Independent Baptist Connection
2012: Doomsday?
The world is filled with people who hang on nearly every word about the coming events of 2012. If a person blows away all the smokescreens and waits for the dust to settle though, he or she will learn to test what these people say for accuracy. God left several examples for us in His Word about who to believe and who to not believe, who to fear and who not to fear.
High-powered names like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Mother Shipton or others tend to grant credibility to predictions of the future. Adherents sometimes safeguard themselves by taking famous figures or writings from the past and making them say what they never said.
In God’s case, He spoke for Himself. Modern prophets of doom do everything they can to claim God said something; they just don’t know where He said it. They often want sincere people to jump to conclusions based on what the Lord must have meant when He made a statement as recorded in the Bible. We must understand that God means what He says and says what He means. There are many levels of understanding about the meanings of certain things, but making them say something by inserting the date of 2012 goes far beyond that.
A wise course of action for all Christians today is to not only test the teachings to learn if they are indeed from God but to also check out what many false prophets have claimed against the only accurate test for true prophecy that has ever existed. If the people hailed as prophets over the last centuries lived in Bible times, not only would they fail the test but they would also pay the price for failing it.
Keeping this in mind, let’s submit several “prophets” to God’s test. When used as examples for their prophecies about 2012, do they pass the test of the prophet? Is there reason to fear based on what they claimed or does God expect us to see something else?
The tests listed below aren’t in any particular order. More or less, I listed them as I came across them in my research.
The first test centers on who is behind the prophecy. Only God is omniscient and only He actually knows the future. Men may guess at the future but they do not know it. No matter how convincing their words may be, the first test of the prophet goes back to who really made the prophecy. There apparently was a problem with this in the days of Moses because he warned the children of Israel about it.
“And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:21-22
False prophets cannot predict the future! At the most, they claim 80% accuracy but God’s test demands 100% accuracy. There goes Jeanne Dixon.
The second test also speaks of whose name the prophet speaks in. Did the prophecy come as a result of taking any kind of drug, herb or “medicine”? Or did the prophecy come from the Holy Spirit? Don’t take my own word for it. See this for yourself in 2 Peter 1:21.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
The third test provides one of the basic reasons for the prophecy. If its design is to terrorize people into sleeplessness and fear it seems opposite to what God (who is love) conveys in His prophecies.
“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3
God’s prophecies basically provide moral instruction mingled with strong advice and comfort in distress. Modern prophecies, especially about 2012 , seem the opposite.
The fourth test raises questions about who sent the prophet. Admit it or not, Satan sends his own false prophets into the world to deceive the multitudes. Many have already been fooled. When God send out the prophet, the world knows where he came from. That’s not a sign of acceptance or popularity as much as it is a badge that identifies such a person as one to be hated and feared by the world. Why would this person be hated? It is because the world hates God and His righteousness as it continues walking in the spiritual darkness.
“The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.” Jeremiah 28:9
The fifth test speaks of the personal faithfulness of the prophet to God and all He stands for. Who does the prophet make you want to follow? Is this person seeking a personal disciple, fame, popularity, a fortune? It would do us well to think again about the warning that Moses gave to Israel. This deals with a lot more than just predicting the future. It also deals with walking in the here and the now.
Being faithful to God and what He stands for may not be the same thing as being faithful to a church tradition. Tradition and doctrine are two different things.
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou has not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” Deuteronomy 13:1-4
Did you catch the impact here? Even if the prophet can accurately predict the future, if he doesn’t point you to the God of the Bible, he is not to be listened to. Those are God’s words, not mine.
It seems obvious that many people in Bible times, both the Old Testament days and the New Testament days, claimed they were prophets. God provided foolproof tests for His children to identify the true prophets of God and the false prophets that weren’t of God.
Near the end of Christ’s sermon on the mount, he warned his disciples to beware of false prophets. Matthew 7:15 That’s still a good warning for us today! But listen to what else the Lord had to say.
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20
In other words, Christ raised a question about the kind of fruit the prophet produces. Is it good fruit or corrupt fruit? God’s prophets bring forth fruit that ‘s in harmony with the Bible. As others put it, this prophet has literally spoken with God and His angels, not with mists and shadowy figures.
