-shields-us-from/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Everyone's future is uncertain life moves on very fast, girls come and go, while money is the same... Some people need and want loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/everyone-s-future-is-uncertain-life-moves-on-very-fast-girls-come-and/) [Kevin Mccarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [Auto repair, piloting, skiing, perhaps even management: these are skills that yield to application, hard work, and native talent. But forecasting an uncertain future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/auto-repair-piloting-skiing-perhaps-even-management-these-are-skills/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [I like to define biology as the history of the earth and all its life - past, present, and future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/i-like-to-define-biology-as-the-history-of-the-earth-and-all-its-life/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“If there was one great benefit to the whole practice of art, it was to focus him in the “now,” where the ugly past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-mckenna/if-there-was-one-great-benefit-to-the-whole-practice-of-art-it-was-to/) [Christina McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-mckenna/) > [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## More by David A. Desilva > [“The cities of Asia Minor were as enthusiastic and as invested in hosting the imperial cult as modern cities are about convincing a major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/the-cities-of-asia-minor-were-as-enthusiastic-and-as-invested-in/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“The greatest threat the hearers face is to be found unprepared to encounter God or God’s Christ at his coming (6:12–17), thus being exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/the-greatest-threat-the-hearers-face-is-to-be-found-unprepared-to/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“This tenet, however, ignores the primary purpose of prophecy, which is not to give hard and fast statements about an unchangeable future, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/this-tenet-however-ignores-the-primary-purpose-of-prophecy-which-is/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“While such prophecy could include a predictive element, it was also—and perhaps primarily—a declaration of God’s action in the present or an announcement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/while-such-prophecy-could-include-a-predictive-element-it-was-also/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“The title “Lord of lords,” for example, was ascribed to the emperor; the acclamations of God and Christ as “worthy” (4:11; 5:9) echo the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/the-title-lord-of-lords-for-example-was-ascribed-to-the-emperor-the/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“John exposes Pax Romana and Pax Augusta to be bald-faced lies. He does not allow his hearers to ignore the fact that a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/john-exposes-pax-romana-and-pax-augusta-to-be-bald-faced-lies-he-does/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“John would have disciples in every age understand—and live like they understand—that they exist to do God’s bidding, because God created all things for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/john-would-have-disciples-in-every-age-understand-and-live-like-they/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“A grounded and responsible reading of Revelation begins with reading it first as we would read Paul’s Letters to the Galatians or Philippians or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/a-grounded-and-responsible-reading-of-revelation-begins-with-reading/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“In John’s vision of the cosmos, there is no room for gathering around God’s throne at one time as one’s cosmic center and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/in-john-s-vision-of-the-cosmos-there-is-no-room-for-gathering-around/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“Thus apocalypses set an audience’s space within the context of a larger, invisible world, and they set the audience’s time in the context of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/thus-apocalypses-set-an-audience-s-space-within-the-context-of-a/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“We have sought to read Revelation less as a coded text to be interpreted, and more as a text that imposed a Christ-centered interpretation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/we-have-sought-to-read-revelation-less-as-a-coded-text-to-be/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) > [“In many instances, however, I would expect such instances of discomfort to draw our attention to the ways in which we have drunk deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-desilva/in-many-instances-however-i-would-expect-such-instances-of-discomfort/) [David A. Desilva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) [Explore all 13 David A. Desilva quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-desilva/) ## More Prophecy quotes > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [When the government pays, health care's lack of affordability becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In health care, as in other things, government is the high-cost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-kling/when-the-government-pays-health-care-s-lack-of-affordability-becomes/) [Arnold Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-kling/) > [“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-speak-in-the-tongues-of-men-or-of-angels-but-do-not-have-love-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Surely it becomes a wise man, at a time like this, to turn to the pages of prophecy and to inquire what is yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-lifsey/surely-it-becomes-a-wise-man-at-a-time-like-this-to-turn-to-the-pages/) [Dalton Lifsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-lifsey/) > [Life is self-fulfilling prophecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/life-is-self-fulfilling-prophecy/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Stomach full of jitters, little beasts that were second cousins to guacamolians—little green monsters that wreaked havoc in your stomach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kely-mcclung/stomach-full-of-jitters-little-beasts-that-were-second-cousins-to/) [William Kely McClung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kely-mcclung/) > [I only know I have this power. I have always had this power. I can feel it burning within me, driving me on. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigori-rasputin/i-only-know-i-have-this-power-i-have-always-had-this-power-i-can-feel/) [Grigori Rasputin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigori-rasputin/) > [And my fear of failure has been lifelong and deep. If you are what you do- and I think my parents may have accidentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/and-my-fear-of-failure-has-been-lifelong-and-deep-if-you-are-what-you/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [It is not merely the multiplicity of tints, the gladness of tone, or the balminess of the air which delight in the spring; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/it-is-not-merely-the-multiplicity-of-tints-the-gladness-of-tone-or/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [Among all the valuable things of this world, the word is the most precious. For in the word one can find a light which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/among-all-the-valuable-things-of-this-world-the-word-is-the-most/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [“if people believe this, they would act on that belief. Many a prophecy, by the mere force of its being believed, is transmuted”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/if-people-believe-this-they-would-act-on-that-belief-many-a-prophecy/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [We were young, and we had no need for prophecies. Just living was itself an act of prophecy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/we-were-young-and-we-had-no-need-for-prophecies-just-living-was/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [PROPHECY, n. The art and practice of selling one's credibility for future delivery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/prophecy-n-the-art-and-practice-of-selling-one-s-credibility-for/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [It is not till it is discovered that high individual incomes will not purchase the mass of mankind immunity from cholera, typhus, and ignorance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/it-is-not-till-it-is-discovered-that-high-individual-incomes-will-not/) [R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [“Oh, one more thing,' Thor calls out. 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