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According to the Bible a prophet is a speaker of or for God, with his words, the prophecy are not the product of his own spirit, but are said to come from a higher source.

At the same time, he is also, a seer, who sees things that do not lie in the domain of natural sight, or who hears things which human ears do not ordinarily receive.

The following are additions that are being worked on to expand the following sections on the Prophecy article.

Nature of prophecy[edit]

Paulrach Note: Definition needs expanding to include Christian interpretation.

Original Text: Prophecy often consisted of a warning that God's wrath would destroy the people if they disobeyed God or did not repent. Prophecies sometimes included promises of blessing for obeying God or repenting. Warning prophecies feature in Jewish scripture (Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.) and in the Christian New Testament (John the Baptist, Jesus, etc.). Prophecies sometimes foretell the coming of a divine figure, such as Jesus, or appear in apocalyptic literature, such as Daniel or Revelation.

Some prophecy represents the divine truth but not about the future, such as when prophets decry sin without predicting judgment.

Paulrach Text:

Prophecy in the modern church[edit]

Many charismatic and Pentecostal denominations teach that God is restoring the five-fold ministry to the church, including the gift of prophesy.

There are two major recognised trends: In the more controversial of these movements the teachers consider themselves to occupy the office of 'prophet' and assume the authority ascribed to that office in scripture. Their ministry includes the sharing of their own insights and ideas, which in the process, they introduce aberrant and/or heretical teachings compared to the mainstream Christian theology. Another feature of such ministry is the issuing of a stream of "warnings", usually against America, and often linked to their ministries are links to conspiracy theories such as New World Order. The second trend is more often seen in the less controversial house church or home church movement where there is belief that God is restoring the five-fold ministry. Individuals who operate in the office of prophet in, generally tend to prophesy in the New Testament sense of the term.[1]

Paulrach Note: Section added 04/04/08 Paulrach Text:

Prophecy in the Gospels[edit]

There are instances in the Gospel writings where individuals are described as being prophets or prophesying, this is suggestive of a culture that was still open to the possibility of prophecy or hearing from the divine. Some examples are:

Many Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled many of the promises spoken in Old Testament prophecy, including that he would be called 'son of God', and that he will return in the future and fulfil other prophecies such as those in the Book of Revelation. Also both Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet. From a Christian viewpoint, most believe that Jesus was God in human form, and it therefore is interpreted that many of his words are prophetic. However, from a neutral perspective there are specific examples of Jesus speaking prophetically, both foretelling the future and stating what he believed to be the words of the divine.

  • The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke share the same incident, where the disciples were pointing out how magnificent the Second Temple in Jerusalem was, when Jesus then replied by prophesying its destruction.
  • Jesus is also depicted prophesying the arrival of the Son of Man and imminent judgement on unrepentant sinners.
  • Whilst passing through Samaria, Jesus encountered a woman who had been married five times. In the story Jesus, relates to her details of her personal life. The woman states that "I can see you are a prophet."[4]

Prophecy in the Acts[edit]

Throughout the book of Acts, there are numerous references to individuals prophesying in different ways and contexts.

  • On the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter, quotes from the prophet Joel in stating that "your sons and daughters will prophesy." This declaration suggests, that even though they lived in a male dominated culture, the early Christians had an expectation that the gift of prophecy was not just to be confined to the male members. There is an Old Testament precedent for the female prophet with Miriam,[5] Deborah,[6] and Huldah.[7]
  • The church in Antioch is described as having both prophets and teachers.[8]
  • A prophet by the name of Agabus predicted a severe famine. The author goes on to explain that this came to pass under the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius.[9]
  • The Apostle Paul, while staying in Caesarea, stayed with Philip the Teacher, whose four daughters all prophesied. At the same time, the prophet Agabus comes and warns Paul about going back to Jerusalem, saying that he will be handed over to the Gentile authorities.[10]

Prophecy in the Pauline Epistles[edit]

In the Pauline Epistles, the prophet, is often referred as one of the fivefold ministries or spiritual gifts that accompany the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The five ministries being; Apostles; Prophets; Evangelists; Teachers and Pastors.[11] From this many Christians believe that prophecy is the supernatural ability to receive and convey a message from God or the divine. The purpose of the message may be to edify, exhort and comfort the body of Christ or an individual believer. In this context, not all prophecies contain predictions about the future. The Apostle Paul also teaches in Corinthians that prophecy is for the benefit of the whole Church and not just the individual exercising the gift.[12]

Prophecy in Revelation[edit]

The Book of Revelation in the New Testament is accepted by many Christians as a prophecy that includes divine promises of an anointed messiah or Christ that would: lead the people in war, personally issue judgement at the end times, and Armageddon (see Eschatology, Bible prophecy and "End of the World").[citation needed]

References and text that might be useful for articles[edit]

1 Corinthians 14:3-4 (New International Version)

3But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 (New International Version)

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Note to Paulrach: Not to be used directly in articles.

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www.apologeticsindex.org/p01.html
  2. ^ Luke 2:25
  3. ^ Luke 2:36
  4. ^ John 4:19
  5. ^ Exodus 15:20
  6. ^ Judges 4:4
  7. ^ 2 Kings 22:14
  8. ^ Acts 13:1
  9. ^ Acts 11:27-28
  10. ^ Acts 21:9
  11. ^ Eph. 4:11
  12. ^ 1 Corinthians 14:22
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