El Libro de las Profecías by Christopher Columbus

We have talked before about how some important figures in history have become obsessed with prophecies such as Isaac Newton, but here we will take at another famous personality from history that was obsessed with prophecies, Christopher Columbus.

Between 1501 and 1502 he compiled a book with the help of his friend Gaspar Gorricio, the book was simply called El Libro do las Profecias, or translated to english> Book of prophecies.  The book lists a number of things that he saw as being on a 'to do' list to bring about the return of Christ.  In fact one of his voyages aims across the Atlantic was to gain gold for the monarchy to fund a crusade to Jerusalem!  The events he saw as needing to completed are as follows
1. Christianity must spread around the world
2. The Garden of Eden must be found (of which he believed he discovered it in Venezuela)
3. A crusade to take back Jerusalem from the Muslims
4. A last world leader should be chosen

These beliefs were common place during medieval times and it is clear that Columbus was influenced by the writings of Joachim of Fiore.  But some saw Columbus' obsession as a sign of madness, and refused to listen to his rants about attempting to fulfill prophecies.

It is possible to buy translations of his book, though currently they are out of print, you may still find second-hand copies online at Amazon for around $90.

Isaiah (est. 740-681 BC)

Victims beheaded during Egypt's civil war

Isaiah, son of Amoz and he was given a message about Judah and Jerusalem, that they should turn from their wicked ways or face destruction.  Isaiah is told about Immanuel who will be born in the line of David and will be born of a virgin, and is also told about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Isaiah says that he trusts the Lord, despite knowing that God is no longer pleased with Israel.

The philistines and arameans attacked Israel but even still people did not turn from their wickedness, the the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh turned against each other but then joined forces to attack Judah.  So God says that the Assyrians will attack Jerusalem and Mount Zion, but Isaiah is told to tell the people that once they trust in God then he will punish Assyria for their crimes, even destroying the forests of Lebanon.

The destruction of various places are foretold such as Babylon, Moab, Zoar, Damascus, Ethiopia, Tyre, Canaan, Sidon, and even the destruction of the world.  A civil war in Egypt is foretold, later an angel kills 185000 Assyrian soldiers who were on their way to destroy Jerusalem and it is declared that "None who are evil will live in peace."

Ezekiel (est 595 - 571 B.C.)

Ezekiel, the son of Buzi,in the place of the Chaldeans.  Ezekiel was a priest who saw a 'whirlwind of fire' and from it came all manner of things, things with wheels and things with wheels, he is told by God to go to the children of Israel, and he is given a book containing sadness and grief and woe, and yet he has to eat the roll in order for him to deliver its words, told to tell them whether they listen or not.

He travels first to Telabib to the captives there where he declares that wickedness creates iniquity, once done the iniquity cannot be changed but the soul can be saved (Eze 3:18 & 19)

He walked and talked with God and Ezekiel himself is used to represent the Jewish nation, told about a siege on Jerusalem and how the people were divided into three, one part destroyed, one part killed by a plague and the last part scattered.

"Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none" (Eze 7:25)

Then he met with the elders of Judah, and he had another vision, in a vision he foresees the destruction of the wicked people in Jerusalem, that captives will be taken to Babylonia, and he sees the throne of God and his four angels, as Ezekiel begs for lives of the people, God promises him that the people to scattered will return and live in Israel once again.  He is told to condemn the false prophets who speak falsehoods, they know that they make it up yet they believe in what they say.

In Ezekiel 18, it talks about people charging high interest rates are evil, we are instructed to "start thinking pure thoughts" and to "stop sinning and live".  Ezekiel is told to pass on messages in cryptic parables, he even admits that "I confuse them with my messages"

Not only will Babylonains come to attack but also armies from Assyria, Chaldean tribes of Pekod, Shoa and Koa, Ezekiel's wife dies and God tells him not to mourn as a sign for what punishment that is coming for the rest of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel is also told to give other messages; to condemn the people of Ammon, Moab, Edom the Philistines, Egyptians and Ethiopians, and the cities of Tyre Sidon Thebes, and to condemn the King of Tyre and the King of Egypt.  Daniel is mentioned as a source of knowledge (Eze 28:3) as well as the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.  Ezekiel is told that if he refuses to pass on God's message then he becomes responsible for their fate (Eze 33:8) God promises Ezekiel that he will rebuild the nation of Israel.

