© by Gary W. Crisp
The Lord’s Prophets
Ephesians 4:11b:
“And some of the gifts He gave were...prophets”
The Greek word, prophetes (prof-ay'-tace), means: a foreteller [note: Not a fortune-teller, but a fore-teller...one who tells of events before they happen]; also means a “prophet”; by analogy, an inspired speaker; one who is inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak the Mind of God and to reveal and make clear the Heart of God.
A prophet could also be one who is a poet or a psalmist, even as King David. I actually know a prophet who sometimes speaks in a lyrical, poetical fashion when moved upon by the Spirit. All through the Old Testament, prophets were “raised up” and appointed by the Lord to aid Israel and Judah during times of emergencies and conflicts. During the time of Samuel, the priesthood of the Nation of Israel had become quite degenerate, as we can see by the examples of Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas (1st Samuel 1:22-36, especially verses 27-34 ). These last verses show us a prophet coming to prohesy “against” Eli, telling him of his evil sons and the judgment that the Lord would bring upon his house. This prophecy is fulfilled in 1st Samuel 4:10-11, and from that day forth Samuel was highly favored of God.
While Moses was considered
“The Ultimate Old Testament Prophet”, Samuel also was a prophet in his own right; a man of high honor and degree (1st Samuel 3:20, 21). And, like Moses, Samuel was also a Priest (1st Samuel 7:9, 10) and a Judge (1st Samuel 7:15-17). Samuel even began a “School of the Prophets”, one at Ramah (1st Samuel 19:18-24) and several at Bethel, Jericho and Gilgal (see (2nd Kings 2:3, 5; 4:38) . Much could be said about Samuel: He was the last of the judges, first of the recognized prophets, and he, along with David and others, was the founder of the monarchy in Israel, though “founder” would not be the term Samuel would use. We see, in 1st Samuel 8:4-7 how Samuel feels about a king in Israel:
“Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old, and your sons are not walking in your ways; make us a king to judge us like all the nations’. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us’, and Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them’.” And in 1st Samuel 10:19: “And you have this day
rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, Lord, but set a king over us’.”Samuel clearly understood the ramifications of all of this. Rejecting God to have a man rule over them was going to be the wrong path to follow. 1st Samuel 8:10-18 shows the people of Israel just how wrong they were in their thinking, but they refused to listen. Verse 19 tells us how stubborn and rebellious the people were. Basically they replied, “Shut up and give us our king!” Samuel did, much to his dismay. Even so, he still followed after the heart of God and accomplished his mission, his calling in life: His calling? His main mission? It was the organization of the new “Kingdom” of Israel.
Three “Kinds” of Prophets
Before we study the The Gift of the Prophet, we need to look at three distinct areas of the “prophetic”. First, there is the The Gift of the Prophet, which is the office, or “calling” of a prophet. This would be like the “mantle” we discussed in Part One of this teaching, and it is one of the Five Ministry Gifts Jesus gives to the Church. It, like the apostle, is a gift accompanied by a “special anointing” from the Lord, with His Hand of Blessing giving them spiritual favor. As we have seen in the previous paragraphs, both Moses and Samuel were Old Testament Prophets. As we said in an earlier teaching, Moses and Samuel were also types of Old Testament Apostles.
Secondly, there is a “prophetic flow”, brought on by a spiritual stirring within the Body of Christ or a body of believers who are gathered together. This we will call the Spirit of Prophecy. By “spiritual stirring”, I mean the move of God upon a group of people. If you read 1st Samuel 19:18-24, you saw how the “atmosphere of the prophetic” can affect anyone, even the rebellious King Saul. This area of the prophetic will, most likely, seem unusual to those of you who have never been around the “atmosphere of the prophetic”, but don’t worry...we will spend plenty of time discussing this spiritual phenomenon.
Thirdly, there is the “Gift of Prophecy”, as mentioned by Paul in 1st Corinthians 12:10 . This gift we will look at in length in the next chapter or section of this teaching, probably with a “link” at the end of this page. We will look carefully at all three, explaining each type of gifting and distinguishing one from the other. As always, we will make every effort to use plenty of scripture to help in our teaching.
The Differences Between --
the Office of the Prophet,
the Spirit of Prophecy, and
the Gift of Prophecy
The Office of the Prophet
As we discussed in Part One, the “mantle” of the prophet must be placed upon the newly chosen prophet by someone greater than themselves. We decided that this would have to be Jesus Christ. He, being the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, is over all. He is the one to give the Gift of the Prophet to the Church. He is the one Who knows where and when a prophet is needed, and He knows who He wants to “call” and “send”. Furthermore, He knows who will be faithful to His “call” and to His people.
1st Cor. 14:29 : “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. v.32 : And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. v.37 : “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or to be spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” Ephesians 2:20 : “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone; Eph. 3:5 : “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophetsby the Spirit...” Hebrews 1:1 (I am giving Paul credit as the author of this book, as many do) “God, Who at various times and in diverse manners, spoke in the past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son...”
