Prophecy In the Old Testament
In the next 5 lessons, we are going to be looking at what we do when we receive a prophecy. Do we immediately act on it or do we wait awhile? Do we change our lives on the strength of it? Do we do nothing at all? These are all questions that may have passed through our minds when we are recipients of a word from the Lord.
For the first week we are going to look at prophecy in the Old Testament and then the second week we will look at prophecy in the New Testament. As new covenant Christians we need to be aware of the changes that occurred after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This will give us some helps in understanding how we receive prophecy.
We will start by looking at prophesy old testament, to understand how it differs from New Testament prophecy. In the Old Testament, there were mainly two types of prophets: Seers and Nebi'im. We will take a brief look at both types.
Seers
Firstly, the seer. The list of seers would include Samuel. Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and many more. Also note, John the Baptist would be included here, as the age changed with the cross, not at the birth of Christ. These are all people called and set apart by God.
Let us look at a few verses which mention seers:
1 Sam 9:19: Samuel answered Saul, "I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind."
1 Chron 26:28: Also all that Samuel the seer, and Saul son of Kish, and Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated--all dedicated gifts were in the care of Shelomoth and his brothers.
Amos 7:12: And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there."
The seers were often solitary, contemplative figures, spending much time alone in God's presence. They were usually prophets to a whole nation or even nations, their ministry being much wider than just a local setting.
Hag 1:13: Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the spirit of the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerrubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people.
2 Samuel 12:25: The Lord loved him, and sent a message by the prophet Nathan.
Ezekiel 47:13-48:35: Here Ezekiel prophesied the boundaries for all the tribes of Israel.
The seers spoke God's infallible word. They were the mouthpiece of God. The prophet spoke and the King and the nation were to obey. Of course, on many occasions they didn't!
Deu 18:15-22: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Then the Lord replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put My words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in My name, I Myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in My name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak--that prophet shall die."
You may say to yourself, "How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?"
If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.
NEBI'IM
The second type of Old Testament prophet was the nabi (plural nebi'im). The nebi'im were bands of prophets engaged in what is often called ecstatic prophecy. They were local prophets living in community, often in the desert.
Clifford Hill in his book 'Prophecy, Past and Present' says "Clearly the kind of prophesying in which the Nebi'im engaged was a very strenuous exercise, probably more akin to what some modern charismatics call praise warfare."
1 Chron 25:1: David and the officers of the army also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals.
1 Sam 10:5: There, as you come to the town, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the shrine with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre playing in front of them; they will be in a prophetic frenzy.
Also the Rechabites mentioned in Jeremiah chapter 35 were Nebi'im. This chapter includes description of their way of life; their commitment to never drinking wine and living a nomadic lifestyle.
Relationship between Seers and Nebi'im
So, what was the relationship between the Seer and the Nabi'im. The differences were not always clear cut and there was much interaction. For both, one of the main things was to help the people stay loyal to the true God.
Take Samuel as an example. It would seem that he travelled the land, whenever he was able he joined with the local Nebi'im and was recognized as their leader. 1 Sam 19:20 says, "Then Saul sent messengers to take David. When they saw the company of the prophets in a frenzy, with Samuel standing in charge of them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also fell into a prophetic frenzy."
Another example of the interaction can be seen with Elisha in 2 Kings 9:1.
Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets and said to him, "Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand, and go to Ramoth-gilead. When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions, and take him into an inner chamber. Then take the flask of oil, pour it on his head, and say, 'Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and flee; do not linger."So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. He arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he announced, "I have a message for you, commander." "For which one of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander." So Jehu got up and went inside; the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, "Thus says the Lord the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her." Then he opened the door and fled. When Jehu came back to his master's officers, they said to him, "Is everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?" He answered them, "You know the sort and how they babble." They said, "Liar! Come on, tell us!" So he said, "This is just what he said to me: 'Thus says the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel.'" Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare steps; and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, "Jehu is king."
It is interesting to note in this passage that whilst Jehu called the nabi a madman, the word that he gave was accepted as a true and infallible word.
We will be looking at New Testament Prophesy in our next lesson, and we will examine the differences that can be found there. The emphasis of the Old Testament prophets is that they were people called by God and used by God to speak an infallible word to the people. The expectation was that the nation obeyed or suffered the consequences of their disobedience.
Prophecy In the New Testament
This is the second lesson where we look specifically at what to do when we receive a word from God. This applies to both types of prophesy... those given to us by someone else, and also those where God gives us a word to share with someone else.
Before we discuss the practicalities (e.g.,. the 'nuts and bolts' of giving a word), it is important to consider the context of prophecy in Scripture. Our last lesson week discussed prophecy in the Old Testament; how the revelation was received by a prophet who acted as the mouthpiece of God. It was the direct word of God; often it was a word for a nation, although spoken to their King. It was a word that was to be obeyed (or disobeyed) with direct consequences. The word was usually of some momentous significance. Roving bands of prophetic people were on the scene from time to time, but the emphasis lay with the prophet to the nation.
In this lesson, we want to look at how prophecy changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and with the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the church came into being with various gifts being available to all, including the gift of prophecy. As the Holy Spirit was poured out, there was a change from comparatively few recognized prophets to the gift of prophecy being available to the whole church.
Acts 2:16-18: 'This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon My slave, both men and women, in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy.'
