A Prophetic Word
The scripture is filled with prophets and prophetic words from ordinary people. But what is a prophet? What is the prophet’s role? It is a complicated answer. In short, a prophet is someone who hears a word from the Lord and shares that word with the broader world. Sometimes that word can be about the future. Sometimes it can be about a particular situation in a person’s life. In the Old Testament, the prophet’s role was to call the people back to Yahweh. He was filled with the Holy Spirit to represent God to his people.
Repeatedly, they ignored God’s Law. They worshiped other gods and forgot about the poor. God wanted to be in a relationship with Israel. He desired for them to fulfill the call to be a light to nations so that all the world would know Yahweh. The Israelites failed in that call. Because of their disobedience, the northern kingdom (Samaria/Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) were destroyed and sent into exile. Israel continued to have prophets after the return from exile, but they were few and far between.
When Jesus came, the Holy Spirit was promised to those who believed in him. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon all people who trusted in Christ. It was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that God would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh. All those who were filled with the Spirit could be given the same gifts the prophets had in the Old Testament. This is what many theologians and scholars call the “democratization of the Spirit.” The gifts of the Spirit were not just for a particular class of people. They were for all those who believe in Jesus. God would dwell in everyone. Those who believed would be the temple of God.
Paul takes this further in his teachings in 1 Corinthians 12-14. These chapters are the cornerstone of Paul’s teaching about the Holy Spirit within believers and the church. After teaching about the gifts of the Spirit in chapter 12 and the foundation of love in the Holy Spirit’s work in chapter 13, he moves to order in our personal lives and worship within the church. 1 Corinthians 14:1 is key. The New Living Translation says the following: “Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives, especially the gift of prophecy.” Why does Paul focus on prophecy? Does he want the church to be filled with people who predict future events? That is not Paul’s intent. For the church, prophecy can look to the future. However, Paul’s message to the Corinthians and us is that prophecy has a greater role to play. Just like the Old Testament prophets, we are to seek the gift of prophecy to encourage and uplift one another in love. We can also receive a word of knowledge about a particular situation in a person’s life. A prophetic word can also be a word of warning to a fellow believer about the dangers of sin.
Some within the church try to limit prophecy to preaching. I do not believe that is what Paul is talking about. I think that he is talking about the fulfillment of Joel 2 that Peter preached on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak supernaturally. God can reveal things to us that we cannot know. God gives us the courage to speak the truth.
As we continue to look at the Old Testament prophets this month, I want to encourage you to seek the gift of prophecy. Pray that the Lord will help you to speak to others about the power of Christ. Pray that the Lord help you to see the world as he sees it and bring glory to his name.
