|
On the Day of Pentecost when Jesus first presented His Church to the world each of its 120 members were prophesying the wonderful things that God was going to do. Any believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit has the ability to prophesy. However, not all believers are called to function in the office of a prophet. One does not have to be a seasoned Christian to exercise this precious gift, but all can mature in the manner in which they flow in it. When a Christian exercises the gift of prophecy, he speaks forth messages from the Lord. These are received through words, an inner feeling, or a vision given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
These messages spontaneously reveal God’s heart for His people. At times they may contain elements of benevolent correction. While it is not unusual for prophecies to pertain to future events in the lives of individuals or congregations, their most common function is to edify, exhort, and comfort with spontaneous utterances, reinforcing the precious promises clearly revealed in the Bible (1Co 14:3). Prophecy can serve as effective tool of evangelism to alert unbelievers to the reality that God knows their hearts and their deeds (1Co 14:24-25). It can also be helpful in giving believers insights relating to their particular spiritual callings (1Ti 4:14).
The utterances that come forth are called prophecies, and the act of verbalizing them is called prophesying. In addition, there are some prophetic ministers who have a burden from the Lord to turn the Church toward His purposes during their respective generations. Their sermons and writings have a prophetic flair, though such ministers may or may not regularly offer spontaneous prophetic utterances.
The Bible is filled with prophets and prophecies. The earliest prophet was Enoch (Jud 1:14). The patriarchs Abraham and King David are named as prophets alongside those who authored the prophetical books that bear their names (Gen 20:7, Act 2:29-30). The worth of the Old Testament’s Messianic prophecies extend to all who have put their faith in Christ and hope for His Second Advent. The New Testament lists numerous characters that manifested the prophetic gifts. There were prophets among the elders in the church at Antioch, and Philip the Evangelist had four daughters who prophesied (Act 13:1; 21:8-9). Silas, the Apostle Paul’s traveling companion, encouraged churches through his prophecies (Act 15:32,40). Agabus foretold a famine in Israel and confirmed other prophecies that had predicted Paul’s arrest and deportation to Rome (Act 11:27-28; 20:22-23; 21:10-11).
Prophetic Anointing Restored
One of the most exciting things about being a member of the Lord’s Church today is that the Holy Spirit is restoring its prophetic unction. Men and women from all walks of life are being used to prophesy words that build up the Body of Christ (Act 3:19-21). Many are discovering that they are equipped with gifts of revelation that enhance prophetic messages, such as words of knowledge, wisdom, and the discerning of spirits. Along with millions of Charismatic believers, I can testify to the blessing that prophecy has been to my own life and to those to whom I minister.
Flawless German
In the summer of 1968 I went to visit High Point Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia. The men gathered in Pastor Don Van Hoozier’s office to pray for the Sunday morning service. He encouraged me to come in and to pray with the elders of his church. We all prayed for the Lord’s anointing on Pastor Don and that God would bring the lost to salvation. Subsequently, all of them began to pray in tongues. I had only recently been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and it was exciting to be in the presence of spirit-filled men that were exercising a legitimate New Testament charismatic gift. The next thing I knew, the men were laying hands upon me and praying that God would bless me. There was a moment of silence and one of the men began to speak in flawless German. As he spoke, there was no evidence of a Georgia accent. I recognized the language as German because I had lived in Germany during my teenage years. I still had a fair degree of fluency in German. I understood enough to know that he was saying something about God’s calling on my life.
Two Gifts in Operation
Actually, the event was a combination of two spiritual gifts. The first was a prophetic message in an unknown tongue. This gift is sometimes referred to as tongues for the assembly. It should be followed by the second and accompanying gift that is called the interpretation of tongues. This is necessary in order for all present to receive the benefit of what the Holy Spirit is saying (1Co 14:27-26). My speculations about what was being spoken were confirmed when another brother gave the interpretation. He said something along this line: “The Lord has called you to be a teacher of His Word and to set the captives of Satan and sickness free. You will travel the world for the sake of the Cross and many will be influenced by your words and writings.” At that time, I had no inkling that the spiritual office of a teacher existed. Through God’s grace, every word of that prophetic utterance has come true. I have traveled the globe as a Bible teacher. My writings have been translated into at least six languages. The Lord has used me to minister healing to thousands of afflicted people.
