Posted on 11/07/2004 8:40:35 PM PST by Quix
You folks have tended to deride any modern prophet who you perceived to have missed a prediction or been inaccurate about a prediction as being 100% a false prophet IN CONTRAST TO Old Testament prophets. You've cheekily asserted that such should be stoned nowadays.
This is but one example of a few or several--depending on how one defines it--where authentic Old Testament prophets according to your 100% precision criteria missed prophecying accurately. They missed it, too. Yet, they were not stoned.
I think you knew good and well the point.
Truthfully I have no idea what you are talking about. Give me the Scripture at least so I can read it
This is not truth. It's opinion. It's hearsay from 40+ years ago. Bad memories. Indigestion. Who knows.
Too bad you cannot see the difference.
I SUSPECT THE LINKS BELOW ARE OUT OF DATE. But it's a good doc on prophetic error in our era.
From: "ANZAC prophetic list"
prophetic@storm-harvest.asn.au
To: ANZAC Prop List
prophetic@storm-harvest.asn.au
Subject: More on error in prophecy
More on error in prophecy
From: "mailto:Michael.Abboud@Solution6.com"
Michael.Abboud@Solution6.com
To: "mailto:prophetic@storm-harvest.asn.au"
prophetic@storm-harvest.asn.au
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 10:38 AM
Subject: Re: Error in prophecy
Dear Robert,
Your article is timely. It certainly gives food for thought on finding the right balance between prophetic license and pharasaic legalism.
In addition to what you wrote, you may find some of these points useful for consideration:
1. The erroneous emphasis that a prophetic person is known as such by his or her prophesying prowess.
The scriptures plainly teach that a prophet is known as such because of his relationship to God, the Source of his utterances. One example that comes to mind is Abraham - called a prophet (Gen 20:7), yet not one recorded prophecy. Why is he known as a prophet then? Because of his intimacy with God. Increased prophetic accuracy comes with deeper intimacy. We should be teaching budding prophetic people this emphasis, and quit putting the pressure on to draw from the prophetic flow all the time. There is nothing unprophetic about a person who has nothing to say when asked for a word.
2. The erroneous concept that a prophet is constantly wading through a prophetic flow of words, thoughts, visions and impressions from the Lord. Hence, he should be able to prophesy constantly or continuously at will.
Contrast this with the prophets of old.Jeremiah prophesied 50 or so chapters in 50 or so years of ministry.That's about a chapter of prophecy a year! However, we demand reams of words a week! The fact that we feel the pressure to prophesy so much is a recipe for error and fleshly words. In one case, when Jeremiah was asked for a word from the Lord about whether the people should go to Egypt to escape the devastation of the Babylonians in Judah, TEN DAYS LATER, he got his response from God! (see Jer 42:1-7ff). How many of us would be prepared to WAIT for a word?
3. The erroneous emphasis on the prophet speaking, rather than on the prophet hearing.
Contrary to popular opinion, prophets are less a mouthpiece and more an earpiece. They speak what they hear (or see).The pressure is on to speak when nothing has been heard.The more that the church understands this principle, the more conducive an evironment church will become to nurture prophetic people.If we emphasise the receiving of the word, and hence by default encourage a greater intimacy with God, then the speaking of the word will be less of a problem.
4.The lack of distinction between the gift of prophesy and the office of prophet.
Nowhere in Scripture are we encouraged to seek to be prophets - but we ARE encouraged to strongly desire to prophesy. Why is this?Because the two activities are vastly different.The Scriptures teach that prophecy edifies, exhorts and encourages the church, and because of this powerful effect, it should be earnestly sought by all believers to build up the church.
The more specific task of the prophet is by appointment only, and not by any desire for it on behalf of the believer.The reasons for this should be clear - like the other offices of apostle, evangelist, pastor and teacher, the office of prophet has everything to do with who we are and our relationship to God, not our prophesying ability (see first point above).
