If Prophecy Is Imperfect, Especially With Dates, It's Still Strange And Fascinating 

Often it seems like events flow from region to region. There is the stem-cell issue in Missouri and then that state is pummeled by consecutive ice storms; or there is the beating that California has sustained, weather-wise -- after that intense wildfire season. There have been the onslaughts from Texas and Florida to the state of Washington.

We always tabulate such things because while we don't think every storm is a sign of the apocalypse, neither do we believe that God plays with dice.

There are seasons and times and then there are strange seasons; for these do we watch. There are always storms but few could deny that what we have witnessed since 1990 has been unusual (for those with eyes to see). "These chastisements will differ according to regions, and like the great evil, will not always or usually be immediately noticeable for what they are," said an anonymous but as it turns out (thus far) highly accurate  locution that was in fact given during 1990.

The news of late causes us to reflect, among other places, upon the "region" of South America and a prophecy from the late mystic Maria Esperanza of Caracas, Venezuela, who, asked about future events, once said that she expected major events to occur around 2015, give or take ten years.

It was just her own guesstimate. It was not a prophecy, per se. What may have been a prophecy was a firmer comment she made years before.

"It will begin here," she said, referring, it seemed, to her homeland.

The context was unclear -- she had additional prophecies pertaining to other regions of the world, including the U.S. -- but one wonders if Maria, who died in 2004 and was highly regarded by bishops, was referring to politics, for Venezuela, a huge producer of oil, and formerly a strong friend of the U.S., is heading in the direction of Communism -- openly expressing hostility to the United States and forming a brotherhood with countries such as North Korea and Iran.

This could spell huge future trouble (a super-Cuba) and during one recent speech, President Hugo Chavez -- upon election to a third term, and taking his oath -- referenced Jesus when he said, “I swear by Christ – the greatest socialist in history.”

"Those of you who want to know what type of socialism I have planned for Venezuela should read Marx and Lenin," he added. And just a bit more than a week ago he paid a personal visit to Castro, who is ailing.

Is Chavez simply the new Castro -- or might it be something bigger; might the entire "region" head in a similar direction?

It is not new for there to be leftists in Latin America, but let us recall that in the 1990 "prophecy" was a cryptic sentence which in discussing the rise of great evil in the world said: "Yet know too that God's Hand will be evident in South America." What was meant by that? Does South America -- so often ignored -- have a major role to play in upcoming events -- and if so, positively or negatively?

Pope Benedict plans an extraordinary meeting with all the South American bishops during an upcoming trip to Brazil -- accenting his concern for this region -- while on the prophetic level signs have abounded there and throughout Latin America.

Here we come to the issue of dates, and the dangers attached to any such prognostications (which can tend to the occult, along with simple error). In Mexico is an old Mayan "indication" that something may happen in the year 2012. That's claimed because 2012 is when it is calculated that the ancient Mayan calendar stops, and around this time the eclipse of the solar system will be passing through the equator of the Milky Way in a way that some believe will cause the exertion of special gravitational forces (on December 21, 2012, at 11:11 Universal Time, if you want to be really precise).

It is vastly dangerous to toss dates around, even general years. Yet it is also accurate to report that the year 2012 keeps popping up in a curious fashion. Some of it outlandish and in other cases simply bold speculation (such as a report in India Daily that polar magnetism is reversing and will intensify until 2012).

That year has been mentioned as far as a major climate change report and also politics (an American election, perhaps more crucial than normal, will be that year).

"If history is a guide, these earthquakes and volcanoes will continue to increase till 2012," said the report on seismology.

To make it all the more peculiar, one woman named Cassandra Musgrove who had a so-called near-death experience supposedly glimpsed future events and told a major medical researcher: "From 1992 to 2012, great natural disasters will happen, such as earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, and weather changes. Earthquakes will strike the eastern coast of the U.S. There will be three days of darkness from the explosion of volcanoes. Ultimately, these natural disasters will stop. Humanity will always have the Light.”

The year was also supposed to be alluded to in the new Mel Gibson movie, Apocalypto -- based in Mexico (if so, it has garnered little mention). There is even a new book that claims the safe spot in 2012 will be -- Cincinnati!

And we are not through with celebrities -- or alleged prophecies -- yet.

"If this scene is around in 2012," John Lennon of the Beatles once said (in 1968), "the masses will be where I am today and I should be as groovy as Jesus by then."

Is the point where he was (speaking both symbolically and spiritually) in the 1960s? Are we indeed far closer to his way of life, to his philosophies, to the rebellion, to the way he thought? (Let's also remember the message of love as what we need.)

Oh, the questions it raises. One is not so sure it is the kind of prophecy (and speculation) that bolsters the Church. One is not sure it carries meaning. Scripture tells us to take only what is good from prophetic utterance, and also that all prophecy is imperfect [Corinthians 13:9].

But it is fascinating stuff, some of it -- and it shoos away the doldrums of winter. Are major events coming? Yes. But what we should know is that when we expect something of such a nature it rarely occurs when we anticipate it, nor in the way we expect.