After the morning church service, I questioned the two men that the Holy Spirit used to give me the prophetic word. Neither of them knew a word of German.
A Face from the Past
I met Dennis at a party in Alaska in 1961. We chatted through the evening sharing various things about our lives before coming to the Far North to seek adventure. We partied on a few other occasions and had no more contact after I returned to Illinois to enter college. After I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1968, his face would periodically appear as I was praying. I never gave it much thought and simply noted it as a curious event. The Holy Spirit had His reasons for keeping Dennis’ facial features fresh in my mind.
In 1974, I made my final trip around my territory as a manufacturer’s representative. During that trip I called on a shoe store in Phoenix, Arizona. After showing the owner my Spring line of shoes, I started packing up to leave. As I was doing so, Dennis walked into the store. I walked over to him and greeted him by name. Even after I identified myself, he confessed that he had no memory of meeting me in Alaska. I invited him to talk with me further over dinner that evening at my hotel.
A fellow believer, Don Dawson, joined us for dinner. As we ate, I told Dennis all that I remembered about him from our conversation in Alaska thirteen years previously. I spoke of his wife and daughter in Utah and that I recalled that he was a Mormon by birth and a painter by trade. Still he had no memory of me. He was by no means simple minded, but apparently his memory had been affected by his drug abuse while he was in the Vietnam War. After dinner we went to my hotel room and I gave him my testimony. He had no interest in spiritual things. When he got up to leave, I asked him if he had any physical problems. He said that his right shoulder and arm were chronically sore. I reached over and touched his shoulder and asked the Lord to heal it. He felt the power of the Lord flowing into him and began to curse in amazement. He then sat down in a chair and asked us to pray for his marriage that was on the brink of divorce. At that moment the Lord prompted me to pray for him in unknown tongues. I spoke forth for about two minutes.
A Prophetic Utterance
It was a prophetic word that needed an interpretation so that its message could be conveyed to Dennis. The Lord gave Don Dawson the English interpretation of what I had spoken in tongues. A message in tongues that is interpreted functions as a prophecy. It will encourage the recipient of God’s loving presence in his life. The message contained information about incidences in Dennis’ life wherein God had touched and protected him. Don and I had no prior knowledge of these events. I the Lord have been watching over you all of your life to this very moment. When you were dying of diphtheria at age four, it was I who brought your fever down and preserved your life. In Vietnam, I saved you twice. It was I that protected you from the mine explosion that killed your three comrades. When you overdosed on drugs, it was I that brought you out of the coma. I am the one that drew you to this room tonight. Don got no further with the message. Dennis went to his knees on the floor. With no prompting he cried out for God to forgive him of his sins. He asked Jesus to be his Savior and to take over his life. Through tears, I asked him if he was willing to be baptized in water. He joyfully complied and I baptized him in the hotel’s swimming pool. Dennis’ salvation was a 20 th century fulfillment of 1Co 14:24-25. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. [25] And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
Restoration is Costly
The process of restoration, though wonderful, includes facets that can be problematic. The first two relate to the content of prophecies and how they are to be assessed or judged. The third is somewhat interrelated with the first two. It pertains to how the Church is to view the office of those who are called to be prophets. I will address this issue first as it provides a foundation for understanding the other two.
Two Distinctive Styles
Contemporary prophets are not called to function in the same mode as Old Testament prophets. The two styles should be distinctive one from the other. Each was designed to function in totally different religious and political environments. Old Testament prophets were anointed to minister to and within ancient theocratic governments. The populations of societies under that form of rule recognized the authority of the prophetic office. Contemporary prophets are anointed to minister to and within the Church. Most believers recognize the prophetic office. The populations of the pluralistic societies in which they reside do not. The unconverted do not have transformed hearts that persuade them to view the Bible and the prophetic office as relevant to their lives.
Religious State Governments
Old Testament prophets functioned in the context of sacral/Church-State governments. The prophets served as representatives of God’s direct authority over Israel and its neighboring nations. They spoke forth His will and warnings to the inhabitants of nations and their government officials. Prophets appointed and anointed kings and even had the authority to execute citizens who were disobedient to the laws of God (1Ki 18:40). This was acceptable because those prophets served during a dispensation when most of the nations of the earth were under sacral/theocratic forms of government.
