What is Prophecy? Session 3
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Session 3 of 12
Session 3 of 12
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals. 19 Now therefore, send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23 Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” 25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water. 36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” 40 And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.
41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” 44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ” 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
Sometimes people are not going to like what we have to say. People will reject Gods message. Elijah called out the prophets of Baal. God prevailed and the prophets of Baal were proven to be nothing but false. But we must remember that the truth will be rejected. They even rejected Jesus and still do. If Jesus was here today it would be the same thing. We never side with the oppressed and the world is full of hate, anger, and sin. Lets take a look at the very first false sermon and go back to Genesis. read EGW quote We must also beware of people who go away from Gods word. question everything and put it up to Gods word. if it isnt in harmony with Gods word then its a falsehood. Gods word is always true. so lets open up and talk a bit about what prophecy is
Prophecy is An oral, divine message mediated through an individual that is directed at a person or people group and intended to elicit a specific response.
definition
: an inspired utterance of a prophet
2: the function or vocation of a prophetspecifically : the inspired declaration of divine will and purpose
3: a prediction of something to come
prophet
1: one who utters divinely inspired revelations: such asaoften capitalized : the writer of one of the prophetic books of the Biblebcapitalized : one regarded by a group of followers as the final authoritative revealer of God's will Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah
2: one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insightespecially : an inspired poet
3: one who foretells future events : PREDICTOR
4: an effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group
Prophecy Defined
In the Old Testament and ancient Near East, prophecy was one among many forms of divination. Examples of prophecy contemporaneous with the Old Testament have been found from the Mesopotamian city of Mari (second millennium bc) and the Neo-Assyrian Empire (seventh century bc). Israel’s belief in Yahweh’s exclusive authority seems to have precluded the use of all but prophecy as an acceptable form of divine communication. Several of the writing prophets deride the court prophets who oppose them by lumping them together with “diviners” (קסמים, qsmym; Mic 3:6, 11; Isa 3:2; Jer 27:9; 29:8; Zech 10:2; Ezek 13:9, 23; 22:28; Ruppert, “קָסַם, qasam”).
Prophecy differs from other forms of divine-human interaction in that a deity speaks directly to the audience. Other ancient Near Eastern forms of divination (e.g., the examination of entrails or the casting of lots) were fundamentally interpretive enterprises undertaken by priests. Although the deity could be described as “speaking” through such forms of divination, the human interpreter neither heard nor proclaimed a direct, oral message. Prophecy can also be distinguished from visions or message-dreams, which were primarily visual. However, the categories of visionary and prophet often overlap (e.g., the prophet Gad; Müller, “נָבִיא, navi'”). Although the role of the prophet is often defined by the act of prophecy, it also involves a variety of actions done on behalf of a deity or in accordance with the deity’s will.
(For further information on the possible distinctions and overlap between the concepts of prophecy, dreams, and visions, see these articles: Vision; Dream.)
Types of Prophecy
The two major categories of divine message are:
1. Prediction, or the foretelling of future events
2. Admonition, which can be either accusatory or exhortatory
These categories often overlap. Yahweh’s accusations could be coupled with the prediction of disaster, and comfort often came in the form of a prediction of divine salvation.
Prophecy as Prediction. Prophecy is most commonly viewed as prediction or foretelling. Biblical examples of predictive prophecy are the oracles against the nations. These prophecies, which appear in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, among others, predict the fall of various nations. Biblical predictions of disaster may be addressed to the king (Jer 35:2–5), civil or religious leaders (Jer 5:5–6, 30–31; Hos 5), or the nation as a whole (Jer 5:1–4, 7–29; Hos 4). The Bible also contains examples of prophets predicting divine salvation (Hos 2:14–23) or military victory (Judg 4:4–9).
Prophecy as Admonition. Prophecies of admonition can take two forms:
1. divine messages of accusation and impending judgment due to the hearer’s rebelliousness
2. divine messages of comfort and exhortation that divine salvation is at hand
Examples of accusation or impending judgment are the prophetic “woes” (e.g., Isa 3:9, 11; 5:8–30; Amos 5:18–24), or the highly stylized oracles of judgment in Amos 1:3–2:16. This kind of prophecy was dominant in the period of the “writing prophets” (eighth and seventh centuries bc). Biblical prophets are often described as arbiters of the covenant in that they brought accusations from Yahweh regarding Israel’s infidelity to the covenant (e.g., Hos 6:4–7:16). Similarly, although many of the oracles preserved from Assyria and Mari are concerned with royal legitimation or military victory, some challenge the king’s behavior or chide him over his lax duties in ministering to the deity (De Jong, Isaiah, 309).
