Summary: We are living in a generation where a number of people speaking for God declares that everything is well, that we are now on the right track, and that everything is about to get better.

Prophets and prophecy (Part 2)

New Testament Prophets

1 John 2:20-27]

Before we look into the subject of New Testament Prophets and Prophecy we shall briefly look into the question of “ lying spirits” as found in 1 Kings 22.

We are living in a generation where a number of people speaking for God declares that everything is well, that we are now on the right track, and that everything is about to get better. Today in many churches that seems to be the dominant message. One would expect God’s spokespeople to communicate what God is saying, not just what people want to hear. One would also expect them to hear from God directly and not to just follow the trend of other prophets they respect.

Unfortunately, church leaders themselves are vulnerable to being misled. If we do not immerse ourselves in God’s voice in Scripture, we can sometimes miss the voice that is genuinely God’s when His Spirit speaks to us. That happened in Jeremiah’s day: the consensus of prophets was that everything would be well with God’s people; God would defend them from their enemies, who were far worse than they (Jer 6:14; 8:11). Among the prophets, Jeremiah stood virtually alone, for years, in warning the nation of the coming judgment. Jeremiah was a voice crying in the wilderness ; who would believe his warnings against a group of so called “ prophets” that God would defend His special people? The consensus of these “prophets”, however, was illusory; too many were stealing God’s words from one another (Jer 23:30 -32).

We encounter the same sort of setting in 1 Kgs 22, back in the time of Elijah the prophet. This passage tells the story of King Ahab requesting the assistance from Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to go to war with Syria in order to recover the territory of Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat immediately agreed to assist Ahab in this battle. All the king’s court prophets unanimously promise that King Ahab will win back the city he is trying to capture (22:6). Yet the God-fearing King of Judah, King Jehoshaphat, is uncomfortable with their unanimous message. He wants a second opinion from a prophet of the LORD (22:7). This suggests that he recognizes that the prophets on Ahab’s payroll are not speaking for God alone. King Ahab seems to view prophets the same way that some people view “positive confession”: speak what is positive in the Lord’s name and so help bring it to pass. Without a genuine message from God’s Spirit, however, that is a sure formula for false prophecy (cf. Lam 3:37).

Ahab bitterly acknowledged that there still was one man who could be consulted regarding his desire to reclaim Ramoth Gilead for Israel—Micaiah, the son of Imlah. As Ahab suspected, once Micaiah (a true prophet of the Lord) was brought before him, he predicted defeat for the confederation (vss. 17-23)—a prophecy that Ahab and Jehoshaphat ignored, but one that was fulfilled. The battle ended with Israel and Judah in retreat, and Ahab dead.

The problem that many people have with this passage has to do with the lying spirit that Micaiah mentioned as coming from Jehovah. The text reads as follows:

Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you” (1 Kings 22:19-23).

Few narratives in the Old Testament have been the focus of more criticism than 1 Kings 22, and particularly these five verses. How could God, Who is revealed in the Bible as being One Who “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2; cf. Hebrews 6:18), “put a lying spirit in the mouth” of Ahab’s prophets (1 Kings 22:23)? What rational explanation can be given to this alleged discrepancy? Is God, or Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44)?

First, the honest Bible student must observe that the narrative involves a vision that is highly symbolic. Therefore, it would be unwise to press it as though it were a literal circumstance. Micaiah answered Ahab with two parabolic visions. “In the first, Israel was likened to shepherdless sheep scattered on the mountains, which must find their own way home (v. 17). In the second Micaiah described a heavenly scene in which the Lord and his hosts discussed the best way to get Ahab to Ramoth Gilead so that he might fall in battle (vss. 19- 23) The details of a vision, therefore, cannot safely be pressed, any more than the details of a parable”

