This present article aims at debunking the popular notion abroad, of a prophet as someone who foretells the future in the manner of someone who has a speed dial to God and is afforded a telescopic view into the future not available to ordinary mortals.
A Zambian online newspaper, Zambian Eye, reported that Prophet T B Joshua was able to prophesy the enmity between President Edgar Lungu of Zambia and his nemesis, Hakainde Hichilema after the death in office of the incumbent, Michael Chilufya Sata.
But prophetic revelations know no bounds. Their predictions range from predicting who in their congregation will be driving a BMW or will be pregnant this time next year, presumably with a little libidinal help from the prophet showing the woman’s husband how to do it while she ecstatically reaches orgasm shouting, “Alleluia” to who will win the elections in the United States because God is really bothered about the political affiliation of US presidents because of the country’s privilege of exceptionalism.
The paper tries to show that all this nouveau prophetism is a misunderstanding of the office of prophet in both the Hebrew Bible and Christian Bible. Rather than foretell the future, the prophet is someone who forth-tells — tells it as it is — whether about the past, present or future doesn’t matter.
In the process, the popularity of modern prophets as God’s merchandisers, usually for personal gain, is discussed. As in the Hebrew Bible and Christian Bible there were always true and false prophets. How to tell the difference, one from the other was the recent conversation I had with my colleague whose niece had been haunted by a modern false prophet. If the truth be told and to be fair to latter-day prophets, the choice is not always binary, that is, either true or false. There are fifty shades of grey in between, to adapt a trope from E.L. James’ erotica of the same title ranging from the genuine to the charlatan or spiritual conman.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Allô Allô Allô Papa Bonheur and Prophetic Warranty
3. Why the Ubiquity and Increase in Prophetic Activity Today?
4. Prophets in the Hebrew Bible as Champions of Justice
4.i. Denouncing those who trample on the Anawim
4.ii. Seeking Justice, Rescuing the Oppressed, Defending the Orphan and the Widow
4.iii. Woe to Him who builds His House on Injustice
4.iv. Denouncing Excess of Food and Prosperous Ease
4.v. Doing Justice, Loving Kindness and Walking humbly before Him
4.vi. Rendering True Judgements, Showing Kindness and Mercy
5. Prophets in the Second Testament
5.i. Servants and Prophets who keep the Word
5.ii. Charism for building up the body of Christ and Unity of Faith
5.iii. Speaking to build up, encourage and console
5.iv. The Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets
6. How do you tell a true Prophet from a fake one?
Objectives and Core Themes
This article aims to deconstruct the contemporary phenomenon of self-proclaimed prophets who operate as "merchandisers" for personal gain, contrasting their behavior with the biblical understanding of prophecy. It seeks to redefine the role of a prophet as someone who speaks truth to power and advocates for social justice, rather than a prognosticator of future events.
- The distinction between true biblical prophecy and modern "God business."
- The role of prophets in the Hebrew Bible as champions of justice for the marginalized.
- An analysis of "prophetic warranty" using cultural and theological analogies.
- The critique of the "theology of the belly" and the commercialization of ministry.
- The use of Catholic Social Teaching as a framework for evaluating prophetic authenticity.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
The first part of the title of this article comes from the second stanza of Congolese singer Kofi Olomidé’s song, Papa Bonheur, part French, part Lingala making it well-nigh impossible for me to follow the general drift of the song until my colleague Augustine Lumwanga, hitherto unbeknownst to me, a Lingala native speaker, put me out of my misery. The song came to mind somewhere from the recesses of my delayed and misspent youth. I and another colleague were discussing the contemporary phenomenon of prophets who come under a variety of nomenclatures such as Papa, man of God and yes, even prophet. The association with the line Allô Allô Allô Papa Bonheur is that these men of God — very rarely women — seem to be the go-to place of choice for material and spiritual weal, well-being, prosperity or bliss while exacting fawning, ingratiating and obsequious deference not meet for mere mortals who draw breath.
Even what may be clearly psychiatric cases, such as the women mentioned below who allowed their pubic hair to be shaved in public by a prophet, are now being handled by this one-stop shop for earthly weal and eternal salvation. It is often understood that this bliss will be manifested by material prosperity in the nunc et ora — the here and now — hence the eternal pull and market value of these men and women of God.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the article's aim to debunk the popular notion of prophets as future-tellers and frames the discussion around modern-day "merchants" of religion.
2. Allô Allô Allô Papa Bonheur and Prophetic Warranty: Explores the concept of "prophetic warranty" through the lens of Koffi Olomidé’s song and compares it to the biblical rejection of prophets in their hometowns.
3. Why the Ubiquity and Increase in Prophetic Activity Today?: Analyzes the growth of the "theology of the belly" and the commercial success of modern pastors who exploit their followers for financial gain.
4. Prophets in the Hebrew Bible as Champions of Justice: Examines several biblical figures to demonstrate that the true role of the prophet is to advocate for justice and denounce oppression rather than predict the future.
5. Prophets in the Second Testament: Discusses how the New Testament portrays prophecy as a gift for building up the Church and community, emphasizing spiritual service over institutional power.
6. How do you tell a true Prophet from a fake one?: Utilizes the criterion of Jeremiah to differentiate between prophets who offer false hope and those who speak the uncomfortable truth required for real change.
Keywords
Prophecy, Biblical Hermeneutics, Social Justice, Theology of the Belly, False Prophets, Hebrew Bible, Second Testament, Catholic Social Teaching, Commercialization of Religion, Prophetic Warranty, Marginalization, Religious Exploitation, Jeremiah, True Prophets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This work examines the contemporary phenomenon of modern prophets, critiquing those who act as spiritual entrepreneurs for personal gain while reclaiming the authentic biblical definition of prophecy.
What are the central themes discussed in the text?
The text focuses on the commercialization of religion (the "theology of the belly"), the biblical role of prophets as champions of social justice, and the criteria for distinguishing genuine prophecy from charlatanism.
What is the main research question of the article?
The article explores how to distinguish between true prophets, who speak truth to power and advocate for the poor, and false prophets, who prioritize personal aggrandizement and popularity.
Which scientific methodology does the author apply?
The author uses a combination of biblical hermeneutics, exegesis, and social-theological analysis to compare ancient prophetic texts with modern religious practices.
What does the author cover in the main body of the work?
The main body contrasts the "merchandising" of modern prophecy with the Hebrew and Second Testament tradition, specifically utilizing the criterion of Jeremiah to evaluate the authenticity of modern prophetic figures.
How would you describe the key characteristics of the discussed prophets?
The authentic prophet is characterized by their commitment to social justice, their counter-cultural message, and their focus on the common good, whereas the false prophet is defined by their desire for wealth and popularity.
How does the author interpret the song "Papa Bonheur"?
The author uses the song as a cultural metaphor for the "prophetic warranty," suggesting that prophets rely on divine commissioning rather than the fickle favor of the public.
Why does the author cite Catholic Social Teaching?
The author uses Catholic Social Teaching as a "litmus test" for modern prophecy, arguing that any ministry not dedicated to dignity, solidarity, and the poor cannot claim to be truly prophetic.
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- Dr. Tarcisius Mukuka (Autor:in), 2021, True and False Prophets. An analysis, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1005153
