What is Prophecy - Part 1

Introduction

Many Christians believe in prophecy, believing that God speaks to people today. But what does it mean for God to speak to people, what is prophecy?

Often, when we hear the word ‘prophecy’, or perhaps ‘prophesy’ or ‘prophet’, we think of the Old Testament and people like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos and others. There are, after all, five major books of prophecy in the Old Testament and twelve minor prophetic books. So seventeen out of a total of thirty nine books in the Old Testament are prophetic in nature. It’s hardly surprising that the word ‘prophecy’ leads us to think of the Old Testament.

However, a quick count of references in a concordance shows 186 references to ‘prophecy’, ‘prophesy’, ‘prophet’ etc in the New Testament. These occur across the breadth of New Testament writings.

Knowing what prophecy is helps us to know what it isn’t. Knowing what it isn’t helps us to defend and protect what it is. This is all part of treating prophecy well, as Paul urges us in 1 Thessalonians.

We read, study, and apply scripture to our lives today, both the Old and New Testaments, treating them as equal parts of the same whole. So it seems clear to me that prophecy, as part of the New Testament, is for today, but what is it, and who is it for? These are the questions, among others, that we shall attempt to answer in this two part study.

Personal Question

• What do you think of when you hear the word ‘prophecy’? Maybe write it down, then you can revisit it during this study.

• Do you think prophecy is for the Church today?

Prophecy is a spiritual gift

1 Corinthians 12 -14; it is worth taking time to read these three chapters now. They are packed with helpful teaching on spiritual gifts, including prophecy. These gifts are given as the Spirit determines.

“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”

1 Corinthians 12: 11

This launches the passage where Paul likens the church to the body. Each part is important, each part has a specific role to play. We are all involved and all important for the healthy functioning of the church, each of us has a role to play.

“If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?”

1 Corinthians 12: 17

Each role is important, each gift has its place. As the Church we are the body of Christ, we need every part of that body. We need each part operating well, performing its role. Imagine if you went to the gym and trained only your right arm. It would become very strong, but as the rest of the body could not operate with that strength it would really be a deformity (illustration taken from Pytches D, Buckingham, J. Some Say it Thundered, 1991). So it is with the church. If we operate only in teaching, or only in healing, or only in prophecy then we are not a healthy church, there is no balance. This is what Paul is saying in his body analogy.

The other trap that we can so easily fall into is comparison. Paul is also warning against this in this passage. We can so easily compare ourselves to others, doing so robs us of what the Spirit would do in and through us. It also robs other people of their joy in what God is doing, and it prevents the body from functioning well.

When I was a teenager, and starting to grow in the gift of prophecy I had a friend who God was giving pictures to. These pictures encouraged people, and built them up. The great thing about this friend receiving pictures was he was artistic, he had a real talent. This meant he could draw what God had shown him, actually giving a picture to someone.

Unfortunately he thought the words I was receiving were somehow better. This robbed him of the joy he could have had. He began to think less and less of the gift he was receiving. He was like an eye complaining he wasn’t an ear (1 Corinthians 12: 16). God was using him, we both were growing in the gift of prophecy, just different expressions.

The difference between comparison and desire is key. When we compare ourselves to others we are robbed of joy; we push ourselves away from God, much like the older son in the story in the prodigal son. When we eagerly desire gifts from God we draw closer to Him. Eagerly desiring a gift draws us towards the giver. There is a real danger here, as my story shows, and it is why Paul then launches into the famous passage on love.

“But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angles, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

1 Corinthians 12: 31 - 13: 2

Reading these verses in the context of chapter 12 shows us this love relates to the gifts of the Spirit. We read here that without love, the primary fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22), operating in the gifts of the Spirit is just an unpleasant noise. If we then consider the broader context of the whole letter we understand that Paul is writing to a situation of some chaos.

“They have a spirituality which has religious trappings (asceticism, knowledge, tongues) but has abandoned genuinely Christian ethics, with its supremacy of love.

(Fee, G. God’s Empowering Presence, 1995, p198)

Paul is letting the people in Corinth, and us today, know that we should eagerly desire the Spiritual gifts but we must first have love. This is in line with Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12: 21 - 31. First love God, then love your neighbour. It is from this place of love that we should use spiritual gifts.

The fact that prophecy is a spiritual gift places the focus on the giver. God is the giver of the gift. The gifts are given to us for the “common good” (1 Corinthians 12: 7). This means that when we receive the gift we give thanks for it. When we use the gift we point people towards the giver.

“All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”

1 Corinthians 12: 11

I love that all these gifts are given by one Spirit, the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity (verses 4 - 6). God is united in Himself, pouring out gifts as He determines for the good of those who love Him.

