The Ancient Times And Things Tha

The Ancient Times And Things That Are Not Yet Done

The Prophetic Word – Part One

The church world today is in such a mess doctrinally because many in the prophetic community think they have a God-given mandate to make prophetic words new doctrines the entire body should follow. That is NOT the case. To be frank the prophetic word is given for one purpose and one purpose only – TO REVEAL CHRIST, and gives illumination to the written word. Prophetic words are NEVER meant to establish new doctrines or fads within the Body of Christ. When we start thinking a prophetic mandate on us is a mandate to change scripture, we have been deceived, become deluded by Satan and are headed for apostasy.

TEXT: Isaiah 46:9-10 - Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, [10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

The value of the prophetic word from heaven cannot be understated. There have been shock waves that have gone through the body of Christ recently with the revelations of personal failings of some extremely prophetic people. To the shame of others these failings have been used to downgrade the ministry of the prophet himself. Without naming names or getting into specifics here I will say this. I was listening to a well-known ministry the other day over the Internet whose entire subject of discussion was the office of the New Testament prophet.

Their program degenerated into highlighting the personal failures of a well-known prophet, who did fall into sin without a doubt, and basically declared him a false prophet and tool of Satan. Another individual who has a prophetic gift was also named and labeled as a false prophet because his prophecies were not 100% correct.

I think we walk on dangerous grounds when we hold others accountable to be 100% right with prophetic words, when NO ONE is 100% accurate in prophetic words – especially humans. GOD and GOD ALONE, gives the world TRUE prophecies and is 100% infallible. Man is fallible and subject to error but the Lord is NEVER prone to error.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, [10] Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Having said that let me flip the coin over and say that the prophetic community has never done itself any favors with its arrogance and pride, which causes it to be very slow sometimes in admitting error. The prophet in question has not repented of his sins and has been quite resistance to discipline sought to restore him in a spirit of meekness.

It's one thing to be in error and admit one is in error. It's quite another to be in error and arrogantly stay in the error leading people wrong. The Lord is very patient with us and He always wants us to walk FULLY in the ministry He has entrusted us to and empowered us to do through the Holy Spirit.

The church world today is in such a mess doctrinally because many in the prophetic community think they have a God-given mandate to make prophetic words new doctrines the entire body should follow. That is NOT the case. To be frank the prophetic word is given for one purpose and one purpose only - TO REVEAL CHRIST, and give illumination to the written word. Prophetic words are NEVER meant to establish new doctrines or fads within the Body of Christ. When we start thinking a prophetic mandate on us is a mandate to change scripture, we have been deceived, become deluded by Satan and are headed for apostasy.

The verse above shows us that God alone, in the Bible alone, gave the world true prophecies. In no uncertain terms Moses outlines the test of a prophet’s validity.

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. [21] And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? [22] When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Isaiah likewise calls on those who declare these things to come, to produce their credentials:

Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. [22] Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. [23] Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.

Jeremiah 28:7-17 - Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; [8] The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. [9] The prophet which prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. [10] Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it. [11] And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, also.

Jesus had the mark of a true prophet and all scripture, given by inspiration of God, including its prophetic element, is to point us back to HIM!

Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: [20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [21] 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.

The Holy Spirit is the agent through which all Truth is revealed. He came to testify of Christ, and to take of those things pertaining to Christ and reveal them to us. Having inspired the prophets of old to record all that they did of the Coming Christ, the Spirit is the best Revealer of those prophetic truths they wrote. Never, EVER forget that.

The other Revealer of true prophecy is Christ Himself – the one to whom all true prophecy points. The Lord unfolded to His disciples after His fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies the inner significance of ALL that the prophets had written concerning HIM.

Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: [26] Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? [27] And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

We need to experience the same burning heart as these disciples experienced as Christ opened up their understanding of the Scriptures:

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

When our focus is Christ all prophetic utterances become both profitable AND pleasant.

If we delight ourselves in the Lord, we will see a change in our hearts because His words will become sweet, acceptable and pleasing.

ANY meditation upon CHRIST is pleasant to taste and rewarding. The problem TODAY with the modern prophetic movement is that there is very little beholding of CHRIST and a LOT of beholding of MAN. Holy men of God, moved or carried along by the Holy Ghost, were the media and messengers of God’s prophetic purpose. ALL true prophets of the Old Covenant gave witness to the divine will of God in general for the nation and to CHRIST in particular. The preaching and presence of the prophets constitute Israel’s greatest glory along with the most valuable part of the entire canon of Scripture.

