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The Gift of Prophecy
What are Spiritual Gifts?
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this. You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols. So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.
A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
What Is The Gift Of Prophecy
The gift of prophecy is the supernatural and imparted ability to hear the voice of God through the Holy Spirit and to speak forth the mind of God and His counsel. The gift of prophecy serves for the body of believers as a group as well as to individuals. The gift of prophecy is used to do the following:
- Edify: to build up, strengthen or to make more effective
- Exhort: to encourage, stimulate or admonish
- Comfort: to make cheerful
Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.
I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy. For prophecy is greater than speaking in tongues, unless someone interprets what you are saying so that the whole church will be strengthened. Dear brothers and sisters, if I should come to you speaking in an unknown language, how would that help you? But if I bring you a revelation or some special knowledge or prophecy or teaching, that will be helpful.
Prophecy and Non-Believers
Although prophecy is used to encourage, strengthen and encourage the believer, a non-believer can also benefit from this special gift. The Bible tells us that a non believer will benefit from the gift of prophesy rather than the gift of speaking in tongues because they will understand what is being said, become convicted of their sin and fall on their knees to worship God. Therefore, we are to seek to prophesy as this gift will help both the believer as well as the non-believer.
1 Corinthians 14:22-25
So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers. Even so, if unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you are crazy. But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, “God is truly here among you.”
The Prophetic Ministry
When a man or woman has been called by God and given the gift of prophecy, it is not necessary to tell everyone that they are a prophet. A true prophet will be known for their ministry. It is not necessary to blow the trumpet and announce to others that you are a prophet or prophetess of God. In the book of Revelation we see where Jezebel, the wicked and sinful wife of King Ahab called herself a prophetess.
A true prophet of God is a mature Christian and will speak out against wrong whether it makes him or her the most popular person or not. Most of the time, a person with a prophetic ministry will not surround themselves with a lot of people. It is a very lonely walk, as God has called these individuals out so that they can remain pure to receive a clear message from God to speak forth.
True Prophetess In The Bible
- Miriam: Exodus 15:20
- Deborah: Judges 4:4
- Huldah: 2 Kings 22:14
- Anna: Luke 2:36
- Philip’s Daughters: Acts 21:8-9
- Isaiah’s Wife: Isaiah 8:3
Acts 2:17
In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
Judgment Against False Women Prophets
False Prophetess In The Bible
- Noadiah: Nehemiah 6:14
- Jezebel: Revelation 2:20
Ezekiel 13:17-23
“Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils.
Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves? You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.
You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins. Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
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