The start of a new year is a time when people like to take stock of how they did over the past year, as they prepare for the year ahead. Did they keep their resolutions? Did they lose weight? Get healthier? Get engaged or married? Get a job promotion (or a new job)? For me, as I look back, I realize that I made a number of predictions for the year 2023 in my first blog of the year.
I wonder, how well did I do? Did my predictions come true? Am I a true prophet, or a non-prophet pretender? Check out the predictions I made (in bold letters) and what actually happened:
1. There will be at least one war between two countries, and some people will be killed. Were there any wars in 2023? Yes there absolutely were.
The Russia/Ukraine War continues unabated. In addition, there is now war between Israel and Hamas. Connected to that latter war, Iran’s allies have been firing missiles at US ships in the region. And now, Venezuela is threatening to invade Guyana and seize a province from them.
2. We will see TV reports of earthquakes . . .
2023 saw earthquakes in Nepal, Afghanistan, Morocco, Turkey, and Syria for a total of 60,000 lives lost.
. . . and other natural catastrophes.
The Maui fire, heavy rain and flooding in Rwanda, Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar, floods in the Congo, Cyclone Freddy in Malawi, and Storm Daniel in Libya for another 1,800 lives lost.
3. And there will be outbreaks of disease, and maybe pronouncements of a new pandemic.
There are outbreaks of new strains of Covid-19, Monkey Pox (aka Mpox), dengue, measles, polio, diphtheria, cholera, typhoid, and influenza; all were reported in 2023 by the World Health Org.
4. Sexual perversions will increase to unknown levels.
I hardly need to document the fulfillment of this prediction. Do drag queens at the White House and in children’s story hours, and the neutering of children qualify?
5. Christians will be mocked, marginalized, and persecuted, even to death in some places.
Besides the cultural animosity to Christians in this country, over 300 million Christians are being persecuted, harassed, or killed for their faith in many other countries, including Nigeria, Libya, Mozambique, Afghanistan, India, and North Korea.
6. There will be fake televangelists, spouting heresies and bilking people for money with false promises.
While I am not aware of any new scandals toppling current televangelists, there are many who need to be toppled. The airwaves still hum with the likes of Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Joel Osteen, etc.
7. People will becomes even more selfish, self-centered, “selfied,” and nasty to each other as they turn further away from God.
Obsession over social media, being liked, conforming to peer pressure, and preferring current values over biblical teachings. Touting of self identity, what feels good, and subjective feeling over objective truth.
8. An evil person will shoot, stab, or run over a random group of people.
In the US, there were 30 mass shootings in December alone! There were 20 shootings in 2023 where five or more people died. Included were Lewiston, Maine, where 19 died, and Monterey Park, California, where 12 died. Also, a man in China ran over pedestrians in 2023, killing five people.
Pretty impressive track record, isn’t it? I was 100% right! Does that make me a prophet? Well, actually, no. God inspired true prophets to speak his word to his people; my only claim is that I read the words his prophets spoke as recorded in the Bible. Scripture has told us what to expect in this world, and while the names and places and dates will change, the stories stay the same. That’s why my predictions were accurate:
- Prediction 1: (Matthew 24:6) Wars and rumors of wars.
- Prediction 2: (Luke 21:11) Earthquakes in many places.
- Prediction 3. (Luke 21:11 again) Famines and pestilences.
- Prediction 4: (Romans 1:26-27) Dishonorable passions and shameless acts.
- Prediction 5: (Matthew 24:9) Delivered to death and hated by all nations.
- Prediction 6: (Matthew 24:11 and Luke 20:47) False teachers and bilkers.
- Prediction 7: (2 Timothy 3:2-3) Lovers of self and money, heartless.
- Prediction 8: (Matthew 15:19) From the heart comes murder.
The only major changes in history since the creation and fall of mankind were the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the only great future event that will be truly unique will be Christ’s return. Since Christ did not return in 2023, let us pray for him to come back in 2024. If he doesn’t return this year, I will repeat my 2023 predictions for 2024. But, whenever he does return, I boldly predict that we will join him in the air, and be with him forever! (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:22; 2 Peter 1:20.