Next up on the gifts of the Holy Spirit list is prophecy. To some people, this gift may sound a little spooky. It is often misunderstood and sometimes misused, but needed on both a personal and a corporate level. So let’s delve in and learn more!
What is Prophecy?
According to Zondervan’s NIV Concordance, the word prophecy comes from the word “propheteia,” which means “prophecy, an inspired message, sometimes encouraging obedience to God, sometimes proclaiming the future as a warning to preparedness and continued obedience.” So is it just me, or do you picture an old guy with long salt and pepper hair and a long beard to match in a burlap robe pronouncing the end of the world? Words that concern the future are part of the prophetic gift Paul is writing about in 1 Cor 12. So be warned; those who predict the world’s demise at a specific time are false prophets. In Mark 13:32, Jesus states that neither he nor the angels know the time of the end. Only God does. So when you see those proclaiming they know such things, ignore them. Now that I’ve said that, let’s move on!
Purpose of Prophecy
One function of prophecy is to warn people of calamity. God often gives the people two options: He tells them what the problem is and how they can avoid disaster; and what will happen if they choose to ignore the warning. For example, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah warned the people of the coming exile to Babylon. Because the scripture is quite long, I have removed sections of it. Please read Jeremiah 25 for yourself!
“The word came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3 For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened…
6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”
7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.”
8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words… 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” (Jeremiah 25 NIV)
Ouch! That’s a harsh word! Jeremiah had spoken to Israel (Judah and those in Jerusalem) for twenty-three years. During that time, God told them to repent and return to him, but they refused. Due to that rebellion, God sent King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to take them captive and ruin their cities. Although that is not the outcome anyone would want, God gave them twenty-three years to pull it together. Although they were facing seventy years of captivity in Babylon, God gave them a word of encouragement:
12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.” (Jer. 25: 12-14 NIV)
When the seventy years are complete, God will return them to Jerusalem to rebuild, and you can read about that in Nehemiah.
Ninevah
For a great example of a heeded warning, let’s check out Jonah Chapter 3.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (NIV)
It is important to note that God warns of destruction, but the outcome is often related to the people’s choices. They can turn and repent, or they can continue in the ways that oppose God. When they do that, they reap what they have sown.
Strength, Encouragement, and Comfort
Warnings are only one part of the prophetic gift. Paul writes in 1 Cor: 14: 3-5:
“But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy” (NIV)
Strength, encouragement, and comfort. We all need a little of those things sometimes! God is well aware of that, and he releases those messages to keep us moving forward. Prophecy should not beat people down, and although we need correcting at times, God knows when that time is and the right way of speaking it.
Paul also states that those who prophesy edify the church. The word edify means to instruct or improve spiritually. God wants his body of believers (the church) to understand spiritual concepts. What a great way to learn the heart of God!
Warning
Misuse of this gift can happen. Some use it for personal gain, citing God’s name and passing a message off as “God said” when he didn’t. Both Moses (Deut. 18: 15-22) and Jesus (Matt 7:15) warn of false prophets. But please don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! Many in the church have shunned this gift out of the fear of being led astray by counterfeit voices. As a result, they have missed much of what God wants to speak to them personally and corporately. God expects us to rightly divide the words and judge what people proclaim as a “word from the Lord.” The Bible gives guidelines on interpreting those words correctly – but that is for another day!
Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
