As someone who ministers in Pangasinan, it is unavoidable for me to be asked about Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj's prophecies. His video clips went viral over social media because it is claimed that he correctly predicted Typhoon Yolanda in April, 2013, six months before it hit Samar and Leyte. While he mentioned several places in his talk, the people closest to me are most disturbed by his prophecy concerning our beloved province. He proclaimed:
“The Lord says there is a place called PANGASINAN. The Lord says it is in the northernmost part in your land. From there a grievous disease will spread all over the world. That will consume the flesh of men; all their upper (outer) skin will begin to decay. It will pierce through the bones. The fear of this disease will spread all over the world. The Lord said that this (disease) will begin from the Philippines.”
These are really horrifying words especially to the less equipped Christians. How should we then respond?
According to the Holy Scriptures, the way to test the authenticity of a prophet and his prophecy is to wait and see if the prophecy takes place:
"You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken." Deuteronomy 18:21-22b (NIV)
But in this case, we don't have to wait. Since this is not Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj's first time to prophesy, what we can do is to test the validity of his claim to be a prophet by examining his track record. My judgment is that he is a false prophet for two recent blemishes on his credentials.
1. THE "WAR ON ISRAEL" FAILED PROPHECY
Sundar was one of the group of prophets who prophesied that there will be a devastating war by the Arab nations against Israel beginning in December of 2012. He said Israel was under God's protection since 1967, but this time God will no longer fight in their behalf. He included some details in his prophecy like:
- a ten-story building exploding and crumbling with dust and smoke
- a missile falling on a high-rise hotel
- warplanes flying all over the sky
- dead bodies lying on the streets everywhere
- having no allies, the Prime Minister will give way half of the city
He then urged Christians to move to Israel "without delay" and stay in the land "because the prayers of the righteous are needed". Yet even Sundar does not seem to believe his prophecy because he stayed in India in December of 2012. See Hannah Weiss report HERE.
2. THE "CHURCH IN NEW ERA" FAILED PROPHECY
He predicted that in October 8, 2011 (coinciding with the Yom Kippur), "the church will enter into a new season, a new era, like she has never seen in the entire church history." This new era will be marked by the following things:
a. There will be a new level of the demonstration of signs and wonders in the church.
Every Christian, not just pastors will be a miracle worker. The signs and wonders that will be experienced by the church will be at an unprecedented level. Yes, you will find no precedent not even in the Bible. Unbelievers who come in the atmosphere of the churches will drop and fall on their knees and cry out to be saved -- even without the preaching of the word.
b. The church will take on a new identity, from an unholy church to a holy church; from an unbelieving church to a believing church.
c. There’ll be a great increase in revelational knowledge of God and the things of God. The mysteries of God will be known to the world.
d. There’ll be a great harvest of souls.
In contrast to the small harvest in the church's evangelistic efforts, there will be a large harvest starting Oct. 8, 2011. People will go and come out seeking where the church is. Angels will appear to people in visions and dreams. These angels will specifically name the church and the pastor they should seek and instruct them: If you go to that church, and if you ask the pastor (specifically named) to pray, you will be healed.”
e. The spiritual realm will become very, very visible to the believers.
Seeing God face to face will no longer be exclusive to the likes of Moses and Enoch. Every single believer will experience this.
f. A prophetic company will rise up from the church.
f. A prophetic company will rise up from the church.
Everyone in church including newly born infants will prophesy. Sundar explains further:
Which means, every pastor will become a prophetic pastor. Every evangelist will become a prophetic evangelist. Every apostle will become a prophetic apostle. Every teacher will become a prophetic teacher, every minister of God will become a prophetic minister of God. Every person that is named of Christ will no more be an ordinary believer but you will be a prophetic person. You will see visions, you will prophesy, you will dream dreams and God will use you prophetically to set the captive free. This is what God is going to do in the new season.See also Abugian's " Ten Convincing Proofs That Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj is Truly a Prophet (NOT!)" . For those who prefer examining primary sources, read the transcript of Sundar's talk HERE.
What is being sensationalized in the social media is the supposed fulfilled vague prophecy about the typhoon in Samar and Leyte. Yet our country is ranked by the World Risk Report as the third most dangerous place to live in in 2012 for the many dangers we face all-year round. In fact, If I will claim to be a prophet, name provinces which are known typhoon gateways and predict a calamity, there is a good probability that my "prophecy" will be fulfilled. What is not being discussed in the social media are the serious blemishes in Sundar's track record as a prophet.
Claiming to be a prophet when you are not is a very serious matter. The Law given to Moses prescribes capital punishment for any false prophet:
"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." (Deuteronomy 18:20)
So my fellow Pangasinenses, should we fear Sundar's skin disease prophecy? In the light of our examination of his recent track record, we can conclude that Sundar is a false prophet. And if he is indeed a false prophet, this is what the Bible tells us: "Do not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22c)
