News organizations--including the Christian Post, Charisma News, and the International Business Times--reported that a prophecy about the Philippines given by prophet Cindy Jacobs has gone viral since Typhoon Haiyan--with commenters debating whether Jacobs' prophecy was fulfilled by the devastating typhoon.See the video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDAxt27YHN8Jacobs--a leading prophet in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement--delivered her prophecy about the Philippines in 2009 on Pat Robertson's "700 Club" television program. Here is an excerpt:

"I want you to pray. The next two years, the Lord is showing me, are going to be extremely significant for the Philippines. Either you're going to go into greatness, it's going to be that transformed nation, or, I see that there's going to be some troubled times."

And Next Media Animation, a Taiwanese news company known for its portrayal of Tiger Woods' public fallout with his wife in 2009, created a spoof video, mocking Jacob's extremely vague prophecy about the Philippines. See the video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zayTeQMKhi4&feature=youtu.beFirst, I want to point out that Jacobs--to my knowledge--has not claimed the recent typhoon was a fulfillment of her prediction--though many of her followers, apparently, believe it was.Nevertheless, Next Media Animation was right to point out that Jacob's prophecy is absolutely ridiculous.Consider how her prophecy measures up with a real prophecy recorded in the Bible.The Prophet Elisha vs. Cindy JacobsLet's start with a prophecy given by the prophet Elisha. As you read it, notice how detailed and specific it is.

But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: thus says the Lord, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel,and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” ( 2 Kings 7:1-2).

At the time Elisha gave this prophecy, the city of Samaria was under siege and, as a result, there was a great famine. But Elisha prophesied that the city would experience an overnight economic recovery.

Notice three things about Elisha's prophecy.

• Elisha gave a definite timeline for its fulfillment--and it was a small window. He said his prophecy would be fulfilled the very next day.
• Elisha's prediction was about a very unlikely circumstance--that is, that Samaria would experience an economic recovery in one day. In fact, his prediction was about events that were so unlikely to occur that the king's captain did not believe they could happen.
• Elisha gave concrete criteria for his prophecy's fulfillment. That is, he didn't just say that the famine would end. He also predicted the exact prices that flour and barley would be sold for, and the fact that the captain would not "eat of it."

And all happened just as Elisha predicted, including even the detail that the king's captain would not benefit from the end of the famine. The captain was trampled to death at the gate of Samaria where people were buying flour and barley for the exact prices Elisha said they would be sold for (2 Kings 7:16-20).In contrast to Elisha's prophecy, notice three things about Jacob's prophecy.

• Jacobs gave a wide, two-year time frame for her prophecy's fulfillment. (The typhoon didn't occur within that two-year time frame.)
• Jacob's prediction was not about events that were unlikely to occur since it was so vague that virtually any event could be said to be a fulfillment of her prediction. She pretty much covered the entire gamut of what could happen in any nation--from A to Z--all the way from experiencing "greatness" to experiencing "some troubled times."
• Jacobs gave no concrete criteria for her prophecy's fulfillment.

Obviously, there is a sharp contrast between Elisha's and Jacob's prophecies.In light of the contrast, I believe the Taiwanese video makers said it best in the introductory notes to their video posted on YouTube:

Granted, the tragic events surrounding the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan, which has left more than 2200 people dead, have understandably prompted some serious soul-searching, but folks should be turning to more trustworthy outlets than a false prophet like Cindy Jacobs.

To this, I say a hearty, "Amen."(See my article about the vague prophecies regularly given by NAR leaders, titled Fortune Cookie Prophecies)-- Holly Pivec