Within sacral governments, the leading religion of a nation plays a primary role. Religious leaders appoint civil authorities that reciprocate by permitting the clergy to have a major influence in the policies that affect the citizens of the nation. Israel with its prophets and kings, the Roman Empire with its emperors who were considered divine, and contemporary Islamic countries that are ruled by clergymen are examples of this type of administration. The civil governments of ancient Israel and its surrounding nations welcomed the input of the prophets because their prophetic insights helped the leaders understand the times.
This line of prophets ended with the death of John the Baptist, as he was the last prophet to wield the authority to chasten nations effectively. (Luk 16:16). New Covenant prophets and the gift of prophecy are God’s gifts to God’s holy nation that is called the Church. They are permitted to help judge it and to craft its policies and direction. They do not have the same measure of authority in the world governments of this present age.
A New Day
In contrast with the Old Testament prophets, those of the New Covenant flow in a different type of anointing and live under an entirely different spiritual climate. Contemporary prophets are God’s gifts to Christians, and their sphere of authority is limited to the Church. There are a few modern prophets who enjoy limited access to the political leaders of democratic societies. Most elected officials will rightfully resist any attempts by prophets to directly orchestrate political policies. Government officials are elected to represent the consensus of their constituents rather than the aspirations of a particular religious group. Within the context of the Church, modern prophets will intermittently prophesy about civil issues and the destinies of nations. However, there is simply no evidence that these utterances have served to directly shape political policies to the same extent that they did prior to the resurrection of Jesus.
Unworkable Promotions
Prophetic ministry enthusiasts who attempt to promote their favored prophets to an Old Covenant status within earthly governments will inevitably be disappointed. It is well proven that their attempts to dictate the morality of a nation frustrate its populace to anger. Conscientious statesmen have no choice but to ignore the intents of religionists who want their spiritual values to become the law of the land. Simply stated, it is the responsibility of prophets to help govern the Church, they no longer carry the God-given authority to dictate policies to the civil authorities of their respective nations.
I have been blessed by many prophecies that were given to me over the years. I have enjoyed seeing other Christian’s lives revitalized by prophetic words. On the other hand, I have never seen good fruit produced by prophets who took on the foreboding style of Old Covenant prophets. Y2K did not change the world, as we know it. The collapse of America’s financial infrastructure that was prophesied to take place at numerous intervals over the past 40 years has never occurred. Natural disasters have not destroyed the homosexual communities of San Francisco California and South Beach Florida. Here in Florida prophecies have come forth from supposed reliable sources that predicted hurricane judgments on the sodomites of South Beach and Key West on 3 occasions in the past 12 years. None have remotely approached accuracy. In regard to a hurricane destroying the homosexual population, they would have to be stupid enough not to evacuate when told to do so. Their sexual behavior is certainly ungodly, but that does not predispose them to be dimwitted in other aspects of life.
A Different Standard of Judgment
Old Testament prophets served as God’s direct spokesmen to individuals, as well as nations. Because of this situation, there was no room for error. The standard was that if any man’s prophecy contained error or did not come to pass, he was to be considered a false prophet (Deu 18:22). This is far from the standard for judging New Testament prophets and prophecies. The Epistles describe prophecy as a desirable gift that is not to be despised (1Th 5:20-21). This implies that there could be something about the nature of the gift that might motivate people to view it as despicable. Most likely, this is because prophecies often have both divine and human influences. Even legitimate prophecies from mature prophets will vary in their levels of divine inspiration (1Co 13:9; 14:29). Portions of any utterance can convey elements of the doctrinal views and soulish influences of the person who is offering it. In contrast with the Old Testament criteria of judgment, when these utterances are judged, it seldom relates to their accuracy in a predicted event coming to pass. This is because the primary function of New Covenant prophets and prophecies is encouragement rather than predictions about the specific dates of future events.
The Bible indicates that when New Covenant judgment occurs, the reputation of the prophet is rarely the main element under scrutiny. Rather than the prophet himself or herself being judged, the church makes an assessment of the doctrinal content of the prophecy itself and its appropriateness for the meeting in which it is offered (1Co 14:29-30). When the Old Testament model for judgment is applied to contemporary prophecy, it discourages people from desiring to be used in that gifting. Few people are willing to risk being called false prophets while they are on the road to maturing in the prophetic function. For this reason, evaluating the prophetic office and gifts of prophecy within the Church by the standard and function for Old Covenant prophets is a stifling dysfunctional practice.
