I believe God uses the prophetic because it brings life, restoration, reconstruction, reconciliation, improvement, enrichment, confirmation, strength, deliverance, healing, miracles, breakthroughs, upgrade, change, revival, and reformation. In the Book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, the Lord wanted to bring spiritual and economic renewal to Israel, so He used a prophet to do so. God took Ezekiel up in a vision and showed him a picture of His people scattered, defeated, brittle, and hopeless. Even though God judged them because of their hardness of heart, He wanted to restore a remnant of them and bring restoration. So the hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel the prophet and the Lord showed him a valley of dry bones. In verse 5, God asked him a question in regards to the present condition of His people: “Can these bones live?” So Ezekiel answered and said, “Lord, You know.” Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy to those dry bones and speak to them specifically to hear the word of the Lord.
As Ezekiel continued to prophesy to the bones in a creative way, he began to witness a supernatural metamorphosis take place as the bones, ligament, joints, sinew, skin, flesh, and things on the body were restored. But once fully restored, the only that the bones were missing was life. So again Ezekiel prophesied and commanded that the four winds would come and breathe into these bones. Suddenly the breath of life came into them, and they stood upon their feet and became an exceedingly great army (read Ezekiel 37:1–14).
This is a powerful illustration of the restoration power of the prophetic. I believe that this story is a picture of the church coming into the kingdom and becoming a kingdom family-army of the Lord. Jesus prophesied that He will send the Promise of the Father, and when the church was birthed in the Book of Acts, it was a “spiritual awakening” that took place in the Upper Room prayer meeting. (See Acts 1:4–12; 2:1.) We are the remnant of the Lord that has been chosen to survive.
THE BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND EXHORTATION
As I stated before about the biblical foundation of prophecy, the basic function and boundaries of the gift of prophecy or gift of prophesying in particular are limited to exhortation, edification, and comfort, according to 1 Corinthians 12:10. The two words that stand out to me in regards to the gift of prophecy are encouragement and exhortation.
In Dr. Ralph F. Wilson’s article “Understanding the Gift of Prophecy: II. The Purpose of Prophecy Today,” he writes: “Exhortation to obedience and service as well as encouragement and comfort from the Spirit to those experiencing pain and trouble are one aspect of the Spirit’s building up of the church through prophecy.”55
I searched in depth in regards to the Hebrew meaning of the words exhortation and encouragement and how they were used in the Old Testament. In the Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible the translated Hebrew word for encourage is chazag which means “to be, become strong, to strengthen self and harden.”
First Samuel 30:6 (NKJV) says, “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
We can see that David was distressed at this point because the people, who were grieved themselves, wanted to kill him. The thing I like most about David is that he was able to make himself strong again in the Lord his God. The Bible doesn’t go into detail about how he did it, but because I know that David was a worshipper, prophetic and a lover of God, he, in my opinion, must have sung the song of the Lord, or even prophesied to himself. Whatever method he used to encourage himself, it worked. There have been times where I had to look myself in the mirror and speak the promises of the Lord again over my life. The prophetic word can make a person become strong, harden, and to be; the word of the Lord grants you the ability and permission to be.
According to the Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the word exhort is translated in four unique Hebrew words: paraineo, which means to exhort and recommend; parakaleo means to call near to or for; protrepo means to turn forward and propel; and paraklesis, which means a calling near or for.56 We can see that the exhortation is means to encourage. In his book Dictionary of the Apostolic, page 124, Apostle John Eckhardt states that “New churches need apostolic exhortation. Churches that suffer persecution also need apostolic exhortation. Apostles bring great encouragement to believers and churches. This encouragement will strengthen local churches and motivate them in areas where they are weak.” I truly believe that this gift of exhortation, as I stated before, is necessary for seasoned and new believers. Not only apostles encourage the church, but prophets alongside them, to bring tremendous strength to that local assembly.
Jesus said in John 14:16, 26 (NKJV), “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. . . . But when the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” It is clear that Jesus is sharing that He will send the Helper, which is the Spirit of truth. The word Helper is the Holy Spirit, who is called the Comforter as well. The Greek translated word for helper is parakletos, made up of para, which means “beside,” and kaleo, which means “to call,” hence, “called to one’s side” (SC 3875). The Holy Spirit is considered the parakletos who would, by function, be called to our side. He is sent by the Father to be with the believer and to help, assist, comfort, and encourage us.