On another occasion God takes Ezekiel to the valley of bones where he raises bones up out of the ground to have muscles and skin to make an army and he tells Ezekiel to breath life into them.

Then Ezekiel is told to condemn Gog the ruler of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog, as they with their allies from southern Spain will attack Israel, yet the army will be put to death (this a prelude to the revelations prophecy?), the army will be buried east of the Dead Sea.

Next Ezekiel is given the measurements to re-build the temple, and how to divide up the land between all the tribes and that the trive of Levi shall be the priests.

Old Document review 'The Prophecy of Bishop Bemechobus'

This old document forms part of the Mirabilis liber which is a collection of prophecies and anthologies that was published in 1522.  This part, written by a Syrian bishop forms one complete prophecy based solely upon a biblical background.

The prophecy tells of a war started by 'the arms of the south' that will cause much devastation to Northern Africa and much of Europe, and that this will be a religious war where Christians will be subject to many horrors.  Next the Christians fight back and win back their homelands and 'Peace and tranquility shall be reborn on earth' where the age that people live to shall increase drawing near to the amounts of years which Noah lived.  

Then another war, an army from the North with so many men that they are referred to as a plague that devour anything from snakes to humans and they shall capture Greece and much of the middle-east and they will rule of Jerusalem for seven years, then the Antichrist will appear and show many miracles to the world.  Then the two witnesses(Elias and Enoch) will come and attack the Antichrist, and then follows this is the return of Christ.

To read more about the other prophecies in Mirabilis liber CLICK HERE

Prophet Daniel (est 605-530BC)

The story of the prophet called Daniel which means “God is (my) judge” is told in the Book of Daniel. His overall mission can be said was to show that God was sovereign over the kingdoms of men.

Daniel was a captured Jew living in exile after the siege of Jerusalem, a student of the Babylonian court, and later rose to third in power, looking after much of the kingdom. He was known for his wisdom and for his talent as a dream interpreter, and most famously for surviving a night in the lion’s den.

He was a humble man, knew the importance of eating healthily, trustworthy, not corrupt or negligent, and had knowledge of other prophets including Jeremiah. He had visions during the day and the night; some of which would disturb him or exhaust him or even make him ill. He had the ability to talk with angels. He could make prophecies against people to force the outcome of God’s will (making a king live in the wild, telling a king his days were numbered).

Examples of his prophecies include the rise and fall of four empires (Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome), the prediction of the death of Antichus IV in 164 B.C, the prediction of the coming Messiah and his death and the prediction of Israel’s destruction by Titus in 70 A.D.

Yet his prophecies regarding the end times are equally impressive and were very much studied by prophecy collectors such as Isaac Newton and others. His end-time prophecies include; that a prince called Michael will arise, that those in dust will awake to face their judgement, that there will be a time of great distress on the scale that has never been seen before, yet he also said that more was revealed to him than he was allowed to reveal, the words were ‘sealed up’.

Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202 AD)

Joachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora was born in the village of Celico (Italy), he was son of Mauro and married a girl called Gemma. He was educated at Cosenza and then became a cleric working for the courts before later becoming a notary for an archbishop.

His life changed direction in about 1159 when he left his life behind and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Jerusalem) where it is said that he went through a spiritual conversion, and upon his return home, he became a hermit for many years, wandering and preaching to many people.

His life took another change as he got older, in 1168 he applied himself totally to try and understand the meanings hidden within the Bible, in particular the Book of Revelations and he himself wrote some books, of which copies are rare. He was later made abbot where many people would visit him on their way to the Holy Land including Richard the Lionheart. He was said to be a simple man who was eloquent yet not proud and often wore rags.

In 1184 he was called to Rome to decipher an obscure prophecy found by the pope and afterwards Joachim founded the Abbey of Fiore in Calabria. He has also been put forward as the author of Vaticinia de Summis Pontificibus, the book from which the 'Lost book of Nostradamus' was based upon.

To read about Joachim's prophecy in the Mirabilis liber CLICK HERE

To read about Joachim's interpretations of the Apocalypse CLICK HERE

Agabus (est30-60A.D.)

