QUESTION
Are there prophets in the church today?
ANSWER
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The gift of prophet (Ephesians 4:11) seems to have been a temporary gift
given by Christ for the laying of the foundation of the church.
Prophets were foundational to the church (Ephesians 2:20).
The prophet proclaimed a message from the Lord to the early believers.
Sometimes a prophet’s message was revelatory (new revelation and truth from
God) and sometimes a prophet’s message was predictive (see Acts
11:28 and 21:10).
The early Christians did not have the complete Bible.
Some early Christians did not have access to any of the books of the New
Testament.
The New Testament prophets “filled the gap” by proclaiming God’s message
to the people who would not have access to it otherwise.
The last book of the New Testament (Revelation) was not completed until late
in the first century. So, the Lord sent prophets to proclaim God’s Word to His
people.
Are there true prophets today?
If the purpose of a prophet was to reveal truth from God, why would we need
prophets if we have the completed revelation from God in the Bible?
If prophets were the “foundation” of the early church, are we still building the
“foundation” today?
Can God give someone a message to deliver to someone else?
Absolutely! Does God reveal truth to someone in a supernatural way and
enable that person to deliver that message to others?
Absolutely! But is this the biblical gift of prophecy? No.
Whatever the case, whenever a person claims to be speaking for God (the
essence of prophecy) the key is to compare what is said with what the Bible
says.
If God were to speak through a person today, it would be in 100% complete
agreement with what God has already said in the Bible. God does not
contradict Himself.
1 John 4:1 instructs us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have
gone out into the world.”
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 declares, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt.
Test everything. Hold on to the good.”
So, whether it is a “word from the Lord” or a supposed prophecy, our response
should be the same.
Compare what is said to what the Word of God says.
If it contradicts the Bible, throw it out.
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If it agrees with the Bible, pray for wisdom and discernment as to how to
apply the message (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:5).
Role of the Prophet
A prophet is a spokesperson for God. The prophet admonishes, warns, directs, encourages,
intercedes, teaches and counsels. They bring the word of God to the people of God and call
the people to respond.
The prophetic ministry begins in the presence of the Lord. This aspect of the ministry is well
described in Jeremiah's challenge to the false prophets.
Which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? If they had
stood in his council they would have proclaimed his words to his people and they would have
turned from their evil ways and from their evil deeds (Jer 23:18,22).
When the prophets knows the heart and mind of the Lord, they speaks the word of the Lord to
his people. They stands before the people as one who has stood before God. Because their
words come from the heart of God they are powerful and effective.
A prophet can undertake a huge variety of roles. This is an expression of the creativity of
God. A prophet may act in every role occasionally, but mostly they will move in one or two
of these roles. Prayer will be important for every ministry. No two prophets should be the
same, but each should be a reflection of God's creativity and calling.
Some of the roles that a prophet can function in are outlined in the following sections.
1. Prayer
An important part of the prophets' task is prayer. Because they knows the mind of the Lord,
they are in a position to pray effectively. They have a clear picture of what God is doing, so
he knows where prayer is needed most. The prophets watched over the word of the Lord and
pray it into being. They must not rest until God has fulfilled his word (Isaiah 62:6).
The prophet is also a mediator. Moses stood between the people and God. Time after time, Moses stood in the
gap on behalf of the nation before an angry God. Consequently, intercession played a vital part in Moses life. As
a prophet Moses felt in his heart the burden of the message he brought to the people. He was deeply moved
when Israel did not respond to the command of God (Milton Smith - The Prophetic Office).
2. Receiving the Word of the Lord
A key role of the prophet is waiting in the presence of God to receive the word of God. God
is sovereign so we cannot tell him when he should speak. Hearing will always require
waiting.
