Is being crazy the mark of a true prophet?That's what Kim Clement -- one of today's so-called prophets -- would have you think. When he and his fellow "prophets" come under fire for their bizarre prophecies, they defend themselves by saying that the Bible prophets were also viewed as crazy.In his book Call Me Crazy But I'm Hearing God, Clement says:

You may call me crazy, my own family and friends may call me crazy, and I may even call myself crazy at times. ... It's all crazy; hearing from God has been crazy for thousands of years.

Those 'Crazy' Bible Prophets

He's got a point: the Old Testament prophets did some unusual things. Just look at Ezekiel. Lying on one's side for 390 days, as he did, is definitely odd. And don't forget Isaiah who prophesied naked.That's weird.But just because the Bible prophets did some crazy things doesn't mean that all crazy people are prophets. Said another way: All apples are fruits, but not all fruits are apples.Yet -- taking inspiration from the strange behaviors of these Bible prophets -- Clement wears his wackiness as a badge of honor. In his book, he says that many people who are honored today were once viewed as "off their rocker" because they attempted seemingly impossible feats -- people like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Joan of Arc. He, apparently, includes himself among this distinguished crowd of "crazy" people.But now let's think about a different type of "crazies" -- people who are are truly off kilter -- like Octomom, the late Wacko Jacko, and the parents of the "Balloon Boy." These people are crazy, too.So, what's the difference between prophets who do crazy things and run-of-the-mill crazy people?The difference is in their message. Throughout the Bible, we see real prophets making predictions that are specific, come true and are consistent with other Scripture. Run-of-the-mill crazy people who pose as prophets, on the other hand, give prophecies that are vague, don't come true and contradict Scripture. Let's look at a few examples of truly crazy prophecies from Clement.The 'Big E' An example of a vague prediction is his well-known "Big E" prophecy. For a number of years, Clement has prophesied that a new form of energy is about to be discovered, which he calls the "Big E." He claims it will end America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Back on May 22, 2005, he told a church in Whittier, California:

"But He [God] tells me there's something other than petroleum or gas or whatever you call it, oil, that's coming forth that's going to be used. 'Invest in it for it will bring some of you millions of dollars within a 14 month period' says the Lord. It begins with an 'e'" ... (Read the full prophecy here.)

This prophecy is so nebulous that the "Big E" could refer to almost anything and everything that starts with the letter E. Indeed, his followers have interpreted it numerous different ways, as you can see from a discussion of his prophecy here. The kicker is that some of them -- based solely on Clement's vague prophecy -- have invested money into companies that are experimenting with new energy forms that start with the letter E.Five years have passed since that "Big E" prophecy was given and his followers are still waiting for the new energy to materialize. Earlier this month, Clement gave another prophecy about it. See it here.Bin Laden, Aborted Babies and Other Bizarre PropheciesAn example of an inaccurate prediction is Clement's infamous prophecy about Osama Bin Laden. In short, he prophesied that Bin Laden would be captured within a specific number of days. Yet, when it didn't happen by that date, he offered a series of ridiculous explanations to hide his mistake. To learn more about his attempted cover up, check out the link here.An example of a prophecy that contradicts Scripture was given on the same night as his "Big E" prophecy in Whittier, California. Clement claimed God told him that babies who had been aborted would get a second chance at life -- they would be reborn in the wombs of other women. See it here. Yet the Bible teaches that it is appointed for people to die just once (Hebrews 9:27).The bottom line: crazy does not necessarily equal prophet. Sometimes it just equals crazy.