I am answering the question “are Hildegard of Bingens visions really from God” for a college class. I’m going through her writings to test it all against scripture. Deuteronomy 18: 22 says “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 presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him”. My question is, how are we to determine if it did not come true or just has not happened yet? Also with what amount of scrutiny are we to test what they say against scripture? For example, in one place Hildegard says “after the birth of anti christ, heretics will preach their doctrines undisturbed, resulting in Christians having doubts against their Holy Catholic faith”. The Catholic religion, and what they practice is not truly biblical, therefor would that make this prophecy unbiblical?
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It Is A True Prophets If They Follow The Commandments Of God," To The Law And To The Testimony! If They Do Not Speak According To This Word, It Is Because There Is No Light In Them.- Isa. 8:20,NKJV. Look At The Catholic Church, Why They Call The Believers Heretics, The Second Commandment Of God- Do Not Bow Down To The Graven Images; The Fourth Commandment- Remember The Sabbath Day To Keep It Holy, The Seventh Day Is The Sabbath Of The Lord Thy God. But They Follow The First Day Of The Week. The Seventh Day Is The Seal Of That We Worship God As Our Creator. Then They Teach About Anti Christ, They Didnt Know That They Use The Name Of Christ But They Worship The Wrong Christ, God. We Must Seek The Truth First. So That We May Share And Serve The True God.
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It is unfortunate that some people will simple go in for a “anti-Catholic” tirade, but Hildegard has to be first seen as a woman of her time period, being 12th Century. She was born about 50 years after the Great Schism, and well before the reformation.
I am not up on the specifics of her visions however many of her visions are veiled criticisms of the church of her time, particularly its theology and philosophical underpinnings. In this regard, a prophet is one who speaks “God’s Truth to society and the church of the time”, not merely foretelling the future. In fact, “foretelling” is really a minor aspect of the office of prophet….it is always in the context of “speaking truth”. A prophet in that context comes from within, but stands outside the institution.
When I have studied the mystics, I have attempted to look past the surface of their religion because they are more concerned with experience and relationship with the Divine than with dogma and rules.
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simple, their predictions either do or do not come true
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