3. Suffering
A prophet is often called to suffering. Deep dealing at the hand of God will often be needed
to prepare the prophet for receiving the word of God. Sometimes he may actually have to
experience beforehand, something of what his people will experience. Jeremiah spent many
years in captivity before his people went into captivity. He was often rejected and ostracised;
he was even accused of being a traitor. Ezekiel had to lie on his side for 390 days to
symbolise the judgement that would come upon his nation. This suffering made the prophets
extremely aware of their human frailty (Jer 20:7-10). It also equipped the prophet to give
what was often a very harsh message in a spirit of compassion. A true message is nullified if
it is spoken in the wrong spirit. Suffering softens the prophet's spirit, so that he can give the
hardest word, in a spirit of love. Suffering contributed to Jeremiah's compassion.
When the priest Pashhur son of Immer, the chief officer in the temple of the Lord, heard
Jeremiah prophesying these things, he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks
at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the Lord 's temple (Jer 20:1,2).
).
In the faith chapter of Hebrews, a number of prophets are recorded as heroes who suffered for
their calling.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered
justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of
the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and
who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead,
raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a
better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in
prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They
went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was
not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the
ground (Heb 11:32-38).
4. Worship
The prophetic ministry can often play an important part in worship. Paul said that when the
church gathered together,
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And
if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you
can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of
prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace
(1 Cor 14:29-33).
A prophecy that speaks of the glory and wonder of God will inspire his people to worship. 1
Chronicles 24 lists a number of men who were set aside for the ministry of prophesying to the
accompaniment of musical instruments as part of the temple worship. This ministry is needed
today. In small fellowships, it can be provided by the gift of prophecy. Large meetings for
celebration will benefit from prophets who can bring a word from the Lord to build the
worship. Miriam, the prophetess led the children of Israel in worship after they had crossed
the Red Sea.
When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters
of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. Then
Miriam the prophetess, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with
tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them, "sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted"
(Exodus 15:19-21).
In the temple, there were people whose role was to prophesy as part of the worship. They
were professional worshippers and prophets, responsible for leading the worship in the house
of God.
David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph,
Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and
cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: . All these men were under
the supervision of their fathers for the music of the temple of the Lord , with cymbals, lyres
and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the
supervision of the king. Along with their relatives- all of them trained and skilled in music for
the Lord- they numbered 288 (1 Chron 25,1,6).
5. Encouragement
Encouragement of the brethren is an important aspect of the prophetic ministry.
Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort
he who prophesies edifies the church (1 Cor 14:3-4).
The words of the prophets will build up and strengthen the church. This will be especially
important in times of trial and tribulation. Silas and Judas were two prophets who encouraged
the church in Antioch.
Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers (Acts 15:32).
The scriptures give a number of examples of prophets who encouraged the leaders of their
nation to act boldly.
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took
courage (2 Chron 15:1).
Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with
you," declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of
the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord
Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King
Darius (Hag 1:13-15).
Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the
Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of
God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them (Ezra 5:1,2).
So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the
prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to
the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of
Persia (Ezra 6:14).
6. Foretelling the Future
Prediction of the future is part of the prophetic ministry. Almost every prophet in the Old
Testament appeared first as a foreteller. Through his fellowship with the eternal God, the
prophet has access to the future. He is the seer who has insight into God's purposes for
history. However, whatever he sees for the future is always related to the present. He warns
of future judgements so that people will change their behaviour now. He speaks of future
blessing to give hope for the present.
The prophet speaks to the present, in light of the future that God has revealed to him. For
example, Isaiah warned Hezekiah, that he would die.
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of
Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because
you are going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to
the Lord (2 Kings 20:1,2).
7. Direction and Guidance
Prophets bring the word of the Lord to the church. Christians can get so caught up in the
events of the world that they do not see what God is doing. This is particularly true in
tumultuous times, when it can be very hard to see the hand of God at work. Prophets will give
direction and vision in these situations, so that God's people know what is happening, and
what they should do. For example, the prophet Gad provided guidance to David and showed
him how to avoid trouble.
But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah."
So David left and went to the forest of Hereth (1 Sam 22:5).
Prophets can give direction to those who are seeking the will of God. Sometimes the
prophetic word will be for the church as a whole or for the leadership of the church.
