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How to Judge Prophetic Messages
<page 11>Many people have been misled while trying to listen to the subjective voice of God. For example, many Mormons gamble their salvation on the belief that the Holy Spirit has confirmed to their hearts that Joseph Smith and other Mormon prophets have spoken for God. They overlook false prophecies, because they have an inner sense that their leaders are correct much of the time.
Mormonism adds to and changes what God has revealed in the Bible. What protection do we have against those who would use prophecy to make these sorts of errors? I believe the answer is found in considering what the Bible means when it says that the faith has once for all been delivered to the saints.
… I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
(Jude 3)
God spoke the faith to us through Jesus and the first century Christians. He did this at a point in time and recorded it in the Scriptures. He is no longer adding to it. It was delivered once for all.
This means that we should base all of our doctrinal teaching on the truths of the Bible alone. There are no new insights into the person of God, the nature of His creation, or His requirements for us that He will add to it. The faith was completely revealed. His word contains all that we are required to believe.
Allow me to share an example that will help explain what I mean. Suppose someone says, “Thus says the Lord: for the next one hundred years I am bringing a special dispensation of grace in which those who stand on their heads for five minutes a day will receive an extra anointing of My power.”
Does this prophecy contradict Scripture? In spite of its silly message, it is difficult to think of a specific verse that proves it wrong. It even appears to resemble the time that God told Ezekiel to lie on his left side for three hundred and ninety days (Ezekiel 4:4-5). If God could tell a prophet to do something that seemingly ridiculous, why couldn’t He tell everyone to stand on their heads for a few minutes a day?
If we look closely, however, we can see that this prophecy contradicts the statement that the faith was once for all delivered to the saints. It adds a new requirement for today’s saints beyond what the Bible has commanded. It implies that the New Covenant isn’t enough. It needs an additional one-hundred year dispensation that Jesus and the first century apostles failed to mention.
How does this differ from God’s command to Ezekiel? It differs in two ways. First, what Ezekiel heard was a specific instruction about how to share a one-time prophecy. It wasn’t a new commandment or doctrine for everyone. It was a unique expression of Ezekiel’s ministry. God can give someone personal instruction without it affecting the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Second, Ezekiel was hearing from God at a time when the faith had not yet been fully delivered. Even if he had heard a new doctrine, God was still speaking those sorts of revelations in his day.
<page 12>Our day is different. The faith has already been delivered. Any prophecy which attempts to add to it contradicts Jude 3. Such a prophecy would actually change the faith, making it a combination of what was given two thousand years ago and what is being given today. It implies that the faith is evolving.
We pay a price when we add to God’s written word. Our hearts are distracted from the standard which equips us for Spirit empowered living.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (emphasis added)
It is the Scriptures that give us the doctrine, reproof, and correction that makes us complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Prophecy, even true prophecy, can never substitute for that. If we allow what we perceive to be the subjective voice of God to distract us from the written word, we will become weak and ineffective. Our hearts will constantly strive for “deeper truths” that will never get the job done. We can only find the teaching we need through learning and applying the Bible.
What I have just said brings up an important question: If it is the Scriptures that equip us, why do we still need prophecy? Perhaps the whole purpose of prophecy was to give us the Bible in the first place. Now that we have it, why not leave behind the tool that produced it?
This argument becomes especially appealing when we consider human weakness. Many of us would rather hear a series of “words for right now” than study God’s book. It is hard to dig into the written word to gain doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. It’s easier to ask someone, “What is the Holy Spirit saying to me today?” Perhaps God has protected us from this temptation by no longer speaking prophetically today.
This line of argumentation would be convincing if prophecy’s only purpose was to give us the Bible. But if it served other purposes also, and those purposes are still needed today, the fact that one purpose is no longer needed does not make it unnecessary.
What does the Bible tell us?
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.
In this scripture we see that beyond giving us the Scriptures (which occurred in the past), prophecy also is intended to edify, exhort, and comfort (which we still need today).
There is more:
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
<page 13>This scripture adds the insight that prophecy brings conviction and the reality of God to unbelievers. Another scripture tells us that it can also provide information about our lives:
After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down to see us. He went right up to Paul, took Paul’s belt, and, in a dramatic gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers.”
(Acts 21:10-11, The Message)
Yet another scripture tells us that prophecy can give guidance:
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: … As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Prophetic messages have always performed these functions, even in the Old Testament. In fact if we look closely, we see that few biblical prophets added new doctrines. For the most part, only Moses, Jesus, and Paul did that. The majority of what the others said was aimed at helping people to apply already revealed truth. Their words edified, exhorted, comforted, brought conviction, gave information, and provided direction.
Can anyone argue that this kind of gift wouldn’t benefit the church today? Isn’t there value in hearing exactly what we need at exactly the time we need to hear it? While I believe that we no longer need prophecy to reveal the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints, I also believe that what was delivered teaches us that prophecy is valuable throughout the church age. It can help us to apply the faith in our everyday lives.
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