In the Old Testament, the people and the
rulers went to the prophet to see what the will of God was for themselves.
An example:
II Kings 3:11-12 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him?
And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
In the New Testament it is not that way.
You do not have to go to a prophet to see what to do, for you, in NT, have the Holy Spirit in you to teach you and guide you and show you things to come.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;
We go directly to God in prayer, asking God for information, asking God for help, asking God for HIS wisdom.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
An example:
II Kings 3:11-12 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him?
And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
*****
In the New Testament it is not that way.
You do not have to go to a prophet to see what to do, for you, in NT, have the Holy Spirit in you to teach you and guide you and show you things to come.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in MY name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
*****
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom HE hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also HE made the worlds;
*****
We go directly to God in prayer, asking God for information, asking God for help, asking God for HIS wisdom.
James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
The apostle John said:
I John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.
The anointing we have received from God after we are born again is the Holy Spirit. He guides us and teaches us by bringing thoughts from God to our mind. We follow Him as we hear from Him.
However, this does not eliminate the prophets in the New Testament Church.
After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, HE gave gifts of ministry to the church.
Ephesians 4 ... 8 When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11-14 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
In the NT, we have the examples of Agabus:
Acts 11:27-29 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
***
And we have example of God sending a prophet to the apostle Paul to show Paul that which would happen to him in Jerusalem.
Acts 21:10-11 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
In NT church, God shows prophets sins being committed in the church and in the ministry, and sends prophets with messages of correction to the church and to the ministers.
It is my opinion that prophets are all around today. They may not know they are prophets. They are housewives and laborers and might not even stand out in a crowd.
But these prophets have an anointing of God and know things, often without evidence of the things they know. They just know.
I have met several individuals I thought to be prophets.
In my case, it was a little different.
Shortly after I was born again, I was taken into heaven twice, both times in the night as I was sleeping.
In both cases, I knew I was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, although I saw nothing. It was in the spirit.
At those times, I was "merged into the body of Jesus," made one with the Word of God, with God and Holy Spirit witnessing.
I was chosen by God (certainly not by my works or anything I did). I was set in the body of Christ by the will of God as an apostle and prophet.
And God taught me what I was to do in HIS calling ... apostle and prophet.
People often told me they knew the hand of God was upon me strongly ... and that is true.
But everything any of us do is done by faith in God, believing that is what God wants us to do. Nothing is done without faith.
All ministry offices are set in the body of Christ for the benefit of the church, not for our own benefit certainly.
After Jesus arose, HE gave to the church the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Ephesians 4:11
The anointing for each of these five ministries varies but it is the same spirit.
The apostles are very concerned with church doctrine and the scriptures.
God often uses prophets to deliver correction to ministers and churches just as we see in the examples of prophets working throughout the Bible.
We think of evangelist as those going to the unsaved.
Pastors and teachers work with the church, usually in the local setting, in homes or today in church buildings. (The early church met in homes.)
An apostle has strong anointing to deal with scripture and with doctrines of Christ.
The prophets have strong anointing in correction in ways of God for the church.
Though I operate continually in both offices of apostle and prophet, I rarely think about it. I just do the work that I believe God has put in front of me day by day, speaking and dealing with those things brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit.
I am very careful to keep myself free to do this work.
Things that could temporarily hinder the prophet:
* Too many people and hearing the opinion of humans: We deliver what God shows us and often that requires being alone with God to settle ourselves on what God wants.
* Strife over the evil, entanglement in striving to correct humans: We strive with them for the sake of the gospel, but then we must come away and be restored by God.
* Physical exhaustion: Surfeiting, cares of this world, lust for things, says Jesus, are dangerous.
I often think of the encounters with people as cases: It is not unusual for several points to arise in any case and the prophet has to deal with each point and then close the case and set it aside and go forward to the next case.
Our job is to clean up situations and correct people to prepare them for the return of Jesus ... making a people ready for God ... Luke 3
In the New Testament Church, prophets bring correction to the church by the will of God even when we have the Holy Spirit in us.
God still uses prophets in the church today, often giving the prophet the spiritual gifts of word of wisdom and word of knowledge and discerning of spirits. (See: I Corinthians 12 & Romans 12)
God will give a prophet information for the minister or the church and that prophet delivers that information, often correction.
But people in the church no longer go to a prophet in the church to learn what they are to do for all today who belong to God have been given God's spirit.