Interestingly, there is no record in the New Testament of any prophetic word being given to the nation, either to the Roman Empire or to the pagan countries. There is no word given which begins, 'This is the Lord's word to Caesar'. Only in the gospels is there any indication of a prophetic word that was perhaps spoken to the religious/national leaders, and that was by Jesus himself; Matthew 23:29: 'Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous...'
Even Paul, when before King Agrippa and Governor Festus (Acts 25, 26) did not prophesy, but spoke in clear and reasoned tones attempting to convince them of the legitimacy of the gospel.
However, prophecy was very important in the early church yet it seems to have remained as a practice within the body of believers. Clifford Hill in his book "Prophecy, Past and Present' says: 'It was because Paul knew that prophecy was addressed to the church to enable it to carry out its primary task of serving the world that Paul made edification or 'building up' his major test of authentic prophecy. If it was a true word from God through the Holy Spirit it would build the church. A true prophecy would build faith, increase understanding, broaden vision and strengthen the unity of the Christian community. A true prophecy would not be destructive and judgmental even though it might contain rebuke or correction. It would build community, not disintegrate it.'
It is significant that Paul mentions prophecy in all three of his lists of spiritual gifts and ministries.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11: 'To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who alots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.'
Romans 12:6-8: 'We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.'
Ephesians 4:1: 'The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers...'
Two Understandings Of Spiritual Gifts
Bible teachers view the gifts in two differing ways:
- The 'Permanent Fixture' Understanding.
In this understanding gifts are given to a person and remain as part of their lives. They will recognize their particular area and focus of gifting. Various people within the body will receive different gifts, all of which work together and support each other. No one has all the gifts and it is important to find the gift God has given each of us.
- The 'Tool Bag' Understanding.
Popularized by John Wimber in the 1980s, this understanding suggests that all the gifts are available to all Christians. They are not permanent fixtures in our lives but, as with a tool bag, we have them ready to pull out and use whenever the circumstances require. Therefore with prophecy, if we are with someone who needs to hear from God, a word from God may be given to us. Similarly, with the gift of healing, whilst ministering to a sick person we need to ask for a gift of healing. So, in this understanding we would know that prophecy was available for our use whenever the situation required. It is further suggested that when a gift is used more or less frequently and accurately it develops into a ministry, and that when a ministry is tested over time and received widely in the church it becomes an office.
In the practice of giving and receiving words these understandings make very little difference, a word or sense or vision is received from God as a means of communication to another person or people. However, the 'tool box' understanding does free more people to have confidence to reach out to hear God speaking. It helps prevent the 'I don't have the gift, let someone else do it' syndrome. Prophecy is truly available to all.
Space dictates that the summaries of these two understandings of the gift of prophecy are very brief and superficial. Above all we must remember that we are talking about a sovereign outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We can do/hear/see nothing without God.
Richard Gaffin suggests: "Probably the most important and certainly the most difficult lesson for us to learn is that ultimately spiritual gifts are not our presumed strengths and abilities, not something that we 'have' (or even have been given), but what God does through us in spite of ourselves and our weaknesses. "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness"' (2 Cor 12:9)." That quote is from Perspectives on Pentecost (Presbyterian and Reformed, 1979), p 54.
Discernment
Undoubtedly, we are in a time of amazing spiritual awakening! We are seeing many more people released in prophecy. More and more people are realizing that they can hear from God and that God can speak to them through others. In fact, one of the joys of the renewal has been to see the way God has used people in a whole range of new ways. But here's a little warning: the focus must always be God... not the 'prophet'. It is God who delights to communicate with his people and we need to exalt God's speaking and not our receiving and transmitting!
The New Testament Scripture puts an emphasis on discernment. We are imperfect people, we may hear, see and understand incorrectly. We need to weigh the words that we hear from God and from others.
1 Corinthians 14:29: 'Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.'
1 Corinthians 2:12-15a: 'Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are spiritual discern all things.'
There is an emphasis on testing prophetic words in the New Testament because prophecy is given through imperfect human beings. It is channeled through human language, often with culturally different nuances, so great care is needed. Of course, God can still use it powerfully! A recent illustration of this was experienced on IRC chat a few months ago. One person had a vision, I won't give details, but a picture was shared that included a football field. It spoke to all of us, and we happily shared how God had used the picture... then, one person said that as the vision was being given they had even seen the 'quarter-back'. For many of us, it took a few moments to re-focus our thoughts. There is no quarterback in Manchester United, our favorite English football (soccer) team! We realized that the picture had been viewed and interpreted differently by those of the various nations represented on the channel. It had conveyed an individual image to each person dictated by their culture, experiences and upbringing.
Mike Bickle in his book, "Growing in the Prophetic" says: 'Instead of the direct audible voice of God's revelation, much prophetic ministry is imparted by impressions of the Holy Spirit upon our own hearts. Instead of stoning prophets, we are instructed to judge and discern that which they speak to know if it is from God.'
In the next two lessons, we will look more closely at the practical issues. We will consider what to do when we, ourselves, are the recipients of a word. How to begin the process of discernment and to carefully and responsibly weigh words. Also, we will discuss ways of proceeding when we have received a word from God for another person or for our church.
And for the last word on the prophetic, let us refer to 1 Corinthians 13:2, which says: "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."