Prophecy

A message or prediction said to have been received from the spirit world, often 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 older prophecies, the Old English was often misused and the messages were interspersed with Modern English. World Services once put out a primer on Old English grammar to assist Family members in delivering their prophecies correctly.

Following the implementation of the Loving Jesus doctrine, prophecies received from Jesus are often referred to as being "golden seeds from our Husband".

Many current members are convinced they are having a spiritual experience when they receive a prophecy. Many former members claim the prophecies they personally gave were made up, or they spoke whatever related thought came to mind.

A recent Family doctrine, referred to as "Ask Me Everything", teaches that Jesus wants Family members to make every single decision, no matter how trivial, based on prophecy.

See also: Golden seeds, Prayer, Spirit trip, Love words to Jesus