The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy

By Dorian Scott Cole

Weren't we all going to die on Friday, December 21, 2012? Are there really signposts to the world's end? Does modern prophecy really merge with ancient prophecy? Will all of the Christians suddenly disappear? The answers may surprise you. Millions of Americans are anxiously waiting to see if the world will end in 2012. Despite the fact that signs seem to be everywhere in all ancient and modern prophecy and even science, the major sign pointed to by both Daniel and Christ is overlooked by prophecy interpreters. And interpretation of modern prophecy overlooks intent. Like a scary movie, prophecy is great fun until it starts affecting people's lives. This book explores how to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern. The five chapters in this discussion guide are rich in information, providing one legitimate point of view, and are intended to encourage discussion and additional research. A ten meeting discussion group is the minimum recommended. Subjects to explore include: * History, and the situations surrounding prophecy * Types of prophecy * Other interpretations of prophecy * Are faith and prophetic belief blind? * Societies that go bad - are they destroyed? * Social change - saving ourselves * The challenges of the 21st.Century

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorian Scott Cole
• Release date: Mar 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9780463582565

Dorian Scott Cole

Dorian Scott Cole is a professional communicator, with education and experience in writing, engineering technology, psychology, religion, radio announcing, acting, and movie and TV production, having had full careers in several fields. He worked as a senior development analyst for Writers Workshop, L.A. He teaches writing and acting in independent settings, and has written VisualWriter.com since 1996. He is the author of several Web sites, and produces entertainment videos through his company, Movie Stream Productions. His production series, STL Comedy, included 22 professional actors, and 10 writers. Dorian lives near St. Louis.

Book preview

The Prophetic Pattern

Ancient and Modern Prophecy

by

Dorian Scott Cole

ISBN: 9780463582565

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to your point of purchase or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright © 2009 By Dorian Scott Cole

All rights reserved.

Articles on which this book is based were published beginning in 2003 on the www.onespiritresources.com Web site.

First Publication 2010 by TechGenie Media, LLC.

Second Edition publication 2022 by Dorian Scott Cole

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Rights/license: This ebook is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. It is not legal to reproduce this electronic book in any form in any media without permission from the author.

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ISBN:   9780463582565

Cataloging information:

The Prophetic Pattern: What Does Prophecy Mean?

1. Cole, Dorian Scott, 1947 -

2. Prophecy. 3. Theology. 4. Religion. 5. Literary Interpretation 

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this book are solely the views of the author and based primarily on the author’s scholarship. The views do not necessarily reflect the views of any religion or religious institution.  

DEDICATION

In grateful appreciation to all those who contributed indirectly to the information in this book through sharing or publishing information, or assistance with editing, without whom this book would not be possible.

May the hills you climb become the measure of your rewards, and may all your dreams come true.

– Dorian – 

Contents

Chapter 1: The Prophetic Pattern

Discussion Guide

The prophetic pattern 

Seers versus prophets

Who is a prophet, in Biblical terms? 

What is the message of prophecy? 

Real versus unreal prophets 

Are other prophets – seers and oracles – good or evil?

Chapter 2: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

Discussion guide

God of long-suffering mercy, or God of wrath and vengeance?

The great and terrible day of the Lord 

Prophecies or oracles?

Hope run amuck

Chapter 3: The Apocalypse

Discussion Guide 

The Apocalypse

God's presence is symbolized by Temples of stone and Temples of flesh

The revealing

Patterns and intent 

Chapter 4: Modern Prophecy

Discussion Guide

Today's prophets 

Stars and calendars as prophets 

Understanding the intent of modern prophecy 

New age and change: The drivers of social change 

How do you and I interpret signs and prophecy?

Chapter 5: 2010 - Birth pains of a new century

Discussion Guide

How do we evaluate ourselves?

Out with the old, in with the new 

The age of change, the age of dragons

Enter the dragon 

Enter the dragon slayer

Chapter 6: Example of prophecy interpretation

When will the new kingdom come?

Did Jesus actually give us a time?

End of the Age

Christians fared no better

The beginning of a new age

When would the church occur?

Distinction between true religion and false religion

The meaning of Jesus prophecy

Chapter 7: Author, his books and connections

CHAPTER 1: The Prophetic Pattern

Will God destroy the world? Setting the stage.

According to some, destruction is on its way like a cruise missile, cold and calculating, sneaking in, authoring mass destruction, to the glee of some who don’t like what they see in our world, most of the people in this world are slated for destruction and in the fast lane to Hell.

Some things to consider are:

Under what conditions would God destroy us? At the time of Noah and the great flood, the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Jesus said, Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.

At the destruction of Sodom, which was the posterchild for mistreating people – Jewish sources say they murdered guests – Abraham argued that if there were enough righteous people (morally right or justifiable), they should not be destroyed. The ashes of that town show it was destroyed in around 1200 BC.

We have a group of people judging that the world is worthy of destruction. But is our every intention only evil, and are we so inhospitable to our guests? They have judged the world and condemned it. When Jesus and the Apostles told us to not judge others, what do you suppose they meant?

This same group of people spends an inordinate amount of time looking for signs that the end is near. Jesus said that an evil and adulterous generation looks for signs. The signs they look for are current events that they think matches things foretold.

Why did Jesus call people who look for signs, adulterers? Because our mission is to show the Good News to the world, not condemn the world. Jesus never condemned anyone. The leaders came closest which he called vipers and hypocrites and asked how could they escape destruction.

Another example is the Church at Ephesus. To that church the writer said in Revelations 2: 1-6, "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. … But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

In the onslaught of people who thought they knew what Jesus meant in his teachings, there were many who had warped views, and many who gave self-serving false information. Undoing their harm was a constant battle.

John said, You have forsaken the love you had at first. What was the love that people had? It was for the ways taught by Jesus. They didn’t follow him to get wealthy – that would have been a fool’s errand. They followed him because they saw a way of life that was better: love. Love was the message.

Jesus said to those who asked which Commandment was most important, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.   

Love, as demonstrated by Jesus, was caring enough about others that you would do things for them. Apparently, they had stopped.

The first thing that preoccupied their thoughts and activities: I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people. It’s one thing to point out that certain activities are wicked. It’s another to be intolerant toward others. It shows a lack of love. It shows a focus not on love, but on what people consider to be sinful, better described as missing the mark of good behavior.

The worst adulterers are those who try to keep people enslaved to the power of sin (missing the mark). As long as guilt dominates their thinking, they are unable to produce the fruits of the Spirit. They are in chains by those who go around preaching about sin. None of us have the authority to judge others. Period.

What is the Good News? From the verses that talk about it, the Good News is:

• The Kingdom of God is here (no longer separated by doing wrong, and is a spiritual kingdom that is now).

• The Kingdom of God is for everyone.

• Forgiveness of sins.

• Meaningful activity, not useless or vanity.

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. To the Jews, Jesus said in John 8: 33-36 (NIV), Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

1 Corinthians 6: 12 (NIV): Everything is permissible for me--but