1. Under the administration of the Old Testament (Covenant), we see the office of Prophet along with that of Priest and King.
2. The Old Testament prophets performed several functions including, but not limited to:
a. They spoke/wrote divinely inspired words of Scripture. (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, et. al. 2 Peter 1:19-21)
b. They reminded God’s people of their covenantal obligations and called them to repentance, the majority of their ministry.
c. They foretold events.
d. Overall, they served as a mouthpiece for God and as the foundation of the church. (Exodus 4:12, Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 1:9, Ezekiel 2:7, Hosea 1:2, Joel 1:1, Micah 1:1, Zephaniah 1:1, Jonah 1:1, Amos 1:3, Ephesians 2:20)
3. People other than Prophets prophesied on occasion in the Old Testament, King Saul for example. (1 Samuel 10:11)
4. The office of Prophet has been abolished under the New Covenant (Testament). The Apostles replaced the Prophets as the mouthpieces of God speaking divinely inspired words of Scripture.
5. The prophetic gift continues. We must not let the proliferation of false prophecy and false teachers and the associated abuses compel us to reject prophecy or misunderstand it. Prophet/prophecy is listed as a gift. Paul encourages Roman believers, “let us use them [the gifts]: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.” (Romans 12:6) He mentions the gift of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and the gift of “prophets” in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11. He encourages the Corinthians church, “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1) Paul exhorts the church in Thessalonica, “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21)
6. There are prophets mentioned in the New Testament along with differing connotations or nuances of the word “prophecy”. (Acts 11:27-28, 21:9-11)
7. Paul describes prophecy in the New Testament:
a. “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” (1 Corinthians 14:3) In other words, people prophesy when they speak revelations from God to others for edification, exhortation, and comfort. Today, the only inspired revelation from God is holy Scripture. As such, to prophecy in this sense is to speak truth from God’s holy Bible into people’s lives to the same effect, for edification, exhortation, and comfort.
b. In the church gathering, prophecy calls unbelievers to account, reveals the secrets of their hearts, and causes them to fall to their faces and worship God. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25) To prophesy is to speak in an especially insightful way to certain individuals as the Holy Spirit reveals the secrets of their hearts that they may repent and worship God.
c. Also in the church gathering, no more than two to three prophets may speak, in turn. The end state is that the church may learn and be encouraged. All prophetic utterances are subject to the prophets for validity/verification and the final authority of the Apostles as revealed in Scripture. (1 Corinthians 14:31-32, 36-40)
d. We see Agabus the prophet, prophesy in foretelling a famine. (Acts 11:27-28) That he did this “by the Spirit” indicates a prophetic gift. Later, he foretells that Paul would be taken into custody by the Jews in Jerusalem. (Acts 21:10-11) As in the Old Testament, prophetic foretelling is a rare occurrence and though nothing tells us that this aspect of the gift has ceased, the same standards of precision apply to prophesy when it comes to foretelling today. A prediction is not a prophesy. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)
8. The responsibility of the believer is to test every prophecy against Scripture, due to the prevalence of false prophecy. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, 1 John 4:1)
