PROPHECY –

Its meaning and use

By Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme
Website: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo
http://priscaquila.6te.net
The Chapel of Grace Web Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

In 1Corinthians 14:1-6, the Apostle instructs and commands

that we follow the excellent way of desiring spiritual gifts
(12:31). That is by first following after love and then earnestly
desiring spiritual gifts especially Prophecy more than
Tongues (14:1, 5-6, 11, 19). Not to forget that gifts are
variously given by the Holy Spirit according to His will
(12:4,11). This chapter therefore gives us Christ’s sound
doctrine on exercising spiritual gifts (i.e. be motivated by love
in your quest for spiritual gifts – spiritual gifts are only
valuable when used for fruit bearing that builds others
up). This Apostolic teaching is a divine command (14:37) and
so to be kept in the Church as received custom (1Cor 11:1-2)
without contention (1Cor 11:16).

PROPHECY
The gift of Prophecy is the complex special grace to prayerfully
search (inquest) so as to gain insight into the counsel and
purpose of God concerning the past, present and future
(revelation), and speak-forth or tell-forth (proclaim) or
foretell (predict) in FAITHFUL WORDS as moved by the Holy
Spirit (inspired) at the given time. Such inspired prophecy
must be the revealed divine counsel which the whole
Church or some members need to be aware of. Jer 23:18; Joh
4:16-19; Act 21:9; 1Pe 1:10-12; 2Pe 1:19-21.
So, PROPHECY is the complex special grace to
prayerfully INQUIRE for Divine REVELATION
which is PROCLAIMED or PREDICTED in words
INSPIRED by the Holy Spirit.

Prophets have the gift of Revelation combined with the gift of

word of Exhortation for effective delivery of their prophetic
messages Act 15:32; 1Cor 14:3. Some Prophets also have the
gift of Miracles to support their prophetic testimony or draw
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attention to their ministry. Effective Gospel Prophets are vast in
Scriptures and prayerfully eager to discover God’s PURPOSE
AND TRUTH Dan 9:1-3; Dan 9:22-23; Dan 10:11-12; Dan
12:8-9. Christian Prophets must eschew inclination to
divination and avoid dabbling into occultist mysticism or
cabbalistic numerology and ritualism.

In the New Testament, there is GENERAL DEPOSIT OF THE

PROPHETIC SPIRIT which is on ALL BELIEVERS upon whom the
Holy Spirit has been outpoured to PROPHESY and SEE VISIONS
(Act 2:17-18) or upon whom the Holy Spirit has been endued
with WITNESSING power to bear TESTIMONY for Jesus (Act
1:8; Rev 19:10). In this sense, the Church is therefore the Last
Days brotherhood of Christ’s “witnessing prophets” (Rev 1:9;
22:9) who overcome by their prophetic witness (Rev 12:11,
17).

“PROPHET” is from the Greek word “prophetes” (one who

speaks for another as spokesman or interpreter Exo 7:1 or
one who speaks by another spirit as inspired spokesperson
or oracle). It is used by the Greeks for some FORTH-TELLERS
such as sacred singers (1Ch 25:1) and poets (Tit 1:12), or for
FORE-TELLERS such as pseudo-prophets, augurers, FORTUNE-
TELLERS, soothsayers, and oracles (1Kin 18:19).

The English word “PROPHET” was borrowed from Greek but

was used in the Bible for three Hebrew words (for Prophet and
Seer 1Chron 29:29) that describe a divinely INSPIRED
SPOKESPERSON or divinely INSPIRED SINGER (Heb= nabi),
who may also be a REVELATORY WAKE SEER (Heb= ro'eh) and
INSIGHTFUL SLEEP VISIONER (Heb= chozeh). Joel and Peter
spoke about the Holy Spirit being given to inspire us to
prophesy prophetic words, dream prophetic dreams and see
prophetic visions (Joel 2:28; Act 2:16-18) and John
understood that prophetic Spirit is for inspired word that bears
witness to Christ (Rev 19:10). True Prophets search God’s
mind to SEE and GRASP the hidden truth from God and are
moved by the Holy Spirit to SPEAK the Word from the Mind
of God (1Pe 1:10-12). The Bible in 1Sa 9:8-10; 2Sa 24:11;
1Ch 29:29 described the three nabiystic Prophets: Nathan as

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nabi (inspired speaker), Samuel as also ro'eh (inspired
seer), Gad as also chozeh (inspired visioner).

