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Something that puzzles me about the bible and christianity in general is why there are no new prophets? Why, all those centuries ago, did god 'reveal' himself to the prophets of the bible, and then seemingly just stop? That makes no sense to me.
I reasonably assume if god revealed himself to a new prophet tomorrow, this person would be considered a raving nut-job and probably mentally ill, even by the most devout of believers.
So why doesn't god reveal himself anymore?
The answer is fairly simple;
If you follow the bible, prophets played certain role in the unfolding events; they were there to prove the existence of god and his will. Once the desired "order of things" has been established and was running according to god's will, there was no need in prophets any longer, until the new turn of events will come, requiring their presence with the message of things to come.
P.S. Actually, it's incorrect to say that "there were no prophets" since "the bible and Christianity," because Islam with its Quaran and Mohammed ( as a prophet I suppose) came already later in time.
One sense of "to prophesy" is to preach or to utter by claimed divine guidance or inspiration. Another is to predict via the same mechanism.
I doubt that most people outside the church understand the first definition that you're using.
Prediction is specifically forbidden as Divination. Prophecy is ONLY validated after-the-fact. We only know it was prophecy when it comes true.
There are still prophets - just not so much like the legend of Moses.
A prophet is someone who sees a vision of a better future and leads people to it.
Consider Martin Luther King - prophet to me - though not usually called that.
I agree that obviously the words in the bible and other religious doctrines were written (& rewritten, translated, warped etc) by imperfect people.
Yet I disagree that they are irrelevant. There are truths in them but as someone said, to get a diamond out of the dumpster, you'll have to get dirty.
Not only are there truths that can help you personally, the bible, especially is a major part of the collective unconscious - or whatever. It's the basis of how and why your great grandparents did what they did, why the founders of America did what they did. To ignore its influence would be ignorant. Then again, to pretend that it is purely the word of god when it was written by people - is having false gods which will inevitably fail (according to the bible itself - I know: circular reasoning. ).
I'm not a priest. I'm a pastor. There is a difference. A priest is someone who presents a sacrifice. I simply declare what Jesus has already done for us. I proclaim the words of God.
Of course we are. To prophecy means to declare God's Word. I do that every time I preach the Gospel.
Where? Why don't we look at the exact verse in context and we'll see what it says.
Do you not "present"your congregations's sins as a sacrifice? Does your congregation not offer MONETARY sacrifices each week which you accept on behalf of he LORD?
Do you not "present"your congregations's sins as a sacrifice?
I have no idea what that means.
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Does your congregation not offer MONETARY sacrifices each week which you accept on behalf of he LORD?
They take a collection each week. I do not "accept it". The Treasurer is the one that counts it and deposits it. I honestly have no contact with the money, nor do I know what anyone gives. I do not believe, nor do I tell anyone that by giving money in the offering that God will love them more. Your question just seems so strange.
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Is baptism not a form of sacrifice?
How so? I'm sorry, but I don't understand why it would be a "sacrifice".
Prediction is specifically forbidden as Divination. Prophecy is ONLY validated after-the-fact. We only know it was prophecy when it comes true.
Many things now touted as "fulfilled prophecy" are clearly saying that such-and-such WILL happen in the future. That is a prediction. That doesn't mean the fulfillment being pointed to in fact fulfills anything or validates the prediction necessarily, but my point is that you can't claim that 100% of fulfilled prophecy is connected with a scripture that isn't making a clear prediction, and now, we just happen to be seeing it as one retrospectively. Even if that were true, it would be a problem for many people's eschatology, as it would tend to weaken any claims of fulfilled prophecy by styling the "fulfillments" as post hoc fallacies.
You are correct that divination is forbidden but it's never been clear to me how foretelling an event as a prophet of god is different from divination. Perhaps because it doesn't involve chicken entrails or something, I don't know.
Something that puzzles me about the bible and christianity in general is why there are no new prophets? Why, all those centuries ago, did god 'reveal' himself to the prophets of the bible, and then seemingly just stop? That makes no sense to me.
I reasonably assume if god revealed himself to a new prophet tomorrow, this person would be considered a raving nut-job and probably mentally ill, even by the most devout of believers.
So why doesn't god reveal himself anymore?
Could it because all the prophecies have been made, enough to last for more than a 1000 years into the future?
The Prophecy of Jesus's death has been concluded. The coming 'Great Tribulation' is yet to come but the end times were foretold by Jesus to the Apostles when they asked him how will people know when the end is near. Armageddon has a lot said about it in the Bible and these are prophecy from the Apostle John as give to him in visions, not dreams, and the 1000 year reign of Jesus in the Paradise earth and then the final release of Satan who has been bound for the 1000 years to tempt the righteous and the unrighteous that were resurrected after Armageddon to the Paradise earth..There is nowhere else for them to go, they wont be in hell and they wont be in heaven, as hell is simply the grave of mankind, and Heaven is reserved for the Holy Ones who will serve as kings in the new world, the 144,000. It is all said, and now we wait until it is done.
God is forever revealing himself in his works towards the establishment of the new world. The Witnessing is being carried on in all parts of the world to all tongues and peoples as was required by Jehovah's Witnesses. This is a fact, not something that might happen later.
The challenge of supremacy that Satan laid down has had more than enough time for Satan to "prove" his power over Jehovah, but he has failed, and his time is near. Then you will see God's anger in reality as the followers of Satan are wiped from the earth, and Satan is bound and cast into the abyss for a time.
God has not created anything since Adam and Eve but at the end of the wicked system of things new creations will fulfill the promises of healing the infirm and the sick in the new world.
It isn't guess work, it is all there in the Bible. I am not preaching, just relating fact.
If you wish to read what the Bible says about Jehovah's Day have a look here What Jehovah
I'm not a priest. I'm a pastor. There is a difference. A priest is someone who presents a sacrifice. I simply declare what Jesus has already done for us. I proclaim the words of God.
Of course we are. To prophecy means to declare God's Word. I do that every time I preach the Gospel.
Where? Why don't we look at the exact verse in context and we'll see what it says.
So as a pastor, and not a priest you do not preach the acceptance of tradition of religion, only God's Word.?
Could you, if you wish to, tell me what you tell your parishioners not to do, from God's Word?
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