[372 words]
The rapidity with which changes have taken place over the past several years leaves us longing for some sort of glimpse into the future. What will the financial markets look like in six months? What will be the political landscape a year from today? And, what about the spiritual and moral climate in our society? What new challenges will we face in the year ahead. The best we can offer are educated guesses based on the past. We simply do not know about tomorrow (Mt. 6:34). But, while we cannot know the future, at least to the extent that our anxiety-driven curiosity requires, we can know the God who holds the future in His hands.
In previous ages, God spoke “to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways…” (Heb. 1:1). Fulfilled prophecy is a major component of the body of evidence that supports the inspiration of the Bible. Detailed descriptions of people and events written hundreds of years before their fulfillment leaves us with the indelible impression that the Lord has, indeed, spoken through His servants, the prophets.
Yet, there have always been those who falsely claim to speak in the name of the Lord. Perhaps, for this reason, Moses hypothetically posed the question: “How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?” (Dt. 18:21). Answering his own question, Moses says, “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (vs. 22).
How often are modern-day prognosticators given a free pass by their adherents even when it becomes clearly evident that their predictions have altogether missed the mark? Because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, God’s prophets were always 100% accurate in their predictions. By contrast, today’s false prophet, in spite of using the same taken-out-of-context passages year after year, cannot get their teaching to line up with actual events with any degree of reliability or specificity. Should they not be held accountable for their false predictions? (1 Jn. 4:1).
Glen Elliott
Greenbrier church of Christ
Greenbrier, AR