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New Testament Prophets
I am often asked, “What do you think of all the prophetic ministry taking place across the nation?” My answer is this, “I see a lot of people functioning like Old Testament prophets in a New Testament era.” Most of them when asked to define what it is to be prophetic will use Old Testament examples like Jeremiah, Elijah, Elisha, or Ezekiel, etc. But what about the New Testament? What is a New Testament prophet?
Here is just one example of a situation I experienced. Some brethren who were hosting a prophetic conference asked me to be a speaker. Don Rumble and I had previously traveled frequently to speak at various conferences and churches. But over time, we began to feel that what we were doing had the flavor of promoting something. Like we had something to sell. But God hadn’t called us to advocate for anything or anyone – just to be faithful in what He had given us to do. So, we felt that we were to step back from the whirlwind of activity. It was no longer to be about “getting the word out to as many as would listen.” God was doing fine at extending His kingdom on the earth. So, I was in a bit of turmoil about whether I should speak at this specific conference. But then the Lord spoke very clearly to me that I should go. So, at the first meeting, I was sitting in the designated seating area reserved for those who would speak, and a man who was also going to be a speaker came and sat next to me. He had two young men walking behind him. One was carrying his Bible and the other his brief case. When I asked him, “What is going on? These two young men – one carrying your Bible, the other your brief case.” He said, “They are my armor bearers.” I was shocked. “Really. Doesn’t that seem a bit Old Testament to you? Doesn’t the New Testament teach that you should be carrying theirs? Jesus came to serve, not to be served.” You know what he did? He moved his seat!
And this was someone who was influencing others from a leadership role in the realm of prophetic ministry in our nation.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would anoint prophets to give direction to certain individuals, or to the nations of Israel or Judah, or to their kings. Sometimes they prophesied over various Gentile nations as well. Very often it was directive, a rebuke for certain sins, or a correction of some sort. For example, when King David sinned with Bathsheba, God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him. When he realized that his sin was found out, he cried out to God, “Take not Your Holy Spirit from me.” In the Old Testament, only a few people here and there were anointed to prophesy. And David was one of them. But when those who prophesied sinned, the Holy Spirit could depart and lift off of their lives. Think of King Saul who had indeed prophesied at one time but who had then turned away in his heart. The Scripture says that Saul feared David because the Lord was with David and had departed from Saul (1Samuel 18:12).
On the other hand, the New Testament teaches that with the death and resurrection of Christ, a new era began. Notice what the writer to the Hebrews said.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son
All through the Old Testament, the prophetic view was always looking forward in time. Someday the Messiah would come and everything would change. And this future hope rested on a promise made by Israel’s God. And no matter how spiritual or obedient His people were, they simply could not come into the full stature of what He had in mind when He created man (Hebrews 11:39 - 40). But when Jesus arose from the dead, His instructions were clear. His followers were to wait for the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49). What God had promised was now about to come from heaven into the hearts of His people. What was the promise? It was God Himself pouring out His own presence in a permanent abiding way into those who believed. An invasion of the earth from heaven began in Acts Chapter 2.
And this presence of God is given to all of His children with the promise to never leave or forsake us, ever. Talk about a commitment! Think of what Paul said to Timothy. “God…has saved us and called us with a holy calling...” (2 Timothy 1:9). In other words, if you are saved, then you are called – with a holy calling. And it is not according to anything that we can do or achieve on our own. It is all according to His grace and His purpose which He granted us in Christ before the world began. Therefore, when we begin to catch the New Testament vision, we see that we are all saved, that we are all called, and that we are all anointed.
”As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
The anointed One, Jesus the Christ has come into our lives and has begun to live His life in us and through us. And so, what often happens is that when others see Him making Himself known in our lives, they say, “Wow, were you ever anointed today!” But what they really mean is that they saw less of us and more of the Anointed One arising in us. But unfortunately, in many places, the anointing is described as “something that happens” when the Holy Spirit moves upon you.
One of the first times I ran into this was in Concord, NH. We were having a joint New Year’s Eve meeting with another church. We had gathered simply to worship. And when the meeting was over, we were all going to go downstairs and welcome in the new year with fellowship and eating a meal together. So, the pastor said to me, “Owen, I have to go up and make some announcements. I’ll be right back.” But when he got to the front, he said something like this. “And (ah), refreshments are served (ah)!! Downstairs(ah)!” with great emphasis on the words. I was thinking, “What in the world was that?” Afterward, I asked him about it and he said, “That’s the Holy Spirit.” But in my own mind I was thinking, “I can’t imagine God walking around heaven going uh, ah, unh, o, ah!” In actuality, it was simply what I would call a learned Pentecostalism, an acquired way of speaking.
