Using possibilities to Prophesy?

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I had been bamboozled into believing that my own human intuition was somehow prophetic, or could produce a "word of knowledge" from god. But I realized over time that intuition is simply that. A person anticipates the need using logic and intuition, and then thinks God is telling them something.

So, a "prophetic word" from a prominent minister, David Wilkerson, is put to the test. He recently made a statement that people in the Christian community might consider prophetic:

A respected pastor, best-selling author and founder of a major ministry to teens predicts an imminent "an earth-shattering calamity" centered in New York City that will spread to major urban areas across the country and around the world – part of what he sees as a judgment from God.

David Wilkerson, author of "The Cross and the Switchblade," a book about his ministry to troubled New York street kids that was later made into a movie starring Pat Boone, tells readers of his blog this weekend that he is "compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message" about his prediction.

"An earth-shattering calamity is about to happen," he writes. "It is going to be so frightening, we are all going to tremble – even the godliest among us."

Wilkerson's vision is of fires raging through New York City.

"It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires – such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago," he explains. "There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting – including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" ...

"God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations," claims Wilkerson. "He is destroying the secular foundations." Wilkerson urges everyone to stockpile a 30-day supply of food and other necessities to deal with the catastrophe he foresees.

"I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off," Wilkerson concluded in his message. "I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose."

So let's take a look at this. First, Wilkerson states that the Holy Spirit "compelled" him to make these statements. And that the current recession is part of a judgment of God. This is a common tactic of well-known ministers, by the way - to claim that God is judging the world, or the United States, or an individual. For everything from greediness, to abortion, to homosexuality. Wilkerson isn't really clear this time on WHAT we're being judged for, but maybe it's because we voted a democrat into office. We may never know - I'm sure it's whatever it is that Wilkerson thinks is wrong about the country this time.

Then he makes several prophecies - that there will be fires, and looting in major cities.

Historically, when people are unemployed and/or desperate, these things begin to happen. So is this prophecy or just Mr. Wilkerson's assumption, based on his intuition - when a recession or depression hits, people become disaffected. Riots and looting in major urban areas can increase. It's simply history. The more desperate people become, the more violence increases. And, the more disaffected the Fundamentalist, the more frightening and judgmental their "prophetic utterances" become.

Like the scary warnings back in 1999, the age of the Y2K scares, this one again warns people to stock up on supplies. After all, the local grocery might not be available if all hell breaks loose. Oh, but wait - this isn't all hell breaking loose - according to Wilkerson, it is all HEAVEN breaking loose. It is GOD'S judgment.

It's fascinating to me that these people will explain away their vicious old testament God by saying that Jesus came, and now we're in the "age of grace," so that God of the old days, who let the ground swallow up 10,000 people just because one of their family members stole a valuable cup, doesn't do that kind of stuff anymore. He's a God of "love."

But then, here comes the judgment of God again. What is this guy, loving or mean? Pick one. But be careful, you might just get the one that turns into a giant flyswatter and squashes you like a bug for voting for Obama. Or supporting a homosexual's right to marry, or whatever the particular signature sin is in the particular year.

So, is Wilkerson "prophecying," or is he simply making an assumption about the rough times we ALL know are ahead, and attributing them somehow to some collective sin? And why does his god seem so schizophrenic?