So what are prophecies then?

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rikuoamero
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So what are prophecies then?

Post #1

Post by rikuoamero »

Following on from my discussion on Micah 5, I was told the following by a Christian.
He only related the word of God to the Israelites. That's what Biblical prophecy is. Biblical prophecy is not prediction of the future, Riko. Open your mind. Forget about Nostradamus. LOL!
MICAH. DID. NOT. PREDICT. ANYTHING.
one more time -- Micah was not and is not predicting anything.
So I'd like to take this time and space to ask basically...what are biblical prophecies then (or what are called prophecies)? What exactly are they? Apparently, I was wrong in thinking they were foretellings of the future, descriptions of events yet to happen at the time of their writing, and that the fact they got it correct means they could only have been told by God.
Are there any other Christians on this website who agree with the above quotes? Or are Micah and other things listed by Christians as prophecies...predictions of the future?
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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #2

Post by PinSeeker »

rikuoamero wrote:Apparently, I was wrong in thinking they were foretellings of the future, descriptions of events yet to happen at the time of their writing...
No, you were just wrong in who you were attributing these fore-tellings to.
rikuoamero wrote:...the fact they got it correct means they could only have been told by God.
Well, even the prophets themselves would say -- and did -- that these were things that God told them: "Thus saith the Lord..." Some of those things were:

1. things that had already happened (even long before).
2. things that were taking place at the time of the prophet(s) speaking.
3. things that -- relative to where those prophets and the original hearers were standing in linear time -- were (and maybe still are) yet to take place.

The overall takeaway (among others) in all these things -- regardless what category above (1, 2, or 3) any particular prophecy fell/falls into -- is that God is always in control of all things, and that He alone is worthy of our trust and devotion regardless of what comes to pass, and that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And that in the end, He will redeem His creation unto Himself. Jesus wins. And we (Christians, anyway), by being in Him, win, too; we are co-heirs with Christ. This... is the Gospel.

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Post #3

Post by tam »

Peace to you Rik,
So I'd like to take this time and space to ask basically...what are biblical prophecies then (or what are called prophecies)? What exactly are they? Apparently, I was wrong in thinking they were foretellings of the future, descriptions of events yet to happen at the time of their writing
As far as I understand, a prophecy refers to something concerning the future, and a prophet is a person who receives and relays said prophecy. The prophet does not interpret the prophecy himself (he can only share the meaning of the prophecy if the meaning has been given to him).


So I do not think you were wrong in the above quote (though I snipped part of it and pasted it below).
, and that the fact they got it correct means they could only have been told by God.
This part is not necessarily true.

A sign of a false prophet is that the prophet told something in God's name that did not come true. That seems obvious.

But someone could predict something accurately without necessarily having been told it by God. (they could have stolen it from someone else who received and shared it from Christ and God, for example, and falsely claimed that they heard it themselves)



Peace to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #4

Post by bluethread »

rikuoamero wrote:
So I'd like to take this time and space to ask basically...what are biblical prophecies then (or what are called prophecies)? What exactly are they? Apparently, I was wrong in thinking they were foretellings of the future, descriptions of events yet to happen at the time of their writing, and that the fact they got it correct means they could only have been told by God.
A Prophet is one who makes professions regarding a deity. Those professions can be simply statements regarding that deity, restating of something said by a deity or a direct quote of a deity. When a Prophet makes a statement regarding a future event, it is presumed that such a statement has the approval of said deity. If what is stated does not come to pass, that shows that the person is not speaking on behalf of an actual deity.

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #5

Post by rikuoamero »

[Replying to post 2 by PinSeeker]

May I ask then why you said the following?
Biblical prophecy is not prediction of the future, Riko. Open your mind. Forget about Nostradamus. LOL!
You seemed pretty sure about that.
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Your life is your own. Rise up and live it - Richard Rahl, Sword of Truth Book 6 "Faith of the Fallen"

I condemn all gods who dare demand my fealty, who won't look me in the face so's I know who it is I gotta fealty to. -- JoeyKnotHead

Some force seems to restrict me from buying into the apparent nonsense that others find so easy to buy into. Having no religious or supernatural beliefs of my own, I just call that force reason. -- Tired of the Nonsense

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #6

Post by bjs »

[Replying to rikuoamero]

A prophesy is a message from God. The vast majority of biblical prophesies make no statements about future events. They tend to deal with the actions and attitudes of those who claim to follow God in the present.
Understand that you might believe. Believe that you might understand. –Augustine of Hippo

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #7

Post by brunumb »

[Replying to post 4 by bluethread]
When a Prophet makes a statement regarding a future event, it is presumed that such a statement has the approval of said deity. If what is stated does not come to pass, that shows that the person is not speaking on behalf of an actual deity.
Brilliant strategy. Heads I win, tails you lose.

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #8

Post by brunumb »

[Replying to post 6 by bjs]
The vast majority of biblical prophesies make no statements about future events.
In that case why is so much emphasis placed on fulfilled prophecy as validation of the Bible?

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Re: So what are prophecies then?

Post #9

Post by bjs »

brunumb wrote: [Replying to post 6 by bjs]
The vast majority of biblical prophesies make no statements about future events.
In that case why is so much emphasis placed on fulfilled prophecy as validation of the Bible?
I was unaware that there was. What emphasis I know of is almost entirely on the book of Daniel. That book predicts the future so accurately that most non-Christians insist that it must have been written later than the book claims to have been written. However, it stands as a clear exception to normal biblical prophecy.
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Post #10

Post by tam »

Does anyone have some examples of prophets who did not make any prophecies about the future (no matter how near or far into the future?)


I am curious.


Peace to you!

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