modern day prophets

Julie

Greetings to All:

Lately I have seen it pointed out that the bible is indeed inspired, if only the parts that contain prophecy (that of course have "come true"). This compelled me to make the comment that anyone with any knowledge of the ways of humankind can be a pretty accurate prophet.

Prophecy, in one form or another, has been a necessary skill for all sorts of people throughout the ages. Anyone who needed to come up with a strategy needed to be an accurate prophet. Generals planning military campaigns, aspiring kings looking to usurp a throne, rulers of small countries needing to occupy their ambitious, more powerful neighbors, all utilized the skill of foresight/prophecy.

Who are today's modern prophets? They could be anyone from someone in politics planning a campaign to someone in marketing figuring out how to market a new product. Someone planning a social event would need to apply foresight, even someone as regular as a mom anticipating a child's needs plays the prophet from time to time.

It is simply a matter of knowing your fellow man and the way the world works. Prophecy is no big trick as I have done it countless times and I am sure so have most of you, whether you realize it or not.

In light of this obvious truth it is time that the believers of the bible came up with some other reason we must believe it to be divinely inspired. Prophecy is such a common, everyday occurance that we are either all divinely inspired or, as I contend, it is merely a little logic mixed with foresight, quite attainable for huge segments of the population.

Love to all,
Julie

Rex B13

Hi Sweet Lady!
>Lately I have seen it pointed out that the bible is indeed inspired, if only the parts that contain prophecy (that of course have "come true"). This compelled me to make the comment that anyone with any knowledge of the ways of humankind can be a pretty accurate prophet.

Yes, we that with the 'hit and miss' prophets of today, who seem to be remembered only when they are right!

>Prophecy, in one form or another, has been a necessary skill for all sorts of people throughout the ages. Anyone who needed to come up with a strategy needed to be an accurate prophet. Generals planning military campaigns, aspiring kings looking to usurp a throne, rulers of small countries needing to occupy their ambitious, more powerful neighbors, all utilized the skill of foresight/prophecy.

Yes, all true. There are guidelines that Christain scholars use then there are guidlines used by skeptics. However, with the 'Jesus Seminar' crowd they start off with the assumption that "no true prophecy can have happened", therefore, they seek to redate all valid Bible prophecy. They do the same with the resurrection and other miracles, they assume that "no real miracles occur, all that is not natural cannot exist". So you see, much of the so called evidence on both sides of the issue can be biased with assumtions that make the testing of scripture in valid.

>Who are today's modern prophets? They could be anyone from someone in politics planning a campaign to someone in marketing figuring out how to market a new product. Someone planning a social event would need to apply foresight, even someone as regular as a mom anticipating a child's needs plays the prophet from time to time.
It is simply a matter of knowing your fellow man and the way the world works. Prophecy is no big trick as I have done it countless times and I am sure so have most of you, whether you realize it or not.

Ah, but prophecies in the Bible are often hundreds of years in the making. The original prophet usually doesn't know what he has been given, nor does he see the prophecy fullfilled.

>In light of this obvious truth it is time that the believers of the bible came up with some other reason we must believe it to be divinely inspired. Prophecy is such a common, everyday occurance that we are either all divinely inspired or, as I contend, it is merely a little logic mixed with foresight, quite attainable for huge segments of the population.

Here is where we disagree. Prophecy in a Biblical sense is under much stricter rules than everyday prediction by good planning. Think about this: How in the world could a work of this nature, 66 books and many authors, that meshes so well, ever be put together without inspiration? Did you know that for Jesus to have fullfilled just nine of the 258 prophecies He did fullfill, the odds are comparable to filling the state of Texas with silver dollar coins, writing your name on one and having someone toss it out in the midst of these, then actually finding it with one try?

>Love to all,
Julie

My love to you as well!
Rex

zerubberballz

Here is where we disagree. Prophecy in a Biblical sense is under much stricter rules than everyday prediction by good planning. Think about this: How in the world could a work of this nature, 66 books and many authors, that meshes so well, ever be put together without inspiration? Did you know that for Jesus to have fullfilled just nine of the 258 prophecies He did fullfill, the odds are comparable to filling the state of Texas with silver dollar coins, writing your name on one and having someone toss it out in the midst of these, then actually finding it with one try?

ooo oo rex, can i answer this one? lol . It's very simple Rex. The gospel writers wrote their accounts under the influence of Paul, long after Jesus was dead. (but i think i might have told ya that already ;)

unclebruce

***
Julie, well reasoned article, thankyou. uncleprophet

Rex B13

Hi Unc!

