Christians do you feel there is a difference between human error, and false prophecies which last decades?

Question

I've read several messages by Jehovah Witnesses who say although their religion made errors in the past, other worshipers such as Noah, David, Moses, etc made errors.

This is misleading. All humans make mistakes, but there is a huge difference between human error and someone who makes false "predictions" in the name of God which lasts decades and misleads many.

Moses made an error which prevented him from entering the promised land. But he did not set false dates over and over which lasted for years, and caused followers of God to completely uproot their lives.

Do you feel there is a difference between the two? Why or why not? I would like to hear what others think about this? Also, if someone claims they did not receive prophecy from God, but tells others what the future holds because of their scriptural research, then sits back and allows these people to make drastic changes in their life based on this "research", is that also misleading and playing with semantics?

If I tell members in a bible study group, after years of studying the Bible, I believe Jesus will return in the year 2008, and I insruct these people to adjust their lives accordingly, and say nothing when they close businesses, sell homes, etc. Although I didn't technically use the word "prophecy", and had my fingers crossed behind my back, isn't that misleading, deceptive, and less than honest when I know the group considers this a prophecy?

Answer 1

You are so right. They use the excuse of 'the light gets brighter'. Umm, if they are the mouth piece for God, then how could they get the wrong dates or the wrong rules? Come on. If they just get their ideas from their own reading of the bible then why should someone believe their word over more qualified educated scholars?

Answer 2

i'm considered one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I stick to the Christ as my religious chief. All my ideals are based on the bible, and not on guy-made doctrines nor individuals that are in step with pagan or mythological religions. Pagan and mythological ideals such by using fact the trinity and hellfire. Matthew sixteen:13-sixteen John 20:30,31 Psalm 80 3:18 Deuteronomy 6:4 Jeremiah 7:31 Revelation 20:14 Romans 6:23

Answer 3

If you tell people that Jesus will return in the year 2008 and you say it doesn't come from you, but from God then your a false prophet.
If you say that you have reason to believe that Jesus can come in the year 2008 due to your interpretation of the scriptures, but let people know this is coming from you and is not certain then your not making a prophecy.
Serving God with a specific date in mind is a trap some have fallen for. Jehovah's witnesses plan to serve God for eternity.

It's of interest that the Pharisees followed Jesus and his disciples around as well looking to find something to criticize them for.

Answer 4

A mistake is just that---it is an unintentional error. A false prophecy is deliberate----it is lying. There is no such thing as making a false prophecy by accident. No reasonably intelligent, educated person will ever believe accidental false prophecy----it is a deliberate attempt to deceive, either for money or power or both.

Answer 5

Actually Moses tried to free the Israelites 40 yrs prior to Jehovah's time table.

The command is to keep on the watch! To stay awake!

Jehovah's Witnesses are known for this.

The first century Christians were so in expectation of the return of Christ, that Paul had to remind them it was not yet.

Answer 6

There is a difference between human error and false prophecy. Human error goes on in our own strength. False prophecy goes on in the name of God. If you look at Deuteronomy 13 and 18, you will find what God says about what makes a false prophet.
When the Watchtower says that God can not fail to do something based on their study of the scriptures, that is a false prophecy in the making!

Answer 7

Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they are infallible or inspired. Jehovah's Witnesses have never pretended that they experience miraculous messages from God or Christ. For more than a century, Jehovah's Witnesses have always presented their conclusions as human suppositions, rather than as divine "predictions" or "prophesying".

Interestingly, however, even those Christians who did enjoy direct communication from heaven at times came to wrong conclusions; these wrong conclusions were even communicated "out among the brothers" in a way that could easily have been interpreted as prophecy or prediction!

For example, the apostle Peter enjoyed remarkable privileges in the early congregation, but it seems that he was the source of an incorrect teaching about the future of the apostle John. That ("prophetic"? "prediction"?) teaching by Peter was not formally corrected until several DECADES had passed, and John himself finally wrote his gospel about 98 C.E.

(John 21:21-23) Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, what will this man do [that is, the apostle John]?” Jesus said to him: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you? You continue following me.” In consequence, this saying went out among the brothers, that [the apostle John] would not die. However, Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?”


What seems interesting is that those who will snear and cajole and argue against Jehovah's Witnesses over the most picayune of criticisms are able to simply ignore the plain instruction of Christ for themselves... GO PREACH !!!!

No group is working harder than Jehovah's Witnesses to preach God's message globally (as Noah did before the Deluge).

(2 Peter 2:5) Noah, a preacher of righteousness...

(Matthew 24:14) And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.


Learn more:
http://jw-media.org/people/ministry.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/19990715/article_02.htm

Answer 8

Firstly your comment at the end is based on false assumptions. Secondly, since you asked about long term misconceptions, consider, there was a time when various people believed the Earth was flat. Jesus' own disciples REPEATEDLY made BIG misjudgements about the kingdom.

Answer 9

If you say "God told me (whatever) is going to happen on this day," and it doesn't happen, you lied.