the last week has seen frenetic activity among christians who believe in prophectic messages from god. In march a word was given claiming to have predicted the 22 february earthquake and predicting a huge quake with a tsunami for 28 september. Since late august another word resulting from a dream by a man with connections to this parish has been disseminated among churches and publicly by letterbox drop. He claims to have heard the same date independently. Now that they have reached the public arena i feel it is appropriate to comment on them.
In short i do not think they are from god. Here are some of the reasons:
1 the theology underlying them belies an unbiblical concept of god's judgement. God does not use natural disasters to bring judgement on the ungodly. Judgement will be wrought on the great day of judgement and until then all of god's judgement has fallen upon jesus on the cross. If these things are a wake up call they are for the church, not the ungodly whom god longs to be saved.
2. They show an old testament understanding of prophecy where the prophets representated the godly remnant calling an ungodly leadership back into line with god's covenant. In the new testament prophecy is given to edify, exhort and console. In 1 cor 14:29 st paul instructs that the church is to weigh what the prophets speak. The geeek word for to weigh means to separate, judge or weigh - implying that some of the word will be from god and some of it will be from the human heart or even a fallen persective. Old testament prophecy was to be obeyed. New testament prophecy is to be sifted. New testament prophets are to to submit their offering to the church for weighing. St paul also says not to treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 thess 5:20-22). The people behind these words have not submitted them to recognised church leaders for weighing, rather they have been circulated among other prophets for affirmation and then wider dissemination through prophetic networks. This in itself undermines the credibility of the messengers.
3. God does not give prophetic words with specific dates and times. Even jesus said (mark 13:32) that of that day (his return) we may not and even he does not know neither the day or the hour.
4. Senior sprit-filled senior church leaders in rangiora and christchurch have weighed these words and judged them not to be from god. Many have said that they would need more independent words submitted alongside the existing ones before they would consider them further. I know of no church leader that is advising their congregation to heed these warnings.
5. I have sought god myself and do not hear him warning canterbury. I have his peace about doing nothing.
So what should we do now? Lets go about our lives witnessing to god's goodness focusing on the rebuilding of canterbury. This is a time for god's church to arise with acts of loving service. People should do no more than be prepared with the recommended emergency supplies etc as we have been asked to do for years. Hopefully we have learned our lesson now.
