10/13/07 – Prophets?

Hi all,

There are many people running around calling themselves prophets, but how does the Bible really define New Testament prophets?

When we think of great Old Testament prophets we might think first of Elijah, or Moses, or even King David. But Jesus said in Matthew 11: 9, 11 of John the Baptist : "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, and I say to you, more than a prophet. Truly I say to you, among those born of women (all mankind) there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist; not withstanding the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

In this passage Jesus tells us John was a prophet, and not only that, the greatest person and prophet that ever lived. 

Why did Jesus say the least is the kingdom is greater than he? It is because John brought people to repentance, right to the edge of being born again, but could not offer the born again experience because Jesus had not yet come. Thus he is greatest of all before Jesus, but the least born again person is greater than he, because no matter how hard they repented in John's time, the new birth was not yet available.

John then is a bridge between the Old Testament and New Testament. He is both the last prophet before Jesus as well as the foundation for prophets to come. Jesus said in verse 13 that the law and prophets prophesied until John...and since there are prophets after him, that means John can be placed in the middle of a teeter totter of sorts, closing the Old and introducing the New.

John's ministry was to prepare the way of the Lord for his first coming, and in the same way that is what prophets do today for his second coming. In the Old Testament the prophets dealt with Israel's kings primarily; telling of the doom coming upon Israel or Judah if they did not repent. In this context they issued personal prophecy to the king, gave instructions for battles to be fought, prophesied against the nations who were against Israel or Judah, and so forth.

They generally dealt with the big picture issues of the nation directly to leadership, rather than ministry to the common man.

Setting the stage for the New Testament, John the Baptist dealt directly with the common people rather than the king. He may have spoken about Herod or religious leaders in his messages, but he wasn't a personal prophet to them, directing the nation. He dealt with the common people.

In this way he paved the way for New Testament prophets. Because he was entering a time when people rather than a building would contain the presence of God, John dealt with those who would become living temples of God, preparing their hearts for the indwelling presence of God.

This is one reason Paul said (as you'll recall from last week) in Ephesians 3:4-5: "The you may understand my knowledge of the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not revealed to men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets..."

New Testament prophets receive 'big picture' revelation concerning the body of Christ as do apostles - not so much for kings and the direction of Israel, but now to the common people, to the true temple(s) of God; first and foremost of the mysteries in Christ. They prepare hearts for what the Lord wants to do.

Taking John as the New Testament bridge and type, we can see that prophets are more concerned with the condition of people's hearts - the first word of salvation is therefore "repent". 

That is why, when Peter was asked by the crowd on the day of Pentecost "what must we do to be saved?", Peter replied, "Repent". (Acts 2:38) I know it is popular just to have everyone shut their eyes, bow their heads, and raise a hand to indicate you want Jesus, but scripturally speaking, the first word of salvation is "repent".

Thus before any prophesying about nations, before any word for individuals, a prophet will first be concerned for people's hearts, bringing people to repentance, reconciliation, and humility before the Lord. Any prophetic words that issue forth from their mouths flow from that heartfelt desire for righteousness in the lives of the members of the body of Christ.

It seems the gift of prophet has elements of the gift of teacher, for certainly the Old Testament prophets taught (Elijah's school of the prophets for instance), and John the Baptist taught in his messages as well. (Other prophets like Solomon, Ezekiel, Ezra, and Jesus taught as well of course)

Also, in Acts 13:1-3 it says that there "were certain prophets and teachers such as...Barnabus...and Saul (Paul) who ministered to the Lord and fasted, and the Holy Spirit said; Separate Barnabus and Paul to me for the work to which I've called them."

Teachers and prophets hanging around fasting and praying - it seems a natural mix because there is an element of instruction in a prophet's message - his or her message will require implementation of the message, and that requires instruction. 

