Why Most Prophecy Teachings Are Misleading and Dangerous: Part 1 with Michael Heiser

Video Description

Part 2: https://youtu.be/4QvwdqJZBGE Michael Heiser explains that Biblical prophecy is often unclear and prone to varied interpretation, which poses a risk to believers who might fixate on rigid expectations and become disillusioned if those expectations fail, as seen in events like the Harold Camping prediction. He emphasises the difficulty in determining the original intent of prophetic texts, citing Isaiah 7:14 as an example where the prophecy’s immediate context shows a near-term fulfilment rather than an ultimate messianic one, but the Gospel of Matthew later applies it by analogy to Jesus' birth centuries later. Similarly, Matthew 2:13’s citation of Hosea 11:1 repurposes a historical reference to Israel as a prophecy about Jesus, illustrating how New Testament writers often interpret Old Testament texts non-literally and analogically. Heiser highlights the problem of text changes under inspiration, such as in Acts 15 where Amos 9 is quoted with differences to convey theological points. He argues that prophecy is deliberately cryptic, particularly regarding the Messiah’s substitutionary death, which the Old Testament obscures so cosmic adversaries wouldn’t thwart God’s plan, as Paul describes salvation as a hidden wisdom. The disciples’ confusion during Jesus’ life underscores this cryptic nature. Heiser notes the scarcity of explicit messianic death references in the Old Testament and suggests prophecy was meant to be partially mysterious, confirmed by passages like 1 Peter 1 that describe prophets struggling to understand their own predictions. Ultimately, Heiser urges acceptance of prophecy’s complexity and mystery, trusting God’s sovereignty despite the ambiguity and the deliberate concealment of full details. #Prophecy #Bible #Heiser #Messiah #Angels #Rebellion #Mystery #Revelation #Faith #Truth #Scripture #Divine #Freewill #Kingdom #Salvation