PROPHETIC OPERATIONS (2)

“And in these days PROPHETS came from Jerusalem to Antioch” – Acts 11:27

As with the Old, there is a vital place for PROPHETIC OPERATIONS in the New Covenant: “And in these days PROPHETS came from Jerusalem to Antioch” (Acts 11: 27). This scripture validates the continuity of the Prophetic Ministry in the New Testament. Agabus’ prediction of a coming famine stirred the hearts of the Believers towards generosity (v.28). This same prophet predicted persecution for Paul when he reached Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 21: 10-11). The prophetic ministry as seen in both covenants seems to be quite different! The old covenant was all about works, while the new is all about grace, which seems to touch on the prophetic word.

Prophets in the Old Testament called down fire from Heaven, spoke words of judgement, warned God’s people and the surrounding nations, had bizarre visions, and displayed strange prophetic acts such as cooking food over animal dung or marrying a prostitute. The prophetic in the New Testament is of a different flavour, giving greater opportunity for intimacy with God. This new prophetic tilt is to build up, encourage and comfort; it is less about judgement and more about encouragement. It’s important to interpret the teachings and examples of the old covenant through a new covenant lens. It is unwise to live and minister in an Old Testament mentality, instead of a New Testament mindset. However, prophets in the New Testament are not inferior those in the Old, since the same Spirit is the Source of their pronouncements.

Another distinction is the emergence of the Church instead of the nation, as the platform for manifestations and operations of the prophetic ministry. A prophet is a spokesperson or interpreter of divine truth; someone who reveals the Mind and Heart of God through word and deed. The prophetic ministry connects people to the Presence of God so they see, hear and feel Him for themselves. It is no longer just about judgment, because God is Love. It is also about His Kindness – which leads to repentance – and His Mercy, Grace, and Goodness (Rom.2:4).

Prophetic ministry received in a healthy church, creates an atmosphere primed for spiritual encounters with God. People will be hungry to experience His love and power for themselves because of what they see, hear and feel God doing within and through others. The prophetic ministry can serve a church broadly in the following ways: Equipping the church towards the Spirit; cultivating an encounter atmosphere; identifying, developing, and deploying prophetic gifts in others, discipling them to grow in hearing the voice of God; exhorting spiritual focus in worship and lifestyle; discerning times and seasons, with a keen sensitivity to spiritual warfare; facilitating spiritual encounters; challenging spiritual stagnancy, backsliding, or drift with passion, to stem idolatry and immorality; and identifying and voicing against injustice.

Essentially, prophets ‘feel’ the heart of God and often carry the same burdens and cares as He does, based on their unique connection.