Personal prophecy must be treated with caution. The gift of prophecy is not usually directive,
so it is dangerous to make life-changing decisions on the basis of a prophecy uttered by a
person who has not been recognised as a prophet. Prophets will sometimes give direction, but
generally this should come as a confirmation of something that God has already spoken to the
person concerned. God wants to lead his people by his Spirit. He desires that every believer
should learn to hear the Spirit's voice. A message from a prophet should normally come as a
confirmation of something that the Spirit has already spoken.
Getting confirmation from a prophet before we act can be really encouraging, but we need to
be very careful. A personal prophecy can be misleading if we have let our own plans and
desires control our thinking. Ezekiel gives a surprising warning about this.
When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his
face and then goes to a prophet, I the Lord will answer him myself in keeping with his great
idolatry (Ezek 14:4).
If a person has let something that they want to do become an idol of their heart, God may
prophesy to them what they want to hear. If the person acts on the prophecy, it will lead to
disaster. God does this to reveal the idol and recapture the person's heart. This means that we
must be careful with personal prophecy. If a prophecy confirms what we want to do, it may
just be a sign that we have made our own plans into an "idol in our hearts".
Making important decisions on the basis of a word from another person is dangerous. It is
wrong to be totally dependent on others for guidance. Many Christians have been led astray
because they failed to get their own word from God. (John Bevere provides excellent advice
on how to handle personal prophecy in his book Thus Saith the Lord.)
The exception to this principle is when a follower of Jesus is so beaten down or defeated that
they cannot hear what God is saying to them. They just cannot conceive that God might have
something good planned for them. If a person has disqualified themself, a word from a
prophet might be needed to break through the cloud of doubt that blinds them.
When the prophet speaks to people who have written themselves off, the word usually comes
as a shock, but it will crack through into their heart and open their mind to what God is
saying. As the word of the prophet sinks into the person's soul, they will be able to grab it for
themselves.
The ideal is that we hear God's word and get confirmation from a prophet, but sometimes that
does not work. In these situations, the prophetic word does not come as confirmation. It
comes as an intrusion of the wisdom of God, when he has been unable to speak to the person.
Later, they will get confirmation for themselves. This is not the ideal, but God sometimes has
to give the revelation through a prophet first, as that is the only way that he can breakthrough.
8. Interpreting Dreams and Visions
An important aspect of the prophetic ministry is interpreting dreams and visions. God often
speaks in dreams to people who are not listening. We must learn to interpret these to
understand what he is saying. Prophets are sometimes skilled in interpreting dreams.
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Daniel was a prophet who was skilled in interpreting dreams (Daniel 2:1-28).
During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God
of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God forever and ever; wisdom and power are
his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to
the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what
lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: you
have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you
have made known to us the dream of the king" (Dan 2:19-23).
Dreams often include people and objects with which we are familiar used in symbolic ways.
We must not assume that they will be fulfilled literally. For example, Joseph saw the sun,
moon and eleven stars bowing before him. This was not literally fulfilled, but he eventually
saw his father and eleven brothers bowing before him. (Genesis 37:5-12; 40:5-22; 44:11-32).
Dreams should be interpreted like parables.
Kings and rulers will often hear God through dreams. Prophets can help them to understand
what God is saying.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of Kings (Prov
25:2).
9. Correction and Admonition
There is also a negative side to the ministry of the prophet. This can be seen in the calling of
Jeremiah:
See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and
overthrow to build and to plant.
Four of the six expressions used by God to describe Jeremiah's ministry are negative. God
often has to uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, before he can begin to plant and
build. Prophets co-operate with God in breaking down all that is not built on the true
foundation. They do this by announcing his judgement. At the same time they watch over all
that God is building to see that it is built according to his Word. This is an awesome task but
God cannot complete his restoration work until the prophetic ministry is restored.
Paul described a prophetic ministry that cut to the hearts of the people.
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is
prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the
secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God
is really among you!" (1 Cor 14:24,25).
