The prophet's dictionary guide to the supernatural

this remark, if His words were more targeted at the forces of darkness who knew who He really was more than they were meant for Pilate who probably had no clue as to what was happening. In any event, the Lord stressed that all that took place in His life was according to a plan that could not be reversed. Our mishaps, apparent mistakes, and errors in judgment and choice are all accounted for by God in His creation calendar and nothing occurs apart from the divine schedule of events He recorded in eternity. The prophet Isaiah, among others, grasped and poignantly conveyed this truth for us. He emphasized God’s predictions, and apocalyptic and prophetic revelations repeatedly in his writings. God calls the end of a thing from the beginning. He calls the generations by name. Every star He ever created has a name that He knows, and not one of them is missing, the prophet said. God declared from ancient times what would be and withheld some information until the last minute to keep the devious from saying it in advance and taking credit for the occurrence. The prophet Isaiah made similar statements in his prophecy to let us know the Lord’s secret workings behind the scenes and outside of time. See Isaiah. 401. Diviner’s Fee—Money or valuables given to a fortune-teller or diviner (false prophet so named) to utter predictions by way of invisible spirits in their locale disregarding the Creator’s designs, plans, or actions in and upon a life. The fee is rendered as payment for predictions and other intervening spiritual activity (Numbers 22:5–7). Balaam, the prophet hired to curse Israel by Balak king of Moab, was driven to do so because of the diviner’s fee the king offered. The Lord God prohibited His prophets from charging fees for their services above that which they earned as staff of temples or palaces. However, it was standard practice for persons wanting to engage a prophet’s service to bring gifts of various sorts as offerings in return. In ancient times, before Christ’s triumph, these fees courted real power, as Balaam was credited with the ability of wielding in Numbers 22:6. He was said to have the power to release or overturn fortunes for which he enjoyed considerable remuneration and renown. The practice stemmed from recognition of the prophet’s ability and authority with the petitioned god. As advance reciprocation for what the prophet’s reputation already demonstrated that he or she could retrieve or manifest from the supernatural on their behalf—fortune or disaster—different gifts were legitimately offered. Cases of the practice include the prophet Elijah’s reward from the Shunamite woman, a furnished apartment, food, and hospitality just because he was a prophet. When Naaman the leper came to be healed, he was