Second, there is a common Hebrew idiom used throughout the Old Testament by which the permissive will of God is expressed in forceful, active language. The Lord is said to have “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 7:3,13; 9:12; 10:1; “incited David against” Israel (2 Samuel 24:1), “deceived” His people (Jeremiah 4:10), and given them “statutes that were not good” (Ezekiel 20:25). In the New Testament, God is characterized as sending a strong delusion that some might believe a lie and be condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Even Jesus used “commands” at times in a permissive sense. For example, He commanded the demons to “go” into the herd of pigs (Matthew 8:32), yet the preceding verse informs the reader that the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the swine. Thus, He was not the initiator of the demons’ move (from inhabiting man to dwelling in pigs), He merely permitted them to do so. Similarly, when Jesus told Judas, “What you do, do quickly” (John 13:27), He was not giving Him a direct command, or forcing Judas to betray Him. Rather, Jesus permitted Judas’ actions, and (since He knew what Judas was about to do) even encouraged him to do it quickly. All of these passages basically indicate that when men are determined to disobey their Creator, He allows them to follow the base inclination of their own hearts. Such was the case with Ahab and his false prophets. God knew their hearts. He knew Ahab was going to go to war before he ever consulted with his prophets (1 Kings 22:3-4). He knew that the prophets were accustomed to telling the king whatever he wanted to hear (cf. 22:8), and He knew that they were also going to tickle Ahab’s “itching ear” on this occasion (cf. 2 Timothy 4:3-4). Although God’s will was made known to Ahab and his prophets in this case (i.e., Micaiah warned Ahab of the impending doom), He permitted their hardened hearts to believe a lie.

In 1 Kings 22:19-23, and numerous other verses of similar import, the Bible merely expresses what God allows, not what He initiates or forces to happen. In this passage we see how evil spirits influence “false prophets” in the name of God.

Now we shall go into the subject of New Testament Prophets and we need to look into the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. Now when you come to the subject of the Holy Spirit in the OT and NT, there are some difficulties we face. Was the Holy Spirit doing the same thing in the OT as He is in the NT? And if so, then why is the language so different? Why are there NT verses that speak as if the Holy Spirit hadn’t even come in the OT?

Let’s start by putting the bare facts on the table before us. The activity of the Holy Spirit in the OT is spoken of in three main ways (and remember that this is in spite of the fact that the Trinitarian nature of God was not even revealed in the OT):

(1) Inspiring prophecy - e.g. 2 Chronicles 24:20 "Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah...; and he stood above the people and said to them, ‘Thus God has said...’"

(2) Strengthening those who represent God – Examples of this are Othniel, Jephthah, Samson, Gideon (all judges strengthened for a certain great work)

(3) Equipping with skill for a certain divinely commissioned task - Examples of this are Joshua -- to lead the Israelites after Moses, Saul to be king, David to be king, Bezalel and Oholiab to do the craftsmanship for the tabernacle

Also in the Old Testament the following were “anointed” for a specific service. The act of anointing was equivalent to consecration to a holy or sacred office ; hence the anointing of

(a) the high priest ( Exodus 29:29 ; Leviticus 4:3 )

(b) kings (1 Samuel 16:13 ; 2 Sam 2:40 and

(c) Prophets ( 1 Kings 19:16 ; 1 Chronicles 16:22 ; Psalms 105:15 ).

(d) of the sacred vessels ( Exodus 30:26 ).

In specific terms, the difference between the working of the Spirit in the Old Testament and the New Testament can be itemized as follows:

(a) In the OT the Spirit dwelt upon a particular person for a particular task , while in the NT the Spirit dwelt on every believer (2 Cor.1:21, 22; Eph. 4:30; 1 John 2:21-27)

(b) The chosen OT leaders were appointed by God for an office and the Holy Spirit who came with the office and could be removed at God's discretion. In the NT the Holy Spirit comes with salvation and is permanent.

(d) In the OT the Spirit came for a specific purpose or ministry, while in the NT bestows different functions for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate and is for every believer..

(d) People were anointed to signify God’s call on that person’s life or God' s blessing - (Exodus 29:7; Exodus 40:9; 2 Kings 9:6; Ecclesiastes 9:8; James 5:14). A person was anointed for a special purpose—to be a king, to be a prophet, to be a priest, etc.

(e) In the OT anointing was external and was temporal, in the NT the Spirit indwelt permanently (Eph. 1:3; 4:30;). The believer have the Holy Spirit sealing and filling them. (John 15:26, 16:13; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30.)

