PROPHETS
Wednesday – December 28, 2016
Greetings from The Three Minute Word publication and Eastern Gate Ministries International to all Partners and Friends. God bless you all as you love the Lord your God. Isn’t this Bactrian camel just the most handsome fella? Now back to our Bible Study text from Ephesians.
Ephesians 4:8-12 (KJV)
8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Today I will focus on the office and/or gift of the Prophet. Prophets like the Apostle and the other ministry gifts given of Jesus when He ascended are appointed of Him by the Holy Spirit. The only part that the organized Church may legitimately play is to recognize what God has already ordained. In studying Scripture a good and frequently very enlightening tool is to look at the first use of the word. The word prophet is first used in the Old Testament concerning Abraham and Abimelech.
Genesis 20:6-7 (KJV)
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
A Prophet is an inspired anointed spokesman for God. When Abimelech like Pharaoh before him messed with Abraham God stepped in in a very personal way. When people wittingly or unwittingly plan to hurt a prophet it is taken very seriously by God. The Psalmist and Prophet David speaking concerning Abraham and others said the following.
Psalm 105:15 (KJV)
15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Listen to Jesus as He speaks to the Jewish people and laments their treatment of the prophets and how that treatment would result in their own desolation.
Matthew 23:37-38 (KJV)
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
A Prophet is also one who by the Anointing of God tells of the future to come. As one looks down into the definitions of the word Prophet we find one who is in front of, prior to, superior to (as being above), and one who makes known the thoughts of another, in this case God. Keep in mind that the overarching plan of God is set. That is to say that things like the coming of Jesus as the Lamb of God, His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus’ ascension and restoration fully as God, the catching away of the Church, the Tribulation, the second advent of Jesus, the millennial reign, and the new heaven and new earth are certain. However, the exact timing, the part that each of us are to play in this grand plan of God is according to our free-will choices. Mankind, each of us individually, can play a troublesome role in the plans of God.
Prophets are present in the Church today but commonly not welcome and not recognized. Is there reason to believe that the prophets of this present generation differ from Samuel, Elijah, or Elisha? Did God change? There is a common teaching in the Church today which is that if a Prophet speaks and the content of the prophecy is not consistent with or supported by the written Scripture it is to be discarded. That is a good general rule but prophecy by its very nature may not have a Scriptural precedent any more than Isaiah saying a child would be born of a virgin had a precedent.
Isaiah 7:14 (KJV)
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The main point that I am driving home by the Spirit of God is that the office and gift of Prophet needs to be recognized, taught in the Church, reverenced (not worshipped) for they speak the very thoughts of God and take the people of God out in front of the world (give a heads up in modern vernacular). Every Church should have a Prophet at least on a part-time basis and if they do not recognize one in the congregation one should be prayed for and sought after.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