Whereas revelation comes to the prophet while awake and

alert, vision comes while the prophet is asleep or in some
diminished consciousness. Inspiration by divine will, as found
in the Scriptures (2Tim 3:16; 2Pe 1:19-21), comes by the Holy
Spirit indicating in the prophet what the counsel of God is and
moving him/her with utterance to speak from God (1Pe 1:10-
12).

When God began the nabiyistic Prophetic movement in Israel

(through Samuel 1Sa 10:5-6; 19:20), they supplemented or
complemented the Priests in meeting the growing need to
preach, interpret and teach God's Word and Counsel. This was
especially useful in the absence, shortage and exclusion of
Priests, as well as in neglect of and negligence by Priests.
Prophets went where Priests couldn't, and went to those who
wouldn't come to the Priests. Priests became Priests by birth-
gender and training, while Prophets became Prophets
irrespective of these pedigrees, but by call-gift and training.

Christians should pray prophetically like Prophet Daniel who

prayed according to what God has revealed earlier to the
Prophets, not merely as we wish, desire or think (Dan 9; Joh
14:10-15; and 15:7). When people say "prophetic" today, this
does not always mean "prophesying" to speak or sing what is
directly "thus saith the Lord" by the Gift of Prophecy, rather
this may mean that what is spoken or sung is sure to be
pleasing to God and shall be honoured by God. Prophetic
benediction (Num 6:22-27), Prophetic declaration (1Ki
17:1), Prophetic intercession (Gen 20:7, 17; Job 42:8; Act
4:25-31; Jas 5:14-18), or Prophetic imprecation (1Ki 22:28;
Act 5:8-10; Act 13:8-11) are when a Prophet or a spiritual
person makes an intercession or declaration, etc, by faith. The
faith of such prophetic or spiritual persons is based on divine
principles derived from scriptural revelations, and also is
prayerfully backed up with the conviction that God, before
Whom the prophet/prophetess stands, will honour and confirm
his/her words (Deut 10:8; 1Kin 17:1; Isa 44:24-26; Jer 23:18-
22; Act 27:23). Prophetic preaching is when a spiritual
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person preaches eternal truths derived from the earlier
revelation, as is in the Scriptures, to exhort or comfort unto
edification (Act 15:32; 1Co 14:3; 1Co 14:37). Also, statements
by persons in positions of spiritual authority could tantamount
to prophetic utterance (John 11:49-52).

Biblically, holy prophecy means to speak the mind of God

by direct inspiration in order to bring revelation,
discernment, exhortation and conviction to God’s people
(1Co 14:3, 24 and 25). Therefore Christian Prophecy is not
same as soothsaying, divination, augury or prognostication
about every inquisitive frivolous secret and every mundane
future curiosity we wish to know. Prophecy is rather, the timely
proclamation of the counsel of God (what God intends to do
and intends us to know and do) for the hour, which is
according to His pleasure and predetermined purpose. Isa
47:12-14; Jer 23:16-18; Dan 10:21).

May we never disappoint God in our time! God is looking

for Prophets who will be true Prophets for Him and His
Church today. If you are gifted as a Prophet, please
remain true and refuse to falsify your gift and ministry.

Moses said a false prophet may be right in prediction and

signs and yet be wrong in proclamation of God’s counsel (Deu
13:1-5; Deu 18:20-22). So the true test of prophecy is
compliance with the Scriptures not confirmation of predictions
and signs. True and False prophets are persons who cogently
(unlike lunatics) “SEE and SPEAK by another SPIRIT
(Holy/Divine Spirit or evil/demonic spirits)”.
 Amongst those called Prophets, there are True
Prophets/SEERS who PROBE/search by divine
revelation usually given by the Holy Spirit, but there
are also False Prophets/MEDIUMS who
PROBE/search by occultist divination often claimed
to be from the Holy Spirit.
 Both True and False Prophets could PROBE (or
search) to PROGNOSTICATE or PREDICT to FORE-
TELL DATA-ORACLES on things that happen about
us, but only true Prophets FORTH-TELL DIVINE-

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 ORACLES on what God is saying to us about His
mind for the hour.

When a prophet tells you data-messages about yourself or

some other signs, never get distracted by the unimportant
fears and fads and fascination in such data-messages and
signs, but insist on finding out what is the divine-message from
the mind of God for the hour, because only the mind of God
(not the inquisitive data, stunt signs and frivolous stories) is
important.

True prophets forth-tell divine mysteries to PERSUADE

people to PLEASE God and fore-tell to PREPARE people
to be ready for God, but they DO NOT fortune-tell to
prognosticate human curiosities to PLEASE people.

