Prophecy or fortune telling?

Question

what is the difference ?
why is one ok and the other not ?
and if your answer is one is from God and the other is not ... who is to say which is which ?

Answer 1

Good question. Seems to be a thin line between humans "receiving" information from some "ultimate source", and humans "finding" information all on their own through their own power. Many people will tell you that God decides when he speaks to humans in prophecy, and that this is somehow "destined" to be believed as a result - in the same way people say that the Gospels in the Bible - and only those Gospels - were God-inspired, and so are definitively God's word to man. This appears to be an article of faith, in the same way that the "prohibition by God" of divination is an article of faith. So, many people choosing to believe their Bibles per se will take on faith the idea that prophecy is God-given and divination is the work of the Devil.

Those outside the faith might be given to ask irritating questions like "wasn't the discovery of good and evil actually both against God's will and in fact the work of the Devil?" and spiritualists, for example, often contact spirits and perform mini-prophecies (usually on behalf of other people, which is when the wonder of it gets downgraded in people's minds to "fortune telling"), and make often significant positive differences to those people's lives. I personally would never presume to know enough of any god's will to call that kind of positive difference "wrong", but it seems that many more black-and-white believers would and do.

Answer 2

if you study the BIBLE carefully you will see that a prophet is someone who declares GOD's WORD. if I say that there will be an end to this world by fire and
destruction I am prophesying. that may seem just an ordinary Christian idea. but nevertheless, it is prophecy.
it comes from GOD's WORD and it is true.
since the BIBLE was completed there are no new revelations as when the BIBLE was still being written.
GOD is not revealing some
future event like when GOD
would tell the nation of ISRAEL
that they would defeat some enemy soon.
the only "new" revelations are the ones already in the BIBLE that GOD hasn't opened our eyes to yet.
fortune-telling is satanic. Satan can know something about future events like when a psychic knows who's calling before the phone is picked up.
there is a supernatural world
and GOD tells us to stay away from it when it comes to the occult or astrology or things like
this.
Satan can't know long term future events like the claims of Nostrodamus[which are bogus].
another kind of false prophet
are those who misrepresent the
truths of the BIBLE; e.g., claiming there is no hell but people are just burned up and there is no eternal payment for sin,or saying we can earn our way into HEAVEN by our works.
the best example of a false prophet is when someone claims they are getting additional "divine revelations" through dreams,visions,voices and various signs and wonders [i.e.,miracles].

Answer 3

It all depends on where the information is coming from. Not all "psychics" claim their abilities are supernatural. Some have turned cold reading into a highly developed skill which they can use to help people understand themselves better. Other psychics may also be doing this but suggest supernaturalism for effect or even because that's how they perceive their abilities. Some psychics, of course, are complete frauds or charlatans. The greatest psychic in all of literature was Sherlock Holmes, in my opinion. Would his abilities have been any less impressive had he *described* them as psychic rather than empirical? He was surely accused of having mystical powers. The line drawn would be what the source actually is as opposed to what they claim the source would be. If it is really internal or "otherworldly" then prophesy is merely an ego trip regardless of accuracy. If it is really observational, then it might be something useful, regardless of accuracy.

Answer 4

If by "prophecy" you are referring to the practice in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches of consulting a person who has a self-proclaimed "gift of prophecy" to ask personal questions about what God wants you to do about your job, who to marry, when to buy a house, etc., then many Christians view that practice as non-Bibical. It does sound like fortune telling.

Prophets in the Bible seem to be sent by God to call people to repentence and to announce God's will for his people. They tell the future only to prove that they are really from God, not to give you stock quotes.

Answer 5

Good Morning Ms. Pangel.
I will try to explain.
Prophecy is From God. It is a revelation you get from Him with out hocus pocus or tools. The Fortune telling thing, you need tools. Tarot Cards, Cards, Crystal ball, tea leavs ect. ect.
Most of which are occultic.
Prophecy, Either you just get it from God or you pray and He gives it. He needs no tools.
Fortune Telling, You have to willingly give of yourself to the occult to have the tools work with you. Satan or other spirits don't have the power to manifest it on you like God. You have to use their tools.
I hope this explains it enough.
Thankx for listening
Chardonn

Answer 6

In practical terms the main difference seems to be cash! Fortune tellers tend to want paying.
A prophet is NOT primarily one who tells the future but who has a message he or she believes to be in line with God's will for NOW
(eg The Fair Trade Movement has a prophetic voice, as does Anti Human Trafficking)

An interesting aside. I was once with mu wife in Blackpool and passed a 'fortune tellers' booth which had a notice on it 'Closed due to unforseen circumstances'!!! Nuff said!

Answer 7

Well, a prophecy IS from God. The way you know is that prophets are not allowed to fore-tell something that isnt true. If they do even ONE false prophecy, they are not a prophet of God. Also, a prophet will give all the glory to God, and will not glorify themselves or take any money.

A fortune teller takes money, does business, and glorifies themselves in their "fortune telling".

Answer 8

A prophecy is given by God, The one only God.
Fortune telling is occult, forbidden by God and invokes demons,and false gods.How to discern,
God sends a message, fortune tellers, seers, all that is evil, go asking, looking, hunting,in the spirit realm.

Answer 9

the difference is none... grant you there are a few fortune tellers out there that will take your money, and probley is not a true fortune teller... Now lets think a minute tho... Think about Moses and the burning bush... If he was alive today.. how many people christains too.. would believe him...hmmm??? Not many maybe a handful .. if that... he would be arrested and thrown in a crazy bin.. wearing a straight jacket... maybe the prophecy that was told to him from the burning bush was really a burning POT bush... think about it....

Answer 10

Prophecy is the speaking forth of God's thoughts and wishes. Fortune telling/ consulting evil spirits/ witchcraft is not o.k. because 1). God said don't do it! (If we trust Him and believe that He loves us then we don't need to ask for further reasons). see Deut. 18:10
But many lives testify that if you get caught up with fortune telling, witchcraft, etc. it leads to darkness, death and destruction. It robs your life and opposes God and all that is good. It appears good for awhile. It appears to bring "light" and wisdom and power for awhile but in the end it delivers the opposite. Don't mess with that stuff because satan and his demons are behind it. (Acts 16:16) They really are.

Those who are in Christ Jesus know Him and also know the evil one and can tell the difference. Those who aren't can't. And by the way, it's not mean to call satan for what he really is = an evil devil who appears to be God-like but isn't! Don't pitty him!!