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The Apostolic and Prophetic Foundation
Prophets lay foundations in building God’s house (Eph. 2:20). In other words, they bring a revelation of Christ through their godly character as well as their prophesying that not only encourages individuals in their relationships with the Lord but in their love for their fellow believers as well. Lives are built together because of their involvement.
Prophecy is to edify the church (1 Cor. 14:4). This word “edify” is oikodome in Greek. It comes from two words, oikos - house and domeo - to build. Therefore, prophets are to have the effect on the local church that construction workers have on an unfinished house.
While all prophecy is to edify, prophets will do so in a foundational way. They will impart the life of Christ through their ministry in such a manner that believers will be strengthened to stand in the building and testing process of God’s house being constructed. For example, they will have discernment to recognize when people are beginning to lose heart and fall into apathy. Through their prophetic words they will put courage into the hearts of the saints by pointing them to God’s presence and then calling them to commitment - both to the person of the Lord and to the task He has put before them.
We see one Old Testament example of foundational prophetic ministry in the days of Ezra. The Jews while seeking to construct the temple were experiencing opposition from their enemies. As the antagonism increased, they began to lose heart and even began to form a theology to support their inactivity.
Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying: “This people says, ‘The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.’”
(Hag. 1:2)
It can be so easy to develop doctrine justifying our present condition in the Lord. This is one reason why prophets are often sent to challenge the status quo.
Then the prophet Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophets, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.
Just as the Jews in Haggai’s day knew opposition, the New Testament Church was under the legalistic onslaught of the circumcision party. According to these teachers, Gentiles had to be circumcised in order to be saved. After this issue was recognized as error and resolved at the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, two prophets were sent to the church at Antioch.
Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them.
As local churches go through traumatic times of testing, believers will be tempted to lose heart. Prophets will bring strength and encouragement as they deliver the word of the Lord, for they will stand in His presence, hear His burden and bring His perspective to the situation.
Prophets, as part of their foundational calling, are watchmen in the city of God. They are called to appraise the spiritual condition of God’s people (Jer. 6:27) and then to blow the trumpet of warning to alert them concerning the consequences of their sinful practices (Ezek. 3; Jer. 6:17).
There is a great need today for prophetic ministry to emerge and send forth a clear trumpet sound that reflects God’s heart instead of religious, legalistic or prideful heart attitudes. Prophets must be broken, humble men. They cannot have religious agendas to push. To the degree they sound forth their own legalistic bias, they cease to represent Heaven.
Even when their observations of the people may be accurate, if God has not sent them to speak concerning a particular issue, then they must hold their peace. Otherwise, He will hold them accountable. At that point the focus of the Lord just might be on the need for the prophets themselves to change! Perhaps their need is for patience or a greater commitment to intercede for the people.
On the other hand, if God does send them and they speak in such a way that they misrepresent Him (speaking from anger, competitiveness, personal frustration, etc.), He will take it very seriously. Moses was kept from the promised land for this very reason (Num. 20:1 - 12).
Prophets, while burdened about sin, must focus on grace, for grace is God’s solution!
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
(1 Pet. 1:10 - 11 NASB)
As the Old Testament prophets viewed the sinful condition of their society, God began to include them in His burden concerning His solution. The Spirit of Christ within them began to indicate great future glory based on the suffering of the Messiah. As they prophesied, it became clear that God’s answer was grace! For example, Zechariah saw in the Spirit a great mountain (an obstacle) standing before Zerubbabel and hindering him from finishing the task of completing the temple. Whatever that obstacle was (It was probably personal sin in the life of Joshua the high priest [Zech. 3]), he saw God’s remedy.
Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone (i.e., the finishing touches to God’s project) with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”
When the job was finished, all focus would be on the grace of God that enabled men to cooperate with God’s purpose. This verse speaks to more than just the dilemma facing Zerubbabel; it addresses the building of God’s house in our day. The finishing touches to God’s glorious house will come amidst great celebration concerning the grace of God!
...rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Eternity will hold the same perspective.
...in the ages to come He might show (display, NEB) the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
(Eph. 2:7)
If prophets are to contribute foundationally in building God’s house, they must be deeply conscious of His grace - both of their own need for it and for the central role it plays in forging a people of holiness. Such men will never be pharisaic legalists. They will not focus on externals such as jewelry, dress, makeup and hairstyle. Their emphasis will be the heart. They will exhibit a deep confidence in God’s ability to change His people from the inside out.
Their words will penetrate through the religious smokescreens of those who know how to “play the game” of looking holy but who are really far from the Lord. When they speak, they will impart God’s power for people to turn from their ways and unto the Lord, because they will minister His grace through their words (Eph. 4:29).
They will hate sin and will refuse to compromise God’s holy standards, but they will also understand that law is no cure for the carnal nature. They will bring a dimension of the glory of God into situations where answers are needed for they will understand their call to convey far more than words.
They will recognize that the Lord Himself is the answer for what ails God’s house and that He must be released through their ministry. Then seeing their own limited success at imparting His life, they will cry out for the Lord to arise first in their own lives and then as well in the hearts of the people.
Lord, raise up such men all across Your body! Reveal Yourself in ever greater dimensions through the prophetic company You are bringing forth in this hour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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