Prophecies of admonition may also be exhortative or conciliatory in nature, and sometimes overlap with the announcement of impending salvation. For example, Isaiah 40–55 begins with the words “Comfort, comfort, my people says your God” and continues with the echoed refrain, “do not fear” (Isa 41:10, 13–14; 43:5; 44:2; compare Isa 49:8; 50:9). Oracles of judgment and salvation often go hand in hand: the prophesied judgment will not last forever. Additionally, prophetic condemnation could be coupled with a promise that Yahweh would relent if the king or people changed their behavior (2 Chr 7:14). Yahweh’s judgment was not immutable, at least at first. It was only when king and people consistently rejected his warnings that the prophets foretold punishment for the people’s stubborn refusal to change (Isa 6:9–10).
Prophetic admonition had a preventative function. Ancient Israelites and near eastern people considered prophets to be the safeguards of the state and people (De Jong, Isaiah, 311–13). Announcement of disaster could lead either to repentance (e.g., Jonah 3:6–10; Joel 2:12–14) or the fulfillment of that disaster. Nevertheless, Yahweh always promised that restoration and renewal would come after a time of suffering (e.g., Isa 40–55; Hos 14; Joel 2:18–3:21).
Prophecy and Symbolic Action
Jeremiah, Hosea, and Ezekiel sometimes prophesied symbolically (Jer 18–19, 27–28; Hos 1; Ezek 4). Ahijah tears his cloak to pieces and gives Jeroboam 10 pieces as a sign that the kingdom of Israel is about to be torn away from Rehoboam and given to him (1 Kgs 11:29–39). The Bible also includes accounts of false prophets attempting to legitimize their message using symbolic actions. Hananiah breaks a yoke to symbolize the end of Babylonian domination. In response, Yahweh has Jeremiah perform another action that invalidates the false prophet’s message (Jer 28).
Prophecy and the Future
Old Testament prophecy was generally concerned with the immediate future. Predictions were considered to be relevant for the generation at hand, like Isaiah’s warnings to Israel in the years leading up to Sennacherib’s campaign (e.g., Isa 1–6). However, some prophetic oracles may have had implications for the later future—a concept called “double fulfillment.” Christian interpretation often reads Isa 42:1–4 as having an immediate fulfillment in the socio-political context of the prophet, and as having a second fulfillment in the life of Jesus. Christopher Smith objects to this approach, arguing that it claims that “God inspired Isaiah to say things that mean one thing (the meaning he was aware of), and then suggest[s] that these words also mean something different from what Isaiah understood them to mean (the New Testament meaning)” (C. Smith, “Structure,” 204–05). Smith argues that a prophet’s only intended meaning is the one it had for its immediate hearers.
For many scholars, the time frame for a specific prophet prediction depends on the date of the prophetic text. The predictive element of prophecy could either be immediate, doubly-fulfilled, or completely absent. For example, Aune and others who believe Isaiah is the product of a single author and was written soon after Isaiah’s ministry view Isaiah’s predictions as encompassing more than a single generation (e.g., Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity). Blenkinsopp and Williamson, who argue that the book of Isaiah can be divided into two or three sections by different authors, view Isaiah’s predictions as encompassing merely a generation (Blenkinsopp, Isaiah 1–39; Williamson, The Book Called Isaiah). Van der Toorn and Floyd date the final editions of many of the prophetic books to the post-exilic period—so late that it virtually negates the predictive elements of prophecy altogether (Van der Toorn, Scribal Culture, 173–82; Floyd, “Production”).
Mediation of the Divine Message
The Biblical writers were less interested in recording how the prophets received their messages than in recording the messages themselves. However, it appears that music may have played a role in pre-classical prophecy, perhaps in inducing a trance-like state believed to make the prophet more susceptible to divine communication (1 Sam 10:5–6; 1 Kgs 3:15–16; DeJong, Isaiah, 341–342). Prophecy was a function of the temple musicians organized by David (1 Chr 25). In Exodus 15:20–21, the appellation of Miriam as a prophetess is possibly linked to the singing of the Song of the Sea (see DeJong, Isaiah, 334) or it may merely be a way to indicate the high esteem in which she was held (Müller, “נָבִיא, navi'”).
Dreams and visions have also been linked to the reception of a divine message (see especially Jeremiah and Ezekiel). However, non-prophetic figures such as Jacob and Daniel also received dreams and visions. Prophets may have engaged in some form of “technical” divination similar to the priestly use of Urim and Thummim, but the exact methods are unclear.