The sixth test is perhaps the most revealing of all. Every prophet outside of the Bible fails this New Testament test, one which the Apostle John wrote for us in 1 John 4:1-2.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.:
What do they think of Christ? If they think he was only a religious teacher, an angel, or nothing more than a prophet, they miss the mark. Notice that John also clearly showed a difference between God’s Spirit and ungodly spirits. This was true two thousand years ago and remains true today. The seventh test examines more closely who sent the prophet. That prophet who sends himself presumes to speak his own words, not the words of God. As a result of this, men will continue on their normal course of life in the sense that they will not turn from their evil ways or doings. Jeremiah strongly stated this in Jeremiah 23:21-22, where he quoted God.
“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”
Through Jeremiah, God gave a stern warning to false prophets in Bible times that still rings true today. God hasn’t changed His mind about liars. Read carefully the words of Jeremiah 14:14-15.
“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.”
How many prophets, past or present, pass one of the tests mentioned above. I don’t know of any. Even if I did know some, there’s still more to passing the test of a prophet in God’s eyes. Every test requires a passing grade, not just one or two of them. This is true all of the time. Any failure in any one area disqualifies that prophet from being sent from God or prophesying the future as only God knows it.
There isn’t enough room here to list every prophet who failed. Here are a few of them. In many cases, their general statements of prophecy could be interpreted to mean whatever a person wants them to mean…..but may or may not have been what they meant when they said or wrote the prophecy. This is especially true of Nostradamus.
Sybil, a female prophetess in Roman times supposedly predicted the birth of Christ decades before it happened. When you look at the circumstances, the confusion surrounding this event, and the results of her reported vision, little doubt remains about whether she spoke for God or for a mysterious virgin in the sky. In addition to that, there is another problem. Thousands of years before Sybil was ever heard of, God’s Word foretold very specific information about the birth of Christ, much more accurate than Sybil.
The reason I’ve included her in this list is that researches also credit her with pinpointing Armageddon to the year 2012. You should see the amazing mathematical formulas and twisting of history needed to pinpoint 2012. It takes a greater imagination than Jules Verne to do it. Not only that, but t his same Sybil also spoke of “the anger of the Gods”. There is only ONE God. Do you see that she fails the test on that alone? While she spoke of events happening in the future, no one seems able to find firm proof that she spoke of Armageddon or that she referred to December 21, 2012. Somewhere in this process information from another source was injected into Sybil’s writings to make them come to a conclusion of their own liking.
A person cannot believe both the Bible and Sybil. If Armageddon itself happens in 2012, we should be near the middle of the Tribulation and it just doesn’t fit.
Don’t forget Merlin the Magician. Yes, this is the one that worked with King Arthur. In his case, this was a man whose origin was really unknown with an unknown father and more than one account of his death. Of course, questions remain about whether he lived in real life or the imaginary one. Despite that, accounts credit him for predicting 2012 as the end. But here’s the problem: no one really knows where. In fact, the writings attributed to him do not mention the year 2012. Even then, Merlin also fails the other tests mentioned above.
What about the “Web-Bot” project? How can it pass the test of prophecy when even it only provides percentages of probability for events happening that are partly based on internet searches? It’s predictions are also very cryptic and hard to decipher.
There have been countless other false prophets and new ones appear nearly every day. God's tests still apply. One of the most recent deceivers has been Sollog, who has supposedly predicted the Oklahoma City Bombing, and several other events. Even if he enjoyed 100 % accuracy (which he doesn't), his theology unmasks him as a false prophet when given God's tests.
So, we don’t have to worry about 2012 because nothing will happen? No one suggests that nothing will happen that year. I’m sure something is going to happen! There will be earthquakes, floods, storms, disasters, political upheavals, economic collapses, famines, pestilence, wars, things that will shake the world to its very foundations. That’s my prediction. I base this prophecy of doom on the fact that these things occur every year and they will continue until the Lord personally returns to set up His millennial kingdom after the Tribulation.
There’s no scriptural reason to fear December 21, 2012 any more than we find ourselves concerned about any other day we live here on earth. Let the false prophets be exposed for who and what they really are. Does this mean nothing will happen in 2012? God is still sovereign and His plans for 2012 won't be changed, no matter what we think. Catastrophe could come that year. However, such events will not occur because any of the favored false prophets said they would happen. God's plans do not have to align with any statements made by any false prophet. Whatever happens (if anything), it won't be the end of the world. Don't forget that though the Bible says nothing directly about 2012, God's Word makes it clear there must be a Tribulation and a millenial reign of Christ BEFORE there is a new heaven and a new earth. If the Bible is accurate, December 21, 2012 may be a day of infamy but it won't be the end.
