July 4, 2004: Open Lines | The Prophet Show

Art Bell opens the phone lines on Independence Day for a special edition dedicated to listener prophecy. Rather than the usual end-of-year predictions, Art issues a challenge to the genuinely gifted among his audience, seeking short-term visions of events about to unfold. The callers respond with striking specificity and alarming urgency.

Predictions pour in from across North America and beyond. One caller foresees the Sears Tower and the St. Louis Gateway Arch toppling simultaneously, followed by martial law. Another claims a man named Elgin, who has never been wrong, predicts Osama bin Laden will die in a 7.2 earthquake at 8 a.m. Eastern time the following Saturday. A self-described angel warns of a major California earthquake on July 7th, followed by terrorist attacks on gas stations. Several callers independently predict the suspension of the November presidential election.

Art also shares news of tornadoes striking northern Alberta, bird flu mutations becoming more dangerous to mammals, and a Japanese device claiming to let users choose their dreams. Between visions of nuclear detonations and new energy sources, the broadcast captures a nation suspended between fear and possibility on its birthday.