There are 2 types of prophecy. Prophecy is the word of God. Prophets are servants of God, called and appointed by God to pass His message.
The 2 types of prophecy
The 2 major types of prophecy are: –
- Conditional prophecy
- Unconditional prophecy
Conditional prophecy
Conditional prophecy is when the prophecy fulfillment is dependent on the compliance of those to whom the promise is made, with the conditions on which it is given. A prophecy in which the prediction is predicated upon a condition.
Examples of Conditional prophecy
1. God giving rain in due season
Lev 26:3-4 if ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you rain in due season and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield her fruit
God giving rain to the land of Israel depended on the children of Israel walking in God statues and keeping His commandments. Thus, if the children of Israel walked in God statues and kept his commandments, it rained in due season but if they did not….
But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant; I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart; and ye shall sow your seed in vain; for your enemies shall eat it (Lev 26 14-16)
2. Healing of the land
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
3. Jonah prophecy
Jonah prophecy was a conditional prophecy
Jonah 3:2-4: Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
When the city of Nineveh repented, God repented His judgment.
Jonah 3:5, 10: So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Since what Jonah prophesied did not occur, is Jonah a God’s prophet or not?
Jonah was and is God’s prophet.
A prophet is not judged by whether what s/he prophesies happens or not since we have conditional and unconditional prophecy.
The saying and teaching that when God declares something, it is will absolutely come to pass is a wrong; there are conditional and unconditional God declarations. If you are one of those people who has believed that a true prophet of God is defined by the fact that his prophecies always come to pass, you should change that mind-set.
All my prophecies on Kenya are conditional. The condition is ‘Repent Kenya’
If Kenya repents, God will repent His judgment and if Kenya does not repent, Kenya will face God wrath.
For conditional prophecy, God has given the following general rule
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them Jer 18:7-10.
Unconditional prophecy
An unconditional prophecy is one in which there is no condition predicated. A prophecy from God that will come to pass exactly as prophesied no matter what humans do.
Examples of Unconditional prophecy
1. Jesus first coming and His return
No matter what humans do, Jesus was to come on the world and He is to return. There is no question or debating if this will happen or no. It will happen.
I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)
Jesus is the stone cut without hand has seen in Nebuchadnezzar dream.
Dan 2:34: Thou saw till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
2. Book of Revelation
The book of Revelation is an unconditional prophecy book. The book’s prophecy will be fulfilled to the dot and coma not matter what humans does.
3. Ezekiel’s Russia prophecy
Ezekiel prophecy on Russia coming down to Israel for war seen in Ezekiel 38, 39 is unconditional. No matter what humans do, Russia in company of other nations is coming down to Israel soon.
4. Armageddon battle
Armageddon battle is an unconditional prophecy and it will happen as prophesied no matter what. See Armageddon battle full picture.
These are just few examples of so many unconditional prophecies in the Bible.
NB: A prophet is not judged by whether what s/he prophesies happens or not since we have 2 types of prophesies; conditional and unconditional prophecy.
Before you judge a prophet, define his/her type of prophecy.
We will learn how to know a true God prophet.
God bless you