The prophet's mission was very simple then and it’s very simple NOW. Prophets are to reveal God to man and seek to bring men to God.

The First Prophet, Priest And Judge Of Israel

1 Samuel 9:10-13 - Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was. And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

Samuel was the first prophet and founder of the Davidic monarchy. He was also Israel’s last judge, the sole ruler of Israel between Eli and Saul. He was actually referred to as a “seer” and ruled Israel as a “priest,” and as a “judge.” <1 Sam. 9:9, 18, 19; 3:20; 7:9-17>

And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

It is in Samuel's realm of prophetic utterance that we get the original Hebrew meaning of the nature of all true prophecy. The original Hebrew word for “prophecy,” means to “bubble,” or “gush,” the reference being to the excited or frenzied manner of speech of the early prophets. The Hebrew word hittiph sometimes translated “prophecy,” primarily meant, “to let drop,” referring to the saliva dropping from the mouths of prophets as they prophesied.

Three Terms To Define True Biblical Prophecy

The term “nabi,” means to “call” or “name,” or “announce.” So the nabui or prophet was an announcer or “herald,” of the divine will and word – the essential characteristics of the prophet as he is known to us in historical and biblical, scriptural terms. The very meaning of true prophetic utterance comes from a root word that literally means to speak out freely from a FULL HEART impelled by an inspiration from God.

When it comes to New Covenant prophets, the Greek word for prophet is to “speak forth,” or a “forth-teller,” that is, one who speaks forth the message, which has been communicated to him through divine inspiration, whether of practical duties or future events. It would seem that the emphasis of the prophet’s work lay on the former. A prophet therefore was a “forth-teller,” and a “fore-teller,” whose message was for the people of his own age, and also for ages beyond his own. In fact the prophet was a:

1. Preacher, or spokesman for God, a messenger with God’s message. It was thus that Nathan the prophet functioned when he said to David after his seduction with Bathsheba, “"Thou art the man!"” Similarly, John the Baptist, greatest among the prophets, apart from Christ, proclaimed, “"Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."”

Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.

I want to interject a very important point right here. ALL TRUE PROPHETS FROM THE LORD ALWAYS PREACH A MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE! There are NO exceptions to this rule. These weak-kneed modern day prophets we hear today are so spineless and lack convictions that confront a sinful society. True prophetic ministry always rebukes sin. It says "Thus Saith The Lord!" The modern message of the prophetic community is so bland and full of lovely predictions that you’d think we’re headed for a world utopia “over the rainbow” at some point in the future. Neighbor, things are not going to get any better for Planet Earth according to scripture.

The world is headed for great Tribulation in the very near future. There will be a false peace in the Middle East for a prolonged season brought on by the rise of the Antichrist, then all hell is coming to this planet unlike anything humanity has EVER seen. Jesus said it would be so bad that no time in history up to that point would be as bad, nor any time in history FOLLOWING the Tribulation would be as bad. I don’t have to be a rocket scientist or 10-degreed theologian to understand that.

Matthew 24:10-21 - And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. [14] And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. [15] When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) [16] Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: [17] Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: [18] Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. [19] And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! [20] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

But the pillow prophets”of the modern church atmosphere promise the world peace, peace,”when peace is not coming. Neighbor, prosperity is not something we put in our bank account, it's a state of our souls as they relate to eternity, not just the temporal settings of our current state. We are prosperous because of what Christ did at the CROSS. Our salvation experience is based on eternal matters, not temporal ones. The greed gospel of today has been fostered by the greed of the modern prophetic community. This is not a blanket indictment. There are men of God who are still preaching repentance, but they are very few and far between and getting fewer every day.

2. Predictor. – a prophet is also one who declares by divine inspiration something that will take place in the future, near or distant. Thus Isaiah the preacher became a predictor when he spoke predictively of a virgin who would conceive and bear a son whose name was to be “Immanuel.” Predictive prophecy is that form of A bible prophecy foretelling what God is going to do. The words prophet and prophecy occur over 400 times in Scripture indicating the vast importance of both this minister and the role of the minister.

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

3. Seer. A third term used to describe true prophetic ministry is “seer.” It means “to see,” supernaturally with foresight, or second sight or all three. A seer was one who saw divine visions, divine truths, and spoke of what he had seen from God. Such a supernatural gift of insight into things divine was not possessed by the common run of men. Seers of old entered into the “counsel of God,” the “secret,” of God, the “plan” of God, and “ways” of God, and the “thoughts” of God. A great variety of expressions are used to denote the content of the revelation made to them, but hidden from men in general.