THE COMPLEXITY OF PROPHECIES

We must recognize that prophesies could be complex, having
composite components. God’s Prophets (unlike occultist
diviners or deceptive soothsayers) are not only oracles by
divine INSPIRATION but also seers/visioners by divine
REVELATION. True prophets speak for God by divine
inspiration, but occultist diviners and deceptive soothsayers,
false prophets (like Simon Magus), and even fallen prophets
(like Balaam), speak for other pagan or worldly interests by
occultist divination and deceptive prognostication.

Divinely inspired Prophecies serve varieties of complex

purposes, which many are unable to distinguish. A thorough
study of Prophesies in the Scriptures shows they could be
PROCLAMATIONS of immutable divine purpose (in the past,
present and future), or simply the EXPLANATIONS of
occurrences and events (in the past, present and future) from
divine perspective, as well as EXTRAPOLATIONS of
consequential divine judgments based on reprobation,
regeneration or mediation (for the past, present and future).
Prophetic information serves to enlighten, instruct, exhort and
equip us to ensure that we walk with God for our good and His
glory, so that we neither clash against God’s purpose nor fall
into divine judgment.

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It is both interesting and intriguing to notice that in the
Old Testament, the Law commands that prophetic signs
and messages are TO BE BELIEVED PRIMA FACIE
WITHOUT QUESTION (Deut 18:19; 1Chron 20:20) since
Israelites lacked discerning Grace and the Holy Spirit.
But when the message turns out to contradict the Law or
the sign fails to be proven, the Prophet is to be
summarily executed by the nation as a State (Deut 13:5;
18:20) else God would destroy both prophet and the
followers (Ezek 4:9-10). Whereas in the New Testament,
which provides discerning Grace and the Holy Spirit for
all it is more intricate and less gory.

Christ and His Apostles strictly admonish that prophetic

signs and messages should NOT BE BELIEVED PRIMA
FACIE UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN TESTED AND
ADJUDGED to be of God and the prophet/prophetess
found to be using his/her Prophetic Gift according to the
Scriptures in moral fruit and messages truth (Mat 7:15-
16; Mar 13:21-23; Act 17:11; 1Cor 14:21; 1John 4:1).
Under the Gospel, false prophets are not to be executed
by the congregation (since the Church is not the Sate)
but are under eternal condemnation (Jude 11-14).

Prophecy, soothsaying, augury and fortune-telling are wonders

well known to be performed by the means of divine GIFT,
divining ART and deceptive TRICK. From 1Kin 22, Jer 23 and
Ezek 14:3-10, we learn that although Prophecy is an
insightful and wonderful phenomenon, yet it could
become delusive and dangerous.

Prophets should not fall into the error of using their gifts for
soothsaying, divination, augury or prognostication about every
inquisitive frivolous secrets and every mundane future
curiosities people may wish to know. Prophecy should rather
serve for timely proclamation of the counsel of God (what
God intends to do and intends us to know and do about His
intensions) for the hour, which is according to His pleasure and
predetermined purpose (Isa 47:12-14; Jer 23:16-18).
Divination for soothsaying is about consulting spirits/omens on

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behalf of men but Inspiration for Prophecy is about speaking to
men on behalf of God (Jer 14:14-16; 1Cor 14:1-5).

Today, some Christians have suddenly become obsessed with

crave to consult prognosticating diviners and soothsayers
instead of desire to know and obey God’s written Word and
conform to God’s programme and good pleasure (Rom 12:1-2;
Col 1:10). All Christians have the Holy Spirit with which they
are born of God and by which they are indwelled by God,
therefore Christians have the witness or leading of the Holy
Spirit in them through which they know God’s will personally
and do not need to consult prophets (Rom 8:14-16; 1John
2:20, 27). Christian prophets should speak when God sends
them not when they wish or when people require them to
prophesy. Christian prophets need no formal “shrines”
with congregations, pulpits and programmes to
prophesy for populist purposes but should deliver their
messages to those concerned informally by speech or by
writing, except they have opportunity to preach at
formal gathering.

The necessity on the Church is to believe, preach and teach the

saving Gospel of Christ as witnessed to by the Apostles in the
Scriptures; to fulfil biblical prophecies that please God. The
Church is neither to produce new self-serving and self-pleasing
“prophecies” (Gal 1:6-10) nor are Christians meant to
obsessively consult prophets as the Gentiles consult diviners
and soothsayers.

