– Written January 3, 2022 –
Dearest Rachel –
I mentioned early on this year that I couldn’t explain Daniel’s beliefs in my letters to you. Much of that is because I didn’t understand them; the rest is because I couldn’t find it in myself to believe them. It bothers me that there are people calling themselves ‘prophets’ in this day and age, whose prophecies turn out to be rubbish, and yet they double down on them, hoping their listeners will forget what they claimed would happen and didn’t. I don’t even have to name the folks that Daniel listens to; the mere historical existence of the likes of Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russel, Mary Baker Eddy, Sun Myung Moon and so forth should be enough to raise caution about the current generation of folks claiming to have a revelation from God.
It’s bad enough that the original book of Revelations issued curses to those who dared to mess with scripture:
I ·warn [testify to] everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this ·book [scroll]: If anyone adds anything to these words, God will add to that person the ·disasters [plagues] written about in this ·book [scroll]. And if anyone takes away from the words of this ·book [scroll] of prophecy, God will take away that one’s ·share [part] of the tree of life and of the holy city, which are written about in this ·book [scroll; Deut. 4:2; 12:32].
Revelation 22:18,19, Expanded Bible
But it doesn’t seem to stop people from doing it, all the same. It was less than two years ago that you burst into the booth I was working in one Sunday morning, convinced (thanks to Daniel) that the pope had been arrested. I actually went and looked up the story, only to find out that it was a rumor that had been circulating for some time, and was not really a thing at all. I warned both of you to be careful with stuff like that, as any story that was nearly too wild to be true probably was just that, and should not be trusted. I wish I could say where Daniel is now on that, but as I’m writing that, I hardly feel comfortable doing so.
So, after a long discussion this morning about some of the things he believes will happen – or at least, has been told will happen – in 2022, I felt it best to write some of them down, so as to look at them at the end of the year, and ask him what went wrong.
Of course, he looked at me with a smile and responded, “And what if I’m right?”
I acknowledged that I would give him credit if it came to that; I’d already admitted that I would never have anticipated Andrew Cuomo’s resignation or Terry McAuliffe’s defeat in 2021. But the things he says are going to happen in 2022 (apart from the imminent takeover of Congress by the Republican party) absolutely beggar belief.
Just so I don’t mess with these alleged ‘prophecies,’ I’m writing them down now, to be looked at only at the turn of the year. How did they come out, honey? Who needs to apologize to whom?
Oh, and there’s this to add, on the eve of the new year, when this is about to be posted: the Republicans barely captured the House, and actually lost a seat in the Senate. I really don’t know why he insists on believing these things he’s told. Will he give up on these people? I guess we’ll just have to check in this time next year, but I rather doubt it, just like I doubted most of the things he thought would happen.
Keep an eye on us, honey, and wish us luck; we’re going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 