Modern Day Prophets

What is a prophet?  Are there modern day prophets?

            Let’s break prophets/prophecy down into two main forms:

1.      1.  Communication of revelation from God that is already established and authoritative.

2.      2.  Communication of revelation from God that is new and whose authority must ultimately be held accountable by God.

The first is one who communicates revelation from God that has already been established.  This is the general communication of truths that have already been spoken, namely by the word of God and by Jesus.  Think of these as people who use the words of Jesus and of the Bible, two authoritative and established sources, to communicate a message to an individual or congregation.  The aim of their prophecy is for “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.”  [2 Timothy 3:16]

The second is one who claims to have new revelation from God, presumably for the benefit of the God’s people.  Undoubtedly, there were these types of prophets in the Old Testament.  The aim of this study is to explore the place of this second type of prophet in modern times. 

Prophets Then and Now

            Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.                        [Hebrews 1:1-2]

            The biggest change in human history occurred when Jesus was crucified and resurrected.  No longer did God communicate to His beloved children through “many ways”, but through a single way – Jesus!  Image of the invisible God, we can look to Jesus to draw near to God.  The veil was torn and we are allowed to enter the Lord’s throne room boldly because of our great High Priest, Jesus.  Jesus is better.  Better than any prophecy past, present, or future.  Jesus is the mark we’re aiming for. 

We aim for Jesus because of the work of the Holy Spirit.

            Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that He was leaving His ministry with them, and that they could only hope to pursue it through the work of the Spirit.  He said “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”                  [John 16:12-14]

            Before we endeavor to explore the role of a modern day prophet, be certain of this:  our pursuit of the Lord rests on the work Jesus has completed for us and the work the Holy Spirit will continue to complete in us.

Discerning Modern day Prophets

            Whether or not true modern day prophets exist, there are people who claim to exercise the gift of prophecy.  It’s important to know how to discern whether the prophet is true or false.  As always, this is carried out by the work of the Holy Spirit.

            Jesus is the true vine.  Let the prophet be the tree, and the prophecy his fruits.  This is how we may discern between true and false prophets:

The Tree

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”                     [Matthew 7:15-20]

The Fruit

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”       [Deuteronomy 18:15-22]

            Let the true prophet communicate prophecy of the Lord that proves true.  Let the healthy tree produce only good fruit, so that it will not be consumed in a fiery justice.  For the Lord, he restores all things by His righteousness and justice.

            Be wary of prophets who prophesy in a name other than the Lord’s.  Be wary of prophets whose prophecy proves false.  These may be false prophets, even if they look harmless as sheep.  Let your faith, hope, and love abide in Jesus Christ alone, by the work of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of the eternal Father.

The True Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”                   [John 15:1-17]

            Jesus calls us friends.  He calls us friends because he has made known to us everything that he has heard from the Father.  Recall that passage [John 16:12-14] where Jesus lets us know that he is leaving us the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may guide us into truth.  Just as Jesus did only the Father’s will, the Spirit does only Jesus’s will, which is the Father’s will!

            Jesus has made known to us what had been a great mystery of God.  He is the singular sacrifice for our sins, and His word is the final word from the Father.  Everything that we have in Jesus is all we will ever need.  I see no need for modern prophets who claim to receive new revelation from God because Jesus has already delivered to us everything from the Father.  We need the Holy Spirit.  We need Jesus.  We need the Father.  We don’t need anything else.