Elijah was a confrontation prophet. God used him to confront the evils of his time.
10. Exposing Rotten Leadership
Rotten leadership has done terrible damage in the church. It has imparted sin (and perhaps
evil spirits) to hundreds and thousands of ordinary people who trusted their leaders and were
vulnerable because they submitted to them. When the leadership of a church is rotten, the
prophets should be exposing it.
The reality is that a prophet is not needed to expose most problems within church leadership.
The people who are close to the leader, usually know what is going on. The problem is that
they are too loyal to challenge the leader that they look up to. The prophet is usually the only
one tough enough to call the leader on their faults.
11. Warning without Judgment
Some Christian prophets like to announce the judgments of God on peoples and nations, but
this is a misunderstanding of their role. The common view that the Old Testament prophets
announced God's judgment on the children of Israel, or the surrounding nations is not quite
right. The Hebrew word for "judgment" is mishpat. It means a judicial judgment or verdict. It
is never used to describe the message of the Old Testament prophecies.
The Old Testament prophets only rarely used this word to describe the message they were
proclaiming. They spoke frequently about the failure of kings and judges to give wise
judgment (mishpat) (Isaiah 42:3 and Jer 21:9 are examples), and they spoke of God’s verdict
(mishpat) on Israel’s behaviour, but they never referred to the events they were announcing
as God’s judgments.
The prophets were actually warning of the consequences of rejecting God and his law. The
law provided Israel with protection from the spiritual powers of evil. When they rejected God
and stopped applying his law, they lost their spiritual protection. This enabled the spiritual
powers of evil to attack them and wreak havoc on their land. God’s verdict on Israel’s
behaviour gave the evil powers authority to act and bring harm to the nation.
The Mosaic law provided the Israelites with spiritual protection. Obeying the law kept them
separate from people and things carrying evil spirits. The tabernacle sacrifices provided
further protection. When the people rejected the law, they lost that protection and the spiritual
powers of evil were able to work their harm and make the land desolate. The role of the OT
prophets was to announce the consequences of rejecting God and the spiritual protection that
his law provided.
God was not the initiator of the troubles released by the rebellion of the children of Israel.
They were inflicted by the spiritual powers of evil. They gained the power to do this, because
the people had shut God out of their land squeezed out of the land so he could not protect
them. The people cut themselves off from the protection that God provided through the law.
The troubles announced by the prophets were initiated by the spiritual powers of evil when
they had gained a free hand in the land. The prophets did not understand the operation of
these spiritual powers, so they often described the coming troubles as if God was responsible
for them. He seemed to be happy taking responsibility for these events, because he created
the situation where they could occur.
In the modern world, God loves the people of the world, even when they have rejected him.
He does not want to harm them, even if they deserve it. His desire is to rescue them and
protect them from the spiritual powers of evil, but many choose not to be rescued by him,
partly because they do not realise it is possible. Because he loves them, he does not use his
prophets to pronounce curses or judgments against them. He loves the people of the world
and wants their friendship.
Because they have rejected God, the people of the world are vulnerable to attack by the
spiritual powers of evil. These attacks are the consequence of their rejection of his love and
the protection that he could provide. God knows what the spiritual powers of evil are
planning to do, so he can use his prophets to warn his people of the harm they are planning.
God does not use his prophets to announce his judgment on the people of the world, because
that would nullify the message that he loves them. The message of the prophets should be the
message of Jesus.
God loved the world so much that he sent his son so it would not perish (John 3:16).
God may use his prophets to warn the people of what the spiritual powers of evil will be able
to do because he has not been able to rescue them. He does this in the hope that they would
turn to him for help so he can rescue them from what the spiritual powers of evil plan to do.
God has not made a similar covenant with the nations, so the consequences of disobedience
described in Deuteronomy 28 do not apply to them. However, the people of the world are
engaged in the same spiritual battle as the children of Israel. The spiritual powers of evil are
not very creative, so they used the same methods to attack them as they used against the
children of Israel. If the people of nations do not have the spiritual protection provided by the
cross, they will be vulnerable to evil, just like Israelites when they rejected the law. They can
expect the same types of troubles and plagues as the OT prophets announced for Israel.
