Author:
Wade A. Tisthammer
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Date Posted: 09/19/03 8:10pm
In reply to:
QUITTNER
's message, "Modern prophets" on 09/15/03 1:19pm
>Wade, you wrote, in part: >>> How are we to know the
>prophet is truly from the Lord? The answer:
>empirically test him. The prophet should make a
>prediction and you see if it comes true. <<<
>..... Modern prophets are called economists,
>forecasters of all kinds (not only the weather),
>politicians, newspaper columnists, sports reporters
>and bettors, lottery and stock market users, fashions
>designers, film, TV and theater producers, etc.,
Obviously one must use common sense when it comes to predictions. Forecasting the weather and economy is not what I had in mind. (And keep in mind such sciences didn't even exist when the Mosaic law of prediction was given.) My idea of prediction? I quote from Peretti’s excellent novel Prophet
“And here’s how you’ll know that the Lord has given you this message: Before you go home tonight, you’ll spill coffee on yourself.
The governor rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair incredulously. Mr. Devin broke out in rude, mocking laughter. Slater’s [the governor’s] voice was cracking with laughter as he asked, “That’s it? No bolts of lightning? No earthquakes?”
John received more. Even he was amazed. “There’s more. When you go home tonight, you’ll receive a new pair of running shoes. Uh…navy-blue running shoes.”
Now Mr. Devin approached the governor’s desk, amused and not wanting to miss a thing. “Mr. Governor, we should have sold tickets. This is great.”
“There’s more,” said John, and now even Mel the cameraman was coming closer, all ears. “On Wednesday you’ll discover that your chief of staff has been lying to you.”
Mr. Devin didn’t think that was funny at all. “Are you talking about me, Barret? I’d be careful if I were you.”
John looked Devin squarely in the eye and told him, [Snipped so I won’t spoil it]
Devin cursed loudly, denying the charge, then grabbed John by the arm. “That’s it, buddy. You’re out of here!”
“Hold it Martin!” ordered the governor.
Devin stopped and put on a sudden grin. “Mr. Governor, this guy’s a loony! He isn’t making a bit of sense! I’d just as soon be rid of him.”
Hiram Slater’s countenance was filled with rage and loathing. He glared at the prophet and said, “What else?”
Devin’s big hand was locked around John’s arm, ready to snatch him out of his chair, but John spoke anyway. “On Wednesday you’ll also learn that your other daughter, Hayley, is pregnant.”
Despite the governor’s efforts to prevent the predictions from coming true, the happened, and the prophet did not appear to have any role in fulfilling the predictions. In a circumstance that the excellent novel illustrated, I would accept that as valid predictions.
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