The Prophet
Many biblical prophets belonged to prophetic guilds like the so-called “sons of the prophets” in the Elisha narratives (2 Kgs 2, 4, 6, and 9). For example, Saul meets a prophetic band in 1 Sam 10, and the “prophets of Baal” were an official class related to the religious establishment (1 Kgs 18). Even after the exile, prophets appear to have belonged to some kind of close-knit community (Ezra 5:1–2). A prophet could also be attached to the royal court as an advisor; Nathan and Gad were attached to the Davidic court (1–2 Sam). Some prophets acted on their own, having experienced a specific call from Yahweh (Isa 6; Jer 1; Ezek 1).
Prophets are listed among the religious functionaries, indicating they were often linked to the religious authority structure (see 2 Kgs 23:2; Jer 2:8, 26; Ezek 7:26; Mic 3:11; Zeph 3:4; Lam 2:20; 1 Chr 25; De Jong, Isaiah, 335–36). In the book of Amos, Amaziah’s assertion that Amos should go back to Judah “and eat bread there” (Amos 7:12) implies that Amaziah’s only concept of a prophet was of a professional one (“eating bread” could be interpreted as earning one’s keep, see Müller, “נָבִיא, navi'”). Amos asserts that he is neither “a prophet nor the son of a prophet”—a denial that he is part of the religious establishment (Amos 7:14; DeJong, Isaiah, 324–325). Eventually, the idea of a prophet receiving payment (normal in the ancient Near East; see De Jong, Isaiah, 338) came to be perceived as a sign of greed and corruption (see Micah 3:5). Later prophetic books of the Bible decry both prophets and priests for their greed (Jer 6:13), which is most likely a sign that an earlier practice of rewarding prophets for their work (e.g., Num 22:7, 1 Sam 9:7–8, 1 Kings 13:7, 2 Kings 4:42) had come to be considered a form of prophetic pandering—the prophets saying what the king or people wanted to hear in order to get a reward.
Several biblical figures are referred to as “prophets” because of their role as divine intermediaries. Deuteronomy casts Moses as the prophet par excellence because he mediated divine message—the Torah. Abraham did not deliver a specific message, but he did act as a divine mediator by praying for Abimelech and removing a divine curse (Gen 20:7; compare Amos 7:5).
The Prophets and the Exile
The Babylonian exile was the defining event for the Israelite prophetic tradition. The three strands of prophetic tradition are defined according to their temporal location relative to the event:
1. pre-exilic
2. exilic
3. postexilic
Pre-Exilic Prophets. The pre-exilic prophets include Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah (also exilic). These prophets “preserved ancient religious traditions, reinterpreted them to bring about controlled social change, and delivered oracles against Israel’s enemies” (Wilson, Prophecy and Society, 286). Little is known about their personal lives or behavior, as the emphasis falls on their messages. They were neither ecstatic nor frenzied, nor were they particularly prone to visions (except Jeremiah).
Exilic and Post-Exilic Prophets. With the fall of the Davidic monarchy in 520 bc, the classical model of Israelite prophecy fell as well (Petersen, Late Israelite Prophecy). Prophecy came to be seen either as a prerogative of a specific inspired individual (Isa 63) or as a generalized spirit available to the entire religious community (Joel 3). Post-exilic prophecy developed a distinctly forward-looking momentum—one that was no longer concerned with the past or even the socio-political present, but with Yahweh’s promised eschatological restoration and final theophany (Petersen, Late Israelite Prophecy, 45). The prophetic books of the exilic and post-exilic periods include:
• Obadiah, written after the fall of Jerusalem. Obadiah delivered oracles against Edom, a neighboring nation who helped the Babylonians plunder Israel in the sixth century bc
• Haggai and Zechariah, prophecies concerning the temple reconstruction in 520 bc
• Ezekiel, exclusively concerned with the exilic community as it prepared for promised restoration
• Jeremiah, whose exilic portions (Jer 29–36) show similar themes to Ezekiel’s: the exile as punishment for sins, a warning to accept it with humility, and restoration at the end of the appointed period
• Joel, which cites many earlier prophetic works and is concerned with the restoration of Israel and of Yahweh’s kingdom (Wilson Prophecy and Society, 289–90)
• Malachi, which focuses on corrupt religious practices and offers a harsh criticism of the temple establishment
Exilic and post-exilic prophecy contains more references to visions than pre-exilic. Obadiah, Zechariah, and Ezekiel are said to have received messages in visions. Wilson notes that while exilic prophecy focused on predicting the coming restoration of Israel and denouncing Israel’s enemies, post-exilic prophecy hints at the existence of competing factions within the Israelite community and may have had a polemical intent (Wilson, Prophecy and Society, 292; Lindblom, Prophecy in Ancient Israel, 410–11). Additionally, post-exilic prophecy is focused on the establishment of the temple (e.g., Haggai, Zechariah, possibly so-called “Third Isaiah,” and portions of Jeremiah; Lindblom Prophecy in Ancient Israel, 408).