Unfortunately, while many brethren may claim that they believe in the centrality of Jesus, it seems that many do not understand the implications of that truth as it relates to how they should be integrated with the Church. And if they begin to sense that God is calling them to be a prophet, it then becomes easy for them to simply function like an Old Testament prophet. There are many examples of this on the internet today. But God intends to bring this important ministry into its proper New Testament role as revealed in the New Testament.
Just one obvious question is: “What happens when a particular prophecy doesn’t come to pass?” I called one of these well-known prophetic brothers and asked him that specific question. He said, “Well, it is contingent on the person’s response to the word.” I’m thinking, “Oh. So, it’s their fault that you missed God!” In the Old Testament, if your prophecy didn’t come to pass, the Scripture says that you should be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 18:20 - 22). Obviously, there were exceptions to the rule (e.g., think Nineveh in Jonah’s day or God changing His mind and deciding to give Hezekiah another fifteen years of life – 2Kings 20), yet God’s standard was clear. Prophets who misrepresented the Lord were held accountable in an ultimate sense – they paid with their lives. Maybe functioning like an Old Testament prophet is not so appealing after all.
So, today. Prophetic ministers will be invited to speak at a local church and will then give direction to the leaders and to the people there because that is what they think a prophet is supposed to do. Everyone then is strongly encouraged to honor what the prophet has spoken. But if what they have spoken does not come to pass, then it is seen as the people’s fault. Clearly, something has to change.
Where is the prophet’s accountability for what he is saying and doing?
God has given His Holy Spirit to the whole Church so that we may all come to know His leading and direction. So, if any believer gives a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom concerning the direction of the church, that word should bear witness to the whole Body. When the Holy Spirit moves through His people, since He is not an author of confusion, He will bring clarity. And when He does, He will not be speaking only through one very gifted individual but rather through those who are led by the Spirit of God, the sons of God (Romans 8:14). Therefore, heavenly strategy requires that there be meetings where we come together to equip and train people to move in corporate prophetic accuracy. Genuine New Testament prophets will be key in such training.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
In the New Testament, God speaks to us in and through His Son. And His Son lives in each and every one of us. It seems that some have missed this foundational truth.
When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”
If we fail to understand how God uses affliction in our lives, we could then very easily find our perspective of Him and of His purpose negatively affected when we encounter adversity. This is what happened to John the Baptist. “Are You really the One?” Of course, John had announced that Jesus was the one Israel was waiting for. In fact, when he saw the Lord coming to him for baptism, he tried to stop Him. “Lord, you should be baptizing me!” But no. Jesus submitted to John’s baptism to fulfill all righteousness, to fulfill the Scriptures. So, when Jesus came up from the water, John immediately saw the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit coming down in bodily form as a dove upon Him. Clearly, John knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He then heard God the Father say, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Even though John had experienced such amazing events, yet from prison he found himself asking, “Are You really the one?”
Adversity can affect your perspective. This is why God’s people need edification, exhortation, and consolation.
So, Jesus responded to the disciples whom John had sent to question Him.
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’ “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”
Of all the prophets who ever lived, none were greater than John. Yet he still had doubts and questions at that moment. Think about it: Elijah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Abraham, Moses, and all the Old Testament prophets. None of these mighty men of faith were greater than John. In fact, while they were all prophets, he was more than a prophet. Why? Because all of them in their prophetic ministries pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah. But John actually introduced Him. And through him, the Kingdom of God could now come into a focused clarity.
But look at how Jesus concluded His instruction to the crowds.
Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
If you feel like you might be the least in God’s Kingdom, take encouragement from this thought. You are greater than the greatest prophets who ever lived. You are greater even than John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said that no one of Israel’s mighty heroes of the faith were greater than him. What many people miss is that right here at this juncture in Matthew’s gospel, God is giving us a snapshot of the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. This specific conversation puts us on the pinnacle of the Old, as we consider John. But at the same time, we suddenly find our hearts staggered as it hits us that in considering Jesus, we are seeing the emerging of the New. Jesus had come to fulfill what was written and it was now happening for all to see.
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