(f) In the OT, the Spirit was "on" someone. in the NT the Spirit is "indwelling in" them.

Seven passages in the New Testament refer to the anointing. Four of these seven passages refer to the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38; Heb. 1:9). We will not look into these passages . The other three passages speak of the anointing in the life of the believer:

(a) 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

(b) 1 John 2:20 says, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” and

(c) 1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie – just as it has taught you, abide in him.” These three passages make several points about the place of the anointing in the New Testament church.

From these verses we note that the anointing is a sovereign act of God. God anoints people. People do not anoint other people. These biblical statements make it clear that God is source, Jesus Christ is the means, and the Holy Spirit is the agent through which believers receive the anointing. And it is non-transferable.

The anointing is universal in the New Testament. That is, all believers are anointed. There are not some believers who have the anointing and some who do not. If you are a believer, you have been anointed. And, by the way, scripture gives no indication of different levels of anointing. So saying that some preacher is “so anointed,” is as uselessly redundant as saying that someone is “so Christian.” God perfectly and equally anoints every believer.

The Bible never says or even implies that the anointing is a supernatural power given to humans by which they are able to perform miracles. The Bible never says or implies that there is any such thing as a double or triple portion of the anointing as suggested by some teachers.

But didn’t Elisha in 2 Kings 2 request a double portion anointing? In 2 Kings 2:9 before Elijah was taken up to heaven, he asks Elisha what he can do for him. Then Elisha ask for “a double portion of (Elijah’s) spirit.” The Hebrew words used here do not indicate that Elisha received a “double portion anointing " (2 Kings 2:9). Elisha wanted to be Elijah's successor; he was requesting to be considered as a firstborn .

Deuteronomy 21:17 tell us that "a double portion" was the right of the first born, therefore Elisha’s request was to be heir to Elijah’s office and gifts. The purpose was to affirm his ministry.

Today the "anointing" is said to mean “having more power” or to have an immediate experience , but this is not what is presented in Scripture.

There are no double portion today, we all share the same anointing equally as He is in us. (1 John 2:27) The New Testament does not teach such a thing. While we all need to be continually filled with the Spirit, it is dependent on us to yield ourselves, be humble ourselves so our life has Holy Spirit control.

It is impossible to have a clear biblical understanding of what anointing means if the word “anointing” is wrongly defined as the “power of God.” Simply reading through the Bible and noting its usage throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament, demonstrates that anointing is not the “power of God” but the act of being consecrated or set apart for God.

Scripturally the Old Testament regards as an abomination any attempt by someone giving the Lord's special anointing oil to another. Moses was told it was grave sin even to duplicate the ingredients of the sacred anointing oil in the same measure for another, and anyone who puts it on a person other than a priest was to be cut off (Exodus 30:33). The Hebrew text says that the oil is literally 'set apart', or' sanctified ‘ specifically unto you.

Also nowhere in the New Testament do we read of the anointing being transmitted from one person to another person by the laying on of hands. The apostles did not preach about receiving the anointing by their hands or ministry.

Yet there has been throughout the history of the church attempts by many to establish illegitimate priesthoods of persons claiming special prerogatives and special access to the mind of Christ. Sadly they often succeed in finding numerous followers. Many religious groups (some carrying the designation "Christian") have convinced their followers that they have priesthoods, prophets, or other leaders of various titles who have special mediatorial prerogatives, anointing, and authority to speak for Christ beyond the teachings of the Bible.

Jesus taught us "Then if anyone says to you, `Behold, here is the Christ, or There He is,' do not believe him." (Matthew 24:23). As we have seen, "Christ" ("Christos" from the Greek) means "anointed one."

The truths of the uniqueness of Christ, the authority of Scripture and the priesthood of every believer are revealed and given to the body of Christ for our protection and our spiritual benefit. They protect us from false teachers and false "anointed ones" (christs). They reveal our blessed access to the throne of grace through our High Priest, Jesus Christ. We do not have to be subject to the whims, fickleness or possible abuse of fallen, human mediators.