The Audience
Prophecies in the “pre-classical” period (eleventh—ninth centuries bc) were primarily directed to the king or military leaders. Prophecies could be commissioned by an interested third party (1 Kgs 22; Jer 42:1–7). Kings and military leaders consulted prophets like Deborah, Samuel, and Micaiah to learn if their campaigns would be favorable (e.g., Judges 4, 1 Sam 28, and 1 Kgs 22). Scripture also records prophets of this period acting on their own initiative and confronting the king for sinful behavior (2 Sam 12; 1 Kgs 21). Additionally, Judges 4 records common people consulting Deborah. It is unclear whether these prophets regularly met with non-authority figures.
During the eighth—seventh centuries bc, prophets’ target audiences were both the leaders and the people, with the latter becoming more prominent. The oracles of these “classical” or “writing” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve) were directed either at the religious-political leaders as a whole or at the nation of Israel more broadly, rather than directly at the king. According to Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, their role “was not to predict as much as it was to advise of God’s policies and plans” (Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary, 191). The most striking feature of prophets in this period are the book-length collections of oracles attributed to individual prophets, giving rise to the name “writing prophet.” These prophets are also called the “classical” prophets and their writings span the period from the eighth through the sixth centuries (Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary, 582).
The Goal of Prophecy
Prophecy in Israel and the ancient Near East was intended to elicit a specific response from the target audience. When Yahweh spoke through His prophets, He generally sought to elicit:
1. repentance (Hos 6:1–3; Joel 1:13–20)
2. renewed trust or comfort (Isa 40)
3. a specific action, like going to battle (Judg 4) or not going to Egypt (Jer 42)
According to Deuteronomy, the test of a true prophet was whether their words came true (Deut 18:21–22). If a prophecy was uncertain, the king could commission a second opinion and wait to see which prophet was correct (e.g., 1 Kgs 22). Most of the time the label “true” or “false” was applied to a prophet retrospectively (e.g., Jer 14:14).
Prophecy in the New Testament
In the New Testament, the words “prophet” (προφητης, prophētēs) or “prophecy” (προφητευω, prophēteuō) are used in several ways:
1. As part of the phrase “the law and the prophets,” which was shorthand for the corpus of the Old Testament, demonstrating the esteem assigned to the prophetic office by later generations
2. In reference to Jesus and John the Baptist
3. In reference to prophets who were in some way connected to the governance of the early church
4. In reference to the phenomenon of prophecy as it was experienced by the early church
Jesus and John the Baptist as Prophets
The Gospel writers relate John the Baptist’s behavior and message with Old Testament prophets, especially Elijah (Matt 3:1–11; Mark 1:2–8; Luke 3:1–18; John 1:19–34). John the Baptist is widely considered to be a prophet of the eschatological tradition (Aun, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 129–32). He is associated with Elijah because of the Second Temple belief that the coming eschatological age would be heralded by the return of Elijah (see Mal 3:1–5), whose message would usher in the new kingdom of God.
The picture of Jesus as a prophet in the Synoptic Gospels is complex and differs with each Gospel writer. Mark preserves some indication that Jesus labeled Himself a prophet (Mark 6:4–6), and Matthew records that the crowds believed Jesus to be a prophet (Matt 16:14; 21:11, 46). However, both Matthew and Luke consistently point out that this ascription is inadequate for a full understanding of Jesus. Verheyden says that, “Luke does not want Jesus to be called a prophet or to be presented like one” (Verheyden, “Calling Jesus a Prophet,” 204). The association of Jesus with various Mosaic themes in the Gospel of John suggests that John conceptualized Jesus as a prophet like Moses (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 155). In Acts, Peter and Stephen make reference to the prediction in Deut 18 of a prophet like Moses in their exposition of the gospel (Acts 3:22, 7:37).
While the idea that Jesus had some form of prophetic ministry is widely accepted, scholars are divided on what it was and which movement it was a part of.
