I simply caution anyone thinking that personal prophecy is what the gift of prophecy is for, while using Old Testament scripture to do so
Acts 21:8-11
8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” (NKJV)
Paul also presents a hypothetical scenario in a positive light:
1 Corinthians 14:24-25
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you. (NKJV)
(because in the NT we come to understand that we have a relationship with God and no longer need a go between us and God)
Jesus, a few chapters before His crucifixion, says that He would send prophets. Paul tells of how He ascended and gave gifts to men.
Ephesians 4
New King James Version
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
Read full chapter
Matthew 23:34 in all English translations
Matthew 22
Matthew 24
Ephesians 4:8-11
New King James Version
8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also [a]first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
to study the scripture and you will soon come to find out that the OT prophets were there because they refused to listen to God and they were sent to correct and tell the sinful to return to God.
But Jesus did not decide to get rid of prophets and let everyone __only___ hear God directly. Your theory does not line up with Paul's writings either. Paul writes about how believers are members of the body of Christ, and we minister to one another through gifts God has given us.
What we are seeing here, in the long winded defense of the practice of what I call 'Christian fortune telling', is simply what too many believers have been led to believe is what the gift of prophecy is for.
Calling prophesying 'fortune telling' also seems rather disrespectful toward the work of the Spirit. Was the prophet Samuel telling Saul where the lost donkeys he inquried about 'fortune telling'? Was his telling Saul that he would be ruler over Israel 'fortune telling'? Was Ahijah's prophecy to Jeroboam about being king 'fortune telling'?
Was Agabus prophecy about Paul being bound 'fortune telling'? If an unbeliever comes in and all prophesy the secrets of his heart, is that 'fortune telling'?
It is a sad testament to just how far some will go to avoid looking God in the eye and instead prefer to hear 'a word' from another person who is just as liable to fail as anyone else.
Do you go to church and hear teachings from the Bible? Why would you do that? Isn't that having a 'go-between' between you and God just as much as hearing a prophecy? Why have any fellowship with anyone at all if all there is to Christianity is just you, by yourself, and God.
Sit down and read I Corinthians 12. God distributes gifts to different members of the body of Christ and we minister to one another. There is interdependence there.... not 'Jesus and me' Christianity.
They will never tell you the horror stories of people who have been led astray by another person while believing it was God.
When Paul gave instructions for church meetings...commandments of the Lord, actually, he did not say anything about a pastor or a sermon. He did say to 'let the prophets speak two or three and let the other judge' and 'for ye may all prophesy one by one.'
Are you a believer? Then believe what scripture states.
It does not tell you to go running to a person to hear from God.