The conflicting prophesies in modern times do cause ridicule.

I try, when looking at these prophesies, to "know them by their
fruits".  The prophetic preacher you mention who believes in the coming
of U.S. prosperity far into the decades ahead--this person, to my way
of thinking, has associated himself with the "prosperity" cult which
has bad fruit.  The prosperity cult encourages people to pray and trust
almost blindly in prosperity for themselves and for America (not to
speak of other lands);  they are like the "dominion now" people who say
mankind must create his own dominion over the earth before Jesus will
come to rule.  They do not take into account that America may be judged
for sin.  Some of these people are less harmful than others, if they do
qualify their "prophecies" to say that only if we repent, like Ninevah,
will prosperity come--it is not inevitable, covenanted by God to come
whatever we do.

I believe that while we are told to "stand" and hold fast until He
comes, and be good stewards, we were never told the "rule" before He
comes.  After He comes, we will be His assistants in ruling, during the
Millenium, but by then we will have had lots of practice in letting Him
be "Alpha" as well as "Omega" Man.

So I always reject the modern day prophetic preachers who give this
word.  Some of the ones I can think of by name are doing real harm by
seducing not only individuals but large Christian organizations such as
TBN (TBN is not entirely give to this false idea, but it has an element
of this, sometimes more flagrant than at other times).  My husband and
I tried following the concepts of these preachers and it brought us
harm, as it has done to many others--BAD FRUIT.

As for the others who take the other view, that we are waiting for the
coming of Messiah soon, we have all seen that this COULD be misleading.
  Some of us have given specific times for Messiah's coming, but usually
these are given as personal dreams and visions which may or may not be
"IT".  They are usually given as strong possibilities rather than
prophesy.  Very few of those who give these visions call them
prophetic.  I can think at this time only of Shelby Corbitt as stating
categorically that the warm weather season of 2007 will bring the
Rapture.

I know there was a "prophecy"? by Hal Lindsay, subscribed to by Calvary
Chapel preachers, that the Rapture would come in l988.  As I was not
yet a Bible prophecy reader at that time, and indeed had not begun my
serious Bible study with Chuck Missler and his friends, I do not know
if Hal gave this as a "prophesy" or as a strong possibility.
I know that Hal now does NOT give such dates.  Perhaps he learned
something?  Or perhaps he never gave the date l988 as a "prophecy"
which must come true.

Studying with Missler, I was impressed that he backed up all
possibilities with Bible quotations, and compared the passages with
others in the Bible, to give his strong ideas of possibilities, but
never claiming to be a prophet.  Missler, incidentally, has stated that
Pentecost and Tabernacles met the criteria of feasts on which the
Rapture might occur.  "Might", not "would".  Pentecost because it is
the feast on which the Church was born, and Enoch, raptured on his
birthday, is a type of the Church.  Tabernacles because it is the
celebration of coming out of the wilderness into a fruitful home,
brought about by God's action after a generation long heightening of
testing; the Church is "brought out" by an action of God, initiated by
God, after a time of testing.

These are some thoughts I have on your query, Sandy.  Very good query!

Mariel