• Calvin believed Jesus’ prophetic ministry was part of His threefold office as prophet, priest, and king (Calvin, Institutes, II.XV.1–2).
• Dunn argues that a major aspect of Jesus’ own self-conceptualization was the he was a “prophet like Moses” (Dunn, “Jesus the Prophet,” 1981).
• Meeks sees Jesus as a Mosaic prophet-king (Meeks, The Prophet-King).
• Allison argues that Jesus was a millenarian prophet because of his eschatological preaching regarding the resurrection, the great tribulation, the final judgment, and the restoration of Israel (Allison, Jesus of Nazareth).
• Ehrman argues that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet (Ehrman, Jesus).
Prophetic Experience in Acts and Paul’s Letters
The prophecy experienced by the early church seems to be less directed and particular than Old Testament prophecy and more closely akin to “divinely inspired speech” (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, ch. 9). According to Paul, the purpose of prophecy is the exhortation and building up of the church body (1 Cor 14; Gillespie, The First Theologian, 164, 197–98). The exact content of early church prophecy is unknown, but Paul calls it “divine mystery” (1 Cor 13:2; compare Rom 11:25–6). Gillespie argues that the association between prophecy and the gospel in 1 Thess 5:20 and Rom 12:6 indicates that for Paul, prophecy was equivalent to gospel proclamation (Gillespie, The First Theologian, 63).
Some New Testament passages depict prophecy as limited to a distinct group within the church (Acts 2), while other passages depict it as something for all church members (1 Cor 14:5; Acts 19:6; Gillespie, The First Theologian, 127). At times, prophets appear to have been itinerant preachers and ministers (Matt 23:34; compare the Didache), but in others, prophets were fixed, functioning members of a specific community, and perhaps even part of the official church hierarchy (1 Cor 12:28; 14; Eph 2:20, 3:5).
Some early Christians seem to have believed that prophecy should be part of the everyday Christian experience. This belief appears to be based on Joel’s Old Testament prophecy that the Spirit of God would be poured out on all people (Joel 2:28–32). However, with no centralized control over or parameters for its function in everyday life, prophecy became more and more prone to distortion. This led to hesitancy and outright skepticism of its use in some early churches (1 Thess 5:20; 1 John 4:1–3; 2 Pet 2).
The early church considered prophecy in its various manifestations to be a continuation of Old Testament prophecy. The Septuagint uses the Greek word προφητης (prophētēs) to translate the Hebrew word for “prophet” (נבא, nb'). The Jewish historian Josephus was unwilling to use this word for any individual outside of the writers of the Old Testament, instead choosing one of several other Greek synonyms when he spoke of extrabiblical or pagan prophets (Luz, “Stages of Early Christian Prophetism,” 60). In the Graeco-Roman world, μαντικα (mantika) was used to describe the ability to speak divinely inspired messages, while “prophecy” denoted official position in the religious hierarchy (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 190). The exclusive use of the word προφητης (prophētēs) to describe prophetic phenomena in the early church indicates an understanding that it was in line with Old Testament prophecy.
Historical Backdrop of New Testament Prophecy
New Testament prophetic literature is set in the context of Old Testament, Graeco-Roman, and Second Temple Jewish prophetic traditions.
Graeco-Roman Prophecy
In classical Greece, the word “prophet” (προφητης, prophētēs) had three different meanings (see Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 192–95):
1. A religious office—preeminently the Oracle at Delphi (ca. eighth century bc–ad 400). The activity associated with the Oracle was not considered ecstatic or frenzied. Proclamations were intelligible, though frequently obscure (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 103–19). This form of prophecy was verbal, not visionary, and the interpretation of her words was difficult and often subjective.
2. People who received and proclaimed an oracle from the gods outside of the temples. In such cases, the emphasis is on the proclamation rather than the inspired reception (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 192).
3. Any official spokesperson, “be he speaking on behalf of gods, Muses, or others” (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 193).
These uses continued into the Hellenistic era (323–146 bc), and the term was further expanded to refer to high-ranking Egyptian priests (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 193). In this period, the translators of the Septuagint also used the word προφητης (prophētēs) for the Hebrew נבא (nb').
In both classical and Hellenistic Greece, prophets were primarily spokespeople, not “inspired” persons—a term that focuses on the reception of the divine message (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 196–97). Graeco-Roman prophets were people who communicated a divine message; the notion of mantic or ecstatic inspiration leading up to the communication of that message is absent. Indeed, the prophet did not have to be the recipient of the message at all; for Plato, a μαντις (mantis) received a message, and a προφητης (prophētēs) proclaimed it (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 209–10).
