On September 23, 2017 the rapture did not occur, millions did not die, Revelation 12 was not fulfilled, and the world as we know it did not come to an end. And yet, prior to that date the internet was buzzing with multiple people prophesying of wonderful or terrible events that would take place on that date. Aside from me missing lunch that day and new neighbors moving in, nothing remarkable happened.
These self-styled prophets deservedly are seen as religious hucksters who lack any real credibility. But the real problem in all of this is that the Bible itself takes a hit. The Bible is filled with yet unfulfilled prophecies and these are designed to alert us to ultimate realities, such as the sovereign workings of God and the need for people to get into a right relation with God through Jesus Christ. The Bible lets us know that there is an eternity lying ahead for everyone and it tells us just what God is going to do to bring His purposes to fulfillment. But these self-styled receivers of revelation fabricate predictions to call attention to themselves, make money or see how many “likes” they can accumulate. But the damage they do is immense because many people come to view all prophetic teaching as nonsense or irrelevant.
The Apostles of the New Testament and the prophets of the Old Testament warn us time and again about the presence of those who claim they speak for God, but whose prophecies are the products of their own imaginations. Does not Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 13 accurately portray the prophets of September 23, 2017?