Beware of false prophets because the world abounds with them. Beware of science, falsely so called.
High-powered names like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Mother Shipton or others tend to grant credibility to predictions of the future. Adherents sometimes safeguard themselves by taking famous figures or writings from the past and making them say what they never said.
In God’s case, He spoke for Himself. Modern prophets of doom do everything they can to claim God said something; they just don’t know where He said it. They often want sincere people to jump to conclusions based on what the Lord must have meant when He made a statement as recorded in the Bible. We must understand that God means what He says and says what He means. There are many levels of understanding about the meanings of certain things, but making them say something by inserting the date of 2012 goes far beyond that.
A wise course of action for all Christians today is to not only test the teachings to learn if they are indeed from God but to also check out what many false prophets have claimed against the only accurate test for true prophecy that has ever existed. If the people hailed as prophets over the last centuries lived in Bible times, not only would they fail the test but they would also pay the price for failing it.
Keeping this in mind, let’s submit several “prophets” to God’s test. When used as examples for their prophecies about 2012, do they pass the test of the prophet? Is there reason to fear based on what they claimed or does God expect us to see something else?
The tests listed below aren’t in any particular order. More or less, I listed them as I came across them in my research.
The first test centers on who is behind the prophecy. Only God is omniscient and only He actually knows the future. Men may guess at the future but they do not know it. No matter how convincing their words may be, the first test of the prophet goes back to who really made the prophecy. There apparently was a problem with this in the days of Moses because he warned the children of Israel about it.
“And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:21-22
False prophets cannot predict the future! At the most, they claim 80% accuracy but God’s test demands 100% accuracy. There goes Jeanne Dixon.
The second test also speaks of whose name the prophet speaks in. Did the prophecy come as a result of taking any kind of drug, herb or “medicine”? Or did the prophecy come from the Holy Spirit? Don’t take my own word for it. See this for yourself in 2 Peter 1:21.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
The third test provides one of the basic reasons for the prophecy. If its design is to terrorize people into sleeplessness and fear it seems opposite to what God (who is love) conveys in His prophecies.
“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3
God’s prophecies basically provide moral instruction mingled with strong advice and comfort in distress. Modern prophecies, especially about 2012 , seem the opposite.
The fourth test raises questions about who sent the prophet. Admit it or not, Satan sends his own false prophets into the world to deceive the multitudes. Many have already been fooled. When God send out the prophet, the world knows where he came from. That’s not a sign of acceptance or popularity as much as it is a badge that identifies such a person as one to be hated and feared by the world. Why would this person be hated? It is because the world hates God and His righteousness as it continues walking in the spiritual darkness.
“The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.” Jeremiah 28:9
The fifth test speaks of the personal faithfulness of the prophet to God and all He stands for. Who does the prophet make you want to follow? Is this person seeking a personal disciple, fame, popularity, a fortune? It would do us well to think again about the warning that Moses gave to Israel. This deals with a lot more than just predicting the future. It also deals with walking in the here and the now.
Being faithful to God and what He stands for may not be the same thing as being faithful to a church tradition. Tradition and doctrine are two different things.
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou has not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” Deuteronomy 13:1-4
Did you catch the impact here? Even if the prophet can accurately predict the future, if he doesn’t point you to the God of the Bible, he is not to be listened to. Those are God’s words, not mine.
It seems obvious that many people in Bible times, both the Old Testament days and the New Testament days, claimed they were prophets. God provided foolproof tests for His children to identify the true prophets of God and the false prophets that weren’t of God.
Near the end of Christ’s sermon on the mount, he warned his disciples to beware of false prophets. Matthew 7:15 That’s still a good warning for us today! But listen to what else the Lord had to say.
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20
In other words, Christ raised a question about the kind of fruit the prophet produces. Is it good fruit or corrupt fruit? God’s prophets bring forth fruit that ‘s in harmony with the Bible. As others put it, this prophet has literally spoken with God and His angels, not with mists and shadowy figures.
The sixth test is perhaps the most revealing of all. Every prophet outside of the Bible fails this New Testament test, one which the Apostle John wrote for us in 1 John 4:1-2.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.:
What do they think of Christ? If they think he was only a religious teacher, an angel, or nothing more than a prophet, they miss the mark. Notice that John also clearly showed a difference between God’s Spirit and ungodly spirits. This was true two thousand years ago and remains true today. The seventh test examines more closely who sent the prophet. That prophet who sends himself presumes to speak his own words, not the words of God. As a result of this, men will continue on their normal course of life in the sense that they will not turn from their evil ways or doings. Jeremiah strongly stated this in Jeremiah 23:21-22, where he quoted God.
