Prophecy

As prophecy - even prophecy or promise - is referred to in religious contexts, a forecast of future events. The generic term for collected oral or written prophecies, usually an individual, is prophecy. This expression comes from the ancient Greek propheteos for " express ", " what ", or " talk to someone " ( φημί phēmí = I speak, pro = for, out, instead ).

Prophecies are found in many religions in many different contexts, for different reasons, and due to various reception modes of the prophesied message. The ancient oriental cults know diverse types of oracles, regular surveys on altars or before battles, ecstatic exception messages, dream visions, interpreted as a prophecy media such as animal organs, bird flight, ecstasy or Audition, etc. The classical writing prophets of Israel, however, is familiar with such forms hardly. Here is usually a calling of a prophet by the God of Israel starting point of word messages that relate to the history of all Israel. In Christianity, prophecies are mentioned since the early Jerusalem church.

In the following time prophecies have become a popular topic of literature.

In the historical sciences is a prophecy as Vatizinium (plural " Vatizinien ", from the Latin vates " Farseer ", " prophet " ) refers. In particular, it is called prophecies in retrospect Vaticinium ex eventu.