Christian prophets may sometimes need to warn the people of the world of the consequence
of rejecting God’s offer to rescue them. However, they must not say that God is judging them
or that he is initiating the events that they are prophesying. The prophets must explain that
dark events are the works of the spiritual powers of evil. They should declare that God still
loves them and wants to rescue them from the trouble that is coming.
The Old Testament prophets were sometimes blunt because they did not have the fulness of
the Spirit that we have. God was not reaching out to the nations in their season, so it did not
matter too much, but in the new covenant age, excessive bluntness and condemnation is an
obstacle to a gospel of God’s love.
12. Removing Evil Rulers
The exception is that God does sometimes pronounce judgement against kings, rulers and
political powers who are doing serious harm. These leaders have demanded that the people of
their nation accept their authority and submit to them. The people who submit to them
become vulnerable to any spiritual powers that the rulers have given a place. If the rulers are
not careful, they can leave the people open to attack by powerful evil spirits that can do
terrible harm. In this situation, the people who trust their rulers to protect them from the
physical threats that they fear are betrayed, and left exposed to far worse spiritual and
physical evil.
When kings and rulers surrender to spiritual evil (often unwittingly), God pronounces
judgment against them, because they empower the spiritual powers of evil to do great evil
amongst the people that they are responsible for protecting. God will use his prophets to
pronounces judgment against them to remove them from their position and protect the people
who trusted them. Babylon the Great is an example. It opens the people it controls up to great
evil, so it has to be removed from power. John announced God’s judgment against Babylon
the Great in the book of Revelation (Rev 18).
The prophet's declaration and intercession give God authority to deal with evil rulers. When a
situation turns sour and God needs to take action, his prophetic voices announce his
condemnation of the evil government. This prophetic declaration gives God permission to
send a preventive judgment against the evil ruler that the prophet had pronounced judgment
against. The prophet's declaration expresses God's judgment/verdict on the evil ruler. God's
action against the evil ruler represents his sentence against him.
In these situations, prophets and judgments go together. Without the prophets, God would not
have authority to bring preventive judgments against evil rulers. Unless God sends judgments
against evil rulers, the prophets would be just crying in the wind. Prophets and judgment of
evil rulers are part of God's strategy for constraining evil in the world.
The modern world thinks of judgment as a grumpy god going around whacking people.
However, most people in the world do not get justice. Their life is full of injustice. Various
empires and political leaders have promised to get them justice, but the ordinary people never
receive it. Fair judgment is good news for most people.
If we want to understand God's judgement we should read the Beatitudes. The poor will be
blessed. The rich will be disappointed, because they have already received their comfort.
Those who have had plenty and privilege might miss out.
13. Preparing for Danger
When Paul was going up to Jerusalem the prophet Agabus warned him of the danger that he
would face there (Acts 21:10,11). God often prepares his people in this way. The prophet is a
watchman, who warns God's people of coming trouble.
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set? Does a trap spring up
from the earth when there is nothing to catch? When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the
people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it? Surely the
Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets (Amos
3:5-7).
Warning of trouble is only a part of the prophetic role. The more important and difficult role
of the prophet is to prepare God's people to remain strong through the times of distress and to
be victorious out the other side.
Prophets should be telling God's people what to do, so they will be ready when troubles
come. They should be explaining how Christians can remain strong while the world is
crumbling and weak. They should explain how Christians would be able to reach out to the
people of the world who are struggling and draw them into a place of safety. They should be
telling them how to start building the new thing that God wants to establish in the middle of
the world's troubles.
We do not need more prophets warning of political and economic disasters. We need
prophets who can prepare Gods people how to survive through the difficult times and deliver
a new thing after the times of distress run their course.
