Understanding The Word

Part 5- The Gift of Prophecy

It is our responsibility to learn and to listen, just as you do in school, when the teacher tells you to study for a test…..usually if you don’t study you will fail the test…..in this respect, if you do not study the word with the Holy Spirit, you will fall for false teachings and doctrines.

If you have fallen for falseness, whose fault is it?  How often we see this today, people (even saved people) are blinded by the world, and they don’t even know it, and some don’t care because the world gives them what they want instead of what they need.

Why is this important for the gift of prophecy?

It is very important because there are many false prophecies and false prophets that are in the world and like the gift of healing, this gift is abused for the purpose of leading people away from God; and because we don’t study the Word and spend time with the Lord, His people are getting confused.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:20-21

(I need to make something clear….You must use discernment and use your knowledge of scripture to tell when someone who claims they are a prophet are indeed a prophet.  What I have found most is that the majority of true prophets today don’t even know they are prophets and usually will not place that title on themselves, because they honestly think they are not prophets.)

What is Prophecy?

“a prediction; the faculty, function, or practice of prophesying; a foretelling of what is to come; instruction, utterance, or revelation”

Years ago I heard someone say that prophecy is history in advance….and it’s true, for prophecy is showing an unchangeable future.

There are people that do fortune telling (this is demonic), however even though some of the information may come about like they tell you, it is not absolute and you can change your future; but prophecy is different, it is a foretelling of a future that is already set. 

For Example – Jesus Christ birth was a prophecy, it was set, it was going to happen no matter what…..Jesus Christ death was a prophecy…..it was going to happen no matter what…..Jesus Christ coming again to rule on earth……it is a prophecy and IT WILL happen no matter what.

Prophecy is set in stone and that is the difference in God’s prophecy and man’s prophecy.  Man’s prophecy is always changing based on what is going on in the world and no matter what man does his prophecies will never be fulfilled or happen the way he claims because it is not of God.

Satan can tell his prophets (false) all day long, that he is God and will rule the earth and defeat the true God……God’s prophecy states Satan will fall and be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever…….Hmmmm….so knowing from past prophecies we know that God’s prophecy will happen NO MATTER WHAT…..

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  Revelation 20:10

If there are people who claim to be prophets and hearing from God, are we listening with our ears? Or listening through the Holy Spirit? 

Some people get so caught up in wanting something so badly, that they think bringing in God’s name will make something happen.  Not according to God’s prophecy…..it is just like today….. there are people who say, ‘ fast and pray and God will bless your nation, we must come back to God and our nation will be healed’…..There are people who are claiming to be prophets that are telling their followers they must do these things in order for our nation to be blessed again. 

Is this prophecy from God, from the want of man, or from a demonic spirit?

This is a false hope and false teaching….. For it clearly prophesies in the bible that all the world will be ruled by the antichrist (Satan) during a 7 year tribulation…..It is why he makes you take a mark (the mark of the beast) to prove you worship him and not Jesus Christ.  (This is a Prophecy and it will happen.)

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” Revelation 13:16

Prophecy is also a warning/consequence of an action… for example….your parents will warn you (prophesy/predict) that you will shock yourself if you play with the plugin outlet…..Prophecy is knowing what the future holds no matter what happens in this moment.  It is a warning as well as a comfort.  A warning for those who are not saved who blaspheme God, for He is telling you (prophesying ) that you will go to hell as the consequence of your unbelief;  A comfort for the saved, because we know when we see His prophecies coming to pass, that the prophecies (foretelling) of us going to heaven will happen.

We all, who are in Christ Jesus, should trust in the prophecies of the bible and should all know what prophecies are of God and those that are of man, by understanding what prophecy is.

Let’s go on…..

What is a prophet?

“one who utters divinely inspired relations; one gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; one who foretells future events.”

There are many religions that have ‘so-called’ prophets…..but the only true prophets are the ones chosen by God.  This is where the gift of prophecy comes in, as only the prophets of God can predict (Foretell) the future or reveal the future from God’s word and it come to pass, because all of God’ prophecies are already set in stone.

(You must always be aware and on your toes if you hear someone say they are a prophet and what they reveal, if it doesn’t go with scripture, they are not a true prophet.)

 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.” Mark 13:22

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who priviliy shall being in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

“Then the LORD said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.” Jeremiah 14:14

God’s prophets teach the prophetic things to come from the bible.  They do not go off on their own ideas and wants….they always follow the predictions of the bible and always keeps the prophecies in context….

What is the Gift of Prophecy?

The Gift of Prophecy is the Holy Spirit revealing to you all of the prophecies in the Bible.  He shows you from beginning to end every prediction, foretelling, and warning that God put in stone in the Bible, that came true, and that will come true. People with this gift see the unchanging God and His word.

They warn and foretell of what is to come, the good and the bad, in the days ahead for those who are saved and unsaved…..

While the Holy Spirit can reveal to all saved believers some of the prophecies of the Bible, we have teachers/prophets today that have the gift to show us and teach us how they all come together and the meaning behind them.  (Like the Gog and Magog war, the book of Daniel and the Fig tree Generation, The church versus Israel, etc.) 

The gift of prophecy is also a gift of historical knowledge, you see if you don’t understand and know history, you cannot foresee or foretell the future.  History and prophecy go hand in hand….because prophecy is the effect of the history which is the cause.

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;” Romans 12:6

The Gift of Prophecy is putting everything into perspective for God’s people and fitting our time in with the scripture of the future. Not only that, but knowing the history of the world in order to place everything into a timeline with the Bible.

There is also a Gift of Belief in prophecy…..

Do you realize that there are many saved people who don’t believe in prophecy?  Does this make sense?  As a fellow saved believer, it is hard on the human level to understand how any other saved person doesn’t believe in the prophecies or even in most of the bible.  Spiritually I can understand, because humans are susceptible to demonic influence.

We saved believers can receive the gift of belief in prophecy in order to learn about prophecy.  We believe what the prophets/teachers are teaching us, because we, through the Holy Spirit, can see that they are right in their teachings/warnings of the bible.

It is why it is so important to know scripture and have the Holy Spirit lead you on the correct path.

I need to make a point that you do not have to be a prophet to understand some of the prophecies in the bible….what do I mean?  If you have read the bible you know what will happen in the future at some time or another because it’s right there (in clear language) in scripture.

Most pastors/preachers should have a gift of prophecy because they are supposed to guide the flock…..how can they guide the Lord’s flock if they don’t even know what to prepare them for?  This is why you have to be very careful who you are listening to and who is teaching you.

Do you know the Prophecies?

Even though we do not have the gift of prophecy, or know, all the prophecies in the bible it is still our responsibility to study, to know and find the Lord’s prophets/teachers to help us. 

One thing to make clear; is that when everything comes together in the bible and in your mind you are on the right track, for the bible cannot contradict the Holy Spirit and vice versa.  If you are finding contradictions, are you listening to the Holy Spirit?  Are you listening to the right teachers/prophets?  You must be able to discern this as that is the only way you will grow in your understanding of God and His Word.

Don’t stay in the same place, continue to grow, and continue to want to learn.  That is what God wants after you receive Him as your God and Savior.  Don’t let yourself stagnate and get caught up in this world, for this world is not where we belong.

I hope this was informative and helped with any confusion that anyone might have had.  I prayed about this for several days because I was struggling with how to explain the Gift of Prophecy, but the Holy Spirit has continued to guide me and I give all the credit to Him…..

May the Lord Bless you with increased knowledge and understanding, and let us keep the prophecies of the Bible close to our hearts for Jesus is coming soon….

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book:”  Revelation 22:7