Graeco-Roman prophecy could take the form of spontaneous dreams, dreams at an official religious site, visions (including heavenly journeys), and technical divination such as reading entrails or casting lots. Verbal content could be archaic prose, such as was used by the Oracle at Delphi, or even poetry, like the Sibylline books that were written in Greek hexameter. The latter were oracles delivered by a priestess, called a Sibyl, at specific shrines and written down in Greek verse for imperial rulers (see Parke, Sibyls and Sibylline Prophecy). While originating in Greece, oracles purportedly from sibyls are attested in Persia, Libya, Egypt, the Levant, and Asia Minor. There is even a collection of “Sibylline Oracles” of Judaeo-Christian origin dated to the second—sixth centuries ad (see Collins, Apocalyptic Imagination, 116–26; Parke, Sibyls and Sibylline Prophecy, ch. 8).
Traditionally, Christian prophecy has been distinguished from Graeco-Roman prophecy by the belief that Graeco-Roman prophecy was frenzied, induced (either by drugs or natural phenomena like vapors), and morally neutral in its predictive aspects. However, Forbes argues that the first two accusations have no foundation in the written record (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 282–88). With respect to the moral neutrality of Graeco-Roman prophecy, Aune argues that the lack of religious or moral interest is due to a differing social role for the prophet in Graeco-Roman society (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 21). Many Graeco-Roman oracles were concerned with the regulation of religious practice (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 284), as was true of prophets in the ancient Near Eastern tradition. The greatest differences between Graeco-Roman prophecy and the early Christian church are that in the former, prophecy came predominantly in the form of technical divination and answers to specific questions brought by supplicants. Moreover, Graeco-Roman prophecy was mostly institutionalized in temples and shrines and was limited to specific individuals within the hierarchy.
Second Temple Prophecy
Rabbinic reflection on the Second Temple period holds that prophecy like that found in the Old Testament ceased after Malachi was written (see Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 103–04). Sandmel objects to this, arguing, “Outside from the circle of the Rabbinic Sages, the view that prophecy had ended simply did not exist” (Sandmel, Judaism and Christian Beginnings, 174). Yet there is evidence from 1 Maccabees that other portions of Second Temple Judaism agreed with the rabbinic interpretation. For example, 1 Maccabees 9:27 says, “Thus there was great distress in Israel, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear among them.” Other verses similarly reflect anticipation of the day when a prophet should return to lead and instruct the people (1 Maccabees 4:45–6; 14:41). While this may simply reflect the present lack of a prophetic leader, it is evidence that there were others in the Second Temple period who may have believed prophecy to have ceased with Malachi.
This perception of Second Temple Judaism has endured throughout the years, giving the impression that Jews of this era did not believe in the continuation of the prophetic tradition after the completion of the Old Testament text. Jews of this period saw prophecy as intimately connected to the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit, which was an eschatological gift of God (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 104). For apocalyptic sects like the Qumran community, who believed that the eschaton was imminent, belief in the presence of the Holy Spirit working in their community was coupled with the manifestation of prophecy (Collins, Apocalyptic Imagination, 145–76). Hengel links prophecy with zealot movements and delineates three main features of prophet zealots (Hengel, Zealots, 229–45):
1. inspired interpretation of texts
2. possession by the Holy Spirit
3. reference to the socio-political situation of the contemporaneous Jewish state
However, only the last point appears to be a consistent feature of Second Temple Jewish prophecy (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 104).
Types of Second Temple Jewish Prophecy. Jewish prophecy in the Second Temple period can be categorized into four types.
1. Apocalypticism
2. Eschatological
3. Clerical prophecy
4. Sapiential prophecy
Apocalypticism. Apocalypticism encompasses a literary genre, a system of beliefs, and a social movement. A revelation is given to an honored figure of the past (e.g., Abraham, Job, Enoch), and the resulting narrative is pseudonymous. The visions in Daniel 2, 7, and 9–12 are a form of apocalyptic literature deemed “historical” apocalypses; they develop a certain view of history and the immediate future through a period of history (Barton, Oracles of God, 214). The other strand of apocalyptic literature, such as in 2 Enoch and 3 Baruch employs heavenly journeys and cosmological speculation (see Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination, 6–7).
