During times of apostasy, the prophetic gift, as it may be given to various men and women, serves three purposes:
1. To make known to God's people what He is getting ready to do (generally to warn of His forthcoming judgment) (Amos 3:7)
2. To call God's disobedient people to return to Him from their rebellion and backsliding in order to escape/avoid His forthcoming judgment (the whole book of Jeremiah, besides the other Prophets)
3. To encourage the faithful (Isaiah 50:4, 1 Corinthians 14:3)
We also know from the Scriptures that the majority of God's people reject their prophets and do not heed their warnings---precisely because it is in times of apostasy that God raises up prophets.
And He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel---not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. (Ezekiel 3:4-7 ESV)
When God begins sending trumpets to His people, it is because they have not been obeying His voice. The people who have been listening to Him rightly all along need no trumpet to wake them up; they know what time it is. It is the wicked and adulterous who do not recognize the signs of the times or the voice of their prophets (which is the voice and words of their God). It is the lazy, sleeping, and rebellious ones who need a trumpet to warn them of their impending doom and to alert them to dress for action and prepare themselves for battle.
(Note that when the Lord spoke to the apostle John and gave Him messages for the seven churches in Asia province, His voice was like a trumpet. Considering that five of those seven churches were apostate, I do not think that was any coincidence, that the Lord's voice was like a trumpet---agreeing with the dire warnings that He gave John for those apostate churches. Note also that the Holy Spirit did not merely rebuke and warn those who were in error but also encouraged those who were doing well to continue.)
Unfortunately, when God begins sending trumpets, it is already too late for the majority. (You don't have to take my word for it; you can see it for yourselves by reading the Scriptures.)
Lessons of the Scriptures:
1. The majority is usually wrong
2. True prophets are usually hated and rejected (because of their unpleasant messages and the evil desires and attitudes of the hearts of those to whom they are sent)
3. The messages of true prophets in times of apostasy are mostly unpleasant ("doom and gloom"), because of the realities of the times and God's displeasure with most of His people in such times, and because His warnings of forthcoming judgment are unpleasant and frightening to hear
4. A wicked and adulterous generation does not recognize the signs of the times
5. False prophets cry peace when there is in reality no peace and smear the walls God's people build between Him and themselves with whitewash, instead of commanding them to tear them down
6. The gift of prophecy is for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22)
Hopefully you will remember these things and bear them in mind. Whether you recognize it or not, the time in which you are living right now is spiritually identical to the time of the prophet Jeremiah, who was the last prophet God sent to His people before He gave them into the hand of the king of Babylon and their city and temple were destroyed. They say that those who do not remember their history are doomed to repeat it. (Perhaps it's time to re-read the Prophets.)
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God... (1 Peter 4:17 ESV)
(If the message is "doom and gloom" but true, you'd do well to heed it, regardless of its unpleasantness. Remember the messages and lessons of the Prophets.)
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against His people, until there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15,16 ESV)
1. To make known to God's people what He is getting ready to do (generally to warn of His forthcoming judgment) (Amos 3:7)
2. To call God's disobedient people to return to Him from their rebellion and backsliding in order to escape/avoid His forthcoming judgment (the whole book of Jeremiah, besides the other Prophets)
3. To encourage the faithful (Isaiah 50:4, 1 Corinthians 14:3)
We also know from the Scriptures that the majority of God's people reject their prophets and do not heed their warnings---precisely because it is in times of apostasy that God raises up prophets.
And He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel---not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to Me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. (Ezekiel 3:4-7 ESV)
When God begins sending trumpets to His people, it is because they have not been obeying His voice. The people who have been listening to Him rightly all along need no trumpet to wake them up; they know what time it is. It is the wicked and adulterous who do not recognize the signs of the times or the voice of their prophets (which is the voice and words of their God). It is the lazy, sleeping, and rebellious ones who need a trumpet to warn them of their impending doom and to alert them to dress for action and prepare themselves for battle.
(Note that when the Lord spoke to the apostle John and gave Him messages for the seven churches in Asia province, His voice was like a trumpet. Considering that five of those seven churches were apostate, I do not think that was any coincidence, that the Lord's voice was like a trumpet---agreeing with the dire warnings that He gave John for those apostate churches. Note also that the Holy Spirit did not merely rebuke and warn those who were in error but also encouraged those who were doing well to continue.)
Unfortunately, when God begins sending trumpets, it is already too late for the majority. (You don't have to take my word for it; you can see it for yourselves by reading the Scriptures.)
Lessons of the Scriptures:
1. The majority is usually wrong
2. True prophets are usually hated and rejected (because of their unpleasant messages and the evil desires and attitudes of the hearts of those to whom they are sent)
3. The messages of true prophets in times of apostasy are mostly unpleasant ("doom and gloom"), because of the realities of the times and God's displeasure with most of His people in such times, and because His warnings of forthcoming judgment are unpleasant and frightening to hear
4. A wicked and adulterous generation does not recognize the signs of the times
5. False prophets cry peace when there is in reality no peace and smear the walls God's people build between Him and themselves with whitewash, instead of commanding them to tear them down
6. The gift of prophecy is for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22)
Hopefully you will remember these things and bear them in mind. Whether you recognize it or not, the time in which you are living right now is spiritually identical to the time of the prophet Jeremiah, who was the last prophet God sent to His people before He gave them into the hand of the king of Babylon and their city and temple were destroyed. They say that those who do not remember their history are doomed to repeat it. (Perhaps it's time to re-read the Prophets.)
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God... (1 Peter 4:17 ESV)
(If the message is "doom and gloom" but true, you'd do well to heed it, regardless of its unpleasantness. Remember the messages and lessons of the Prophets.)
The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against His people, until there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15,16 ESV)