But what of the act of prophesying for New Testament prophets? We must make a distinction here between the Old and the New. In the OT, your average Israeli citizen did not prophesy - only prophets did. In the New Testament Paul said to desire that we (all) may prophesy. (I Cor 14:1)

Therefore there is a difference between the gift of prophet and the simple gift of prophecy available to all. Paul defined prophecy in I Cor 14:1 as an inspired word given to individuals for "edification (building up), exhortation (encouragement), or comfort.

That means there is nothing predictive in the gift of prophecy. It's merely an inspired word for building up, encouragement or comfort...that's it. As a side note, if you hear a "prophecy" that is cutting down, chiding, condemning or otherwise critical of someone or the body of Christ, it is not of God. I've heard a few in my day, and they always make my spirit grieved because it's not of the Holy Spirit. (usually religious spirits are the source and are therefore attached to the message.) Stick to Paul's definition - it is the Word of God. I've taught a lot of classes and once in a while you'll get someone who says: "But so and so says this..." My answer is, do you want to believe them or the Word?

I would also add that a person doesn't need to be standing over a person who is seated in a chair in the middle of a room, with their hands on their head spouting 'thus saith the Lord' for a word to be a prophecy.

Some examples of prophecy outside of a service:

When the Lord directs a person to pick up the phone to call a friend to encourage or comfort them - that prompting of the Lord combined with heartfelt and Spirit felt words is a prophetic word by Biblical definition.  

A customer eating at a restaurant is moved of the Lord to speak an encouraging word to his/her server.

A man feels led to give a pan handler some money and tell them of the Lord and things that could happen in their life if they will walk with Him.

A neighbor is prompted to bring some cookies to a new family in the neigborhood, and upon hearing the hardships of the family in the previous months, feels a witness in their spirit and shares the sense this season of their lives will be better.

A person needs prayer in a home meeting, and someone feels led to share that the Lord loves them unconditionally and will be faithful to them.

All these are the gift of prophecy and examples of people prophesying. Being moved from within to offer a word of encouragement, comfort or to build someone up instead of down does not have to have a 'thus saith the Lord' before or after it, nor be done in the confines of a service!

Think about it...have you never given or received a healing touch outside of a service? (gift of healing manifesting) Haven't you received revelation for yourself or someone else about why something happened in their life? (Word of knowledge)...and so it goes. God doesn't need a service to manifest the Holy Spirit.

We're walking talking temples of God, so where we goes, he goes, and therefore he can prompt us in any number of ways at any time we're open and sensitive.

Back to a New Testament prophet: Agabus the prophet gave Paul a personal predictive word in Acts 21:11 of being arrested by the Romans in Jerusalem, and in Acts 11:27-30 he foretold a drought which prompted the disciples to receive an offering for the area soon to be affected.

The problem in our day with people who prophesy in exhortation, edification or comfort, is that they think themselves something they are not - they think that being fluent and experienced in prophecy is the same as being a prophet, but it's not.

Clearly prophets still deal with 'big picture' items like droughts, and their words are predictive in nature, even on a personal level such as Agabus telling Paul the Romans were going to arrest him in Jerusalem.

The regular and repeated predictive element of words given to prophets is key to the gift of prophet. God may give anyone an encouraging word for someone, but to only a few will he give insight into the future of nations, regions, people groups, or even individuals on a regular basis.

Therefore let me say this; if you hear or read of someone claiming to be a prophet, but they have no track record of predictive words concerning the body of Christ, nations, or people groups, they are not prophets, but merely experienced in the simple gift of prophecy.

Paul also said in I Cor 13: 2: "Even though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries...if I don't have love I am nothing." Love is the driving force and heart of a prophet.

I've seen too many operating in the gifts, as well as apostles and prophets, be rude and arrogant to subordinates or on the platform even, blaming it on their call or gift - baloney! They don't know what they are talking about.

We have to stop being enamored with flash and "Hollywood Jesus" and realize Jesus was and is meek and lowly of heart, and the gifts flow in that manner to the people - in the day to day existence of humanity - even as Jesus met people in their homes, on the road, at dinner, and so forth.