The Bible describes the "men from Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel
should do" (1 Chron 12:32). Every society needs prophets who understand the times and
know what God's people should do. Most of the time this gift has been lacking from the
church.
When Rome fell, Christians were shocked. The Roman Empire had been around for 500
years, so they assume that it would be around forever. Christians believed that it was part of
God's plan for expanding his Kingdom. They were so used to it being there, that they could
not imagine life without it. Worse still, church structures had aligned with imperial power
structures, so Christians found it hard to cope without the order of the empire. No prophets
prepared Christians for the collapse of Rome. They had not warned Christians how to live in
a world without an empire, so they struggled to cope, an enormous opportunity was lost. It
took the church a 1000 years to regain the ground that was lost.
We have the same problem in the modern world. Democratic political power and the nation
state have dominated life in the West that we find it hard to imagine life without them.
However, they are not part of God's plan of salvation, so they will not last forever. When the
western political system collapses, will Christians be ready to take advantage of the
opportunity, or will we be stunned and confused like the Christians in the Roman Empire.
Unless the quality of our prophetic ministry improves, we will be stuck in the headlights of
disaster, just like them.
14. Interpreting the Signs of the Times
Jesus criticised the Jews because they could understand the weather, but they could not
interpret the signs of the times.
He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's
going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and
it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is
it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? (Luke 12:54-56).
Prophets must be able to understand the signs of the times and interpret them to the world.
15. Meaning of History.
Prophets have a role in explaining the meaning of history. When a culture loses an
understanding of its history, it loses its sense of direction. Clifford Hill has explained this
really well.
The church has been unable to give an effective lead in secular society due to the loss of a sense of mission and
direction. Without a clear sense of its own purpose, identity and destiny the church has been powerless to
influence an increasingly secular society. A major cause of the church's loss of direction has been due to the lack
of a clear concept of the meaning of history. Mankind is crying out for an understanding of history. This is of
fundamental importance for grappling with the underlying issues concerning the meaning and purpose of life
itself. The church will never be able to satisfy the deepest longings of mankind and give a lead to secular nations
or point the way to creative policies promoting health, happiness and the well-being of mankind until Christians
recover an understanding of history (Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations p.21).
God's actions in human history had to be interpreted and this was one of the major roles of the prophets
(Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations p.23).
The Bible reveals a God who has plans for the whole world, which cannot be thwarted. Once God has
announced his purposes nothing can stand against him or prevent him from fulfilling his word. This
understanding of God as the Lord of history is something that has very largely been lost by the western church.
It has resulted in a powerlessness to declare the word of God with prophetic power and conviction in the second
half of the twentieth century when all the nations have been shaken. When God stretches out his hand and says
that the time has come for a nation or a people, they can no longer stand (Clifford Hill - Shaking the Nations
p.26).
God's plan for history is revealed through his prophets.
In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the
Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets (Eph 3:4,5).
16. Testing of Prophecy
Prophets are called to speak God's word. Another important part of their ministry, which we
need to see developed, is testing prophecy.
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said (1
Cor 14:29).
Part of the prophetic role is to sit and listen to prophecies and "weigh carefully" the words
that are spoken. This is something that two or three should do together. If a prophecy does
not get a consensus of support it should be discarded.
Testing prophecies is a very important aspect of the prophetic ministry. We are now hearing
more and more prophetic words being spoken to the church, but the quality is still very
mixed. Christians do not know which words they should take seriously. Many warnings of
disasters have not been fulfilled. This unclear sounding of the trumpet is producing confusion
in the church. The solution is for prophets to get more involved in testing of prophecies and
sorting out the wheat from the chaff. Churches that are moving in prophecy should set up
processes for this to happen.
17. Watchman
Some prophets are watchmen or people of vision who stand on the walls of the city of God to
see what God is doing. They look into the distance to see what is coming. They often see a
long way ahead. Several scriptures describe the role of the watchman.
The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all
his paths, and hostility in the house of his God (Hos 9:8).
Ezekiel was called to be a watchman.