Peter:
James:
John:
As in the Old Testament days, the days in which we live have difficulties, emergencies and conflicts. Why should we live “without” prophetic guidance, direction and even correction? These are all things which the Old Testament believers had under the leadership of the prophets, and we, today, should not be without these blessings and benefits. This is why Paul, Peter, James and John all spoke broadly of the place and work of a prophet. Here are a few scriptures:
Paul:
Romans 11:3 — (Paul, quoting the Old Testament prophet, Elijah) : “Lord, they have killed Your prophets, and torn down Your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” 1st Cor. 12:28 : “God has set gifts in the church: First apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. v.29 : “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?Paul’s message, concerning prophets, ranges from familiarizing his readers with the prophet and their human frailties (Elijah), to the discussion of what a prophet should or should not do. Paul just naturally accepted the fact that there would be prophets in the church, and all those he taught seemed to accept the same. Paul’s main concern was instructional; we see this in 1st Corinthians, chapters 12 and 14. Even though some of that teaching is in reference to the “gift of prophecy” (1st Cor. 12:10, 13:2, 14:3-5 ), he still talks about the “office of the prophet” (1st Cor. 12:28, 29; 1st Cor. 14:29, 32, 37; Ephesians 2:20 and Hebrews 1:1).
Let us especially look at 1st Cor. 14:3 : “But he that prophesies speaks unto men for their edification, exhortation, and comfort”. This is the “test” of a true prophet. We, today, need the same instruction and guidance, but before we can expect the prophetic” to flow with strength and with edifying results in our churches and gatherings, we must understand and accept Paul’s teachings. Without his insight and wisdom, we will not have an important part of the spiritual gifts that God has so graciously given to the Church. Instead, we’ll have confusion and disunity in the Body of Christ.
1st Peter 1:10 : “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you. 2nd Peter 3:2 : “That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.”
2nd Peter 2:1 : “But also know this: There were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2nd Peter 2:15, 16 : “But [Balaam] was rebuked for his iniquity; the donkey speaking with a man’s voice to hinder the madness of the prophet.”
The first two verses I’ve listed here reflect Peter’s encouraging words to his readers, where he reminds them: The prophets brought them messages of Grace and Hope. He also admonishes that they “be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets”. Peter respected the prophets of old, calling them “holy”. True prophets of his time and even our own time will also be “holy” men and women. He, like Paul, held prophets in high regard. In the final two verses listed here, Peter changes gears, speaking a warning about false prophets and false teachers that he knew would come to stand against the Lord and His Church. The results of false prophets and those who follow them is “swift destruction”.
James 5:10 :
“Take, my brothers, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”
James simply explains to his readers that there is a cost, a price that a true prophet will pay for their services to the Lord and His people: Suffering affliction, meaning “hardship”, “suffering” and “spiritual discomfort”; patience means “longsuffering”,
“forbearance”, and “fortitude”. In other words, the life of a prophet was not an easy one. Suffering was, and is a part of the life of the true prophet of the Lord. Again, now, we’re talking about the office or one of the five ministry gifts Christ gave the church. These are those whom Christ has placed a “mantle” or special anointing upon.
Revelation 22:6 : “And he said unto me, ‘These sayings are faithful and true, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His messenger to show His servants the things which must shortly be done’.” v.9 : “Then he said to me...‘I am your fellowservant, and of your brothers the prophets, and I am of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God’.”
1st John 4:1 : “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, and see whether they are of God or not, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.Revelation 2:20:
“Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you have allowed that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.John, like the others, speaks reverently of the “holy prophets” and the words they bring and speak. He understood the weighty responsibility they carried; especially those prophets who spoke of end-time things...things yet to come. John, himself, was this kind of prophet. He spoke almost exclusively of those things “yet to be”; the end-time prophecies. Even so, it is very interesting how he spoke so very much about the subject of Love as well. As a matter of fact, John is more known as “the Disciple (or Apostle) of Love” than “John, the Revelator”. For this very reason then, the prophet of God must know the Mind and the Heart of God. And, as we spoke repeatedly on the very first page of the first part of this teaching...God IS Love. To know His Mind and His Heart is to know Love. This is John’s true legacy, found in the first epistle of John, especially the 4th chapter.
So, What is the Office of a Prophet?
From what we have seen, the prophet is one of the Five Gifts of Christ to the Church. This gift, this calling, is a “special” calling. It is Jesus, the Head of the Church, placing His Hand upon a certain person, then
“sending them forth” as He wills. He “calls” them; He “sends” them. Like the apostle, the prophet’s life is not “their own”. They belong to the Lord, Who then “gives” them to the Church (the Body of Christ). So, they truly belong to the Church, meaning the prophet “serves”, or is a servant to the churches of Jesus Christ.
This is how we may know if a person is a “true” prophet of the Lord: Do they serve the people and the churches of the Lord? Do they have a servant’s heart? Or are they always exalting themselves, their ministry, and their words. There may be times when it is necessary for a true prophet to say “hard things” to the Body, but they will always bring the hearts of the people “back to God”. We saw this in 1st Corinthians 14:3 : “But he that prophesies speaks unto men for their edification, exhortation, and comfort”.
I’ve used the words “true prophet” several times and let me just say: A True Prophet is one who is “called of God”, “hears God” and “serves God and His people”. This is opposed to a “false prophet”, who is not called of God, neither does he hear from God, nor does he serve God or His people. A false prophet can either be “posing as a prophet” to serve his own willful needs, or he may actually be sent by demonic forces. Sometimes, great discernment is needed to determine what is motivating a false prophet. I’ve also used the gender “he” (which is neutral), when I am well aware that a woman can be a prophet. I have no problems with women ministers, and certainly have no problems with women prophets. Many “words” spoken to me, that have had a powerful effect upon my life, came through the lips of a female prophet. Now, having said that... allow me a moment to share a “word of caution”. It will be continued on the next page.
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