Eschatological. The second form of prophecy is eschatological, also called “millenarian.” Millenarian movements were common in Palestinian Judaism during the second century bc to the first century ad. Organized around a charismatic leader deemed a prophet or messiah, these movements preached the coming of God’s long-awaited kingdom. They spelled doom for the corrupt religious and social structures of the day and hope for the oppressed people of God suffering under the regime. Their message was the fulfillment of prophecy—the restoration of Israel promised by the Old Testament prophets was at hand—and a prophetic announcement of the immediate future. While both apocalyptic and millenarian movements announced God’s imminent overthrow of the present order, the millenarian movements believed that their activity could, in some sense, usher in the coming eschaton (see Allison, Jesus of Nazareth, 78–94 for a full discussion of millenarianism).
Clerical and Sapiential Prophecy. The final two types are noneschatological and far less common than the preceding:
1. Clerical prophecy is an oral, historicizing form of prophecy associated with the priesthood. The Jewish historian Josephus records several instances of priests giving oracles. It is possible that he considered himself to have both a priestly and prophetic identity (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 138–44).
2. Sapiential prophecy associates the prophetic office with specific sages or wise men rather than priests. It is found among the Pharisaic-rabbinic tradition of Palestine and in the Alexandrian diaspora, closely associated with Philo (Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, 107, 144–52).
Prophetic Literature in the Early Church
Several early church writings provide insight into the early church’s attitude toward prophecy. Such texts describe three distinct strands of prophetic activity within the early church:
1. itinerant prophet-preachers
2. prophets attached to a local community
3. inspired persons with no official position in the church who delivered oracles purportedly from God
The letters of Ignatius of Antioch (ad 35–98 or ad 50–117) demonstrate that the early church assigned prophets a place of authority and considered the phenomenon of prophecy to have ongoing validity (“Epistle to the Magnesians” VII, IX; “Epistle to the Smyrnaeans” VII; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers). According to Ignatius, the best way to avoid heresy was to “give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved” (Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 89). Ignatius was a disciple of John, which indicates prophecy was not simply a product of Luke’s or Paul’s ecclesiology. It appears to have been common throughout the Christian churches.
The Didache and the Shepherd of Hermas provide deeper insight into prophecy in the early church. The Didache is a late first or early second century treatise that discusses Christian ethics, Christian rituals, and church structure. The text is uniquely concerned with true and false prophets (Jefford, “Prophecy and Prophetism,” 296, citing Greenspahn, “Why Prophecy Ceased,” regarding the Rabbinic complaint regarding the active role prophecy played in the early church). The Didache speaks directly against itinerant prophets who remained in a community for longer than two days, thus draining the funds of the community (“The Teaching,” XI:4–5; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers). Prophets who asked for money (“The Teaching,” XI:6, 12; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers) or lived a lifestyle incommensurate with the teaching of the church were also considered false (“The Teaching,” XI:8–10; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers). However, the Didache also mentions that a prophet could choose to leave off traveling and stay with a specific community. In this situation, the community was obligated to support them with contributions similar to the tithes “for they are your high priests” (“The Teaching,” XIII:3; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers). A prophet could be either itinerant preacher or an established member of the community. The great care taken to describe how these prophets ought to interact with the community and the license given them to participate freely in the liturgy is a mark of their authority (“The Teaching,” X:7; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers).
The date of the Shepherd of Hermas is debated, but the traditions behind it are probably from a late first or early second century Roman church. It consists of three books comprising five visions, 12 commandments (including one about false prophets; “The Pastor of Hermas”; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers, 27–28), and 10 similitudes narrated. The book’s narrator, Hermas, has no explicit authority in the church community—he is neither itinerant nor established prophet in the community. He functions as the third kind of prophet—an individual with a message who has no official standing as a prophet within the community.
The belief in the ongoing work of prophecy led to numerous problems in the early church. Men and women claiming authority took advantage of generous Christian communities, asking for payment in exchange for their teachings. Others sought to deter the community from established church doctrine (Ignatius, “Epistle to the Magnesians” VII, IX; “Epistle to the Smyrnaeans” VII; in Roberts and Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers). By the turn of the second century ad, many churches were rife with these problems; works such as the Didache and the Shepherd of Hermas sought to provide a standard for churches seeking to discern true and false prophets. The number of itinerant prophets declined, and the church turned its focus to dealing with various heresies. After the repudiation of Montanism, Christian prophecy was extremely rare (Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech, 247).
