(This article also includes a podcast discussion. Click the play button below, or subscribe and listen on your Apple or Google podcast app.)
Since writing my response to Pastor Dana’s prophetic dreams, I’ve had a lot of people reach out with their comments, questions, and criticisms. I’ve tried to respond to everyone at least once, although I’m sure I missed some.
However, I noticed there were some common things people kept bringing up. While I discussed much of this in the comment section, I understand that most people won’t read through so many discussions. I think it will be beneficial to add some clarity to my article, as well as respond to the most common thoughts people had about it.
I do want to say that I plan for this (and part 2) to be my last article discussing Pastor Dana. As I explain in the podcast version of this article, I don’t want to be “the guy” who responds to a specific person. I want to equip people to think about all areas of their Christian walk, including prophecy, so that they can stay true to God’s word regardless of who is making claims of prophecy. If Pastor Dana were to release a future video, any discussion would largely cover the exact same content:
- God had a clear use for prophecy in the Bible
- Because the Bible is sufficient, He seems to have no need to continue the partial things like prophecy
- Therefore, any claims (and evidence) of prophecy have no merit since they immediately disagree with the Bible
So after this article, think of prophecy like you would a magician. If we already know that magic isn’t real, then we immediately know that any magic trick, no matter how impossible, has a logical explanation. I don’t want to spend time debunking individual magicians when I can equip you to see through the illusion yourself.
Of course, I realize God could change all of that, and I’m not going to fight Him on it. But for now, the plan is to close the book on talking about one particular person.
With all that said, here are my answers to some common questions. These will be as brief as I can make them, so make sure you check out the podcast for a more expanded discussion.
Due to the length of this article, I’m splitting it into two parts and adding a table of contents below so you know where to find a specific question you may have:
Part 1:
- Why did I originally write the article?
- Shouldn’t we just pray for truth? What about my experience/feeling about prophecy?
- Am I just being judgmental?
- Am I confusing the difference between OT and NT prophecy? Is prophecy wrong if it doesn’t contradict the Bible?
- Why not take a “wait and see” approach?
- Am I confusing dreams and prophecy?
Part 2:
- What about Acts 2:17?
- Aren’t we supposed to expect supernatural gifts?
- Am I just a right-wing Democrat?
- Am I telling people not to be prepared?
- Personal thoughts on the article and its reception
- Conclusion
Why did I originally write the article?
While this is an online ministry, my first priority is serving my local church with the topics I discuss. While I’d seen Pastor Dana’s video, I didn’t watch it because people in the Pentecostal movement regularly claim to have some form of prophecy, so I figured it was nothing new.
A friend from church texted me the video and asked my thoughts, so I “killed two birds with one stone” and gave my response as an article, then later as a podcast since I know some people in my church only consume the podcast portion of Onward in the Faith.
Ultimately, my goal was never to talk about Pastor Dana specifically. I saw the vidoe as an excellent opportunity to discuss prophecy and use discernment in a more practical way. So the article wasn’t about debunking one person, but instead teaching others how to hold God’s word up against any claim of prophecy.
Shouldn’t we just pray for truth? What about my experience/feeling about prophecy?
Many people have wisely sought God’s counsel regarding the video. In doing that, something interesting has happened in the messages I’ve received:
- Some have prayed and are convinced the dreams are genuine
- Some have prayed and are convinced the dreams are false
If people are filled with the same Holy Spirit, and are praying about the same thing, how are they coming to two completely different versions of truth? On top of that, how do we respond to people who have had a personal experience with prophecy, God giving them a dream, etc?
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
Prayer is essential, but it’s only one half of our conversation with God. If we believe He’s saying something through the Holy Spirit, then we have something specific to confirm in His perfect word. God cannot contradict Himself, and thus whatever “feeling” we get from prayer should agree with what is clearly taught throughout the entire Bible, not just a single verse.
It’s critical to pray at all times, but especially when we realize how little we know. We should trust God to give us wisdom, but rarely will that wisdom be immediate. We must ask God for understanding, then trust that He will give it to us as we seek to responsibly read the Bible (check this article for what I mean by that).
The importance of seeking God’s word is obvious when we look at how people’s prayers lead them to different conclusions. Why?
The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
When we pray, it’s easy to hear the answer we want. Our emotions, personal experiences, and religious traditions can make us hear the answer we expect. If we grew up believing prophecy has ended, then we’re very likely to enter into prayer with certain assumptions in our hearts. The same is true if we believe prophecy exists, or if our minds are already convinced that this prophecy is real.
