What are conditional prophecies? These are prophetic codes with a conditional clause in them. That is the use of the article if in prophecy or “unless” in a prophetic sentence.
What this simply means is that we have a critical role to play in the fulfillment of the prophecy. We are partakers of the prophecy.
A famous conditional based scripture is that in II Chronicles 7:14
“if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14, ESV
Other prophecies are definite, that is they must happen no matter what comes. For example, the prophecy about the birth of Jesus, the second coming, rapture, etc.
Most of the Biblical prophecies are condition-based. Meaning the people have a key role to play and their response greatly determines the outcome of the prophecy. Therefore, the outcome of such prophecies is a function of our response to God’s divine word.
Examples of conditional prophecies
1. The judgment of Nineveh (Jonah 1:2).
Jonah was a prophet and God instructed him to go and proclaim His judgment against Nineveh. However, he was reluctant and tried to take a different route heading to Tarshish. The reason he was reluctant to go to this land was that Nineveh was the city of the Assyrians, who in the past had taken Israel captive and persecuted them greatly. [II Kings 17:1-6].
The Assyrians are said to have been the mastermind behind the development of the crucifixion method of torture. They were skilled human butcherers as they could skin you alive. Johan hesitated since these people were the enemies of the Jewish people. He felt the same way you would feel when God asks you to minister to your enemy who troubles you.
1. When he proclaimed God’s divine judgment the people of Nineveh repented and turned away from their wicked ways. The people repented and God spared them from His fury.
2. This prophetic judgment was conditional since its outcome was based on the people’s response to the word of God and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. They humbled themselves and wore sack clothes and ashes on their heads.
The reason I am saying the prophecies were conditional is that their outcome was greatly determined by the hearer’s response to the prophetic code. Our response to God’s Will and word.
Related: Sex dreams interpretation.
2. The judgment of Judah in the time of prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was called to prophesy to a dying nation. After forty years of prophecy, the people of Israel were taken captive by the Babylonians due to their rebellion against God’s divine word. They become presumptions and ignored the true prophecies from Jeremiah the servant of God. Instead, they followed after false gods and worshipped them, and in addition to that their false prophets mislead them astray. Never did they seek after the truth. Rather they loved lies and their false prophets did a great job in doing so. They prophesied out of their dark mind and mislead the entire nation.
God pleaded with them for forty years yet not even a single person listened. They hardened their hearts because that is what sin does to a person. Sin brings dryness, drought to our soul and our heart wither and turn away from God in totality. They rejected the plowing of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
Please read Jeremiah 4:1-4 and Jeremiah 7:5-7.
“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever." Jeremiah 7:5-7, ESV
Judah’s rebellion
Jeremiah was instructed to prophesy to Judah so that she may repent of her wickedness lest God lifts His edge of protection from her and allow her to be taken captive by the enemy from the north. [Referring to Babylon]. Nevertheless, they did not respond but chose to harden their hearts.
The second time he prophesied to Zedekiah the king and the people, that they should serve the king of Babylon. By doing so they may live, nevertheless, they also ignored the divine instruction of God. (Jeremiah 27:8-13)
“‘“But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’” To Zedekiah king of Judah, I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?” Jeremiah 27:8-13, ESV
