False Prophets

 NYT - Christian Prophets Are on the Rise. What Happens When They’re Wrong?
The New York Times reports: "The desire to divine the future is a venerable one, fueling faith in figures from ancient Greek oracles to modern astrologists. Christianity in particular is a religion whose foundational text is filled with prophecies proven true by the end of the book. Whether the gift of prophecy continues into the present day has long been the subject of intense theological debate. But in recent years, self-described prophets have proliferated across the country, accelerating in stature over the course of the Trump era. They are stars within what is now one of the fastest-growing corners of Christianity: a loose but fervent movement led by hundreds of people who believe they can channel supernatural powers — and have special spiritual insights into world events."

Comment: This is an interesting news report that sheds light on the rise of a new class of prophets delving into the world of politics and getting it wrong. To most Christians, prophecy is not something to be made light of, it's serious business because of what it means. A prophet, in the Biblical sense, is someone who has been given a message from God about things that will come to pass. In this context, Bible prophecy is always correct. God knows that past, the present and the future. So when God reveals the "future" to us, it has already happened from the divine perspective. It is a message intended to remind us of the sovereign power of God as well as his mercy in preparing us for what will be. So, for a prophet to say, "hey, I just had an off day, got it wrong," just doesn't work. That's why in the Bible, the penalty for false prophets was execution. They didn't tolerate people running around saying God told them something and having it be wrong. It makes a mockery of God to tolerate that. I wonder if we should return to the Biblical standard for false prophets?