Heeding the voice of the prophets

In contrast, people of the second type try to actively change their future. They perform various actions designed to learn something about the future and somehow influence it. As a protection from future troubles, these people, in addition to natural methods, such as strengthening their position in society, accumulating money, changing their place of residence, etc., often resort to supernatural, magical actions.

Prediction is synonymous with the concept of forecast.

Scientific forecasting, which is so important in our time, despite all the differences in research methods and areas of its application, is based on the study of already existing development trends that are carried over into the future. This approach gives very good results, especially during periods of relatively stable development of certain phenomena. Whether we are talking, for example, about forecasting the weather, the development of industry or the military-political situation in the world, forecasting often gives brilliant results. But it is not able to take into account completely new, as yet unknown factors that can have a decisive impact on its change in the future. For example, the discovery of atomic energy and the beginning of the production of nuclear weapons greatly changed the military-political situation in the world. But no scientific efforts could have predicted this new era in the early 20s of the last century. Such statements are beyond the capabilities of science.

Thus, forecasting is an important area of social, political, scientific and almost all other spheres of modern life. But it is in no way a prophecy.

2.2. What is a prophecy

In the Bible, prophecy is not at all based on taking into account the trends already existing in this world, but on the fact that is fundamental for the Holy Scriptures and for faith in general, that God, the Creator of this world, does not abandon it in His love and has His providence for this world, which in the Bible is called His will. And only His love can somehow explain the indisputable and repeatedly noted in the Bible proclamation of God's will about the fate of this world, the peoples inhabiting it, and even individual people.

Thus, we can say that in the Holy Scriptures, prophecy is an expression of God's will in this world and about this world.

Then a prophet can be called a person through whom this will is proclaimed.

But these definitions, instead of helping to understand the prophecy, so far raise many new questions. Here are just a few of them:

— What is the will of God?

— What is its content?

— How does it manifest itself in the world?

— How is it perceived?