That is why I will forever hammer one point in this ministry: God’s word must be our highest priority because the bible is sufficient for everything we need. Our emotions, experiences, traditions… even our prayer lives must fall in line with what He has clearly revealed. How we feel can’t be what we use to determine truth when it’s our very hearts that once made us enemies of God.
Am I just being judgmental?
This is always a popular question when someone points out error. If there’s one thing even unbelievers know, it’s that Christ said “Don’t judge.” So am I in sin because of my article, or does God actually expect us to judge others? Let’s briefly look at God’s word.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about an extreme sexual perversion going on in the church – a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. Then Paul says:
For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. (1 Corinthians 5:3)
Paul then goes on to talk about removing sin from that church.
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. (1 Corinthians 5:12-13)
Is Paul disobeying Christ? How can he not only call for the Corinthians to judge this person, but also execute the findings of their judgment by removing him from the assembly?
Judgment gets a bad reputation in our society. I believe part of this comes from Christians being unfair and unloving in the past, condemning people through arrogance and using the Bible as their excuse. However, as society has changed we’ve also developed a hatred for anything that makes someone feel bad about themselves.
So we find ourselves in a culture where Christians have had moments of foolishness in the past, and now it’s assumed that any form of speaking out against thoughts or behaviors is wicked. But let’s consider what judgment actually means by looking at someone who does it for a living.
The job of a judge is to do one thing: take a person’s actions and compare them to the laws they are bound to. A judge holds a person to a certain standard, and a good judge will remove his emotions or personal bias from how he evaluates that person.
As Christians, we’re called to the same thing. We need to hold every claim of truth up against the perfect standard. We need to judge everything by whether or not it aligns with God’s word. And if we’re judging rightly, we’ll remove our emotions or personal bias from how we evaluate that truth.
So how do we understand Christ’s words in Matthew 7?
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. (Matthew 7:1)
The first thing we can do is read the entirety of Christ’s statement, instead of pulling out a single sentence and trying to understand what He said.
For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:2-5)
Here, Christ isn’t speaking against judgment, but bad judgment. He’s calling out the sin of hypocrisy and double-standards. He’s saying that if we expect people to measure up to a certain standard, then we should expect the same of ourselves. If we look at what He says, He even says we should judge others.
Thus, we actually do need to use judgment if we want to glorify God. We should expect others to likewise judge us rightly, by holding our words and actions against the truth of God’s word.
Of course, we must also practice mercy and grace, understanding that people are imperfect and will likely have more failures than successes. We know this is true because we’re just the same. Just as we trust others to extend mercy and grace to us as they still hold us against truth, we should likewise find a Christ-honoring balance between using sound judgment while acknowledging that only God is unable to fail.
So yes, judge others. Hold one another up to a standard so that we can celebrate the goodness of God in their lives or point out the flesh they’re holding on to. Use judgment when evaluating truth, but remember that no one will have a perfect understanding of it apart from God’s word. Above all, use God’s perfect word as our measure for when we judge anything in our lives.
Am I confusing the difference between OT and NT prophecy? Is prophecy wrong if it doesn’t contradict the Bible?
These two questions may seem unrelated, but how I answer the first determines how I answer the second.
There’s a belief that Old Testament prophets were somehow more direct and concrete in their prophecies. We assume that if you were a prophet in the Old Testament, everyone knew it. And if you were wrong about your prophecy, you died.
Meanwhile, we see New Testament prophecy as a bit more loose. While we have some guidance for handling prophecy in the New Testament church in the time of the apostles, today we assume that “everyone gets things wrong.” If someone today gives a false prophecy, we shrug our shoulders and say “Well, I guess it wasn’t from God.” We treat Old Testament claims of prophecy with the weight of a person’s life, while we shrug our shoulders when it comes to New Testament prophecy.
However, the reason I hold prophets today by the same standard as Old Testament prophets (minus the execution part), is because there’s no indication that God treats them differently.
First of all, Old Testament prophecy also expected people to test and evaluate a person’s claims to prophecy. My original article talked about the commands in Deuteronomy, but Jeremiah also has a good deal to say about those claiming to be prophets.
Pause here and go read Jeremiah 23:25-40. This is God’s thoughts about those who prophesy in His name without it clearly and obviously being the truth. It starts out with a clear reminder that false prophets don’t only come in the name of Baal:
“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ (Jeremiah 23:25)
God also points out that there will be a massive difference between those who “dream dreams” that aren’t reliable, and those who clearly speak the truth of God.
