The Gifts: Prophecy
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
February 9, 2000
Introduction
A gift of the Holy Spirit is a special ability given to a believer by the Holy Spirit.
It is not a natural born talent, like music is for some people. A person may indeed be "gifted" in music, but it is not part of our list of gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit.
It is not some kind of earned "merit badge" for good Christians. It is a form of "grace". One of the Greek word for "gifts" is charismata, or, "workings of grace".
The Gift of Prophecy
Definition of gift:
prophecy – propheteia – prophecy. From pro (for, forth, on behalf of) + phemi (to speak). Hence, to speak for or on behalf of someone else.
The prophet is merely a person who relays God’s words or God’s will to people.
We often think of prophecy as telling the future. That may be only part of what is involved. It is actually speaking for God. Since God knows the future, fore-telling may actually come to pass.
Definition:
Speaking for God to another person.
Scriptural examples of the gift:
The Bible
The Bible is a book of prophecy. That’s the essence of the Scriptures, prophecy. It is God’s Word written down.
(2 Tim 3:16-17 KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17} That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Isaiah
All we’ve been studying on Sunday mornings is pure unadulterated prophecy.
(Isa 44:6-8 KJV) Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. {7} And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them. {8} Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
God is able to talk about the future because He is God. There is no other like Him.
Jesus
I’m not sure we could really say that Jesus fits the classic definition of a prophet. When Jesus spoke, He wasn’t necessarily speaking for God because He was God.
But Jesus also was careful to speak for the Father, and in this sense He was a prophet.
(John 17:8 KJV) For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Agabus
(Acts 21:10-14 KJV) And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. {11} And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. {12} And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. {13} Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. {14} And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Agabus was a New Testament prophet. Agabus told Paul what would befall him. Paul listened to the warning, but still went to Jerusalem. God may give us warnings, but it may be just to prepare us for what lies ahead.
How the gift is used:
1. Visions and dreams.
(Num 12:6 KJV) And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Visions
- being awake and seeing God’s message.(Amos 7:8-9 KJV) And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: {9} And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
The word "seest" (Heb., ra’ah) is the root idea behind the word "vision" (mar’ah).
Sometimes as we are waiting on the Lord, someone will say, "I see a picture of …". This is a form of prophecy.
Dreams - being asleep while receiving God’s message. I hope you don’t receive these while you’re in church. A brother in our church who is learning to cultivate his gift of prophecy has had several prophetic dreams.
2. Edification, exhortation, and consolation.
(1 Cor 14:1-5 KJV) Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. {2} For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. {3} But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. {4} He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. {5} I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
Prophesy is greater than tongues, because prophesy builds up the whole body, whereas tongues only builds up the individual, unless there is interpretation.
Edification - to build up another in their faith. To help them to trust Jesus more.
"God loves you so much, and He’s not going to let you down. He knows all about you and has a purpose and plan for you. He’s worked in the past and He’ll work again in your future."
Exhortation - To encourage someone to move on in their faith. To get them going in the Lord.
"Brother, you need to do something here. God wants you to obey Him, not just talk about Him."
Note: Sometimes I’ve heard the counsel that we ought to reject a "prophecy" if it is negative in tone because it isn’t edifying. Yet there is much in the Bible that is negative in tone. Warnings to repent and of judgment to come are in both the Old and New Testaments.
Negative prophecies aren’t to be rejected outright just because they’re negative, but I have to admit that the times I’ve heard some fairly negative things, I was convinced that it wasn’t the Lord but instead the speaking of a bitter, angry person who was using "prophecy" as a way of venting their anger.
Consolation - To comfort someone who is hurting. To bring emotional healing to one who is depressed.
"Brother, the Lord is so near to you right now."
3. Bringing people to Jesus.
(1 Cor 14:23-25 KJV) If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? {24} But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: {25} And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
God knows the secrets of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. If we as a body are open to God speaking as He wants to, there may be times when He chooses to reveal a person’s heart, just to blow them away and open there eyes that He’s real and that He wants them to follow Him.
4. Rules in the church.
(1 Cor 14:29-33 KJV) Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
There is a limit to the number of prophecies that should be given.
I frankly often forget to keep track of it. I don’t think we get enough of it. But there is a limit to things.
Sometimes we get the idea that if the Spirit is really working, that it will go on for a long, long time and we can’t stop it. Not so. God gives us control. God says to keep things in order.
