Prophets Today

The Office of Prophet

These days, not too many people realise that the office of prophet was ordained of God to the Israelites. It was an office that God took very seriously, as we can see now from Deuteronomy 18:18-20 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” Fairly straightforward I’d say? Even if a little bit harsh, it does seem that God Himself ordains those who walk in the office of prophet.

Prophets, in Old Testament times, carried serious weight with the people. You only have to read how Samuel or Elijah or Elisha was treated to realise that. When the people of a town heard that the prophet was coming, they trembled in fear lest he came in anger rather than in peace. He was often the judge as well as the prophet. There was even a company of prophets available to help the Prophet. Then later on, God tells us through Amos 3:7 “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” The prophets brought messages from God to the people all the time. They commented on the here and now as well as bringing words for the future.

So what are we to understand a prophet to be, if not the bringer of the Word of the Lord? Yet how many churches recognise a prophet? How many actually recognise prophecy at all, let alone the prophet him or herself? Yet the word of God lists the prophet in the five-fold ministry. Having said that, the prophet has a slightly different accountability structure in that, although accountable to his pastor or apostle, he is also accountable to other prophets who will form a kind of “self-regulating” group – each being accountable to the others.

There are many in the church who hear from God, and indeed they prophesy too, but they are not prophets and this is where the problem really sets in. Many people prophesy; many receive words of knowledge, but only a few walk in the office of prophet.

Why is it so many church people, shepherds and flock, are so wary of the prophetic? It seems that many think it ‘old hat’ – died out years ago; and many regard it a bit like reading the tea-leaves. Why are they so ignorant of the role of a prophet? It seems to me to be a total lack of teaching in most cases. Some have also been hurt by harsh or wrong words given them and are now in the ‘once bitten, twice shy’ camp.

We desperately need to bridge the gap in the general understanding of the roles of apostles, pastors, teachers, and evangelists – all of which are widely and well understood – and the role of both the prophetic and the prophet him or herself. In these dark, end-time days, we need the prophetic more and more. We need the discernment of those who ‘see’ from the Lords perspective and the wisdom of those who understand where we are in the eschatological schedule. They may not be perfect, no prophet ever was, but they are at the very least much better than no guidance at all.

Can we just give the prophets a chance before we throw away everything they tell us?