In the case of the function of the prophetic office, it is usually very difficult to distinguish where the person ends and where his calling begins.God sovereignly interwines and blends the two, and He calls those whom he wills."If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him . . . and will speak to him" Num 12:6
Michael Abboud.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Join the List email
prophetic@revival.gen.nz
To Send material email
prophetic@storm-harvest.asn.au
To leave the List email
shm@storm-harvest.asn.au
WEBSITES
New Zealand Revival Bulletin
http://crash.ihug.co.nz/~revival
Dreams and Visions Supersite
http://crash.ihug.co.nz/~revival/index2.html
Storm-Harvest Ministries
http://www.storm-harvest.asn.au
EDITOR
Robert I Holmes
A sizeable number of the more spiritual people I know feel the same way.
THX.
You do very well at increasing my serious concerns for you.
I did, up above a ways. I'll see if I can look the ref up in YSADSP . . .
Bible Gateway's new style without the advanced older style search functions is taking too long given some other priorities.
Basically, it was the situation where "The prophet Samuel told King Saul that the kingdom of Israel was torn from him by the Lord THAT DAY. Yet twenty-four years passed before David was crowned King of Israel."
How often do you tell your mother that something she told you 20 or so years ago was hearsay and that you didn't believe it any more?
Is this what you are talking about?
Samuel went right out on God's command to visit Jesse and anointed David. Saul's line as Kings was ended, not just with the anointing of David, but the minute God said it was
Saul may have lived on but his power and anointing were gone. Why do you suppose he hated David so much?
P.S. If I were you I'd be mighty careful speaking ill of God's servant Samuel
Wasn't speaking ill of Samuel in the slightest. He's one of my very favorite Bible characters. Have long loved and highly respected his character.
I'm ascribing absolutely no error or problem to Samuel. I'm only saying that there are valid OT examples of prophets technically missing fulfillment of the letter of their pronouncements yet they did not have God's disapproval.
Given the nature of Holy Spirit being resident within only a select few in the Old Testament--if these rarified few with in-dwelling Holy Spirit occasionally missed it in any sense at all--then it's at least possible that modern era prophets could, too. That's my main point.
I don't expect you folks to agree with it. But I would like to expose you to the facts so that perhaps Holy Spirit can use it as a spring board for increased understanding on the topic. You seem, at times, overly inclined to have an unwise narrow rigidity about the facts and thereby miss some facts. I think the above example is one that was excluded from your tidy boxes on the topic.
I'm surprised you'd even imagine otherwise of me. Evidently my poor English escapes you entirely. I don't know that I can remedy that. But I am sorry.
BTW, that passage of Scripture is not the one I was referring to.
Yes, that's the Scripture.
And, I agree with your interpretation.
However, it remains that the letter of what Samuel said was not overtly fulfilled that day. We can say it was fulfilled in the spiritual realm quite reasonably.
But IF I'd given that explanation for an interpretation of a modern prophetic prediction of a similar sort that was fulfilled in the spiritual realm but NOT overtly until 24 years later literally--then you all en masse would immediately jump at the idea that the modern prophet should be stoned as a false prophet because his prediction had not been fulfilled THAT DAY as stated.
And you know that you would do so as you've done similarly repeatedly on such threads.
Your lack of . . . consistency . . . is disturbing and disappointing.
There are many valid, Scriptural, Biblical, righteous reasons such as the example in Samuel that a prediction doesn't come true.
There's another one in Jonah's case. His prediction of destruction for Ninevah didn't come true because they repented. Jonah was indignant. The fact remained that his prediction did not come true. Yet, he was not a false prophet. You all would not allow such an explanation in any modern case.
And you know it.
I just wish to expose that glaring inconsistency.
I'll admit it's an impressive claim, and in fact I've made similar statements about it being a sign that judgement is upon our nation. But you must admit her prophecy contains a glaring, obvious flaw....well, two actually....
The WTC wasn't singular, i.e. a large building...
read later
"4. REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE, RESTORATION OF TEMPLE WORSHIP AND ANIMAL SACRIFICES IN JERUSALEM
"For several end time prophecies to be fulfilled, the temple will have to be rebuilt."
Then don't build the temple. What's so difficult to understand about that?
Thank you for posting this, Quix. I've read these passages over time, but you have them here in an organized fashion. Scoffers should think twice. . the times are getting more and more in line with the prophesied happenings. Just the frequency of earthquakes and natural disasters are enough to make anyone who has read the 24th Chapter of Matthew think. - I think we must trust the Lord, and always be looking up as he said.
Hey... has anyone found the world trade center in the bible code yet?... havn't heard anything along those lines.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.