Prophets: the New Testament standard of who is a prophet.
A prophet in the church is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, but a gift-extension of Christ Himself as the Prophet…
Some time ago, I was in church, and while the vicar was talking about prophets…he said something that stood out, he said, “God does not change!”(Malachi 3:6). I realized — it is true — God is unchangeable, and so are His ways in how He deals with humanity…But how many Christians believe this is eternal truth?
I want to address what prophets are all about? and how they operate in the New Covenant according to the scriptures. Please note, this post was not written to malign anyone, nor has it been designed to point fingers or suggest superiority of one person, small or large group or gathering, or even church doctrine.
Do prophets exist today?
Yes, prophets exist in the Body…but they are not what you’ve seen on TV or YouTube. The ministry of the prophet in the church is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, but a gift-extension of Christ Himself as the Prophet(Ephesians 4:7–13).
Jesus Christ was the full manifestation of the offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher all in one human body. After His ascension into heaven, the fivefold ministry He had embodied on earth was sent back as gifts to the church in the form of men who filled those offices. (Ephesians 4:11). These giftings were an investment of Christ’s mantle for one of the five ministries of Jesus — a divine impartation of Christ’s nature, wisdom, and power for each particular kind of performance. All five, when moving in full maturity, represent Christ’s full ministry to the church.
So, a person who is called to be an apostle receives a portion of Christ’s mantle that enabled Jesus to be the great Apostle of the faith. An evangelist receives Christ’s evangelistic anointing. A pastor is given Christ’s Good Shepherd heart and staff, and a teacher, Christ’s divine teaching ability. Now, the prophet receives attributes of Christ that endowed Him with the ability to perceive what was in the heart of people, to proclaim the divine counsels of God, and to reveal the secret things of the Father.
What does a prophet look like in the New Covenant(**This is not the same as a modern prophet)?
The biblical standard of who is a prophet is not so much about giving a prediction and it coming to pass because even a Mganga(wizard/witch) can make some accurate predictions. Will you now say they are prophets? Even Soothsayers operating in the church can make predictions and they come to pass. So, do we now call them genuine prophets? The answer is NO! and capital NO!… And the mere fact that you give a word and it comes to pass doesn’t make you a prophet. It just means you are spiritually gifted!
“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”(Mark 11:28)
So, the standard of who a prophet is lies in the ability to dissect [ or methodically cut up] the Word of God and speak His truths as if they were given to you from the Throne of Grace. In fact, a prophet’s Word base determines his/her level of authority — because the Word of God is the supreme authority, and the Word of God is His name(Revelation 19:13). In other words, a prophet’s authority is determined by their rootedness in the Word and frequent encounters with the resurrected Jesus Christ [Who is the living Word made flesh(John 1:14)].
Prophets MUST use scriptures to reveal Jesus in all things. Often when ministering, prophets don’t just reveal secrets [in the form of word of wisdom or word of knowledge] to people for their amazement, rather they use revelation gifts to interpret the meaning of life [of the people they are ministering to] with the lenses of Scripture. Thus, fulfilling what is written in scripture, “…who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”(2 Corinthians 5:18). You are reconciled to God when you have a knowing of your identity in Christ (Colossians 1:16).
I tell you the truth, the Bible is full of secrets…it contains the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:11). God raises prophets to not only speak His heart and mind to men but also to interpret His word in ways men can relate to. By this revelation, genuine prophets relate with God as a revealer of mysteries. All mysteries of God, if unsealed become what we know as revelations, and how we respond to revelation becomes our convictions.
Only God deals with His prophet, to unseal His secrets. It is a result of this engagement with the spirit of Prophecy (Revelations 12:17) and the Holy Spirit — as the spirit of Wisdom and Understanding — prophets can function in a higher realm of ministry than the Holy Spirit’s gift of prophecy. (Proverbs 25:2; Romans 11:33; Isaiah 11:1–3)
This is often why most prophets of God or prophetic people give themselves over to studying the Scriptures, preaching the Word, and prayer…studying and meditation of Scripture is not just to prepare messages, but as to encounter their Lord — as the Word — and hear from Him. And in ministering the word, there is more to giving a prophecy, a word of wisdom, or knowledge. When a prophet or prophetic minister speaks to you, the question you should be asking yourself is:
How is this message edifying me in Christ?
How is this message revealing Christ in my life?
How is this message glorifying Christ?
Lastly, you are not led by the prophet’s ministry, you are led by the Holy Spirit. But the prophet’s ministry is used many times to confirm the leading that you already have. Acts 13:2 says “… The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” Notice that they were not called to be missionaries or apostles to the Gentiles that day. They already had the ‘call’ prior to the meeting. The message was just confirmed!
Prophets don’t just appear, they are made by God Himself.
References
Bill Hamon, Prophets and Personal Prophecy: God’s Prophetic Voice Today (Destiny Image, Shippensburg-PA, 1987)
Chris Irekamba and Adelowo Adebumiti, Proliferation of prophets: Who ordains a prophet, how do they hear from God?(link:https://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/ibru-ecumenical-centre/proliferation-of-prophets-who-ordains-a-prophet-how-do-they-hear-from-god/)