The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:28)
And how does God feel about those who prophesy in His name without clearly being sent by Him?
“Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:32)
It’s clear that God holds prophecy with great seriousness. God calls for people to test these prophets and their claims of prophecy.
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
Prophecy was God’s method of delivering truth to His people. Not opinions, not “maybe,” but absolute truth that was clearly the word of the Lord. God used prophecy to speak directly through humans, and they carried the absolute authority of His word. Regardless of when prophecy took place, God still expects us to test anyone claiming to have a word from God, taking it with the same seriousness as He always has.
Second, prophecy is taking the Lord’s name, no matter how much we may want to claim otherwise. If someone says they have a word from God, they are literally invoking the power of the almighty creator of the universe. They are taking God’s name upon themselves, saying that everything they say is backed by our perfect and holy God.
Again, regardless of time period, this is what prophecy means, and why we need to treat it in the same way. If an Old Testament prophet proved themselves to be a representative of God, saying exactly what He wanted His prophet to say, then people had to listen. This is why it was so critical to test prophets, and why God wanted false prophets put to death in the Old Testament – if people were serious about obeying God, they would obey His prophets.
We must remember the command not to take the Lord’s name in vain. If someone claims to have a word from God, no matter what else they say, they are taking God’s name. And if what they say is a matter of opinion, or they don’t know that it’s clearly and unquestionably from God, then that person is taking God’s name in vain.
We test prophets because their words should dictate how we make decisions. If prophets are still alive today, then what they say must be obeyed absolutely because God must be obeyed absolutely.
This is why I don’t think I’m confusing the difference between Old and New Testament prophecy – because I the only difference I see is that false prophets aren’t killed, and New Testament prophecy wasn’t written down like the words of Isaiah or Ezekial.
Understanding that, is a prophecy “wrong” if it doesn’t contradict the Bible? Yes. Because no matter how much it lines up with God’s word, there’s a massive difference between speaking a truth based on the Bible, and speaking a word directly from God. A message from God will always be good and true, but not all good and true messages are from God. We must understand this difference, because it determines whether we simply agree with what a person says but aren’t compelled to obey, or whether we listen to what they say with absolute obedience.
Why not take a “wait and see” approach?
A lot of people are waiting for December to roll around so they can bombard Pastor Dana with praise or condemnation. And with that, many are willing to sit idly by and just see what happens. So why bother speaking out when we’ll know in a few months whether these dreams are truly prophetic, mostly right, or absolutely wrong?
Because people are treating these dreams as a direct message from God, and because of their desire to serve Him they are making decisions based on these dreams.
I don’t say that lightly. I’ve had several people email after reading my article and tell me that they were making huge plans based on these dreams. People were pulling out their money and beginning to stockpile goods. Plans to move or start a family were put on pause. Fear was overtaking people because they knew they only had a few months before we were living in a civil war.
So, yes, we’ll see what happens in December. And I suspect some things from these dreams may come true to some degree. The coin shortage has been a concern since April, and will likely get worse. Whatever happens in November, one side of American politics will lose their minds.
But, again, informed forecasting is different from prophecy. And people aren’t waiting to see what will happen – those who truly believe these dreams are prophetic, and want to obey a message from God, are making massive decisions based on them.
Am I confusing dreams and prophecy?
This is one I wish I’d spoken about more directly in the article. I clearly don’t make a line between dreams and prophecy, but others clearly do. From what I can tell, there’s a belief that prophecy is an absolute thing, while dreams are open to interpretation and may not even be from God. I’ll just briefly answer this, because I don’t think we need to place them in different categories. So here is my understanding of the difference between dreams and prophecy:
All dreams are prophetic messages directly from God
but
Not all prophetic messages from God are dreams
In other words, I understand prophecy as a parent group for things like dreams and visions. If God gives someone a dream, we should expect it to be prophetic. Thus, we should expect it to be true, clear, and obeyed. However, not all prophecies will occur in dreams.
But what about when God would give dreams to people who weren’t prophets? The biggest example of this is Pharoah and Joseph. The quick answer here is that dreams like this are still clearly messages from God that are expected to be obeyed. When someone is given one of these dreams, God still provides one of His people to give a true interpretation of the dream. Not an interpretation based on opinion, but as a message from God to complete something that is otherwise unknown.
Check back tomorrow
I’ll finish addressing these excellent questions tomorrow, so stay tuned.