It always comes back to this:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit searches the heart of God and speaks to us that which God says.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us by bringing thoughts, ideas, concepts to our minds to allow us to go in spiritual ways.
The following scripture shows us the connection of the Holy Spirit with God.
I Corinthians 2:4-7 Paul says: And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,
9-13 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
I John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.
The anointing we have received from God after we are born again is the Holy Spirit. He guides us and teaches us by bringing thoughts from God to our mind. We follow Him as we hear from Him.
*****
However, this does not eliminate the prophets in the New Testament Church.
After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, HE gave gifts of ministry to the church.
Ephesians 4 ... 8 When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11-14 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
In the NT, we have the examples of Agabus:
Acts 11:27-29 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
***
And we have example of God sending a prophet to the apostle Paul to show Paul that which would happen to him in Jerusalem.
Acts 21:10-11 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
*****
In NT church, God shows prophets sins being committed in the church and in the ministry, and sends prophets with messages of correction to the church and to the ministers.
*****
It is my opinion that prophets are all around today. They may not know they are prophets. They are housewives and laborers and might not even stand out in a crowd.
But these prophets have an anointing of God and know things, often without evidence of the things they know. They just know.
I have met several individuals I thought to be prophets.
*****
In my case, it was a little different.
Shortly after I was born again, I was taken into heaven twice, both times in the night as I was sleeping.
In both cases, I knew I was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, although I saw nothing. It was in the spirit.
At those times, I was "merged into the body of Jesus," made one with the Word of God, with God and Holy Spirit witnessing.
I was chosen by God (certainly not by my works or anything I did). I was set in the body of Christ by the will of God as an apostle and prophet.
And God taught me what I was to do in HIS calling ... apostle and prophet.
People often told me they knew the hand of God was upon me strongly ... and that is true.
But everything any of us do is done by faith in God, believing that is what God wants us to do. Nothing is done without faith.
*****
All ministry offices are set in the body of Christ for the benefit of the church, not for our own benefit certainly.
After Jesus arose, HE gave to the church the ministries of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. Ephesians 4:11
The anointing for each of these five ministries varies but it is the same spirit.
The apostles are very concerned with church doctrine and the scriptures.
God often uses prophets to deliver correction to ministers and churches just as we see in the examples of prophets working throughout the Bible.
We think of evangelist as those going to the unsaved.
Pastors and teachers work with the church, usually in the local setting, in homes or today in church buildings. (The early church met in homes.)
*****
An apostle has strong anointing to deal with scripture and with doctrines of Christ.
The prophets have strong anointing in correction in ways of God for the church.
Though I operate continually in both offices of apostle and prophet, I rarely think about it. I just do the work that I believe God has put in front of me day by day, speaking and dealing with those things brought to my mind by the Holy Spirit.
I am very careful to keep myself free to do this work.
Things that could temporarily hinder the prophet:
* Too many people and hearing the opinion of humans: We deliver what God shows us and often that requires being alone with God to settle ourselves on what God wants.
* Strife over the evil, entanglement in striving to correct humans: We strive with them for the sake of the gospel, but then we must come away and be restored by God.
* Physical exhaustion: Surfeiting, cares of this world, lust for things, says Jesus, are dangerous.
I often think of the encounters with people as cases: It is not unusual for several points to arise in any case and the prophet has to deal with each point and then close the case and set it aside and go forward to the next case.
Our job is to clean up situations and correct people to prepare them for the return of Jesus ... making a people ready for God ... Luke 3
*****
In the New Testament Church, prophets bring correction to the church by the will of God even when we have the Holy Spirit in us.
God still uses prophets in the church today, often giving the prophet the spiritual gifts of word of wisdom and word of knowledge and discerning of spirits. (See: I Corinthians 12 & Romans 12)
God will give a prophet information for the minister or the church and that prophet delivers that information, often correction.
But people in the church no longer go to a prophet in the church to learn what they are to do for all today who belong to God have been given God's spirit.
It always comes back to this:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come.
*****
The Holy Spirit searches the heart of God and speaks to us that which God says.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us by bringing thoughts, ideas, concepts to our minds to allow us to go in spiritual ways.
The following scripture shows us the connection of the Holy Spirit with God.
I Corinthians 2:4-7 Paul says: And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,
9-13 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
*****