Consider the Lord's prophecy recorded in Matthew 24:5: "For many will come in My name, saying, `I am the Christ,' and will mislead many." False "christs" will come in His name. Some have claimed that Christ has given them a unique privilege to be the "anointed one" for their age or people.

All three of the New Testament verses (2Corinthians. 1:21; 1John 2:20 & 27) that use the terms "anointed" or "have an anointing" concerning others than Christ Himself are referring to all believers. All New Testament verses that speak of one who is especially anointed by God refer to Christ. Jesus and the writers of the New Testament make it clear that we should refuse to listen to anyone claiming a special anointing that sets himself apart from the rest of us.

1Corinthians 12:12,13 - "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

As 1Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 teach, there are different giftings and callings. Yet it is the same Spirit who empowers every believer. The anointing of the Spirit produces various gifts in different members; but no member can boast of a "special anointing." It is the same Spirit who anoints all the ministers of the gospel, all the workers in the local congregation, and all the members of the body of Christ whatever description, gifting or calling they may have. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Romans 8:9).

Christians may be particularly gifted in certain areas or called to ministries that others are not; but each of them is anointed by the same Spirit for the work of the ministry. The message of the New Testament is: different gifts, different callings, but one Spirit and one anointing. All Christians have the Holy Spirit, are anointed, and are a part of God's royal priesthood.

"If anyone says to you `Look, here is the anointed one, or here' do not believe him." - Jesus (Matthew 24:23

These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceive you. But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.

(1Jn 2:26-27)

Paul instructs Timothy ‘And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.’ (2 Timothy 2.2) True spiritual growth comes through the testing of our faith, by our consistent reading, understanding and applying the Word in our lives. Not by an impartation or a experience at a special meeting. Those who promise a quick transformation from a touch or impartation, are not delivering the truth that is taught in the Bible.

Also a ‘transferable anointing’ is not seen nor practiced anywhere in Scripture. We also find that the Apostles did not rush around laying hands on people to impart an experience of ‘fire’ or power. They did not chant words over and over and expect a immediate response. The impartations done today that come through certain men are not the true anointing.

The “error” in having a wrong idea about the anointing is not so simple as correcting an error in your child’s school work. For example, if you’re helping your child in study, and you point out a error and correct them, it’s straightforward. Not so in spiritual or Kingdom matters, because it’s not merely a matter of having ones facts wrong,. Because a wrong doctrine will bring about wrong behaviour. It is also a matter of a deceitful heart which causes one to believe wrong. If one’s heart is set on "self" then that’s the filter thru which one reads scripture and bases ones beliefs upon .

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Tim.4:3-4 niv.

Here are four key points of difference between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry, along with some dangers that can occur when a prophetic person maintains an OT viewpoint in the context of church life.

1. In the OT, a prophet was the spokesman for God

Old Testament prophets had the singular role of bringing God’s word—instruction, warnings, prophecies, and so on—directly to His people. The Old Testament prophet delivered God’s word verbatim to the people. By contrast, in the New Testament all believers have a relationship with God and can hear Him speaking to them personally.

Therefore, prophecy is confirmation of what is already heard through relationship.

Prophetic ministry is designed to bring confirmation, clarity and empowerment to the vision of a church.

2. The OT was an era of law and judgment

In the Old Testament, prophets pronounced warnings and judgements upon people and nations who were in disobedience to God.

(1) The New Testament, however, is an era of God’s grace.

New Testament prophecy is for ‘strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.’ (1 Cor 14:3) Here is an example from Acts 15:32:

‘Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.’

New Testament prophecy is consistent with the ministry of Jesus and His revelation of the Father’s nature.

Even if a prophetic word is addressing error, the prophetic motive is redemption—to bring God’s purpose and to transform the situation and its outcome—and the word will be framed that way, presented in love and humility.

3. In the OT, a prophet could ‘stand alone’ before God (1 Kings 17:1)

In the New Testament, Paul says in 1 Cor 12 that we are many members, with different gifts, in one body.