Agabus came with a group of prophets to Antioch from Jerusalem, as recorded in the Book of Acts, whilst there he predicted a famine which came true only a few years later in 45A.D. where a famine in Jerusalem was so bad that many people died.

It is also recorded that in 58A.D. that Agabus met Paul of Tarsus at Caesarea Maritima and foretold him of his imminent capture and even demonstrated to him what the Jews would do to him if he continued with his journey to Jerusalem. It is also worth while mentioning that Philip the Evangelist also resided in Caesarea Maritima and it is more than likely that the two men knew each other well. This supports the story told by the supporters of Montanus who said that he had learnt prophecy from Quadratus and Ammia who had learnt it from Agabus and Philip. Maybe Caesarea Maritima was the location of these teachings.

Philip the Evangelist (est40-60 A.D.)

Philip was one of the seven deacons that were chosen to care for poor people in Jerusalem, later he preached and performed miracles in Samaria, and converted an Ethiopian man in Gaza. Later in life he is known to have been living in Caesarea Maritima (nowadays near Tel Aviv) with his four daughters who also prophesied.

All the references I could find for Philip and his family originate from the Book of Acts, Book of Ephesians and the Book of Timothy.

Prophet Zechariah (est520-480BC)

Prophet Information:

Zechariah, meaning ‘the Lord remembers’, according to the Book of the Bee he died at a great age and was buried beside Haggai

Mission/Message:

Zechariah’s mission was very similar to Haggai’s mission. Both were concerned with spiritual renewal of the returned exiles as well as the need for the temple to be re-built.

Documentation:

The book of Zechariah is traditionally thought to have been authored by the prophet, although some readers believe that there are stark differences between the first and second half of the book and therefore must have been written by two authors. It is possible that Zechariah had just written each part of the book at different stages of his life.

Occupation:

A priest and a prophet

Best known for:

-The re-building of the temple, continuing the work of Haggai

-A detailed prediction of the Messiah (his personality, the betrayal, the crucifixion)

Attributes of his personality:

When visions are revealed to him he requests more details or an explanation, this might be so that he can analyse the meanings. He was a deep thinker.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’. He had many night visions; the book includes a series of eight visions, in these visions he would see the Lord or angels and be able to talk with them. He also speaks of angels waking him from sleep in order to reveal things to him.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Messiah and detailed descriptions of him

-Apocalyptic prophecies

-The prediction of the siege of Jerusalem

End Times Prophecies:

In chapter 11, the author speaks of a ‘false shepherd’ which some believe to represent a recent church leader as many of the verses of prophecy can be linked to him.

Prophet Malachi (est440-430BC)

Prophet Information:

Malachi, meaning ‘my messenger’, according to the Book of the Bee he was nicknamed 'angel' because of his good looks.  He had two brothers Nathaniel and Josiah.  It is said that he was buried in the Tomb of the Prophets in Israel.

Mission/Message:

Malachi’s mission is more of reassurance and warning for the people of Jerusalem not to give up and that the day of the Lord will come. Malachi also condemned several sins in the same way Nehemiah did when he returned to the city.

Documentation:

There is some doubt over the prophet’s name, as messenger was a general term used to describe priests and prophets; however there is a likelihood that this was his name also. Malachi’s book is the last book of the twelve Minor Prophets (although some claim Joel came later)

Occupation:

A priest and a prophet

Best known for:

-Announcing the Day of the Lord is coming

Attributes of his personality:

Sarcasm features in the book as well as repetition.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’ and that he was an oracle.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Day of the Lord

-The prediction of John the Baptist

End Times Prophecies:

Malachi mentions that God will send the prophet Elijah, which could represent John the Baptist (who was said to be like Elijah) or a reference to the prophets mentioned in the book of revelations. He also mentions how the Day of the Lord will ‘burn like a furnace’ and all evil-doers will be destroyed.

Prophet Joel (est800-400BC?)

