True and False Prophets/esses in the Light of Prophets/esses and Wonders in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The question of making a distinction between true and false prophets/esses has been controversial for a long time. This is despite the fact that, prophets/esses in the Ancient Near East (ANE), Israel, Palestine, during Jesus’ time and contemporary Zimbabwe are associated with the performance of wonders/miracles. Should the performance of miracles on its own, as in the case of Zimbabwean prophets/esses, be regarded as a sign of true prophecy? Zimbabwe has of late witnessed an upsurge of prophets/esses claiming to speak for God, and their wondrous miracles daily appear in both electronic and print media. This article attempts to qualitatively investigate the manifestation of prophecy in Zimbabwe against the controversially set biblical criteria to distinguish true from false prophets/esses.