As with other spiritual gifts, prophecy is not meant to be a stand-alone ministry in the church, rather, it is incomplete without the added value of other gifts in the church body. (1 Cor 12:12)

The New Testament prophet functioned as a member of a team – Ephesians 4:11-15

No one ‘prophetic person’ has all the revelation. He or she also depends upon others with prophetic gifts to supply more ‘pieces of the puzzle’ of God’s revelation (1 Cor 14:29-33).

The person prophesying also needs those who have gifts of discernment to complete their contribution to the church.

4. OT prophets were expected to speak the full , inspired word of God Thus, accuracy and purity of their words was essential

If they did not speak the word that proved true, they were condemned as ‘false prophets’ (Jer 14:14-16).

In the New Testament church, prophetic words are subject to being weighed up. (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-22)Likewise the prophets should minister in an orderly fashion and limit themselves to two or three messages at a service.

The others in the congregation (not just other prophets) should pay attention to what they said. The Greek word “diakrino” means "pass judgment" (NASB) or "weigh carefully" (NIV). In 1 Corinthians 12:10 it reads "distinguish." It means to evaluate carefully and, if need be, to reject it if the “spoken word or tongue” was not in harmony with Scripture.

The Fruit of New Testament Prophetic Ministry

‘So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.’ (Eph 4:11-12)

In the New Testament, prophetic ministry is a servant ministry in the church.

As Paul outlines in Ephesians, the role of a leading prophetic ministry is to equip the church. This includes encouraging and empowering Christians to hear from God, as well as releasing others who have prophetic gifts.

By comparing the Old and New Testaments, we can see a change, which is a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. During the Old Testament era, priests ,kings and prophets were anointed. As we saw however, the mass of Israel was not so anointed. In the New Testament Peter says "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1Peter 2:9).

On the day of Pentecost when God poured out His Spirit upon the disciples as recorded in Acts 2, Peter interpreted the event as the fulfillment of Joel's Old Testament prophecy: Acts 2:16-18,21 - But this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: "And it shall be in the last days," God says, "That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

No longer is the anointing of the Spirit going to be only for priests, prophets or kings. All categories of people will receive this gift if they "call upon the name of the Lord." (See Romans 10:13). Men, women, young, old, slaves, yes even Gentiles (as Peter discovered in Acts 10) are called and anointed by God. A kingdom of priests has been established by the sovereign action of God in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Each believer receives the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9) and equally has access to God through the one mediator between man and God - Jesus Christ. This fulfillment of prophecy is a tremendous and consequential truth upon which the church is built. Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and he has chosen us and poured out the anointing of the Spirit upon us that we may be a part of God's royal priesthood.

The NT provides the following as criteria to determine a false prophet:

1. Erroneous Doctrine. These false prophets will bring in error and not the truth of God, Christ and salvation and the right way to live.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” (2 Peter 2:1-2)

While false prophets profess to be servants of truth and right ways, they secretly bring in soul-destroying heresies alongside Bible doctrine. Superficially they may teach what seems Biblical and correct but a proper scrutiny will reveal false doctrine which will lead to hell and not to godly living and to heaven.

Unfortunately, they will attract to themselves people who have the same superficial, self-centred, self-indulgent and unscriptural attitudes and ways as they do. Many will be deceived into following the wrong Jesus : “And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” (2 Peter 2:2) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.” (2 Timothy 4:3)

2. False Prophets will, eventually, show evil works. They will feed themselves from the people of God.

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)

3. Satan is behind these false apostles, prophets and christs

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). These false apostles, prophets and christs masquerade as “apostles of Christ” and “servants of righteousness,” just as their master, satan, masquerades as an angel of light.

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons. 1Tim. 4:1

Yes these false prophets will teach “the doctrines of demons” to their followers. We have to be on the alert.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1John 4:1)

We live in an age where mysticism and spiritual experiences are prevalent. The days of materialistic, secular humanism have given way to the New Age of spirituality. Now people rarely ask, “Is it true?” but ask instead, “Does it work for me?”

Our age is also the time of great deception and apostasy. It is a time when the Biblical tools for discernment are needed more than ever. We need to take these tools and apply them to what we hear being taught in God’s name. Each of us might be shocked to find out that we have been listening to spirits of god and to the “doctrines of demons” We must run to the gospel and begin building our houses on the rock.