What exactly was prophecy?

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When we read the prophets of the Old Testament, some of them, like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Ezekiel, attempt to make predictions of the future. Astoundingly, many of their prophecies happened like the destruction of Solomon’s temple, a 70 year captivity, and the gentiles eventually coming to God. Other prophecies of theirs were only partially fulfilled, like Ezekiels prophecy about Tyre, and Jeremiahs and Ezekiels prophecy about the conquest of Egypt, or prophecies about the return of all of Israel (though one could argue that that particular prophecy isn’t literal). So, what exactly was prophecy? How were these men acquiring it? You could say directly from God in visions due to their writings, but their writings are literary styles, and the authors themselves didn’t mean for it to be taken literally when they had God speaking. Indeed, the author of Revelation uses the same style, lifting many of the same elements and details from these works. So clearly he didn’t intend his readers to literally think he was having visions. So did they just have some kind of intution of the future influenced by the Holy Spirit in their subconscious?
 
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The Book of Revelation is about the sacrifice of the Mass.

The Book of Revelation is amazing. As well as containing many prophetic statements, it contains a very accurate vision of the Mass as it’s taking place in Heaven.
Rev 6:9, 8:3, 5; 9:13, 11:1, 14:18, 16:17 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.
Vested priests Rev 3:5, 3:18, 4:4, 7:13, 14, 22:14 “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”… Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
Candles Rev 4:5 Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing.
Incense and
Prayers of the Saints Rev 5:8, 8:3, 8:4 …and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Rev 5:8)
Blood of the Lamb Rev 7:15 …they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Holy, Holy, Holy Rev 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
Penitential Rite (repentance) Rev. 2:5, 16, 21; 3:3; 16:11 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
Silent prayer after Communion Rev 8:1 …there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
Invoking angels Rev 5:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.
Gloria Rev 1:6, 4:9, 11, 5:12,13, 7:12, 11:13, 14:7, 15:4 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”
Sign of the Cross Rev 7:3-4, 11:1, 14:1, 22:4 Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. (Rev 7:3) … 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.(14:1)
Hallelujah Rev 19:1, 3, 4, 6 "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God …
 
CONTINUED…

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!”… . "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Liturgical readings Rev 5:1 …in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing …
Lamb of God Rev 5:12
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” …

Eucharist (Manna) Rev 2:17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. (Note: An entire article on the Eucharist is here)

Relics of Saints under the Altar Rev 6:9 I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
This is the main purpose of Revelation, to describe the most important ceremony of Christian worship, the Mass.
 
I found this interesting, actually profound. The pattern of numbers. The Samaritan woman had 5 former husbands. The dragons heads, five have fallen. The Woman currently has a husband. One of the kings 'is 'now. in Rev.
At this point in Revelation, the seventh King is anti-christ. He hasn’t come, but when he does, ‘he must remain a short little while’ *the beast that was and is not, it is an *eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. Here is the mortal wound in imitation of Christ’s cross
John 4
6 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet.
Now if you insert Jesus as the Samaritan woman’s seventh husband it works out the same as the beast in Revelation.
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If Jesus were her seventh husband He could be described as not yet there, ( for us Jesus just got there) He would be a short time ( Jesus is on His way to the cross) Jesus who was, is, and is to come is the eighth and one of the seven, because Jesus is going to the cross, goes to His’ destruction’ conquers death resurrects comes back as her eighth husband.

Exact fit.
Rev 17
9 “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, 10 of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.
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Do you see how this account of the Beast is an imitation of the story of the Samaritan woman.
Samaria had five vassal kings and the current king at that time, when Jesus and the Woman spoke.
So the pattern of her life is the pattern of the history of Samaria. She in her individual life is experiencing the entire history of the people of Samaria. She was all of them as one and all of them are her. That’s why the ‘people’ are so involved in the story. She is recognized as a prophetess imo. What causes the mass conversion? " He told her everything she ever did". They believe that Jesus is the messiah because she did. She carried a lot of religious weight.

Another thing. Jesus calls her Woman. A title reserved for His mother until now. Why? because the Samaritan woman is an archetype Woman. She is a powerfull echo of the Genesis events. As is Jesus’ mother. The Samaritan woman is a mother to the people of Samaria I’ll bet. It can be easily reasoned that in a certain and real way she is Samaria.

continued
 
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This phenomenon is a kind of Prophecy.
Prophecy that’s able to know the forgotten and hidden past.
Experiencal knowledge of the events of an entire nations history would offer a special understanding of all the people from it’s beginning to it’s present. And what happens in her life from this point is future. Proven by the fact that the pattern of her life is in Revelation.

When she converted that relates to being married to Jesus. I just wonder if the pattern will be seen in that future event when antichrist appears.
 
The Angelic Doctor cites St. Augustine (On the Trinity; 2, 6) in agreement saying, “The prophetic vision is not displayed to corporeal eyes by corporeal shapes, but is shown in the spirit by the spiritual images of bodies.” (STh I, q. 43, a. 7, rep. 2)
 
hymin said:
The Angelic Doctor cites St. Augustine (On the Trinity; 2, 6) in agreement saying, “The prophetic vision is not displayed to corporeal eyes by corporeal shapes, but is shown in the spirit by the spiritual images of bodies.” (STh I, q. 43, a. 7, rep. 2)
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Can’t say I understand just what he’s saying? Maybe a paraphrase would help. In any case, the trinity isn’t prophecy.
 
Spiritual realities are invisible.

Prophecy is shown to our spirit by spiritual images. Prophecy isn’t shown to our eyes of flesh but are spiritual images shown to our spirit. Images of things that may be real like a frog, or not real like a dragon.

I hope that helps
 
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Nor would you understand if you were given a prophetic vision. We know it is given in the spirit via spiritual bodies
 
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Modern Catholic Dictionary:

PROPHECY. The certain prediction of future events that cannot be known by natural means. However, the biblical meaning of the Hebrew hozeh (prophecy) is more general, namely "vision or “revelation interpreted.” Those who were called upon to prophesy did, indeed, on occasion also foretell future events, but these

predictions fulfilled were divine confirmations of an authentic vision rather than the vision itself. Prophecies as predictions are consequently part of God’s supernatural providence. God, in whose sight all things future are ever present, is able to communicate to his creatures the knowledge that he has. He alone finally has this power, because certain foreknowledge of the contingent future is possessed only by God. Prophecies are the words of his prescience, just as miracles are the work of his omnipotence. Hence a religion supported by prophecies must be divine. (Etym. Greek prophētēs, one who speaks for a god, interpreter, expounder, prophet; literally, one who speaks for another.)
 
To me as I understand it is that Prophecy is when the prophets of the OT would tell the people of a town or village of what they were doing good or bd and what would happen if they continued to do whatever it was they were doing. If they changed and decided to stop what they were doing then what would have happen would not take place… I remember once going past the reform school my Mother would tell me if I did not change my ways that’s where i would end up. I didn’t and i did end up in reform school. Had i listened to my Mother of course i would not have gone there. That’s what I think prophecy is saying what will happen if something is not changed and what might happen if things did change.
 
You are about right when it comes to most OT prophecies,
 
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hymin, Gnosticism is a form of belief based on a dual Gods and that one god created good while another created the material world. In Gnosticism its the spiritual secrets that have to be taught only to those after a period of time showing that he are granted to learn those secrets. it really has nothing to do with prophecy.
 
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