If, after serious legal challenges and recounts, the projected presidential election results hold out (for our part, we’ll wait for each state to certify the votes, though initial projections have been made by the media since 1868, and are thusly reported here), it will be interesting to see how they stand up next to a number of bold predictions.
As one mainline (and as far as we’re concerned, somewhat left-leaning) Christian news site noted: “In late October, Pat Robertson declared that he had heard from the Lord: ‘Without question, Trump is going to win the election.’ To Robertson’s credit, Trump did far better than expected. With Donald Trump’s 70 million votes, reportedly the second-highest total in U.S. history, we might think that Robertson indeed heard something. But did he get the whole story?”
Well, again, we’ll wait and see.
Any presidential election gives the “prophet” a 50-50 chance.
As the article, in Christianity Today, further points out, “Deuteronomy 18 warns against mistaken prophecy, albeit prophesying ‘presumptuously’; the Hebrew word typically involves insolent rebellion (such as in Deuteronomy 1:43 and 17:13).
“If what a prophet proclaims in the Name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken,” reads Deuteronomy 18:22. “That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”
This year, many Evangelical Christians listened to leaders like Jeremiah Johnson, who predicted that President Trump would prevail and who continues to affirm that the prophecy will turn out to be true in the end.
On October 18 President Donald Trump attended the Sunday morning service at International Church of Las Vegas, where Senior Associate “Pastor” Denise Goulet prophesied a second presidential win for him.
“At 4:30, the Lord said to me, ‘I am going to give your president a second win,’” Goulet reportedly told Trump, who joined hundreds of congregants for the morning worship. “The Lord said, ‘he is ready for the next four years.’”
Others — like one named Kris Vallotton, who foresaw a Trump victory — have publicly apologized for their prophecies.
Time will tell.
It always does.
It is certainly a key to discernment.
Noted the writer of that piece:
“Sometimes my own perspective has vacillated, since I am pro-life and appreciate the president’s respect for evangelicals. In August this year, I dreamed that Trump lost the 2020 election. It was just a dream. I have all sorts of dreams, and even when some seem significant, I am not always sure how to interpret them. Some are probably influenced by surveying BBC news before I go to bed. The dreams do motivate me, at least, to pray.”
“As a charismatic Christian myself, I like to see prophecies come true. But prophecies need to be evaluated. Whenever possible, before they go public. And, when necessary, afterward.”
[resources: Prayer of the Warrior]