The Book of Revelation
The book of Revelation is generally assigned to the apocalyptic texts genre (C. Smith, “Structure”; Beale Book of Revelation; Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination). A minority of scholars argue that its genre is prophecy. Beasley-Murray notes that unlike most apocalyptic works, Revelation is not pseudonymous; it is attributed to John (Rev 1:1). This, coupled with John’s direct address to the community, appears to be more in keeping with prophetic literature (Beasley-Murray, Book of Revelation, 14). Mazzaferri similarly argues that Revelation’s lack of pseudonymity disqualifies it from the apocalyptic genre (Mazzaferri, Genre). He points to additional features of apocalyptic texts that are lacking or modified in Revelation (Mazzaferri, Genre, 184 and 258):
• Revelation is optimistic about the present
• The imminence of the visions is conditional, rather than deterministic, as found in the books of Enoch or the Testament of Job
Collins argues that pseudonymity was not necessary in the early church because prophecy was considered an ongoing phenomenon (Collins, “Pseudonymity”). In Second Temple Judaism, the period when most apocalyptic literature was written, prophecy was believed to have declined; pseudonymity was necessary in order to legitimate authority. Collins further distinguishes between elements that are constitutive of the apocalyptic genre whose absence does not negate the presence of the genre (Collins, “Pseudonymity,” 332). He concludes that Revelation has much in common with the elements of other apocalyptic literature (a narrative framework for the vision, mediation by angels, a transcendent reality, eschatological salvation, and the inbreaking of a supernatural world), and that the modification of other elements peculiar to John’s Revelation are not enough to disqualify it from being apocalyptic.
Ultimately, the genre distinction between prophecy and apocalyptic need not be so rigid. Collins and Barton note that in the ancient world, prophecy was a broad category of literature that included apocalyptic literature (Collins The Apocalyptic Imagination, 269; Barton, Oracles of God). Apocalypticism was a kind of prophecy, not a distinct phenomenon. Revelation is best understood as a work of apocalyptic literature, which is a subset of ancient prophecy common in the Second Temple and early church period.
Ellis, G. (2016). Prophecy. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
so we must be very careful when dealing with prophecy to ever put our own understanding, we must always allow the holy spirit to influence us so we can have the understanding that God wants us to have. this goes back to understanding why there is prophecy to begin with. lets goto exodus
6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
1 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
the holy spirit knows our heart, and sometimes the angels pass our churches right up. we have to be ready for God to fill us full of the holy spirit to truly work in our lives. we have to get the false hood and the baal worship and the worldviews and secularism out of us. we need to get egypt and babylon out of us. plus once we get stuck in the world sometimes instead of following Gods path we decide to take the wrong path, just one wrong decision. lets go back to 1st Kings. because to understand the prophecy of hope to be fulfilled and to truly understand prophecy and knowing of falsehoods, we need to go back a bit. i want to take a look at one of my favorite stories in the bible and this can wrap up a true versus a false prophet. lets goto 1st kings
1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.” 4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before.
7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
11 Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ” 18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. 20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back;
21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ” 23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass.”
You see when we disobey God we will suffer consequences. We must repent and to always obey God no matter what. God knows how we are and thats why he tests us. lets goto Genesis
1 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.” 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” 12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” 15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.
you see God gives us a choice, we can live anyway we want on this earth. But we must know there are consequences and that is why God has given us prophecy and prophets. Those to warn us to Repent because we are too busy in the world to even realize what we are doing. So God loved us so much that he gave us a savior his son. It was predicted and fulfilled in prophecy. Lets goto Isaiah 7
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Its interesting to note that the Proponents of this view point out that since Isaiah spoke this prophecy to the house of David (Isa. 7:13) and not just to Ahaz himself, the sign was given not just to the king but to the entire kingly line and the entire nation. However, if the fulfillment did not occur until Joseph and Mary’s day, how does the prophecy relate to Isaiah’s point that the Aram-Israel confederacy would soon be defeated? And how does the birth of the Lord Jesus relate to the eating of curds and honey (v. 15) and to the breaking of the alliance before the boy was old enough to know good and evil? (v. 16) Proponents of this view answer that the time is similar: the two years of Jesus’ babyhood (before He would know between right and wrong) point to the same time segment, two years, within which the Aram-Israel threat would be gone.
Martin, J. A. (1985). Isaiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1048). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”
you see brothers and sisters understanding prophecy is to understand that the holy spirit will work through us we we allow it to. we are dangerous as human beings because we always have the choice whether to go the way of falsehood and sin. or to go the way of the Truth and the light. No one will get to the father except through the Son. we must allow Jesus into our hearts. We must allow the holy spirit to work in our lives and we must continue to follow the truth of prophecy in the bible and not that of mine. Are you ready for Jesus to come back today? Lets pray