"What is a False Prophet?"........AliceInSpadeLand
The WBT$ Organization..
That presents BullShit as Facts..
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...OUTLAW
What is a false prophet?
by Spade 95 Replies latest watchtower bible
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OUTLAW
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pirata
I personally believe speaking in tongues, prophesying, and any diving knowledge beyond what has been provided in the Bible has ceased:
(1 Corinthians 13:8-12) 8 Love never fails. But whether there are [gifts of] prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with. 9 For we have partial knowledge and we prophesy partially; 10 but when that which is complete arrives, that which is partial will be done away with. 11 When I was a babe, I used to speak as a babe, to think as a babe, to reason as a babe; but now that I have become a man, I have done away with the [traits] of a babe. 12 For at present we see in hazy outline by means of a metal mirror, but then it will be face to face. At present I know partially, but then I shall know accurately even as I am accurately known. (NWT)
So, I don't think there are any "true prophets" today that make new prophecies beyond what the Bible has provided or tries to pinpoint specific predictions that strain the credibility based on the highly symbolic prophecies provided in the Bible, or by tying together a number of prophecies and calculations to make a unique application to our day.
More than a few Christian groups thoroughout history have tried to guess what a prophecy means, make up a "second fulfillment", or try to make it fit modern day events (an occurence among different Christian religions it seems, I remember a Christian studen''ts report in high school applying a prophecy in Isaiah where "arrows" were a prophesy of "rockets" in the Middle East conflicts.). In regards to the Watchtower Society, it seems that that after the 1975 incident, and with the change that the governing body must decide on any new or changes in official teachings, that we will not see any individuals guesses/predictions allowed to make it into official teachings. The organization now seems to be following the advice given that same year.:
*** w75 7/1 p. 389 Mideastern Events—Do They Fulfill Prophecy? ***
Of course, devoted servants of God are rightly concerned with what is happening in fulfillment of Bible prophecy. They are like the Hebrew prophets of ancient times who were keenly interested in the fulfillment of their spirit-inspired utterances about the Messiah or Christ. At 1 Peter 1:10, 11, we read: “A diligent inquiry and a careful search were made by the prophets who prophesied about the undeserved kindness meant for you. They kept on investigating what particular season or what sort of season the spirit in them was indicating concerning Christ when it was bearing witness beforehand about the sufferings for Christ and about the glories to follow these.”
However, we should not go beyond what a particular prophecy actually says. Bible prophecies cannot be understood in full detail until the events to which they point take place. So we do well not to speculate as to what certain happenings in the Middle East or elsewhere may or may not mean.
Such speculation can lead to one’s becoming off balance and deeply involved with matters that actually have little or nothing to do with the building up of faith. A person might also spend much time that could otherwise be used far more profitably in gaining spiritual strengthIncidentally, after Rutherford's prediction for 1925 did not come to pass, he admitted :
*** w84 10/1 p. 24 ‘Jehovah Has Dealt Rewardingly With Me’ ***
Regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he once confessed to us at Bethel, “I made an ass of myself.”Rutherford seemed to have learned from this incident and although there were some other suggestions in regards to dates, he never again made one officially so strongly as the one he did for 1925. The 1975 excitement came up after Rutherford has passed away and the vice-president, Fred Franz, had speculated that it would be extremely fitting for Armageddon to come after 6000 years of man's existence, which he calculated to be 1975. A bit of wiggle room was added by saying that the 6000 years would be measured from when Eve was created (not Adam), but then this teaching was abandoned soon after. So, no Fred never said that it "will" come, but since it was coming from the Faithful Slave, it was taken by many JWs and Society representaives as are more than just a "maybe".
The next preditions coming up are the Christian groups that say Jesus MIGHT be coming on dates this years such as May 14 2011 ( http://www.jonathanselby.com/May14,2011.html ), or May 21, 2011. I have seen billboards advertising this date. Of course, by saying "MIGHT", they have provided the technicality they need to say that they never said it was a certainty.
