I may describe a prophet in the simplest terms possible: “someone who speaks words from God.” Thus, a prophet is a person that God uses to speak to people in a particular circumstance. A prophet is a human creature who is prone to making mistakes, not a perfect saint. When God writes something on a prophet’s heart, they dedicate their lives to sharing God’s truth. them is not simple to speak these words, but a prophet will do them faithfully. Typically, it isn’t.
Prophecies for different situations
Although every prophet speaks words from God, the function of prophesy is different in different situations. Moses was a prophet. He spoke God’s words of warning to Pharaoh. But he is most remembered for giving the law of God to the people of Israel. Jonah was a prophet. He had to warn a gentile city about the destruction God had planned. They repented and were saved. Prophets told both about the present and the future. They were often given supernatural insight by the Spirit about things that were going to happen. Who would win the war? How long will the people live in exile? What will happen if the people disobey? But the most distinctive feature of the prophets in the Old Testament was foretelling of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. All throughout the prophetic books His coming is mentioned, implicitly and explicitly.
Prophecy not only for prophets
When Jesus arrived and accomplished these prophecies, this type of prophecy came to an end. Prophecy persisted still. You may even say that it spread more widely. “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people,” was how Peter explained what was happening when the Spirit was delivered on Pentecost, quoting the prophet Joel. Your young men will see visions, your old men will have dreams, and your sons and daughters will prophesy. In those days, I will pour out my Spirit on both male and female servants, and they will prophesy (Acts 2:17–18).
Prophets in the New Testament
In the New Testament church, prophesy is seen as one of the gifts of the Spirit. Even though not all believers have it, it is clearly thought of as common (1 Corinthians 12:10, 29). Like in the Old Testament, we see that prophesy can be used to predict a future event, like Agabus predicting a famine, which also came (Acts 11:28). But that is only one aspect. Paul teaches that prophesy is a gift that builds up the church, as the prophet speaks words from God that strengthen, encourage and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:1-5). Another example of New Testament prophesy is the book of Revelations. Jesus speaks directly to the apostle John in visions and he writes what he sees and hears. Some of the prophesy consist of letters to the churches, encouraging and rebuking. But much of revelation concerns the future and what will happen at the end before and when Jesus returns.
Prophecy nowadays
So, do prophets still exist? I believe that there are. Nevertheless, the gift of prophecy is not something you can “learn by practice,” just like the gifts of healing and speaking in tongues are not given to all believers. It is a gift that the Spirit chooses to bestow. All Christians utter the words of God, in a way, but the Bible seems to suggest that prophecy involves God revealing something particular on His own initiative. The prophet’s job is to express what God lays on his heart, not to “make up” prophecies.
True and false prophets
There are plenty of fake prophets in addition to genuine ones. How are we able to tell? First of all, according to the Bible, a prophet is false if he foretells an event that doesn’t occur. For instance, some “prophets” foretell revivals that never occur. Furthermore, we shouldn’t trust his prophecy if it in any way conflicts with the Bible. Should the prophet receive financial gain from his ministry, we ought to exercise caution as well. The majority of biblical real prophets faced persecution. Finally, we should not believe the prophet’s words if he does not lead a devout Christian life.
