There’s a blog over at Reclaiming The Mind ministries summarizing Pat Roberston’s predictions for 2008 (an immanent stock market crash that is scheduled for this year. Oil will reach $150 a barrel. As well, because of the crash, in the chaos, many people will seek the Lord. “We will see the presence of angels and we will see an intensification of miracles around the world.”)
What’s noteworthy is that he allegedly “receives these revelations from the Lord as the Lord speaks to him during prayer.” In other words, this is a “thus sayeth the Lord.” If one is willing to take a stance that they have received such revelation for the Lord, they must be judged as prophets - either “true” prophets or “false” prophets. Let’s take a cursory look at Pat Roberston’s record for prophetic revelation:
1980: The USSR will invade the Middle East
1981: There will be a global economic collapse.
1998: Because Orlando city officials approved the celebration of the Gay Days events at Disney World, Robertson said, ““I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you. … [A] condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It’ll bring about terrorist bombs, it’ll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor”
2004: President Bush will “easily” win the election in a “blowout.”
2005: President Bush will have Social Security and tax reform passed and that Muslims will turn to Jesus Christ.
2006: Storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America’s coastline.
2007: A terrorist attack on the United States would result in “mass killing” late in 2007. “I’m not necessarily saying it’s going to be nuclear,” he said during his news-and-talk television show “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network. “The Lord didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.”
The record seems clear that Pat Robertson is a false prophet.
At this point, let me hasten add that I personally hold to a continuationist view of spiritual gifts (i.e., that the miraculous gifts, including prophecy are still active.) What grieves me however, is the unwillingness/reluctance of many Christians to exercise common-sense and spiritual discernment especially with respect to false prophets and false teachers.
Benny Hinn is another with a long record of false prophecies that many Christians flock to as a true prophet. In 1989 he prophesied to his congregation at the Orlando Christian Center in Florida what he was seeing for the decade of the 1990s.
- “The Lord also tells me to tell you in mid 90’s – about ’94 or ’95, no later than that – God will destroy the homosexual community of America … He will destroy it with fire.”
- “The Spirit of God tells me – an earthquake will hit the east coast of America and destroy much in the 90’s.”
- “The Spirit tells me – Fidel Castro will die in the 90’s… Holy Spirit just said to me, it’ll be worse than any death you can imagine.”
In 1999, Hinn said, “I have just come out of two days of prayer and fasting. The Lord has said to me that this year, 1999, would be the greatest year for the body of Christ, economically and spiritually, but beginning the year 2000, disasters would hit in the world, economically and otherwise, and only those in the church who have been giving to God would be spared.’” (He used this particular “prophecy” to fleece viewers of TBN.)
Sadly, very few Christians call him (and others) on the carpet with respect to their long history of false prophecy. Such “prophecies” are much closer to taking the Lord’s name in vain than what most people conceive of it as.
We must not be quick to brand every prophecy, sign or miracle as from the Lord …
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)
“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (Matt 24:11)
“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matt 24:24)
Christians need to exercise constant spiritual discernment - “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
It’s troubling when the secular world is often more willing, able and ready to exercise genuine discernment than the church with respect to false prophets and false teachers. This raises the question of how one exercises Biblical discernment? Is there a checklist?
Some caution that we are not called to judge - i.e., “Judge not, that you be not judged. (Matt 7:1) But, in context, this is not a warning not to judge but that we will be judged according to the standard we choose. In Romans we are warned not to judge others when we are doing the same things. If we know something is wrong, we become a witness against ourselves if we are committing the same acts. We also don’t have the right to judge someone’s heart, but when warranted, we are to judge someone’s actions and words according to truth. If we are not permitted to judge, it becomes impossible to distinguish between right and wrong. Contrary to common opinion, the Bible commands us to judge. 1 Thessalonians 5 commands us to “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
But just how then do we test for false teachers and false prophets? How are we to discern? That’s a topic for another blog …
__________________________
Bob Pratico
Fides Quaerens Intellectum
(my Sojourn blog)
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Think false prophets don’t
Think false prophets don’t matter? Pat Robertson beat George HW Bush in the ’88 Republican Iowa Caucus. He ended up telling his supporters to back Bush at the convention and Bush beat Dole. Robertson had a huge following of evangelicals (and still does, I guess).
(BTW: my fun Robertson fact is that he said he could leg press 2000 pounds. Of course, he was also selling an energy drink at the time.)
__________________________Eric Atkins (ericatkins.com)
http://twitter.com/ericatkins
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