Christians prophesise yet critise fortune tellers
2006-07-17 23:52:48 · 15 answers · asked by mickey 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Prophecy comes from God.
A prophet is not looking to divine the future, but rather obeys God's command to tell the people whatever God wishes for them to know. Sometimes - yes - this is a prediction of events that may come in the future, but these are not always predictions with certainty - a repentent people can invoke God's mercy, as with Nineveh in Jonah, and what a prophet predicts does not come to pass. Often a prophet is not foretelling the future, but simply saying the word of God. Most of Moses' lawgiving was not a foretelling, but simply the handing down of law.
Divination, on the other hand, or "fortune telling", in our view, is when someone seeks elemental control of fate for themselves (or paying clients), a thing proper and sovereign to God. It is not God giving insight he wants shared, it is someone attempting to sieze a supernatural power we are not naturally granted for personal enrichment.
Christians believe the future and its course belong to God, and do not seek counsel from those offering to help you do an end run around him.
2006-07-18 00:04:58 · answer #1 · answered by evolver 6 · 32⤊ 12⤋
Prophesying (no second "s" there) means that one is relaying a message from one's deity. Fortune telling means that one is detecting the signs and portents and deducing the future.
Neither is particularly real, although prophesying (being external and occasional) is somewhat less creepy.
I mean, how could you deal with life if you knew for certain what would happen next week, next month, next year? Life would be a repeat of a story already told. But that's just my own quirk.
Anyway, prophesying is blabbing tomorrow's headlines because "God told me" and fortune telling is blabbing tomorrow's headlines because "I figured it out from the lines/bumps/tea leaves/duck entrails/etc."
The one is "holy" to Christers, being evidence of divine intervention, and the other is "unholy" because it indicates intellectual activity in the skull of the practicioner.
Hope that clears it up.
2006-07-17 23:59:58 · answer #2 · answered by Grendle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you referring to OT prophets, or to modern charismatic prophets?
Most Christian denominations do not believe in personal prophecy. They would agree with you that it is the same as fortune telling.
Old Testament prophets did not merely tell the future (that was just a sign to prove that they really were hearing from God). OT prophets had the main purpose of preaching a message from God himself -- usually one calling for an entire nation to repent.
The short answer, is that fortune telling (and astrology, and talking to the dead) is condemned by both the OT and the NT. If one needs supernatural advice to make a decision, the book of James in the New Testament says that one is supposed to pray to God and ask for wisdom, not consult random spirits (who may be evil).
You would have to ask the charismatics to defend their position, because most Christians would agree with you.
2006-07-18 00:34:05 · answer #3 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is a prophecy and the terrorists are telling it in a telling manner all over the world. And they are also telling the future of their opposers in a very telling manner.No one has the courage to deny their prophesy that they are the real masters of this earth.No one is denying it as such also.Your fortune will also be written some day by these terrorists,then only you will under stand the meaning of it .
They have already predicted my fate .Be careful and take care of your self.
2006-07-18 00:07:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No difference except the price of their respective con games: A fortune teller in my old neighborhood charged twenty bucks a pop (according to the sign in her window), but the cost of Christianity to the world is literally incalculable.
2006-07-17 23:56:50 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prophesy in the Bible means "proclaiming God's truth". The difference now from Bible days was that the prophets in the Bible received their "prophesies directly from God and it was called revelation. Today, now that the Bible is complete, prophets get their information from the Bible through Bible Study and proclaim it to others. Revelation has ended, clearly taught in the Bible. We are only able to tell the future according to our correct understanding of the things God has revealed in His Word, the Bible. Fortune telling is completely unreliable, based on physic or demonic activity, condemned by the Bible and should be avoided.
2006-07-18 00:02:33 · answer #6 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prophecy concerns God, and comes from God. Fortune telling does not and usually does not.
Otherwise, there isn't a difference.
On the other hand, sometimes "fortune telling", or at least the ability to foresee the future, does come from God. Personally, I think it depends on the person.
2006-07-18 00:09:04 · answer #7 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your probably tuned in on poor Christians...the rich ones love Fortune tellers !
2006-07-17 23:57:49 · answer #8 · answered by boho 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Because:
1. Prophecies are from God....
2. Fortune tellers either lie or they do tell you the future...but with the powers form satan
It's wizardry or what's that called.
2006-07-18 00:08:18 · answer #9 · answered by Bazsa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prophesying pertains and involves the word of God. Fortune telling is the devil's work because it tells you what you want to hear.
2006-07-17 23:58:59 · answer #10 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prophesying or being a prophet is defined as proclaiming truth.. not telling the future..
2006-07-18 00:01:13 · answer #11 · answered by LokoLobo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