Sadly far too many have only a "Sunday School" level of understanding. Cults, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses inflict severe social punishment on those that do not toe the line of oversimplified interpretation.
I know.. Its terrible to do that to anyone.. What good is faith if you have never questioned?
"The Greek word translated “prophesying” or “prophecy” in both passages properly means to “speak forth” or declare the divine will, to interpret the purposes of God,'
Makes more sense than that they were fortune tellers.
In common parlance, prophecy is often considered to be "predicting the future." For some, it conjures up images of telephone psychics and the like. Others might envision a crystal ball. It generally has a mystical connotation of some type.
On the other hand, the "prophets" of Scripture (e.g. Malachi, Habakkuk, Jonah) seem to be doing something different. Making explicit predictions about the future seems to be a small part of their function as a "prophet."
Perhaps two of the most famous
minor prophets will illustrate that prophecy is not so much about telling the future as the present.
Jonah, for example, only issues a single proclamation about the future:
"Forty days, and Nineveh will be overturned," (Jonah: 3:2 RSV)
Perhaps two of the most famous
minor prophets will illustrate that prophecy is not so much about telling the future as the present.
Jonah, for example, only issues a single proclamation about the future:
"Forty days, and Nineveh will be overturned," (Jonah: 3:2 RSV)
This does come to pass. Nineveh was overturned. They sat in sack cloth and ashes. Their hearts were overturned. If they had not been repented to God then they would have been destroyed but they were indeed overturned.
Amos, another prophet, makes very few predictions about the future, but again, the thrust of his message is that God's people need to shape up! This is true of Hosea, Malachi, and many others.
The non-writing Prophets - Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha, share the same distinction.
What is the Biblical definition of "prophecy"?