The Prophets in the Scriptures were devout REFORMERS

who were proven to have been inspired in their:
 declaration of God’s precepts, power, purpose and
pleasure;
 invitation of people to repent and please God in
purity and piety;
 assurance of all about God’s readiness for merciful
pardon and mighty salvation.
False Prophecy is full of shenanigans and chicaneries (2Pet 2:1-3), but
Holy Prophecy diligently SEARCHES out the mind and counsel of God
(1Pet 1:10-12) to accurately SPEAK OUT by the INSPIRATION of the Holy
Spirit (2Pet 1:19-21) in order to bring revelation, discernment, edification,

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exhortation, comfort and conviction to God’s people (1Co 14:3, 24-26). In
general sense, (though not all believers are Prophets yet) all
spirit-filled believers in Christ could prophesy because the Holy
Spirit of Christ which indwells all believers and persistently
testifies to Christ’s Lordship is the Prophetic Spirit (Ezek 13:6-
10; Act 2:17-18; 1Cor 12:3; Rev 19:10).

FALSE PROPHETS are mostly prophets in their own rights

who are able to do mighty deeds (Matt 7:21-23), but they do
not prophesy according to scriptural principles. All False
Prophets use their prophetic powers or pretence for
their private business and selfish purpose. They are
manipulated MANIPULATORS who are either POWERFUL
DECEIVERS (Deut 13:1-5; Mat 7:15-23) or POWERLESS
PRETENDERS (Deut 18:18-22) as follows:
A FALSE PROPHET is one who uses deception to
prophesy or one who uses prophecy to deceive.
1. Occultist prophets who prophesy by divination and
demonic powers LIKE SIMON MAGUS OF SAMARIA AND
THE SOOTHSAYER MAID OF PHILIPPI (Act 8:9-22; 16:16-
20). This is where the final Antichrist false prophet
belongs (2Thes 2:7-12; Rev 13:11-17; 16:13-14).
2. Pretentious prophets who have no prophetic powers but
pretend to prophesy by clever tricks LIKE THE SEVEN
SONS OF SCEVA (Act 19:13-17).
3. Insincere prophets who turn their true prophetic
ministry into soothsaying venture through:
a) syncretistic and sensual contamination, LIKE
HANANIAH SON OF AZZUR AND ELIMAS BARJESUS
AND JEZEBEL OF THYATIRA (Jer 28; Act 13:6-12;
Rev 2:20), or
b) profiteering and self-advertising commercialisation
LIKE BALAAM SON OF BEOR (Num 22-24; 31:16;
Josh 13:22; 2Pet 2:15-16; Rev 2:14), or
c) inclusion of guesswork and deluded prideful
presumption LIKE ZEDEKIAH SON OF KANAANAH
(Deut 18:20-22; 1Kin 22; Ezek 13:6-10).

FALSE TEACHERS are not always the same as False Prophets

but heretics (who preach another or erroneous Gospel (Gal
1:6-9; 1John 4:1-6) and libertine motivational preachers who
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turn the grace of God into licentiousness (2Pet 2:1-3; Jude 3-
4).
FALSE CHRISTS are those who even dare to deceitfully claim
that they are another Christ (Mat 24:5, 11, 24).

All spiritually false and morally false “Christian” ministries and

convictions which are propagated by False Prophets, False
Teachers and False Christs are under the spirit of error and
lawlessness: all of which belong to the Antichrist and Satan
(2Thes 2:8-10). God has put all moral falsehood and spiritual
error within the Church under His wrath and curse (Gal 1:6-9;
Heb 10:26-31; Jude 4) even worse than those outside the
Church (Jer 13:13-15; 23:9-32; Rom 1:18; Eph 2:2-3).

TRUE PROPHETS are those consecrated brethren whose

oracles are true declaration of God’s mind for His people. True
prophets forth-tell to persuade people to please God and
fore-tell to prepare people to be ready for God. True
Prophets prophesy with all sincerity and diligence, and not with
divination, delusion, dissimulations, derivations, deceptions or
distortions (Deut 18:18-22; 2Cor 2:17; 4:1-2).

