3 JAN 09: Just Over the Horizon

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

It's the season when some people not only look backward, when forward. The Sin City Inquisition and Bar-B-Q blog likes to make predictions for the year ahead. That blogger seemed to offer us an invitation to join him:

Hey, as I recall... you once said you liked reading the variety of predictions... or was it 'prophesy'?

Anyway, I found this fairly interesting website that deals with the so called 'Bible Code' and it makes some pretty pointed predictions for the next few years, especially in dealing with the AC, various natural disasters and life here in the states. The whole thing is like 15-20 pages long but it is broken up by subject so it is an easy read to put down and come back to....

-R

As time permits, we keep track of ministers who offer detailed "prophesies" about what the future holds. For instance, one minister has claimed the next U.S. President will NOT take office -- and in fact, none will. So the people suing about Barack Obama's citizenship only have two weeks left to find a friendly judge.

I went to R's link Friday, and was stunned by what we found. Author T. Chase claims to have found all sorts of current history in the Bible, by using "Bible Code" software. He even supposedly found the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway there. I find more evidence in the Bible of other Alabama items. "Boaz" the husband of Ruth was around long before those outlet malls.

T. Chase found Natalee Holloway's name through some kind of "Bible Code" matrix. But the way he found it violates every rule I know - not of Bible scholarship, but word search puzzle books.

T. Chase then tries to argue for the fate of Natalee Holloway, based on Bible verses his lines cross in the matrix. But his choice of phrases and verses is quite selective. Is it mere coincidence that only one line above his marked "There is more hope" you'll find the phrase "destitute of wisdom"?

The Bible Code reasoning and speculation gets even wilder than there. But it's noteworthy that at the bottom of the Natalee Holloway page, T. Chase mentions trying to "visualize by psychic powers" where she might be. I know from experience this is unlikely to work - because I've visualized myself married to a lot of attractive women.

T. Chase concludes Natalee Holloway is alive, somewhere in South America. But he admits that conclusion is a "guess" - and therein lies the problem. Peter writes in the Bible about having a "prophetic word made more sure." It's based on Jesus, not a matrix code -- and somehow that word talks much more about Jerusalem than Aruba.

The problem with "Bible Code prophets" is that they tend to work backward. An event happens, then they try to find evidence confirming it was predicted. But the Bible dares to look forward - telling believers what will happen, before it occurs. And it's wiser than the people who predicted Georgia would be number-one in college football this past season.

Several years ago I spent a series of Thursday afternoons at the Atlanta library, and tracked down historical evidence that many events predicted in Daniel 11 had come to pass. A few events marked as "the time of the end" have yet to occur. But if Daniel got so much of it right 2,500 years ago, the odds ultimately seem to be in his favor.

If you're going to develop a "prophecy bug," I'd suggest being careful to keep it in line. Some people develop what's been called a "prediction addiction," only to find their predictions turn out to be wrong. Sad to say, Edgar Whisenant was sure Jesus would return in 1988 -- but he died waiting for it in 2001.

I stick to the prophecies specifically mentioned in the Bible. To me, the most important one does NOT involve missing teenagers or the plans of prospective Popes. It's about the return of Jesus Christ, to set up His kingdom on the earth. Once He comes, there should be plenty of time to answer questions about everything else - as in eternity.

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