On Prophecy

Prophecy is very real. In fact, the entire Old Testament is divine communication. It's all about Jesus before He was ever born! Prophecy's  meaning is the supernatural ability to receive and convey a message from God. (Wikipedia).  Some Church fathers, such as Irenaeus acknowledged this ability but it lay dormant until the Pentecostal Azuzu Street Revival in Los Angeles, California from 1904 to 1906. The ability to prophesy is linked very closely to the gift of speaking in tongues, referred to as glossolalia. Since both are supernatural, science has not proved nor disproved the existence of either.

I have read Azuzu Street by Frank Bartleman, who gave a first hand account of the origins of  the Pentecostal movement. The revival was led by a black minister, William J. Seymour. Seymour's belief was that speaking in tongues, and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, are still relevant, having been done in the early church. By the evidences of these gifts, that proved the person was truly born-again. Seymour learned about glossolalia and the gifts from Charles Parham. In other words, the supernatural gifts were taught to Seymour by Parham. Since those gifts were learned from another man, it seems that their origin is not supernatural.

Parham's holiness movement commenced with divine healing accomplished by the laying on of hands. Although Jesus, and on a couple of occasions the apostles, did lay hands on those who were healed, much healing took place without that, and even remotely. The laying on of hands seems to be a method of funneling the Holy Spirit to the person who needs healing. Of course, if healing is supernatural, the Holy Spirit doesn't need the assistance of human hands. Of course, this commentary is about modern-day prophecy, and not divine healing which any Christian must believe. It is the methods which are in question, but the origins of modern day teachings on spiritual gifts are important.

Christians died for Jesus throughout the ages but they didn't speak in tongues, prophecy, or lay on hands to heal. Those things had effectually died out since the early church, not because they weren't real, but because people needed miracles in order to believe. I submit that some in the Pentecostal movement fail to believe they are born-again unless they can perform feats.

Matthew 16:1 "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven."

Why?

1 Corinthians 1:22 "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom..."

In order for the Jews to believe, they always needed a wonder or miracle. For the early Church, which had much doubt about Jesus, signs and wonders were essential because of weak faith.

John 6:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? "

Miracles, signs, wonders, and the gifts, then, are very real but they are for those whose faith is weak! My faith is strong without the miracles, just as those who died for Jesus's name throughout the ages. Would an ability to heal be convenient for my faith? Indeed it may; having those gifts could lead to seeking personal glory as Simon sought with the ritual required for the Holy Spirit to imbue.

Acts 8:17 "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon (the sorcerer) saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost."

Simon missed the point! He could not receive the power for then he would get the glory - and the money. The power of the Holy Ghost is given by God, not by man. We need to be careful if what we do magnifies oneself or God!

Mark 13:22 "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."

Simon was one of those false prophets. Scripture drops him like a hot potato, but he is found everywhere in church history doing magic, and with his new-found power, even claimed to be the Son of God! People believed him because he even flew! Because there is a miracle doesn't make it from God!

The Greek word prophéteia is the gift of communicating and enforcing revealed truth. Isaiah revealed the coming of the Messiah, and John his coming again, along with eternal life. Prophesying the future has already been completely revealed, so the book is closed on foretelling future events (Revelation 22:18). In other words, people have already been told everything which needs telling about Jesus and eternal life! Prophecy, then comes down to revealing the truth about Jesus. My recent book "The Skull of Adam" is all about communicating the doctrines of the Holy Scripture. Therefore, if it is of God, it is revealing truth, and is prophecy. However, prophecy, if from the Holy Spirit, is one-hundred percent accurate. Anyone can guess! It is prideful to think that I understand God entirely when even the apostles failed in that. Therefore, I submit that my prophecy is merely commentary because I know that I have some of it wrong.

My point is that we should be humble in our authority. When we say that somethings is from God, we must remember that even the elect - those with the Holy Spirit, can be deceived.

God no longer speaks to mankind with an audible Voice. The Word was born, ministered, died, and is in heaven. His "Holy Ghost" is with us, but He speaks silently. That silent speech is discernment. Therefore, modern post-apostolic prophecy is toward understanding God, not divination!  God doesn't tell us anything - He reveals the truth if our mind is of one accord with His!

Divination is receiving inspiration from a "divinity" through an occultic process. It is forbidden by Holy Scripture. (Deuteronomy 18:10). We see from most scripture that divination is not revealing truth about God, but people or activities. Divination is not God-focused but on the world. False prophets use divination, not prophecy - which must be truth. Divination is used by supernatural powers to lead astray! There is a fine line between prophecy and divination, and Christians throughout the ages have steered clear of being deceived. One is of the occult; the other from God.

"God" revealed to me one time to buy a lottery ticket and share the profits with the Church. I stand corrected this day. It was not God who revealed that to me, but imposter spirits. We need to be careful what we credit God with doing!

For those who have personal revelations such as, "You are facing terrible times, God told me it would get better!" are speaking in generalities as most divination is. If what is revealed offends born-again Christians, it cannot be prophecy because the Holy Spirit reveals Himself when Christians are of one accord (Acts 2:1). If you are born again, and a prophecy is offensive, then it creates chaos, not accordance, and is more divination.

True prophecy is perhaps revealing that we're in the end of times. True prophecy is admonishing that everyone will have their day of judgement. You get the idea! That Mary is facing better things in the future isn't prophesying much of anything. That's what clairvoyants do for gain (Simonism)!

Is prophecy biblical? Sure is! Did the early church prophesy? Sure did! Was it about individuals or about God? Prophecy is about God. Believing that God will heal is faith, not prophecy.

The importance of prophesy in this age is exaggerated by those who are labeled as charismatic - those who claim to have divine power or a special God-given talent.  You must remember: that's what Simon wanted, and was even willing to pay for that talent! He wanted to be as god, as everyone before him except God Himself who IS!

"Suzie, you've had some rough times, but right now I say, 'things will get better!'" I have a fifty percent chance that I'm right. I may even claim that God told me that. However, even a monkey can guess right. Does that magnify the Lord? If not, then it is not of Him. If it tends to magnify me, then it's not of God. If I miss the prediction, then I certainly am not inspired by God, but something else. My warning is just to be careful, and if one is to err, err on the side of safety.

On the other hand, I'm careful not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. In an attempt not to be prideful, I submit that God doesn't sit in my box; He can do anything He wills to do! I won't say emphatically that personal divulgences aren't from the Holy Spirit, because scripture doesn't tell me that God no longer does those things. And, if He wants to, that is His prerogative. My concern is pointing out the danger in being enamored by wonders. We just don't need them because if we're born again, in our hearts, we know he lives!