All these terms used imply a CLOSE relationship of the Prophet to God, each term expressing some aspect of such a relationship, or of the prophet’s mission, or of the way he achieved his religious insight. The central idea contained in them all all, however, was that the prophet was a mediator by speech between God and man. With minds and mouths controlled by the Holy Spirit, they spoke as He gave them utterance. Of all the prophecies made under the control and inspiration of the Spirit, we can apply the words of the angel to John.

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

It is ridiculous to affirm that God inspired the thoughts of the prophets, but left them to express these thought is in the way most natural to them. You cannot have an unclothed thought in your mind. Language surrounds the thought from the moment of its birth. As the Bible is the only authoritative revelation of God’s mind and will, it was essential that it be expressed in words of His choosing. If there be divine inspiration at all, verbal inspiration is a necessity. Every word of God is pure, according to the Proverbs, and the prophetic word of the Lord is always pure as well.

Proverbs 30:5 - Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Psalm 12:6 - The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Prophets As Patriots

Prophets were not just preachers, predictors and seers, but also patriots. Not only did they posses the combination of vision and understanding of man and God, but also a passion for patriotism. Theirs was a patriotic fervor for the sake of the nation, which they wanted to be in right relationship to God. They could foresee the inevitable consequences of rebellion against God’s will for the nation of which they were part, and loyally warned their native land. To them, religion and nationalism were inseparable.

If we could have opened the hearts of those noble prophets of Israel, we would have found graven in them – Canaan. All their thinking was colored by the conviction that Israel was especially chosen by God for a great destiny, with the land of Canaan as their divinely chosen habitation. This was the star leading the prophets even through the darkest night of the national history.

It was thus that they become mighty preachers of righteousness, and judgment, using wind and sea, thunderstorms, and earthquakes, as well as the gentler scenes of the land of Israel, as symbols most fir for their themes.

They loved their nation and did not want to see God bring judgment on the precious and powerful nation of Israel. This brings me to my closing thoughts on this first message in a series on the prophetic word.

America needs prophets! The church wants a psychologist to help heal its ills, but the church needs a prophet. America needs prophets to bring it to her knees in repentance, humility and righteousness. If the nation goes down friend, we have no one to blame but the pulpit. It’s one of the most horrific things to grasp that this once mighty powerful nation is going to fall. We are the world’s only superpower at the moment, but we are just preparing the stage for the world’s FINAL superpower – the Antichrist and his kingdom – before the return of Christ. America’s days are numbered friend. I don’t say that with glee.

What burdens me is that what is being heard from the mouths of the prophetic community today is just the opposite. We’re hearing “America is going to rise from the ashes and be blessed, blessed, blessed and rich, rich, rich.” That’s the message for the church from many prophetic voices too. Its “we’re blessed, richer, have no need for this repentance stuff or righteousness message, because we have goods, goods, goods.” It’s a LIE neighbor. It’s a false prophecy birthed by false spirits that have produced a false gospel leading to a false Christ. The end result is going to be HELL for millions of people. And the blood of a nation is going to be held at the hands of backslidden pulpits across America that have forsaken standing in the “counsel” of God and hearing the word of the Lord for a generation teetering on destruction.

Neighbor, this message has been more of a teaching lesson than a sermon, but I’m preaching a warning here at the end today. We need to make our calling and election SURE in CHRIST in the hour we live in. This is one of the most dangerous times in the history of both the world and the church. Why we continue to play our insidious games and seek to entertain the world to hell instead of preaching a prophetic message that brings a sinful nation back to God is something that I’m afraid will never find an easy answer.

The prophetic word is the most precious of all riches we receive from heaven. As A.W. Tozer wrote so long ago, “how dare we tamper with the message that the apostles bled for and died for and turn the heirs of salvation aside from the only true source of eternal life?” The prophetic word will always lead you to one place - CHRIST! It will always lead you to the blood stained hands of Jesus and under His watchful, caring gaze upon our hearts.

America, America, God shed his grace on thee. If we as preachers of the gospel care about this nation, and I mean TRULY care about this nation, we will return to the preaching of the prophetic word, declaring the end from the beginning, the ancient things that are not yet come and the counsel of God. It’s time to repent. It’s time to examine ourselves and see if we be in the faith and have not become reprobate. It’s time neighbor; it’s time. It’s getting late and I pray you have made your calling and election sure.

2 Peter 1:10- Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: [11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 13:5 - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? [6] But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. [7] Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. [8] For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

John 16:14-15 - He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.

The First Prophet, Priest And Judge Of Israel

Three Terms To Define True Biblical Prophecy

Prophets As Patriots