REVELATION OF THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
First Corinthians 2:9–12 (NKJV) says:
But as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Cecil Robeck observes and shares emphatically that, “Revelation is the particular characteristic of prophecy which sets it off from preaching and teaching. Indeed, one of the primary ways the Spirit builds up the church is by means of prophecy’s revelation. Although the gift of prophecy has a great breadth, we should not imagine that its primary purpose is the setting forth of doctrine, even though ‘instruction’ was part of its original function (1 Corinthians 14:19). Rather, the gift of prophecy was a revelation from God with a word for the particular moment.”57
In other words, anything revealed that comes through the gift of prophecy, spirit of prophecy, or through the prophet’s ministry office should be disclosed and revealed through the Spirit of God who knows the things of the spirit and the heart of man.
In this passage of Scripture, three key things on the human body stand out: eye, ear, and heart. When prophets and prophetic people move in the realm of the Spirit, God reveals them through the Spirit and uses our spiritual senses to communicate what the Spirit of God is saying. Only God knows the heart of man.
The Spirit has the capacity to search all things, even the deeper things of the Spirit. We must minister by the Spirit and not by the means of human intellect. I have received prophetic words from people who already knew me, and because they were familiar they prophesied a word that seemed like it was by the wisdom of God, but was really human wisdom and knowledge.
Those who are prophets and prophetic minister the deep things of God. God wants us to receive His divine plan, will, and hidden wisdom. There are things of the Spirit that our eyes, ears, and heart have not encountered. The Bible says that no one knows the things of the Spirit but the Spirit. The prophetic gift and spirit knows the spirit of a man. We see in verse 10 of 1 Corinthians 2 that God has revealed things to the apostles through His Spirit. The two necessary elements to know are that the things of the Spirit are God’s revelation disclosed to man by the Spirit,
and God requires man to give a spiritual response to that revelation that was given. (See 2:14–3:4.)
Therefore, a person knows his or her own inner thoughts and mind, so that the mind of God is known only by God’s Spirit. When the prophetic is in operation, Jesus Christ is revealed. In other words, when I prophesy and reveal things about the person I am ministering to, God is revealing His mind, will, and intentions to them. The interesting part of the prophetic at work is that the hearer begins to see, hear, and sense in their heart the Spirit of God revealing His purpose to them. Their eyes, ears, and heart is being touched by the Spirit of God. Have you received a prophetic word so deep that you could not believe it was given? In your inner thoughts you knew that what was spoken was directly from the Lord, and only He would have revealed that.
As I stated earlier, the Spirit of God searches the depths of our very being. The prophetic gift is a vocal gift given by the Holy Spirit, but it also reveals the heart of man and releases the wisdom, counsel, and revelation knowledge of God’s Word. The Spirit of God interprets Himself. The Spirit knows the things of the Spirit, so when the prophets and apostles receive their message it is divine revelation given by the Spirit of Christ. In verse 9, the apostle Paul begins to reveal man’s inability to understand the deep things of God because they were operating in man’s wisdom and not the mystery of God, which is His wisdom.
The Holy Spirit will by His inspiration reveal spiritual things and deeper realm of His Spirit to the spirit of man. We can see that the Spirit search all things like someone who thoroughly investigate or gather all of their facts and findings to solve a case. The Spirit inquires by investigating, tracking and studying by close examination the deep predetermined purpose, plan and destiny for each person’s situation. The prophetic word reveal things from the Spirit that man may have not known because only God knows and reveal to whomever He chooses.
The word reveal comes from the Greek word apokalypto, which means to uncover, unveil or disclose.58 The prophetic word or revelation can uncover, unveil, or disclose God’s plans through three basic spiritual senses: the eyes, the ears, and the heart to comprehend. God wants to open up our ear gates, eye gates, and heart of hearts to reveal His intentions for our lives. In other words, God opens up our ears to hear what the Spirit is saying in the Spirit, opens our eyes to perceive, see, and understand from God’s perspective, and also our hearts so that, through the spirit of love and compassion, we can feel with spiritual sensitivity what He feels.
Our spiritual vision can be opened by the Lord, and through the dynamic of prophecy Christ is revealed to the hearer.
Biblical prophets were known to have seen the visions of God. They would get taken up in the spirit and see things that they could not have initiated on their own. The Spirit of God transcends their natural vision and takes them in the heavenly vision. The ministry of prophecy should always be aiming to build up the body of Christ through faith in their Lord by disclosing and revealing what the Spirit released by the vision of the Lord. The Spirit of Christ has a vision for
His church and we must articulate it and implement it in the earth for His glory. In 2 Kings 6:17, Elisha prayed and inquired of the Lord to open up the eyes of the young man who was serving him.
And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
—2 KINGS 6:17, NKJV
We can see that the prophetic anointing and ministry can open up the spiritual eyes of those who are blind in deception or error, and in need of clarity of vision. The prophet Elisha prayed and the Lord granted his request. Next, the young man saw a part of the heaven army around about Elisha; it was time for spiritual warfare. God opened up the eyes of the servant so that he could see what Elisha already knew in the Spirit. There were more with them than there were against them. Elisha did not ask the Lord to show the young lad a miracle, because he was probably used to the miracle ministry of Elisha, but he asked the Lord to show his servant another realm or dimension in the Spirit. God will open our spiritual sight so that we will see into another realm with faith and assurance. We can see that the prophetic brought hope when Elisha’s servant thought that they were outnumbered when their enemies were pursuing them. The prophetic gift brings hope.
