Pat Robertson’s Failed Predictions

by Heath Rogers

You may remember that in January of last year, we ran an article citing some predictions that Pat Robertson had made for 2007. The following is an excerpt from a news story by Steven G. Vegh, published January 3, 2007:

Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson cited communication with God in predicting Tuesday that horrific terrorism aimed at the United States will result in "mass killing" during the second half of 2007. "The Lord didn’t say nuclear, but I do believe it’ll be something like that - that’ll be a mass killing, possibly millions of people, major cities injured," Robertson said.

"There will be some very serious terrorist attacks," he added. "The evil people will come after this country, and there’s a possibility - not a possibility, a definite certainty - that chaos is going to rule." Robertson did not say where the terrorism would occur.

Robertson made his predictions during "The 700 Club" television show that he hosts from the Christian Broadcasting Network’s studio in Virginia Beach.

Predicting events for the coming year is an annual tradition for Robertson, who customarily spends the last days of each year in prayer. The prayer retreats yield "what I feel, or I feel the Lord is saying, is going to happen," he said Tuesday. "I put these things out with humility."

What does the Bible say that we should do with someone like Robertson who claims to make predictions in the Lord’s name? This situation is addressed in Deuteronomy 18:20-22. "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ - when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."

Let’s apply the instruction found in this passage to the situation before us. Robertson has claimed that the Lord has revealed these things to him, that is, he claims to be speaking in the name of the Lord. Robertson said that there would be "mass killings," and that "major cities" in the United States would be injured in the second half of 2007. He said that it was "a definite certainty" that chaos was going to rule. Well, 2007 has come and gone. Where were the mass killings in the US? What major cities were injured? Where is the chaos?

According to the Bible, Pat Robertson is a false prophet. He is not to be listened to in anything. Robertson may try to worm his way out of this conclusion by offering some excuse, but God-fearing, Bible-believing Christians know what to do with him. We also know what to do with others who make similar claims.

We don’t need to know what events are going to take place in the world during the coming year. The Lord teaches us to "watch" and "be ready" (Matthew 24:42-44; I Thessalonians 5:1-11). Are you ready?