{30} If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. {31} For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
Here Paul is saying, "Prophets, don’t get so long winded. If you start to feel your message is finished, then finish. Let someone else have a chance to speak. The operation of the gifts is not to be about you getting your turn in the spotlight. It’s about letting God work.
Note about prayer: I think that sometimes, some of us could work at keeping our prayers to the point. Sometimes we tend to rattle on and on and mean
{32} And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. {33} For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
There is a sense in which you, as a prophet, do not lose control over yourself. You do not have to go on and on and on. You may stop. You may start.
God is not behind the confusion that can often get mixed up in people’s minds when it comes to the things of the Holy Spirit.
5. With Faith
(Rom 12:6 NLT) …So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you.
It takes faith to speak for God.
It’s not just a matter of having a message from the Lord in your mind, but to be brave enough to speak it out in front of others, to risk being "wrong", takes faith.
Weymouth has a helpful note: "Let there be no word spoken but from the conviction that God gives it."
But when you begin to have something in your mind, you’re going to have to exercise faith to speak it out. It’s risky.
Sometimes only one sentence comes until we have spoken it, and then the rest of the prophecy flows forth. We need to take the first step by faith.
How the gift may be misused:
1. Lack of discernment.
(1 Cor 14:29 KJV) Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
Words that are spoken as prophecy should be "judged" to be of the Lord or not.
A person who is giving a "prophecy" needs to be ready and willing to have their words scrutinized.
Donald Gee, (Spiritual Gifts in the Ministry Today, pg. 50), writes, "One of the abiding safeguards for those who wish to be true is humility of mind, and a willingness always to submit their revelation "to another that sitteth by".
Tests of Prophecy:
a. Does it come true?
(Deu 18:22 KJV) When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
God’s words on the future will always come to pass because God knows the future.
b. Correct theology?
(Deu 13:1-3 KJV) If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, {2} And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; {3} Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Here, the warning is that there may be prophecies that come will actually come to pass, but the person is encouraging you to worship something other than Jesus.
If there should ever be a time when one of the tabloid prophets actually hits on something, you still shouldn’t follow them because they are not pointing to Jesus.
Mormons claim to have had signs and wonders over the years, but they teach that "Adam is our god", that Jesus was the brother to Lucifer, and that we all can become gods. Bad theology.
c. The discerning of spirits.
(1 John 4:1 KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
There’s going to be time that things are said that don’t quite fit anywhere in Scripture, and they aren’t necessarily things that are being predicted.
God may use the "discerning of spirits" in someone’s life to validate a word.
Once the prophet Jeremiah was with a group of prophets (Jer. 28), when one of them broke out with a prophecy declaring that the Babylonian captivity would be over in two more years. At that time, Jeremiah basically said, "I sure hope so, sounds good to me." But as Jeremiah was walking home from church, the Lord spoke to him and told him that it wasn’t true. God told Jeremiah that the prophecy was false.
The difficulty with this is that this too borders on prophecy as well. It can be a subjective thing as well.
We have a great need for those with the gift of discernment.
2. Lack of self-control.
(1 Cor 14:32 KJV) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
One who receives a prophecy can control how he speaks it or when he speaks it.
Some Pentecostal churches will have people giving a word of prophesy with loud shrieks, or with a low voice, or with, "Thus saith the Lord" followed by King James English, or even speaking in the first person...
Not necessary. Prophecy can come very quietly and very naturally. When I find myself prophesying, sometimes it when counseling and the Holy Spirit comes upon me, and its hard to know how to phrase it because you don’t want to draw attention to yourself or that fact that you’re prophesying, you want the person’s attention on the message.
3. Your imagination
(Jer 23:16-32 KJV) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
This is pretty serious stuff. It ought to make us think twice before we venture out to say, "Thus saith the Lord".
The consequences of prophesying falsely in the name of the Lord
(Deu 18:20 KJV) But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
With a seriousness like this, who would dare even speak up and say anything?
I wonder if it isn’t okay for us to test the water to see if we’re on track. I think it’s a valid thing to say, "I think the Lord may be saying …" and then let the people judge to see if it’s valid or not. I think that in my own experience there has been a process where I’m learning to recognize the voice of the Lord.
But I do think that a "word from the Lord" isn’t going to be a thing that you’re always "wondering" about. I see in my own life that there are times when I’m POSITIVE that God has a certain message for a person. Sometimes it happens when I’m teaching, sometimes it happens as I’m counseling one on one with a person. For me, there’s a sense of a "definite certainty" about the message.