When it comes down to it, the Apostle John (written after 70CE) thought the end was near, all Christian groups in the past 2000 years applied prophecies to their own times and felt the end was near. Conclusion? Take Jesus advice: (Matthew 24:42) "Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming." Whether the end is coming tomorrow or not in our lifeteime, that time element should not be an important factor in our Christian faith. Not knowing when the end is coming should keep a Christian just as watchful, if not more, than if they knew the date.
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brotherdan
Spade, it doesn't matter what the WT says in their justification in prophesying wrong dates. The Bible itself condemns them. Deut 18:20-23.
As leavingwt so thoroughly showed, they HAVE claimed to speak in Gods name. Also, you do not have to preface everything with "thus saith the lord" for you to be a false prophet. They claim to represent Him. They enforce the belief of their dates.
If you don't believe me, go to one of the elders, tell them that you do not believe in 1914 or 1919 and see what happens to you. It is REQUIRED that you believe these things to remain a JW.
They have not merely speculated on what the future may hold. They have set specific dates. But what, IMO, is worse is what they have done to past dates. The Revelation Grand Climax book is one of the most wrong, error filled, blasphemous books that has ever been put out by them. They took each piece of Revelation and applied it to their own organizational history. If someone can read the Grand Climax book without doubting its accuracy, then I would think there was something mentally wrong with that person.
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brotherdan
Regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he once confessed to us at Bethel, “I made an ass of myself.”
No truer words have ever been spoken. And yet he didn't learn. He made an ass out of himself time and time again until he finally died.
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Chalam
If Jehovah’s Witnesses are false-prophets, who can we look to as a “prophet(s)?
Anyone who is born of the Spirit.
Acts 2:17-18 (New International Version, ©2010)
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.Acts 2:38-39 (New International Version, ©2010)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 19:1-6 (New International Version, ©2010)
Paul in Ephesus
1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16 (New International Version, ©2010)
9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”But we have the mind of Christ.
Blessings in the Spirit of Christ,
Stephen
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brotherdan
Pirata, I struggle with this myself. But there is one part of ceasationism that is strange. Look again at the scripture in 1Cor. It says:
but when that which is complete arrives, that which is partial will be done away with.
So what is that wich is complete? To me it sounds like Christs second coming. If that was true then those spiritual gifts were not done away with. Like I said, I don't know where I stand with this issue.
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pirata
brotherdan, could it refer to a partial understanding of the given prophecies and knowledge that we will only fully know when Christ's second coming is fulfilled?
Chalam,
Acts 2:17-18 (New International Version, ©2010)
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.Throughout the Greek scriptures the apostles said that they were already living in the last days. Is there anyone after the apostolic period that correctly prophecied anything? (I mean this in sincerity.I may not have an accurate understanding of what was meant by "prophesyng" in these scriptures).
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brotherdan
I don't know. I see good arguments on each side. The tongues thing scares me. And then the prophetic thing REALLY scares me because of our dealings with that. It just seems like that scripture in 1Cor can't be used to say that they all were done away with with the death of the apostles.
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Butterflyleia85
I believe how Chalam points out the scriptures... to me, God gave us (or ones faithfully serving god) holy spirit to help us understand the words of the bible. Jesus is the true prophet but he allows us to witness or prophesy his word and pass this down to their/our childern... what manner of doctrines and order of what is taught I believe is irrelevant... to get true meaning or the point of what God wanted would be apparent to us through holy spirit.
False prophets would be describe at Matthew 24:24-25; 1 John 4:1; Deu. 13:1-5. So instead of following dreamers we need to follow God's commandment. So it's just important even when we think we are right we always watch who leads us or our own thinking because only God is the truth, the way, and the light.
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Butterflyleia85
Matthew 24:24-25
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Lo, I have told you beforehand.
1 John 4:1
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Deu. 13:1-5
1 "If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder which he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and cleave to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.