Confusion often happens because the gifts of the Spirit flow and work together - after all it is 'the manifestation of the Spirit given to everyone to profit.'  (I Cor 12:3-7) - meaning God can reveal what he needs to when he needs to. Thus a person may be prophesying and have a word of knowledge for the person mixed in with the prophecy. A word of knowledge is defined as a word from God revealing the present or past.

For example, Samuel told the future first king of Israel, Saul, that his donkeys had been found (I Samuel 9-10). Another example is Jesus telling the woman at the well she'd had five husbands and the guy she was now with wasn't her husband - words of knowledge.

So a person may be giving a word of exhortation or comfort and the Lord reveal something about the past or present - that's a prophecy and word of knowledge in the same message - but it doesn't make the person a prophet.

However, a word of wisdom is defined as a predictive word - it's about the future. For instance, when Jesus told the disciples where to find a donkey and that the owner may ask why they need it. Or when Jesus told Peter that he would be martyred when older for example. Those words of a future event in that person's life - the where and what - is a word of wisdom.

It's called a word of wisdom because wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge. A person may be a great stock broker, but without wisdom to know how to apply his or her knowledge, they could lose big money.

A person can be a great farmer, but they need wisdom as to timing on plant and harvesting.

How to apply knowledge is wisdom, and that is a predictive word. That is why Agabus' word about the drought was accompanied by action  - the receiving of an offering for the saints in the affected area. And why his information to Paul about being arrested gave Paul the choice of either going or not going to Jerusalem - action required on the receiver's part. The same could be said of the latter chapters of the book of The Revelation, when the time comes lots of people will need that book as a road map for their day - prophecy is a word of wisdom concerning a future event. That's why the spirit of prophecy is all about Jesus - action required: The future event being your death and an accounting of one's life - so believe on Jesus in preparation.

A person may receive a word of wisdom for a person while prophesying, or even 2-3 manifestations may happen - healing, prophecy, and word of knowledge or wisdom - but that doesn't make them a prophet.

A prophet is called by God to that gift, and that is what they do...they may be teacher and prophet, or apostle and prophet...but that's what they do, deal with the larger issues and are given revelations that chart the course for the body of Christ, nations, or people.

While the simple gift of prophecy usually happens with others around, a prophet will often receive revelation quite on their own - as John the Baptist did in the wilderness, or Jesus in a time of prayer, or any of the OT prophets while in prayer.

A person who moves in prophecy may have a word of wisdom here and there because the Lord wants to give the person they are ministering to a needed word, but they aren't elevated to prophet because they've had a few words like that.

This part's hard to explain, but there is a weight in the Spirit one feels - a depth of anointing around someone called as apostle or prophet. Nothing on the surface, but a sense of deep flowing rivers within. Whereas the average gifts of the Spirit are lighter in terms of what it feels like in your spirit.

Paul urged us to desire to prophesy, and again that doesn't mean being put on the spot before a church group - remember in his day church was only done in the home among family and friends - a safe place to learn how to flow in the gifts.

So don't worry about a service, home or traditional - Rather just be prompted in the giftings and grace God gave you - your words of exhortation, encouragement, and comfort may come through a phone call, a lunch with a friend who needs a day out, a meal or dessert to a neighbor combined with inspired words, an urge to fix a friends car, or sink or door...flow with how God flows through you.

A prophet - deals first and foremost with people's hearts, repentance, preparing the way of the Lord. In that context God calls them and reveals the mysteries of Christ for His body, nations, and people. They see parts of the future, where God wants to take his people, and serve as one who warns of future difficult times. Their character is marked by humility combined with certainty about what they know, shunning notoriety except as needful to give a word, and deflecting attention to the Lord rather than themselves as mere messenger.

 

Some thoughts...

The gift of pastor next week...oh boy that'll be fun!

Blessings,
ohn Fenn
www.ifaithhome.org