Prophecy is one of these gifts, it may be given to anyone at any time, and we are to use it from a place of love.

Personal Question

• Spend time in worship, telling God you love Him.

• Ask God to help you love those around you.

Hallmarks of prophecy

We’ve established that prophecy is a spiritual gift, but how does it work, what does it look like in practice? Before we look at the practical side, or the hallmarks of prophecy remember that love is key. We are to love God and love one another. This is of prime importance.

At this point I think a definition of the word “prophecy” will be helpful. We can then look through scripture to see if this definition is valid or needs to change.

“Although several definitions have been given for the gift of prophecy, a fresh examination of the New Testament teaching on this gift will show that it should not be defined as “predicting the future”, nor as “proclaiming a word from the Lord”, nor as “powerful preaching” — but rather as “telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.” ”

(Grudem, W. Systematic Theology, 1994, p1049)

This is a useful definition, serving as a starting point as we continue to look at prophecy, and teaching on prophecy in the New Testament and for the Church today.

Hinted at in the definition is the difference between the Old and New Testaments. As we’ve already said a significant portion of the Old Testament is prophetic books. These are the very words of God recorded for all.

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

2 Peter 1: 20 - 21

In the New Testament prophecy is at a different, more accessible level. However, there are two things that remain the same. In both the Old and New Testament prophecy does two things:

1. it brings people to God, reminding them of who He is,

2. it points to Jesus.

This second point carries some difference. Old Testament prophets pointed forwards, towards a coming Messiah. In the New Testament, and now, prophecy points to a risen and victorious Messiah. In both cases prophecy draws people to God, reminding them of who He is.

“But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort. He who speaks in tongues edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”

1 Corinthians 14: 3 - 4

Prophecy works for the building up of God’s people. Tom Wright, in his commentary on 1 Corinthians explains that Paul is not necessarily focussed on foretelling the future, though that may happen, nor is he emphasising the revelation of facts or situations personal to an individual that may be shared to help that person, though again that may happen. Rather he is concerned with the “God-given wisdom, understanding, insight and teaching that the church badly needs if it is to go forward instead of round and round in circles.” (Wright T, Paul for Everyone 1 Corinthians, 2004, p184)

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4: 11 - 13

Drawing people to Jesus, to unity in Him is a key hallmark of these gifts, including prophecy. These gifts, including prophecy, are to be used in service to others, they are about blessing others, not about building up the user of the gift. Other hallmarks are the building up of God’s people; edifying and encouraging them.

In Acts we get a sense of how this gift works, we see God laying something on people’s hearts, something which they then share.

“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt and tied his own hands and feet with it and said “The Holy Spirit says ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’””

Acts 21: 10 - 11

Here we have a prophecy, yes it is recorded in scripture, but it is not the divine, infallible, authoritative word of God like the prophecies of the Old Testament. A key indicator of this is the language used, “The Holy Spirit says…”. This implies that sense of something coming to mind or being laid on the heart.

Earlier in this same chapter we see Paul seemingly disobey people urging him through the Spirit; Acts 21: 4 - 5. There is a sense of prophecy, of people sharing what God, by His Spirit, has laid on their hearts. They are encouraging Paul not to go to Jerusalem, but he goes. If these words carried the same authority as the Old Testaments prophets Paul would have responded differently.

Let’s now consider this passage, Acts 21, in light of our earlier definition, and the hallmarks of prophecy.

Do these words, particularly those of Agabus, point to Jesus, does what is shared encourage and strengthen the believers? I think so. In this passage we know that the people around Paul are concerned about him going to Jerusalem. They therefore interpret Agabus’ prophecy as a warning not to go. Yet Paul sees it differently; he knows what is coming and is ready for it. In this way the word strengthens Paul’s resolve to follow his calling in Jesus. This, in turn, brings strength to those he is with. They plead with him but eventually they acknowledge that the Lord’s will must be done.

“When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said “The Lord’s will be done.””

Acts 21: 14

The prophetic words and action of Agabus, along with the interpretation of Paul has brought a new strength to all who were there.

With these examples and the definitions from Wright and Grudem, perhaps we can come to a clear statement ourselves.

Prophecy is a gift of the Spirit given by God for the building up of His Church, shared either with individuals or the collected body, it is not on a level with scripture. It may be a spontaneous impression of something to be shared, it may be understanding and insight gained over a longer period of time in reflection and study. Prophecy should always encourage, strengthen, and comfort, it must always point people to Jesus and draw them closer to Him.

Personal Question

• Ask God to lay someone on your heart.

• Ask Him how you can serve them and be a blessing to them this week.