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The Spiritual Gift Of Prophecy
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The Spiritual Gift Of Prophecy

This study is part of a more extensive series on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I wanted to make you aware of this entire resource before getting started.

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Understanding The Spiritual Gift Of Prophecy

There is much buzz in Charismatic and Pentecostal circles today concerning the gift of prophecy. There is a whole movement that has sprung up called the Prophetic Movement. We have men and women running around calling themselves prophets.

When I was just a few years old in the Lord, I got involved with a “movement.” I thought it was the latest and greatest thing that God was doing.

It was only after a couple of years of getting banged around and swallowing some pretty lousy doctrine did I realize that there is only one movement that God is calling us to. That is to run your race towards the high calling that is in Christ Jesus.

Since that time I have seen at least four movements come and go. All of them brought an issue or an understanding of our faith to the conversation table, but they also carried much baggage because of the extremes that went along with the movement.

In today’s lesson on the Christian gift of prophecy, I am going to try to remove the baggage, maybe bring some correction, but most importantly I hope to encourage every one of you that you can be used by God in encouraging with a prophetic gifting.

What Does Prophecy Mean In The Bible?

In this lesson on the prophetic, I am going to center our discussion around the gift in the New Testament. It is not that there are not many examples of the gift of prophecy in the Old Testament, but that we are living in the Church age, not the age of Mosaic law, and as such it has changed the way the gift of prophecy works.

There is a mental picture that comes from Old Testament prophets and prophecy that depicts a wild-haired dude that is just slightly off his rocker who stands on street corners with proclamations of doom and gloom. You will not find this model of prophecy in the New Testament. In

1 Corinthians 14:3 says

“But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.”

You will notice that it leaves out pronouncements of divine judgment and retribution. I believe that the reason for this is that the payment for sin and the spiritual consequences of sin were taken care of at the cross of Christ.

There is, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) New Testament prophecy transformed from edicts of destruction and displeasure to words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort.

The Gift Of Prophecy In The Life Of Jesus.

In Luke’s gospel chapter 22, we have a very famous incident of this gift at work in the life of Jesus. It is the time where Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of him.

Notice that Jesus tells Peter that Satan had asked to sift him like wheat. Satan wanted to take him out, but Jesus said that He prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail.

Now that is a word that is both comforting and encouraging. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him, but He also said to him that he had been prayed for.

This also shows that faith goes beyond our incidents where we fail. It is what we do in the long term, not the short term that matters.

In John’s gospel chapter 2, we see where Jesus operates the gift of prophecy in the prediction of his death and resurrection.

He tells the religious leaders who were questioning His authority that if they destroyed the “temple,” He would rebuild, it in three days. What he was talking about his own body is the temple, and they assumed He was talking about the physical temple they worshiped at.

There is an essential point in this incident in the life of Jesus. You cannot take all prophecy at face value or assume you know what it is talking about. I have found it best to let a prophetic wordplay out and ponder it for a while before acting upon it or deciding what it means.

Prophetic Gifts In The Early Church.

In the book of Acts chapter 21, we have two incidents of the prophetic gifts in the early church. Both had to do with Paul’s return to Jerusalem. In the first incident, the scriptures say that the believers prophesied by the Holy Spirit for Paul not to return to Jerusalem.

In the second instance, we have a clearer picture of the prophetic gift in action where A man named Agabus took Paul’s belt and tied up his own hands and feet and told Paul that he would be bound the same way by the Jewish leaders if he went to Jerusalem.

Now I have always speculated as to whether or not Paul missed the boat and disregarded the prophecies or if he had decided and seen that the prophecies were given not to warn him not to go but to forewarn him what was ahead.

It is evident that Paul felt that they were to prepare him for what lay ahead of him not to dissuade him from going. I always wonder if he interpreted the reason for those prophecies or not. Regardless, Paul was right about this. The will of God will be done regardless.

This brings up an excellent point concerning the gift of prophecy. It is not the job of the prophet to interpret what the meaning of the prophecy is. That is the right and responsibility of the one receiving the prophecy.

If you are giving a prophetic word, then you need to be the messenger, not the interpreter. You need to make sure your spiritual pride and ego are out of the way.

It is not your job to make sure the prophecy is accepted or heeded. It is just your job to give the message. However, I have found that, if the word you are giving is encouraging, strengthening, and comforting then there is usually very little resistance.

How To Test Prophecy Today

As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, there is much buzz about prophetic gifts today. I have watched, listened, and tried to sift through this hubbub about God restoring this gift and I have come to my own conclusions as to what is from God and what is hype.

Here are a few things that I look for when deciding if a word that is given to me is indeed a prophetic word or a word designed to profit the one giving it. I ask myself these questions and not necessarily in this order.

  • Does this word line up with being a word that encourages, strengthens, and comforts?
  • Does the messenger walk in, and have a track record of humility?
  • Does this word line of with the written word of God?
  • Has this word been judged and confirmed by others?

True Prophets Must Be Humble

We have seen that Paul said that prophetic words would encourage, strengthen, and comfort. The scriptures also teach that we are to be concerned with false teachers and those that would spread the lousy doctrine.

I have found that just by looking at a person’s humility level with discerning a lot about the type of words that they will give.

If you take a close look at the life of Paul, you will see a progression of his humility becoming deeper. He got older he went from thinking of himself as least of all the Apostles, to the point He thought of himself as just a recipient of grace as the chief of all sinners.

The need for recognition and titles diminished directly in proportion to his humility and recognition of his need for grace.

Prophetic Words Must Line Up With The Bible

Any word of prophecy needs to line up with the revealed written word of God. God does not contradict God.

If a person gives you a word of prophecy that contradicts the word of God, then they are not speaking from the Spirit of God, but are speaking out of their soulish nature.

Spit these out as trash or lovingly bring correction to the one giving the word.

Prophetic Words Are To Be Tested

Finally, I believe that any prophetic word has to be judged. In 1 Corinthians 14:29, it says “Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said.”

In 2002 I received three prophetic words concerning returning to ministry. They were given to me over a 2-3 month period by three different people in three different churches, and none of these people had met me before.

I took those words and then presented them to the people whom I hold in high regard spiritually. They all felt that it was God and that I would be returning to ministry.

If you receive a prophetic word from somebody, I suggest you do the same thing. Let the word be judged.

In my own church here in Pine Haven, if there is a prophetic word given, we stop and evaluate the word and decide whether it is from God or not. This has brought a balance in our church that when a prophetic word is given, then it is taken seriously, and at the same time, it has made those with the gift cautious in its use.

This has been a healthy thing in our congregation, and we don’t have any self-proclaimed prophets running around wounding the sheep.

I know that I will probably get some flack about my stance and teaching concerning the gift of prophecy.

That is ok.

I learned a long time ago to run the race before me, not to follow a movement. I hope and pray that you will hear my heart and that you too will find the place of balance and integrity when being used with the gift of prophecy.

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Pastor duke taber
Pastor Duke Taber

Pastor Duke Taber

All articles have been written or reviewed by Pastor Duke Taber.
Pastor Duke Taber is an alumnus of Life Pacific University and Multnomah Biblical Seminary.
He has been in pastoral ministry since 1988.
Today he is the owner and managing editor of 3 successful Christian websites that support missionaries around the world.
He is currently starting a brand new church in Mesquite NV called Mesquite Worship Center, a Non-Denominational Spirit Filled Christian church in Mesquite Nevada.