>ooo oo rex, can i answer this one? lol . It's very simple Rex. The gospel writers wrote their accounts under the influence of Paul, long after Jesus was dead. (but i think i might have told ya that already ;)

unclebruce

Sorry, bloke. The gospel of Matthew is extant since at least 42 a.d. All of the N. T. was completed before the accurately predicted destruction fo Jerusalem and it's temple. Even Revelation was finished before 70 a.d. You might read David Chilton's "Days of
Vengeance" for the lowdown on this.
Besides that, how did the most zealous persecutor of the cult of Christ become it's lean preacher and teacher? And, how in the world could all of these apostles and well known Christians "live a lie" even unto their deaths as martyrs?
Paul testified before the Jews and the Romans as if the whole deal with Christ was an established fact with "many being alive yet who could testify to His resurrection". Sheesh, even the Pharisees could only claim that Christ's miracles were from Satan. They did not deny that He did them. How telling is that, Unc?

Then they claim that Christ's followers got past Roman guards and rolled away the massive tombstone, or the preposterous notion that Christ was not completely dead and could do so himself? LOL

Rex

Satanus

'how did the most zealous persecutor of the cult of Christ become it's lean preacher' Jesus' original movement was called 'the way'. They sat around jerusalem chanting ooohhhhmmmmmm, being holy, and passing doobies. 40 yrs later pharisee saul is trying to stop all this fun by murder and imprisonment. Seeing the failure of that method, he has a brilliant idae: infiltrate, coopt and adultrate it. Then he spread his christian movement, eventually the original died out. Simple eh?? Now pass me that doobie, would you...

Satanus

BTW REX

I also read that book. Are you a preterist?

SS

Frenchy

Prophecy is such a common, everyday occurance that we are either all divinely inspired or, as I contend, it is merely a little logic mixed with foresight, quite attainable for huge segments of the population.

It would have to be something very general in nature and then that would not really be prophecy at all. The Society, for example, has been in the prophecy business (as well as the Mormons and many other faiths as well) and has failed miserably. If accurate prediction of the specific future was only a matter of 'a little logic mixed with foresight,' I'm sure Wall St. would be quite different from what it is. Weather forecasters would be held in a somewhat higher esteem than they are around where I live! And farmers, beekeepers, dairymen, and the like would all sleep easier at night if they could know what the future holds.

Julie

Hi Everybody,

Thanks for your thoughts on my post, I appreciate your imput.

Rex, my dearest,

Your statement about Jesus fulfilling prophecies answers a looming question/doubt of mine re: belief. I could very likely be a Christian and go along with that whole Christianity thing in spite of the contradictions in the NT EXCEPT, and it's a big exception, it's dependency on the OT to "prove" Jesus fulfillment of OT prophesies. You know full well how I feel about the OT and cannot believe a savior bringing a message of peace and love would want anything to do with it. Even harder to believe he would need such horrid tales of slaughter and misery to legitamize him as the savior of all mankind (especially since the whole OT is busy committing genocide on anyone not an Israelite as the others were all Unworthy). Just my two cents on the matter, dear, no disrespect intended of course. Love to you Rex.

Here's a prophecy for anyone to comment on, and I would appreciate thoughts from all but especially those who know anything about the global business world. My dad worked for General Motors in the financial division. I remember around the time Chrysler was about to close it's doors and the "gubberment" and General Motors helped them to stay afloat; my dad predicted that, eventually, there would be only about three carmakers globally. He went into his reasons for this belief and I thought they made perfect sense. Considering how things are now, with huge mergers and businesses being swollowed up daily, it seems he was onto something. He made this prediction what? 20-25 years ago? He couldn't see the future, he knew the industry and the business trends etc. so he mixed some common sense with foresight and the knowledge he had and that's what he came up with. Any thoughts? If you agree with that idea, any guesses as to when it might come to be? In our lifetimes you think? Just curious.

Take care all--
Julie

Rex B13

Hi SS,
I am not totally in agreement with Chilton but he does do a great interpretation of Revelation and Matthew 24. I'm not really sure exactly where I am at on eschatology. I guess you could say that I am a "Pan-millenialist".
Someday Jesus will return, we'll be raptured and it will all PAN out in the end. ;-)
Rex

ISP

I predicted, on the board, that the D'backs would come from 3-2 down to win the World Series...does that count?

ISP

modern day prophets

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