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them:
'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men
and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the
trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and
the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the
sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had
taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and
does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one
of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman
accountable for his blood.' "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel;
so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, 'O
wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways,
that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you
do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin,
but you will have saved yourself. "Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you
are saying: "Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them.
How then can we live?" ' Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.
Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' (Ezek 33:1-11).
The prophet was called a watchman because he basically functioned in the spiritual realm just
as the literal watchmen did in the natural realm. The natural watchmen were stationed at
specific posts on the walls of the city that gave them the visibility to watch for the king or
other members of the nobility to announce their coming. They were also to look for enemies
from without, or disorder arising within the city, or camp of Israel.
Elijah's servant needed to have his eyes opened to see the full reality of his situation. This is
something we all need.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army
with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the
servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than
those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then
the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots
of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:15-17).
18. Challenging the Nation
The primary responsibility of the prophet is to speak to the people of God. He brings both
direction and correction to the Church. But a prophet may also be called to speak to his
nation. Many of the prophets of the Old Testament found themselves confronting kings, and
taking an important role in national affairs. Some also addressed their words to foreign
nations. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel each prophesied to the surrounding nations (Is 13-12,
Jer 46-51, Ezek 25-32).
The church will always be the prophet's main concern, but this wider prophetic role urgently
needs restoring.
The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil
ways” (2 Kings 17:13).
19. Initiating God's Action
God does nothing without warning his people first. Part of the prophetic role is to release
God's activity by providing these warnings (Amos 3:7). Isaiah spoke of God stretching out
his hand according to his plan.
The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have
purposed, so it will stand... This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand
stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back? (Is 14:24-27).
The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth
will see the salvation of our God (Is 52:10).
20. Explaining What Must Be Done
Many prophets are warning of future disastrous events, but very few are explaining what God
is doing and how he will work through these events to bring change. Seeing from within the
dark cloud of events seems to prevents them from seeing what Jesus is seeing.
A related problem is that many Christians seem to enjoy warnings of judgement on the world,
more than they want strategies that would require them to take action to bring in the victory
of God.
God does not cause troubles and calamities; they are rooted in human evil or folly with a bit
of demonic mischief thrown in. During a judgement, God takes this human mess and works it
for good to achieve his purposes. One role of the prophet is to warn of troubles before they
come, so God's people can prepare. Their more important task is to explain what God is
doing through the event, so his people can participate in his purposes. Prophets can only
accomplish the latter task, if they are standing outside the dark cloud of human events and
seeing with the eyes of Jesus.
When a prophet receives a warning of a calamitous event, their task has just begun. The next
step is to find out what God plans to achieve through the event, and his strategy for the
people who want to participate in his purposes during that event. We need more of the eyes of
Jesus and less of the dark cloud.
According to Romans12:6, Christians with the gift of prophesying should prophesy in
proportion to their faith. Prophesying judgment to a nation in decline does not take much
faith. Prophesying the strategy by which God will use the judgement to change the nation and
bring a great victory takes much more faith. That is a challenge for modern prophets.
21. Theology
Prophets should be experts on God. Part of their role is to pass on theological and biblical
insights to the church. A prophet should also be a theologian.
22. Healing the Sick
Some prophets are used in healing the sick. Elijah was a prophet who moved effectively in
the gift of healing. Elisha followed in his mentor's footsteps.
When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut
the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the
boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the
boy's body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then
got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and
opened his eyes (2 Kings 4:32-35).
As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill
and bring Back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy?
See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" When Elisha the man of God heard that the
king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes?
Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman
went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a
messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be
restored and you will be cleansed." (2 Kings 5:7-10).
23. Appointing and Anointing Leaders
In Old Testament times, God often used a prophet to appoint and anoint a king. Samuel
anointed Saul and then David as King. A prophet anointed Solomon as his successor.
So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the
Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon.
Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they
sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" (1 Kings 1:3839).
Elijah was told to anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel (1 Kings 19:16).
The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him,
"Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.
When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him
away from his companions and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the
oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then
open the door and run; don't delay!" So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.