End-time Wisdom is to know that the false prophets

shall do great signs and deceive many (Mat 24:22-28; Rev
13:13-18). End time foolishness which shall be deceived,
is to think that only true prophets do great signs. To
escape fraud and folly in this end-time requires some wisdom
nuggets:
1. Miraculous signs are amazing stunts that fascinate
unbelievers, false prophets and demons (Mat 24:24; Act 8:18-
23; Rev 13:13-15).
2. Message of the Scripture is the saving truth that fascinates
the saints, true prophets and angels (Joh 6:68-69; 1Pe 1:10-
12).
3. A crooked and perverse generation (Php 2:15) seeks to see
signs and wonders as the proof for God’s works (Psa 95:8-
11; Mat 12:39-45; Act 8:13). They say: "show us an amazing
sign to behold that we may have a marvelling faith" (Mat
16:1-4). They believe every deceptive lie (2Th 2:8-12).
4. A chosen and holy generation (1Pe 2:9) seeks to know the
saving truth and the Word of God as the standard for God’s
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ways (Psa 103:7; 2Ti 3:16-17). They would say: "teach us the
saving truth to believe that we may have the obeying
faith" (Luk 11:1-4; Act 2:36-40). They believe only the Word
of God (Act 17:11-12).

CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL PROPHECIES

Apart from the endowed ABILITY of the charismatic Prophetic
GIFT for all Prophets, there is today the assigned
RESPONSIBILITY or AUTHORITY of the instituted or
administrative Prophetic OFFICE for some out of the many who
are prophetically gifted. Prophesying in the Scripture was not an
office but a gift or calling or ministry.
Prophets are of two categories – NORMATIVE with canonical
authority for the Church’s foundational purpose which cannot
be repeated (1Cor 3:9-11; 14:37-38; Eph 2:20) and NON-
NORMATIVE or non-canonical gift for the saints’ perfecting
purpose which is yet to cease till Christ returns (Eph 4:11-13;
1Cor 13:9-10).
Prophetic messages are of two categories – those that are of
TRANSIENT value not usually written in the Scriptures but
subject to judgment by the saints (1Cor 14:29; 1John 4:1-3)
and those that are of ETERNAL value which are written in the
Scripture to which the Saints are subject to in judgment. So,
there is normative TESTED inspiration for scripturation and
transient TESTABLE inspiration not for scripturation. That is
why the Prophets that wrote the Scriptures did not write all
their prophecies except those meant for Scripture.
NORMATIVE PROPHECY IS ALREADY WRITTEN IN THE
SCRIPTURES AS THE SETTLED CANON, BUT NON-NORMATIVE
PROPHECIES OF TRANSIENT VALUE ARE STILL OPERATIONAL
IN THE CHURCH AS SPIRITUAL GIFT. Such transient messages
by non-normative Prophets or Teachers MUST BE
TESTED/JUDGED WITH THE NORMATIVE CANON BEFORE
BEING HEEDED (1Cor 14:29; 1John 4:1).
Scripture-worthy prophets and witnesses (such as Moses and
Mosaic prophets of the O.T. or Apostles and Apostolic prophets
of the N.T.) were not merely gifted with the oracular or
prophetic gift for spontaneous extemporaneous utterances but
HAVE BEEN PROVEN (Act 17:11; Gal 1:11-2:9) to be reliably
authorized and authenticated, peculiarly consecrated and
inspired as well as specially prepared to diligently inquire their
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oracles (1Pet 1:10-12; 2Pet 1:19-21) to know what to write
and what not to write in the Scripture (Exo 34:27; Rev 2:1, 8,
12, 18). The inspired writings of these canonical or normative
prophets are to be believed as authoritative tradition without
question and obeyed as divine commandment without option
(1Cor 14:37-38; Rom 16:17; 2Tim 3:15-17; Gal 1:6-9; 2Thes
2:15; 3:6; 2John 9-12).
THE CANONICAL PROPHETS MAINTAINED THAT OTHER NON-
CANONICAL PROPHETS AND THEIR PROPHECIES ARE NOT TO
CEASE OR BE FORBIDDEN, but must be subjected to TESTING
and judgment (Num 11:26-29; Deut 18:15-22; 1Cor 14:29-32;
36-39; 1Thes 5:19-22) because their insights are partial and
blurred (1Cor 13:12) as well as liable to error. Like all
spiritually gifted persons, Prophets prophesy “in proportion”
(Rom 12:6), and “in part” (1Cor 13:9), and “in fragments”
(Heb 1:1) so every non-normative prophecy or revelation (as
well as teaching or doctrine as though derived from divine
Truth) is false or invalid except they are proved to agree wholly
and wholesomely with the normative oracles and tradition of
the canonical Scripture (Deut 13:1-3; 1Cor 13:9-12; Gal 1:6-
9; 2Thes 2:2-3; 1John 4:1).

May God raise us again a generation that earnestly seeks

God and His good pleasure. Amen.

Last Updated November 20, 2017

By Venerable Dr I. U. Ibeme
Copyright © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
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