Hijacker is a Messenger from God?

Yesterday, passengers on an Aeromexico jet were taken hostage by Bolivian preacher/Christian musician, Jose Flores (stage name: Josmar). The reason? He was trying to relay a message to the President of Mexico from God: beware an impending earthquake "like none there has ever been." He also reportedly told authorities he had three accomplices: "the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost."

Before Christians wheel out the loony wagon, lock him up and throw away the key forever, they would do well to remember that God using prophets to speak to kings (country leaders) and/or whole countries is nothing new. We read and celebrate such instances throughout Scripture: Samuel to King Saul and (future) King David, Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar, Jonah to Ninevah, Paul to Caesar, to name a few. Their messages were all similar: "Repent and turn to God." Some had messages of impending destruction if they did not repent, others reminders of their first love ("don't forget Him who has saved you over and over again - return to Him").

With that said, I do not think what Jose Flores did and the message of the prophets/messengers of Scripture are the same because of the Bible's New Covenant change. When Christ came and died and rose again everything changed. People are called to repent (turn from sin and love/follow God) through the New Testament church. After the Apostles, it was left to the churches to call people to return to God. There is nothing attached to the call to repentance that is not already in Scripture (namely - the judgment unrepentant people will face is before God in the end). Even if there were (which there's not), it is seen over and over again in the Bible where God warns of destruction to those who are unrepentant, but give them a specific plan: there will be destruction IF repentance does not happen.

Being that God is "slow to anger" and a God of mercy He repeatedly gives chances to repent (the Biblical account of Abraham pleading with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18:20-33). He also details the destruction and reveals His divine hand working in the midst of the judgment (the Biblical account of the famine in Egypt when Joseph is warned prior and told by God how to protect and preserve the nation during the seven year famine in Genesis 41).

Cutting to the chase: God's judgment is always clear and concise. There is never ambiguity to it and when in the midst of it whole nations know what it happening. There was little offered by Flores, outside of his highly personal God-experience, that leads me to believe his vision or message was of God (not to mention his method of informing the masses was highly unbiblical, ungodly and altogether wrong).

Messages from God are always a funny thing in Christianity. First, they are absolutely real and should not be mocked (1 Thes. 5:20). Second, they are second to the already revealed Word of God (in other words, He is not going to reveal something that goes against what He revealed before in Scripture). Third, revelations from God are confirmed BY GOD (messengers never wander around aimlessly asking "was that God that spoke to me or did I just experience some sort of post-60's head-trip?").

In closing, what happened to the passengers on that flight (and their families at home worrying and the family of Jose Flores) is sad. Sadder, yet, is the damage it does to the reputation of God's messengers (His church) who truly do have a Word from God to share with the masses. Christians are told by God to be aware of what is to come so they can be prepared, but Christians also ought to be wary of sign-watching and being consumed by the latest vision. God has delivered us a SURE Word (the Bible) and nothing in that Word has or will change. It is His promised Word. We ought to be less consumed with a "new" message (which there will not be) and more consumed in loving and worshipping Him, turning from sin and loving and serving those around us (in preparation for what is to come).

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