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How can you tell these examples aren’t simply referring to events that have passed? It doesn’t seem clear to me that these are referring to future events as if they had already passed.



The given examples are lacking context.

"I prayed this morning and received a vision. The Twin Towers have fallen, and America has gone to war in the Middle East."


had gone


Following the given example, you know it is 1800 and the Twin towers do not even exist. So context makes clear that it did not happen.


The speaker has a ceremonial robe, hat, and is declaiming with a mystical expression on their face. Substitute as culturally appropriate.


Because they are prophets, giving a prophecy, ie seeing into the future and retelling it.




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