THE PROPHECY VS PROPHECY

Wednesday 23 July

We have also a more sure WORD OF PROPHECY; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 2 Peter 1:19

For THE PROPHECY came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21

A lot has been made about prophets in the Body of Christ but what many don’t realise is there has been a major shift from the Old Testament to the New Testament. What we call prophets from the scriptures i.e. Genesis to Malachi were actually Seers. They saw in visions and they wrote down what they saw. Other times they spoke by the Spirit of prophecy. The important thing to ask is what did they prophesy about? Once we understand that their visions and utterances that they wrote down were divinely inspired, we realise that is was not something that they were in control of.

This is what Apostle Peter was talking about in relation to THE PROPHECY when he said ‘holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’

These inspired writings became the basis for the scriptures or what we now know as the Old Testament.

Going to the middle verse of 2 Peter 1:20 it says ‘knowing this first, that no PROPHECY of THE SCRIPTURE is of any private interpretation’. In other words, it is of no private origin. The truth is what it has always been. Don’t forget that.

So what is THE PROPHECY? Everything that was said in the scriptures that had to do with the Messiah or Christ who would come, save and deliver his people. Although His identity was not fully understood, the prophets inquired of this man.

For example, when David read Genesis he saw how there was a man God made in His image and according to His likeness (Genesis 1:26a).

Job even wondered about this man “What is man, that You should exalt him, That You should set Your heart on him,… (Job 7:17)

David had similar thoughts about this man in Psalm 8:4-5 when he says,

‘What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honour.’

In Hebrews 2:9 it says,

‘But we see JESUS, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.’

Here is the demystifying of the mystery in the epistles.

Just another undeniable proof that the man Christ Jesus was the man from Genesis 1:26a.

So Christ was concealed in the writings of the scriptures but is now revealed in the writings of the epistles. It’s important to note however that the New Testament was formed out of the inspired writings of the Old Testament. They were not some ‘new thing’ that had no basis in the scriptures.

The Old Testament is the mystery. The New Testament is the revelation of the mystery with the exception of Acts and Revelation. The body of doctrine we have today is from seeing Christ in the scriptures (which is Genesis to Malachi) through the lens of the New Testament. The ‘more sure word of prophecy’ Peter was referencing here was the same ‘holy scriptures’ that Paul commended Timothy on knowing.

‘and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.’ 2 Timothy 3:15

Do you see that PROPHECY and SCRIPTURE were inseparable in the Old Testament? What about PROPHECY in the New Testament?

“And it shall come to pass AFTERWARD That I will pour out My Spirit on ALL flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall PROPHESY, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. (Joel 2:28)

‘And it shall come to pass in the LAST DAYS, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on ALL flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall PROPHESY, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.’

We are in the last days now! This simply means the period of time after the resurrection of Christ until the end of the world.

In 1 Corinthians 14:5a Apostle Paul says ‘I wish you ALL spoke with tongues, but even more that you PROPHESIED.’

I have capitalised the appropriate phrase here so you get the emphasis. This might shock you. There is no longer the office of a prophet in the New Testament. ALL BELIEVERS in Christ can PROPHESY. We tell forth the message of Christ. The word ‘propheteia’ is more about declaring the inspired Word of God than ‘having a word’ from God.

1 Corinthians 14:32 tells us

‘And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.’

This shows can choose to prophesy or not in the New Testament. Prophesying is an act of our will. It’s not an ‘uncontrollable urge’ like when the prophets spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. That was for a specific purpose. To form the scriptures about the ‘sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow’. This one phrase summarises the ministry of the prophets.

In the New Testament there is no new doctrine that is coming from ‘the prophetic office’. In fact if a so called prophet says or does anything contrary to the Word they are by definition a false prophet. Any believer who prophesies something out of line with THE PROPHECY is also out of order and those words should be discarded. Think about it. How could ANY PROPHECY supersede THE PROPHECY. How could any vision either for that matter. Whatever is not of grace by faith in the message of Christ is dead works.

This is why we must be careful when interpreting visions in books like Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation to name a few. We have to learn when something is a vision from God and when it is from angels. This is the reason certain books hold less doctrinal weight than others in the Bible; even dare I say in the New Testament. Build doctrine from Romans to Jude. We will cover this in depth at another time.

Remember anything that people say to you that is outside of the bounds of scripture, is not prophecy. If it doesn’t edify you, exhort you or comfort you in the knowledge of Christ; throw it in the bin. Anyone that prophesies doom and gloom over you when you have forgiveness of sins and full assurance of eternal life is not worth listening to.

There is no more prophetic revelation to be added. The epistles are the conclusion of all doctrine. The complete will and counsel of God. For something to be prophetic revelation it must be revealed from THE PROPHECY.

APPLICATION

Speak words that are consistent with the gospel of Christ over yourself everyday, prophesying life to every circumstance.