Part 2: Timestamps and Biblical Literacy

Last week, in part 1 we examined the claims from two prominent prophetic ministers that prophets don’t need to apologize “for anything”. Now, I want to look at another claim from the host during the same broadcast. It is important that we deal with this because there is so much confusion and deception; the faith of many has been shaken. Yet, the word of God is our light in the darkness.

The interviewer spoke about how long it took for Isaiah 7:14, “the virgin shall conceive,” to come to pass. He said “700 years,” making the point that sometimes prophecies do not come to pass in the timing we expect. So, President Trump still could be inaugurated to a second term sometime later in 2021.

Let’s examine this.

Prophetic Timestamps

First, there is no question that sometimes prophecies do not come to pass in the timeframe we expect. Joseph’s dreams of being a great leader did not come to pass for a couple decades. David had to wait much longer than he thought, before he became king.

However, when God puts a timestamp on a prophecy, it typically comes to pass in what the hearer assumes the time frame to be. Why? Because that is the sign that the prophecy is from God. With both Joseph and David, there were no such timestamps. Those prophecies were given to encourage them, when all hope seemed to be lost; David was being chased by Saul and Joseph was in prison. But when someone declares, as many did, that Trump would win in November 2020 and be inaugurated for a consecutive term on January 20th 2020, it either happens or it doesn’t.

One “prophet” said on a video that by November 18th, Trump’s victory would be clear to everyone. On November 19th, that became a false prophecy. (To be clear, someone giving a false prophecy does not make them a false prophet. False prophets intentionally deceive God’s people.) You can’t simply say that he got the timing off because the timing was the prophecy: “By this date…this will happen.”

A prominent prophet has prophesied that God is not concerned with our dates, referring to the January 20th inauguration. He spoke of a “December to remember” and a “January of justice.” He said that there would be “shock and awe” within two weeks from December 6th. None of these things happened.

We are not out to crucify this brother. But sadly he has bristled at any correction, even to the point of threatening believers who oppose him, saying that “God hates” them. This appears to be human anger confused as prophetic zeal, and it borders on cultic behavior. Let’s pray for him to receive God’s heart on the matter. We are all subject to correction, even prophets. People publicly disagree with me nearly every day. I do not cry foul, or curse them. I understand that when you minister in public, you should be willing to be corrected in public.

Another one said that by Christmas the votes would land in Trumps favor, and still another by the end of the Christmas season—God would turn it around. They were all false because of the timestamp.

Timing: Biblical examples

During the siege on Israel, Elisha prophesied with a timestamp.

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” (2 Kings 7:1-2)

You see, the word was not merely; “in the future” this would happen, but “by this time tomorrow.” What happened? By that time the next day, the siege was broken. And, the officer who said it could not happen was trampled to death, thus fulfilling the second part of the word, that he would “see it,” but “not eat any of it!”

Now, imagine if it was a month later and the siege had not been broken. People would have been starving to death. That officer would still be alive and may have gone to Elisha to say, “Bro, that was a false prophecy.”

Would his response have been one of the following?

1. “No, no, no…, it was a true prophecy you just don’t understand the timing.”

2. “There are things that you just don’t understand … as a Prophet I have deeper knowledge.”

3. “No, it came to pass, you just don’t see in the spirit.”

That’s exactly what we are seeing from “prophets” today. We are not being critical to hurt anyone, but in an effort to “equip the saints” to recognize these patterns.

Another example is Jesus rising from the dead. He said it would happen in three days. Paul said to his companions on the ship when it looked like they were doomed (Acts 27) that not one of them would die, and they didn’t. The timing was by the end of their voyage to Rome. If one of them died in that time frame, then the word was not from God. It is really that simple; no secret understanding or interpretations.

Reading the Bible in Context

Secondly, the interviewer was incorrect about Isaiah 7:14 not coming to pass quickly. It actually did. I don’t want to sound condescending, but I have such a passion for ministers to really know how to handle the word of God. I was listening yesterday to Dr. Kim Maas, a prophetic minister, talking about how crucial it is for prophets to be educated theologically. “A revival will fall or rise on its theology,” she said.

Isaiah 7:14 had to come to pass speedily because the fulfillment was a sign to King Ahaz in his day—not 700 years later. My guess is that the host, like most believers, is not aware that this prophecy was connected to what was happening in Isaiah’s day and reads Isaiah 7:14 without taking the whole chapter in context. No one considered the verse Messianic until Matthew applies it to Jesus. (Matthew 1:23)

That was the first fulfillment. Many prophecies have dual fulfillments such as the abomination that causes desolation (Daniel), which first had a fulfillment in the Maccabees before Jesus came, then a second one in the destruction of Jerusalem, and a final one ultimately in the Great Tribulation.

What Isaiah actually says in Hebrew is that a young woman will conceive. He purposely uses the word almah, which assumes that she is a virgin, because she’s not married. But if you wanted to use the word virgin, it would have been bitulah. So why didn’t he? Because to the people of the day, there was a fulfillment in a young woman who had just married and, yet, there was also a mysterious greater fulfillment in the future with Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was a virgin.

The first fulfillment is in Isaiah chapter 8:3. It says this:

“Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”

This was a sign to the King. If you look at the two verses, you will see similar language…conceive, give birth, son, call him.

The goal of prophecy is not to confuse the people of God

Third, the purpose of predictive prophecy is not to confuse people, but rather to help them clearly see God’s hand and God’s plan. Recently many prophets are talking about a “Red Sea” moment. But with the Red Sea, Moses’ prophecy was clear to everyone.

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14)

1. It was predictive: You will be delivered. You will never see the Egyptians again.

2. It had a time stamp: Today.

3. The fulfillment was clear. Moses didn’t have to go on YouTube and explain to everyone that his word came to pass in some esoteric or secretive way, or that it is in the future wherein “today” really means one thousand years. No, it happened as he said it woud.

Some have asked me, “How do you know the ‘prophets’ were wrong?” Well, because Joe Biden was inaugurated and President Trump moved out of the White House. Now, it would be different if these prophets had said in October, “The election is going to be stolen, and Trump will eventually be vindicated and reinstalled in March.” But none of them did! They merely kept moving the goal posts as each timestamp expired.

Don’t put God’s people in danger!

It is disconcerting that instead of repenting, many continue to fill the hearts of God’s people with not only false hopes, that the 2020 election is not actually over, but to also put people in danger. I received today, from a QANON supporter, an email that has gone viral. This person believes that Trump is still very much in control and that the Pentagon is working with him along with “the patriots running FEMA.” Do you know whom this QANON activist quotes extensively to give credence to the idea of secrets behind the scenes? The prophets of whom I am speaking in this article: Hank Kunneman and Kat Kerr, along with Mark Taylor and Mario Murillo.

We need healing

Let’s pray for all of these prophets. Many people have been hurt, wounded and deceived. When those who made false predictions take responsibility, (and some have) as opposed to digging in their heals, the healing can begin for many precious sheep and the prophets themselves, who are probably feeling very rejected right now. Repentance is the road to restoration and forgiveness, but rejecting correction is the path to deeper deception. I think the Lord has graciously given us a teaching moment. But if we resist, we will not grow from this. And deception, according to Matthew 24, is only going to get worse. We don’t want to shoot the wounded, but restore them.