UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF PROPHETIC PREDICTIONS Pt.3

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jonah, his disobedience, ordeal and eventual compulsive obedience. However, we need to go deeper, look beyond what we have always known and see the lessons God wants us to learn as regards how the prophetic work.

From the opening text, it is clear that God spoke to Jonah to go to Nineveh to announce the judgement that would befall them because of their sins. It was a straight forward message God gave to Jonah. Very clear and succinct.

However, when Jonah declared what God had in mind to do, we were told that everyone( including animals) fasted and repented.

Jonah 3:5 says, *"The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow*".

These guys were pagans and they knew nothing about the covenant of God but because every human has a faint knowledge about God's justice and mercy, they appealed to His court of mercy. Read what their king said after he declared a nationwide fast for humans and animals:

*"Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us*”. ( Jonah 3:9 NLT)

Their repentance touched God and made him to change his mind.

Jonah 3:10 (NLT) says, *"When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened*".

I know most of us will question the issue of God changing His mind and decisions when a scripture says, *"I am the Lord, I changeth not*". I will explain this later. For now, I want you to understand the nature of certain predictive prophecies.

Did you know that God's reversal of judgement upon Nineveh angered Jonah? Yes, read this scripture: *"This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. [2] So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people*"( Jonah 4:1-2 NLT).

In fact, Jonah asked the Lord to kill him because he felt it was a thing of shame for his prediction not to come to pass. He said, *"Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen*"( Jonah 4:3 NLT).

Jonah was that prophet who wanted to boast that his prediction of doom came to pass. He wanted to boast about prophetic accuracy where destruction of lives and eternal destinies of men are concerned. He was concerned about his ego as a prophet not the repentance of the people God made. No prophet should have the heart of Jonah.

He knew God is merciful and that was why he absconded initially because he didn't want the press to have it on record that his prophecy failed. How I wish he knew that the mercy of God triumph over judgement. Actually, God wanted to show mercy on the condition that the people repent but Jonah wanted judgement so the people can die in their sins.

His prophetic prediction was conditional. It was subject to change If the people repented and they did. This is the nature of some prophetic predictions. If man play his role in the face of negative prediction, God can change his mind and look down with mercy.

Dearest, God reveals to redeem. When a prophetic word is received and it bothers on judgement and doom, there is a likelihood of reversal If those concerned repent and turn from their evil ways. God is not interested in the death of sinners but He wants all men to repent and turn from their evil ways.

When a prophetic prediction is all shades of negative, doom and evil, the posture of a prophet should not be "It must come to pass", the right attitude should be "Lord, how can this be averted"? Don't be like Jonah.