The Bible says in Revelation 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” God wants to open up our spiritual ears that we may hear what the Spirit is saying to us. Just like the eyes can be opened, the Bible says that God can awaken our ears as well to hear the voice of Jesus.
The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. “The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.”
—ISAIAH 50:4–5, NKJV
In this above passage of Scripture we can see that the Lord has given Isaiah the prophet the tongue of the learned, which is the prophetic ability and skill to effectively deliver the message. God gives prophets the ability to interpret by the Spirit God’s original mind, intent, purpose, and plan to those they are called to. God became the spiritual alarm clock that awakened their ears to hear. Not only does He awaken them daily, but He also teaches them by giving them the tongue of the wise or learned. Prophets are not to be rebellious and an island to themselves, but they are to be submitted to God and His Word, and linked to the local body of believers. Prophets and prophetic people are submitted to the Lord and do it out of obedience to God’s strategy. (See Matthew 26:39.)
Lastly, we need our spiritual hearts to be opened—a listening heart. An interesting scripture that I love mediating on is the one that talks about King Solomon inquiring of the Lord to grant unto him a discerning heart:
So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?
—1 KINGS 3:9, AMP
King Solomon wanted an understanding mind and hearing heart to judge God’s people, along with—as a young king who didn’t have much experience ruling a kingdom—the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Prophets and prophetic people must have a heart that listens to the leading of God Spirit. God judges the inner thoughts of man and He also gives us by the Spirit the ability to discern and perceive, understand and recognize a person’s motives and agendas. Solomon needed the wisdom of God to rule. In addition, it was wise of him to ask the Lord for wisdom and nothing materialistic. Because he asked for a heart to hear and to comprehend, the Lord blessed him tremendously with riches. An obedient servant, minister, and leader must seek the Lord for understanding and an open heart that will hear His voice in any situation in life.
THE MOUTHPIECE OF GOD
The prophets were mouthpieces of God speaking His word to their world, society, and generation regarding either past, present, or future truths. They were men of inspired utterance. Today God is raising up divine oracles and people who will prophesy as the Lord commands. I am not teaching people to be a prophesier or to just prophesy but to discern the voice of God to prophesy by the Spirit. Jesus said His sheep know His voice “and a stranger will they not follow” (John 10:4–5, KJV). There are many voices and frequencies in the realm of the spirit, but a prophet knows the Creator’s voice and can tune into heaven’s frequencies and transmit His mind, will, and divine purpose for humanity when needed.
In Barbara Wentroble’s book Fighting for Your Prophetic Promises, she talks about growing in the gift of prophecy to the office of the prophet. She talks about a little girl who grows into such a beautiful woman. Although this baby girl goes through life struggles and goes through growth and development like we all do, through all of the processes of life the parents of the baby girl watch as she finally stands as a beautiful bride o
n her wedding day. Apostle Barbara Wentroble compares that life process and maturation to that of the gift of prophecy and the office of a prophet. She says, “Growing from the gift of prophecy to the office of prophet happens the same way. A prophet, once called, is not formed in a day. A prophet must fight to be faithful to the tasks that will prepare him for his calling from God. First, however, must come the anointing for the office. It is God who calls prophets and not any individual or organization.”59
GIFT OF PROPHECY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
The prophetic ministry in the early church was expressed and utilized for the purpose of establishing the voice of the Lord. As I mentioned before, prophecy, prophets, and the ministry gift of prophesying was God’s idea and not man’s. If it was God’s idea in the Old and New Testaments, then it is a concept and culture that we as believers should embrace. As I researched the Scriptures in writing this book, I found some appealing discoveries of the important role that New Covenant prophets were established by the Lord. This what I have found in regards to the ministry in the New Testament:
• Prophets were established and set by God governmentally in the NT church along with apostle and teachers (1 Cor. 12:28–29).
• Prophets are ranked second in order in the NT church by God (1 Cor. 12:29).
• Prophets are one out of four “headship” ascension-gift ministries given by Christ to His church as His extension (Eph. 4:11).
• Prophets can operate and flow in the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
• Prophets have a resident ministry gift of prophecy in them (1 Cor. 14:3, 31; 12:28).
• Prophets are called, generally speaking, to 1) Equip, train, and mature the saints; 2) Activate, ordain, recognize, and assist the saints into their ministries; and 3) Edify, build up, and strengthen the church of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:9–16).
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