Another Distinction
There is another distinction between Old and New Covenant prophets and prophecy. Within the two respective Covenants there is a contrast in the number of individuals anointed with the ability to exercise the gift of prophecy in a given generation. Under the Old Covenant, each generation had only a handful of people with this gifting. Within the New Covenant Church, however, all believers who are filled with the Spirit have the ability to prophesy and many hold the office of a prophet. (1Co. 12:28-29, 14:31).
Prophetic Pitfalls
There are two significant areas in which prophetic words that are given to individuals tend to spiral into dysfunction with regard to their biblical purpose. I have observed instances where it appeared that those who frequently prophesied over people had slipped into a rut in relation to the content of their prophecies. Each time they ministered, all that changed was the date, the location, and the faces in front of them. Supposedly spontaneous exhortations that were nearly identical were given to similar appearing people in different venues.
In my opinion, all too often such utterances are based more on a minister’s knowledge of sociological demographics than they are on legitimate divine insight. The following are some examples of what might be heard in questionable prophecies. To a single woman: “You have had difficulty in relating to men because of the poor relationship that you had with your father.” To a single man: “You are searching for your life’s work and were criticized for your hesitancy to make a commitment to your former girl friend.” To a pastoral couple: “You are now struggling with key people in your church who are undermining your authority and attempting to manipulate you.” All of these statements fit over 70% of the population of those who fall within those categories of people.
I grant that there are occasions when such words can be authentic. They can be particularly helpful for those who have never received a prophecy. It is encouraging to learn that the Lord knows their situations and cares for them. However for many, they are likely mere soulish substitutes for the spiritual realities that they need. This should caution those who prophesy to be sensitive to the Spirit to ensure that they do not fall into a presumptuous rut with the verbiage of their prophecies.
Soulish Reflections
The second area has to do with a capacity of the human soul that is rarely taken into consideration amongst prophetic ministers. It is not uncommon for us to anticipate the unspoken thoughts of those around us. This is often manifested on the occasions when a companion begins to whistle a tune or voice a thought that you were thinking about. These are natural functions of the soul that are commonplace. I call them soulish reflections.
The potential for this phenomenon to occur is increased when a person who is soliciting a word on a specific issue approaches a prophet who feels obligated to prophesy. In these instances there is a reasonable possibility that the word that comes forth might be a soulish reflection instead of a genuine insight from the Lord. In regard to prophecy and natural soulish reflections, they may be alluded to in Ezekiel 14:4. It implies that if we come to a prophet for a word with a predominant thought (idol) in our hearts, the answer could be in keeping to that which we have in our hearts. The implications are that in such instances we could mistake the mention of similar things as an affirmation for direction. This could prove hazardous.
The antidote for this falls upon both the prophet and the one who has come for a word. The prophet should understand that he is not compelled by the Spirit to give a prophecy to everyone who approaches him. Unless it is a counseling session, the seeker should clear his mind of specific ponderings and be open to whatever the Holy Spirit might say. When all concerned are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, words of great benefit are apt to come forth.
Conclusion
There are ultimate dangers ahead if the Church refuses to correct itself in the matters that I have addressed. Christians who have been led to believe that governments are obligated to heed the admonitions of their favorite prophets can become cynically embittered. This is needless, because even legitimate contemporary prophets don’t have the God-ordained authority to create governmental policies for nations. In addition, believers who have received personal words that were misshaped by universal presumptions about certain sociological demographics and soulish reflections can become equally embittered. In these regards I have deep concerns that relate to the Body of Christ.
The Spirit of God within believers knows and teaches them the truth. The Lord will alert their spirits when certain aspects of their theology are unproductive. He will lead them into situations in which their observations confirm what the Spirit has been saying. It is unwise to overrule these factors. Eventually many tire of claiming that things are so that are not so. Some will give up and devalue legitimate prophets and prophecies. The baby will be thrown out with the bathwater, as they inwardly say, “None of this is real” . The prophetic unction is vital for the health of the Church. We should all approach it with circumspect faith until it matures to flow in its God-ordained purposes.
|
