This thread is to discuss in light of the Bible and primarily the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10) what the Bible tells us about prophets, prophecy, and the prophetic for yesterday, today, and forever. This topic is so vast that it naturally requires several different authors and many books on it, therefore, I want to cover the basics and foundations of this in this thread.
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (NKJV) or "It is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus" (NIV). (Rev. 19:10.)
The above passage says that Jesus' testimony (life, work, being) is the spirit of prophecy. This immediately tells us that in order to understand the rest of the Bible (NT and OT), we must necessarily look at the life of Jesus Christ (while He was here on earth). But after it has been defined as foretelling, foreknowledge, comfort, exhortation, what really is prophecy? Prophecy in the Bible is God speaking forth; if He speaks forth a message of comfort, warning, judgment, or love, it all is prophecy, because it is God speaking.
Because the life or essence of Jesus is prophecy, Christians (those who are in Christ) are all called to be a prophetic people as surely as we are called to be kings (overcomers and heavenly delegates with authority and power) and priests (ministers to God and intercessors for others):
"'It will come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour our My Spirit in those days; and they will prophesy'" (Acts 2:17-18).
Note: we have been in the last days since Pentecost. In that passage, God said that everyone (who is in Christ) will prophesy and lists some of the outworking qualities of a prophetic spirit: dreams, visions, and prophesying or 'speaking forth God's Word now' (rhema, in-the-moment words of God, not pulpit preaching).
There is a lot of confusion and abuse when it comes to the topic of prophets, prophecy, and the prophetic; but the Bible makes it clear that God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1Cor. 14:33). When we understand what the Bible says, what Jesus shows/teaches, and what God is saying, we have peace and security rather than confusion and endless questions. It's past time for Christians to be established in the truth and in Jesus Christ rather than at the mercy of winds of doctrines true and false. We are to be established on Jesus Christ Himself, not on the doctrines of the Bible. (I can provide a definition and distinction between those two for anyone who wants to know the difference and how each one affects the lives of Christians and others.) Jesus is first the Word of God, and the Bible bears witness to Him along with the Holy Spirit who reveals Jesus to us as Jesus revealed the Father to the apostles. This is a very broad issue, and I'm willing to take questions on what the Bible says and Jesus shows/teaches about prophets, prophecy, and the prophetic as they were yesterday and are today and will be forever.
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (NKJV) or "It is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus" (NIV). (Rev. 19:10.)
The above passage says that Jesus' testimony (life, work, being) is the spirit of prophecy. This immediately tells us that in order to understand the rest of the Bible (NT and OT), we must necessarily look at the life of Jesus Christ (while He was here on earth). But after it has been defined as foretelling, foreknowledge, comfort, exhortation, what really is prophecy? Prophecy in the Bible is God speaking forth; if He speaks forth a message of comfort, warning, judgment, or love, it all is prophecy, because it is God speaking.
Because the life or essence of Jesus is prophecy, Christians (those who are in Christ) are all called to be a prophetic people as surely as we are called to be kings (overcomers and heavenly delegates with authority and power) and priests (ministers to God and intercessors for others):
"'It will come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour our My Spirit in those days; and they will prophesy'" (Acts 2:17-18).
Note: we have been in the last days since Pentecost. In that passage, God said that everyone (who is in Christ) will prophesy and lists some of the outworking qualities of a prophetic spirit: dreams, visions, and prophesying or 'speaking forth God's Word now' (rhema, in-the-moment words of God, not pulpit preaching).
There is a lot of confusion and abuse when it comes to the topic of prophets, prophecy, and the prophetic; but the Bible makes it clear that God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1Cor. 14:33). When we understand what the Bible says, what Jesus shows/teaches, and what God is saying, we have peace and security rather than confusion and endless questions. It's past time for Christians to be established in the truth and in Jesus Christ rather than at the mercy of winds of doctrines true and false. We are to be established on Jesus Christ Himself, not on the doctrines of the Bible. (I can provide a definition and distinction between those two for anyone who wants to know the difference and how each one affects the lives of Christians and others.) Jesus is first the Word of God, and the Bible bears witness to Him along with the Holy Spirit who reveals Jesus to us as Jesus revealed the Father to the apostles. This is a very broad issue, and I'm willing to take questions on what the Bible says and Jesus shows/teaches about prophets, prophecy, and the prophetic as they were yesterday and are today and will be forever.