When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. "I have a message for you,
commander," he said. "For which of us?" asked Jehu. "For you, commander," he replied. Jehu
got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared,
"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the Lord 's people
Israel.' " ..Then he opened the door and ran (2 Kings 9:1-10).
Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. So Elijah went
from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and
he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him
(1 Kings 19:16, 19).
24. Advising Kings and Political Rulers
Prophets have a powerful role in providing advice to kings and rulers. When God wanted to
give guidance to a ruler, he often gave it through a prophet. David had the prophets Nathan
and Gad in his palace. They advised him about a whole range of matters.
After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies
around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the
ark of God remains in a tent." Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go
ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you." That night the word of the Lord came to Nathan
Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation (2 Sam 7:1-4,17).
But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah."
So David left and went to the forest of Hereth (1 Sam 22:5).
David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord,
"I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of
your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." Before David got up the next morning, the
word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: "Go and tell David, 'This is
what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out
against you.' " So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years
of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you?
Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer
the one who sent me." David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of
the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." (2 Sam 24:1014).
A prophet advised Ahab as he went into battle.
Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, "This is what the Lord
says: 'Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know
that I am the Lord.' " "But who will do this?" asked Ahab. The prophet replied, "This is what
the Lord says: 'The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.' " "And who will
start the battle?" he asked. The prophet answered, "You will".. The king of Israel advanced
and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see
what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again. The man of
God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the Lord says, I will deliver this vast
army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord. The Israelites inflicted a
hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day (1 Kings 20:13-29).
Elisha provided guidance to the army of Israel that frustrated its enemies.
The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the
Arameans are going down there." So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the
man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such
places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them,
"Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?" "None of us, my lord
the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of
Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom" (2 Kings 6:9-12).
Christians prophets should be very careful about supporting evil kings and political leaders,
as this could compromise their ministry. In some situations, they might need to warn the
political leader that God is opposed to them and that their days in power are numbered.
25. Historian
Some prophets are historians. Their interest in the future rolls over into an interest in history.
Many of the historical books of the Old Testament were written by prophets who recorded
the works of God.
The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah
son of Amoz (2 Chron 26:22).
The other events of Abijah's reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the
annotations of the prophet Iddo (2 Chron 13:22).
As for the events of King David's reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records
of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer,
together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him
and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands (1 Chron 29:29,30).
26. Guiding Angels
Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve God's children (Heb 1:14). They are sent by God.
They serve God's people.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Who excel in strength,
who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His,
who do His pleasure (Psalm 103:19-21).
Angels are created for obedience. They are listeners and followers. They do not have the
friendship with God that is opened up to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Angels
often do not know as much about what is on the Father's heart as we do. They often "excel in
strength", far more than they excel in wisdom and decision making.
Angels move between heaven and earth. When they are in heaven, they know what God is
doing, because his Kingdom is established there. When they are on earth, they are dependent
on other messengers from heaven to keep them up-to-date with what God is doing.
Angels are sent to earth to serve us, but as events develop and change, they often do not know
what to do next. They sometimes have to wait for our prophetic declarations before they
know what to do. When they hear the Holy Spirit's word through us, they do it. They
recognise his voice and obey it. They listen to a prophetic word and work to accomplish it.
That is one reason why God does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the
prophets (Amos 3:7).
Speaking in the language of angels is good (1 Cor 13:1), because it helps the angels to hear
what the Holy Spirit is saying.
Levels of Activity
Prophets can minister at different levels.
i) People
Some prophets specialise in speaking to individual people. Personal prophecy provides:

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guidance
encouragement
correction
ii) Church
Other prophets speak primarily to their church. As they develop in this ministry, they may
also speak into other churches. Prophets provide a church with:

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guidance
vision
encouragement
warnings
purity
iii) The Nations
Some people will be called to be a prophet to their nation. They may also develop to speak to
other nations. A prophet to a nation provides:
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advice to rulers
interpretation of God's law
warning of judgement