“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”
Through Jeremiah, God gave a stern warning to false prophets in Bible times that still rings true today. God hasn’t changed His mind about liars. Read carefully the words of Jeremiah 14:14-15.
“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.”
How many prophets, past or present, pass one of the tests mentioned above. I don’t know of any. Even if I did know some, there’s still more to passing the test of a prophet in God’s eyes. Every test requires a passing grade, not just one or two of them. This is true all of the time. Any failure in any one area disqualifies that prophet from being sent from God or prophesying the future as only God knows it.
There isn’t enough room here to list every prophet who failed. Here are a few of them. In many cases, their general statements of prophecy could be interpreted to mean whatever a person wants them to mean…..but may or may not have been what they meant when they said or wrote the prophecy. This is especially true of Nostradamus.
Sybil, a female prophetess in Roman times supposedly predicted the birth of Christ decades before it happened. When you look at the circumstances, the confusion surrounding this event, and the results of her reported vision, little doubt remains about whether she spoke for God or for a mysterious virgin in the sky. In addition to that, there is another problem. Thousands of years before Sybil was ever heard of, God’s Word foretold very specific information about the birth of Christ, much more accurate than Sybil.
The reason I’ve included her in this list is that researches also credit her with pinpointing Armageddon to the year 2012. You should see the amazing mathematical formulas and twisting of history needed to pinpoint 2012. It takes a greater imagination than Jules Verne to do it. Not only that, but t his same Sybil also spoke of “the anger of the Gods”. There is only ONE God. Do you see that she fails the test on that alone? While she spoke of events happening in the future, no one seems able to find firm proof that she spoke of Armageddon or that she referred to December 21, 2012. Somewhere in this process information from another source was injected into Sybil’s writings to make them come to a conclusion of their own liking.
A person cannot believe both the Bible and Sybil. If Armageddon itself happens in 2012, we should be near the middle of the Tribulation and it just doesn’t fit.
Don’t forget Merlin the Magician. Yes, this is the one that worked with King Arthur. In his case, this was a man whose origin was really unknown with an unknown father and more than one account of his death. Of course, questions remain about whether he lived in real life or the imaginary one. Despite that, accounts credit him for predicting 2012 as the end. But here’s the problem: no one really knows where. In fact, the writings attributed to him do not mention the year 2012. Even then, Merlin also fails the other tests mentioned above.
What about the “Web-Bot” project? How can it pass the test of prophecy when even it only provides percentages of probability for events happening that are partly based on internet searches? It’s predictions are also very cryptic and hard to decipher.
There have been countless other false prophets and new ones appear nearly every day. God's tests still apply. One of the most recent deceivers has been Sollog, who has supposedly predicted the Oklahoma City Bombing, and several other events. Even if he enjoyed 100 % accuracy (which he doesn't), his theology unmasks him as a false prophet when given God's tests.
So, we don’t have to worry about 2012 because nothing will happen? No one suggests that nothing will happen that year. I’m sure something is going to happen! There will be earthquakes, floods, storms, disasters, political upheavals, economic collapses, famines, pestilence, wars, things that will shake the world to its very foundations. That’s my prediction. I base this prophecy of doom on the fact that these things occur every year and they will continue until the Lord personally returns to set up His millennial kingdom after the Tribulation.
There’s no scriptural reason to fear December 21, 2012 any more than we find ourselves concerned about any other day we live here on earth. Let the false prophets be exposed for who and what they really are. Does this mean nothing will happen in 2012? God is still sovereign and His plans for 2012 won't be changed, no matter what we think. Catastrophe could come that year. However, such events will not occur because any of the favored false prophets said they would happen. God's plans do not have to align with any statements made by any false prophet. Whatever happens (if anything), it won't be the end of the world. Don't forget that though the Bible says nothing directly about 2012, God's Word makes it clear there must be a Tribulation and a millenial reign of Christ BEFORE there is a new heaven and a new earth. If the Bible is accurate, December 21, 2012 may be a day of infamy but it won't be the end.
Beware of false prophets because the world abounds with them. Beware of science, falsely so called.