Prophecy
Prophecies are messages or predictions said to have been received from the spirit world, most commonly from Jesus or group founder David Berg beyond the grave.
These messages or prophecies, especially those received from Jesus, were commonly in Old English, although in the past decade these prophecies have adopted Modern English and are generally more casual or colloquial in tone. The Family International belives that when receiving a prophecy, the mouth of the person (or channel) receiving the prophecy is taken over by the spirit helper delivering the message. If the channel feels that the spirit helper speaking is not fluent in English or speaks with an accent, they will often reflect this in their own speech as the prophecy is given. These prophecies are often accompanied by visions or spirit trips.
In the past, the Old English in prophecies was often misused and the messages were interspersed with Modern English. World Services once published a primer on Old English grammar to assist Family members in delivering their prophecies correctly.
Following the implementation of the Loving Jesus doctrine in 1995, prophecies received from Jesus are often referred to as being "golden seeds from our Husband".
Many Family members are convinced they are having a spiritual experience when receiving a prophecy. Many former members claim the prophecies they personally gave while in the group were made up, or they spoke whatever related thought came to mind.
A recent Family doctrine, referred to as the "Ask Me Everything revelation", teaches that Jesus wants Family members to make every single decision, no matter how trivial (e.g. if they should cross the street or not), based on instantaneous prophecy. This doctrine is considered among the new spiritual weapons.
Another recent teaching by Karen Zerby, published in answer to questions about how members around the world simultaneously receive different messages from David Berg beyond the grave, explains that Berg is able to repeatedly travel through time to the same moment at multiple locations, effectively making Berg capable of omnipresence.
External links
- Communicating with Heavenly Messengers — Doctrinal Paper from the Family International
- Hearing From God — 1992 article by former member Edward Priebe, who encouraged the use of prophecy by non-leadership before this was sanctioned by The Family
See also: Golden seeds, Channel, Tongues, Prayer, Spirit trip, Vision, Endtime Prophet
