- Mar 5, 2024
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Are Prophecies "Irreversible Fate"? Part 1
Honorable mention to David Mitch at alexieaaron.com for the above image of "the Fates," three figures from Greek Mythology who were believed to determine things like when a person was going to die.
Ever heard the argument that a true prophet of God will never make a false prediction? Certainly some things are set in stone in the big scheme of things, especially concerning how the earth's history and Biblical prophecy are going to end, and the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth in power.
On an individual level, however, things are not so cut and dried, and dreams that predict certain things happening can nevertheless be turned in a different direction if the subject of the dream decides to change his current course of action or intentions in such a way as to circumvent their fulfillment.
I once received a dream concerning a woman that suggested she might end up becoming discontented with men, and possibly lean more in the direction of same sex attraction if only on an emotional level. Her immediate reaction was, "That is not my destiny!" I chuckled somewhat at this response because she didn't understand what I was telling her. Like most dreams, it wasn't talking about her "destiny," it was simply describing a strategy of the enemy, and where things might end up if she didn't take precautions to make sure she was not "turned" in a certain direction through spiritual manipulation. Sometimes the Lord uses dreams to reveal what the enemy is planning, but they are almost never something the dreamer can do nothing about, let alone the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer.
In short, when interpreting prophetic dreams, one simple principle must never be forgotten: Except in very rare instances, they are not telling us what is set in stone, they are simply telling us where current trends are leading. If the direction is bad but we make the necessary changes, the outcome will not come to pass.
If nothing could be done to alter the course of our future, what would be the point of God sharing personal prophecies with us? Irreversible fate is a concept rooted in Calvinist beliefs, and like many Calvinist doctrines it defies logic. Dreams simply reveal where things might end up if nothing is done to alter current trends and trajectories. They are most certainly not a picture of irreversible, unalterable "destiny" which no one can do anything about. There are instances in the Bible where the "fate" of 120,000 people was altered simply because they took the necessary precautions to avert what a prophet of God had said was coming.
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?" 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. (Jonah 2:1-10)
Jonah got upset with the Lord when the prophecy did not come to pass, but the question is why. People like the Cessationists will say it was because Jonah despised the people of Nineveh so much that he wanted to see them wiped off the planet, but how many genuine prophets of God hold such hateful attitudes towards others? It's a form of prejudice, and an evil spirit that hates and entire city simply because they were of a certain race, and while this is the kind of argument that Satanists will use to paint God and His people as evil, it is not one Christians should.
The real reason Jonah got upset was not because he hated the Ninevites. The real answer is that Jonah rebelled against God because He had ordered Jonah to prophesy something and then changed His mind, so that Jonah was made to look like a false prophet though he was only doing his job. Jonah complained about this very thing, and was so distraught after it happened that he asked the Lord to take his life, knowing he would face scorn for the rest of his days from judgmental types who would label him as a "false prophet."
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:1-3)
This is a clear example taken from scripture of how even some Biblical prophecies spoken by genuine prophets of God nevertheless be averted. It flies in the face of both those who believe in Fatalism, and those who claim a true prophet of God can never fail in a prediction. Does this justify every Tom, Dick and Harry who make false predictions as potentially being true prophets as well even though they are wrong? Of course not, but what it does mean is that even when very powerful prophetic words are spoken over cities or nations, that does not mean that the judgments described in them cannot be averted through fasting, prayer and genuine repentance.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
Honorable mention to David Mitch at alexieaaron.com for the above image of "the Fates," three figures from Greek Mythology who were believed to determine things like when a person was going to die.
Ever heard the argument that a true prophet of God will never make a false prediction? Certainly some things are set in stone in the big scheme of things, especially concerning how the earth's history and Biblical prophecy are going to end, and the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth in power.
On an individual level, however, things are not so cut and dried, and dreams that predict certain things happening can nevertheless be turned in a different direction if the subject of the dream decides to change his current course of action or intentions in such a way as to circumvent their fulfillment.
I once received a dream concerning a woman that suggested she might end up becoming discontented with men, and possibly lean more in the direction of same sex attraction if only on an emotional level. Her immediate reaction was, "That is not my destiny!" I chuckled somewhat at this response because she didn't understand what I was telling her. Like most dreams, it wasn't talking about her "destiny," it was simply describing a strategy of the enemy, and where things might end up if she didn't take precautions to make sure she was not "turned" in a certain direction through spiritual manipulation. Sometimes the Lord uses dreams to reveal what the enemy is planning, but they are almost never something the dreamer can do nothing about, let alone the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer.
In short, when interpreting prophetic dreams, one simple principle must never be forgotten: Except in very rare instances, they are not telling us what is set in stone, they are simply telling us where current trends are leading. If the direction is bad but we make the necessary changes, the outcome will not come to pass.
If nothing could be done to alter the course of our future, what would be the point of God sharing personal prophecies with us? Irreversible fate is a concept rooted in Calvinist beliefs, and like many Calvinist doctrines it defies logic. Dreams simply reveal where things might end up if nothing is done to alter current trends and trajectories. They are most certainly not a picture of irreversible, unalterable "destiny" which no one can do anything about. There are instances in the Bible where the "fate" of 120,000 people was altered simply because they took the necessary precautions to avert what a prophet of God had said was coming.
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?" 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. (Jonah 2:1-10)
Jonah got upset with the Lord when the prophecy did not come to pass, but the question is why. People like the Cessationists will say it was because Jonah despised the people of Nineveh so much that he wanted to see them wiped off the planet, but how many genuine prophets of God hold such hateful attitudes towards others? It's a form of prejudice, and an evil spirit that hates and entire city simply because they were of a certain race, and while this is the kind of argument that Satanists will use to paint God and His people as evil, it is not one Christians should.
The real reason Jonah got upset was not because he hated the Ninevites. The real answer is that Jonah rebelled against God because He had ordered Jonah to prophesy something and then changed His mind, so that Jonah was made to look like a false prophet though he was only doing his job. Jonah complained about this very thing, and was so distraught after it happened that he asked the Lord to take his life, knowing he would face scorn for the rest of his days from judgmental types who would label him as a "false prophet."
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (Jonah 4:1-3)
This is a clear example taken from scripture of how even some Biblical prophecies spoken by genuine prophets of God nevertheless be averted. It flies in the face of both those who believe in Fatalism, and those who claim a true prophet of God can never fail in a prediction. Does this justify every Tom, Dick and Harry who make false predictions as potentially being true prophets as well even though they are wrong? Of course not, but what it does mean is that even when very powerful prophetic words are spoken over cities or nations, that does not mean that the judgments described in them cannot be averted through fasting, prayer and genuine repentance.
Blessings in Christ,
Hidden In Him