Prophet Information:

Joel son of Pethuel, of the tribe of Reuben, according to the Book of the Bee he died in peace in his own land

Mission/Message:

His overall mission was to foretell of punishment upon Israel and all nations, followed by restoration

Documentation:

The book of Joel, is believed to have been either written in the ninth century B.C. or the sixth century B.C., the only importance of the dates is that phrases in his book were used by other prophets, therefore if the early date is true then other prophets certainly read his work, and if the later date, then he had read the works of some of the other prophets

Occupation:

The occupation of Joel is unknown as there is very little mention of him elsewhere (only in the book of Acts) and the non-Biblical legends about him are not convincing, however he was concerned with Judah and Jerusalem so he probably resided in that area

Best known for:

-Not following the general belief that Israel would avoid a day of judgement

Attributes of his personality:

The whole book of Joel is in poetry format in proclamations and prophecies so there is no direct storylines about the man himself, I do not wish to comment on his character based solely upon those words, a more detailed psychoanalysis of the words would be needed.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that “the word of the Lord came to Joel”, which is very similar to the claims of other prophet’s claims of prophetic authority. There is no mention of dreams or visions.

Examples of prophecies:

-Prediction of a massive locust plague, which some point out to represent empires invading but some believe it was just the plague.

-Prediction that the people of Israel will be scattered across all nations but after a war will return and be given a sanctuary which will never be invaded again

End Times Prophecies:

-The sun will turn to darkness

-The moon will turn the colour of blood

-Blood and fire and billows of smoke

Prophet Haggai (est590-520BC)

Prophet Name:

Haggai, means ‘festal’ or 'my holiday', he is said to have been buried in the Tomb of the Prophets on the upper slope of Mount Olives in Jerusalem.

Mission/Message:

Haggai’s mission was to clearly explain the consequences of disobedience. Furthermore, he talks about the promise that a Messiah will come. His mission was to help convince the returned exiles to re-build the temple.

Documentation:

Haggai’s message was given in two parts during the year 520, it is hinted that he witnessed the destruction of Solomon’s Temple which would make him to be aged in his seventies. Other than the book of Haggai, he is also possibly mentioned in the Book of Esther as being a eunuch.

Best known for:

-The re-building of the temple, along with the help of Zechariah, another prophet

Attributes of his personality:

He was in his seventies when he delivered his messages. He uses questions and repetitions to highlight aspects of his prophecies, which shows natural talent to be a teacher.

Supernatural Aspects:

It says that the ‘word of God came to him’ or ‘through’ him.

Examples of prophecies:

-The prediction of the coming Messiah

-The judgement at Christ’s second coming

End Times Prophecies:

In Chapter two of the book it mentions the shaking of heavens, the earth, sea, land and all nations. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ.

Prophet Habakkuk (est640-598BC)

Prophet Information:

Habakkuk, according to the Book of the Bee he was from the land of Zoar and of the tribe of Simeon, also that he brought food to Daniel in the lions den, he was stoned to death by Jews in Jerusalem

Mission/Message:

Habakkuk was different to the other twelve Minor Prophets in that he wrote no oracle addressed directly at Israel, instead his book is like a debate between himself and God. This is supposed to be symbolic of the general feelings felt by those like him at the time.

Documentation:

The book seems like it is just a personal record between a man and God, but it could represent how the godly felt at the time about what was happening around them. The book itself is generally dated to 605 B.C. Habakkuk is also mentioned in the book Bel and the Dragon as being the person who ministered to Daniel whilst in the lions den, but this is not seen as historical. He is also mentioned in Lives of the Prophets, saying that he was born to a Shunamite woman with Elisha's blessing.

Occupation:

Unknown but there are musical notations in the book, which would give rise to the belief that he was knowledgeable in music.

Best known for:

-Prediction of the coming Babylonian invasion

Attributes of his personality:

Strong faith in religious traditions, he wrote with clearness and great feeling, and displays his trust and belief in God

Supernatural Aspects:

The book describes a relationship between the prophet and God, one where Habakkuk complains and gets his answers until finally he is happy and fully understands God’s will and accepts it.

Examples of prophecies:

-The invasion by Babylonians

-The punishment of the Babylonians

End Times Prophecies:

There is some debate about the first section of Chapter two where some believe it is talking about the anti-christ and the end times yet the traditionalists believe that it is merely talking about the fact that, even though the punishment of the Babylonians will come, that they will have to wait for the vision to come true, and they did have to wait 66 years.