Why do prophecies about politics keep failing?

[1LoverofGod]

VOICES | THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2023
By Oscar Amaechina, Op-ed Contributor

I have followed what is happening in the Church with respect to alleged prophetic words from notable ministers. But what is surprising to me is that most of their prophecies concerning elections have failed woefully.

Is it that their words were not from God, or they were driven by emotions and sentiments? If they did not hear from God, why are they saying that it was God who told them to speak?

This calls for concern as these failed prophesies are bringing shame and reproach to the body of Christ worldwide. Not only are unbelievers mocking us, but this has also adversely affected the faith of believers who genuinely believe the prophecies of many of these ministers.

My country just concluded the 2023 general elections, and there were lots of prophecies that were made in favor of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party. Many notable men and women of God in Nigeria predicted that Peter Obi would surely win the election.

By the end of it, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under a Muslim-Muslim ticket, was declared the winner. Some followers of these ministers get around this uncomfortable outcome by stating that Obi ultimately won, but the election was somehow stolen by Tinubu.

Now, if this were the case, shouldn’t their prophecies have included this key detail? A detailed prophecy would have saved us from the embarrassment that we are all facing presently. A similar trend happened in the 2020 United States presidential elections. The evangelical community was convinced that Trump had won the elections as well.

We must ask ourselves why these prophecies keep failing. We need an explanation from those who gave these prophecies because one thing is for sure: the Word of God cannot fail! “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

Authentic prophecies cannot fail; by definition. People should be careful not to be deceived by the words of men.

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Why do prophecies about politics keep failing?

This calls for concern as these failed prophesies are bringing shame and reproach to the body of Christ worldwide Not only are unbelievers mocking us, but this has also adversely affected the faith ...

www.christianpost.com

 

[....]

They keep failing because these "prophecies" are the words of men and not of God. It comes from their own hearts and not from the mouth of the Lord, and while they may be sincere about their "prophecies", they are sincerely wrong. And the damage this is doing to the cause of the Gospel can be measured in lives lost to a Christless eternity.

If they truly want to speak on prophecy, they should start with the ones in the New Testament; namely, the Book of Revelation.

 

[bigMoose]

God's prophecies are always true to the jot and tittle. If they do not come true, they are not from God.

‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds’ (Jeremiah 14:14)
“I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:21)
"Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” (Micah 3:11)

Severe punishment in the OT for false prophets: 'But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ (Deut 18:20)

If I think about it, in man's ways, nothing would make a "preacher" larger in the eyes of the world, than to commune with God, hear from God, proclaim "prophecy", then to be honored above and beyond mortal men as God's messenger. These men should stick to Biblical prophecy (as written) and humble themselves before the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

 

[mattfivefour]

Deuteronomy 18:22. Ignore them. They are simply filled with their own ego, and do not represent God at all. Most of them love the title of prophet, speak boldly so as to look important, and get money from gullible people.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Bet there would be a lot fewer false prophets if the OT punishment for being a false prophet (stoning to death) was used . . .
(specific deterrence-death of the false prophets; general deterrence to others against doing the same; no incentive-no profit because no one listening or following):

Pastors and Bishops are and will be held to a higher standard . . .


1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
James 3:1, KJV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James 3:1, ESV


1 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
1 Timothy 3:1-7, KJV

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
1 Timothy 3:1-7, ESV


5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Titus 1:5-11, KJV

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer,[f] as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
Titus 1:5-11, ESV

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22, KJV

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;
8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.
10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,
13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;
15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
Deuteronomy 13:1-15, KJV

 

[mattfivefour]

Yes, Deuteronomy 18:20-22 is quite clear that if what they prophesy does not come to pass they are to be stoned to death. But even if the thing DOES come to pass, they may still be a false prophet—based not on the accuracy of the prophecy but on what they use that fulfilled prophecy for. For, as you wrote above, Deuteronomy 13:1-4 says, "“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”