Nature, Role, and Functions of Prophecy/Prophets
When we discussed the prophetic vocabulary and the continuity between Old Testament and New Testament prophets, we already touched on the nature, role, and functions of prophecy/ prophets. In this section we will summarize some of the comments made earlier and address some specific questions.GOP 68.5
Commonalities Among the Prophets
True prophets did not make themselves prophets. They did not use certain techniques to come up with a message for their audience. True prophets were human beings called by God and standing in a special relationship with God. Along with the divine call came giftedness. They received the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is one of the leadership gifts among God’s people.GOP 68.6
Prophets received divine revelations through which God communicated to them propositional truth but also revealed Himself in a personal relationship. The message received from God had to be communicated unadulterated. This happened under divine inspiration. Those who recorded history (e.g., Luke) were also working under inspiration (i.e., guided by the Holy Spirit). Through the prophets God would address His people at a given time and place with a message for that situation, and yet the message would transcend the original situation and would remain relevant for later times. Typically, the message of the prophets to the people contained a call to repentance, reformation, and holy living in a close relation with the Lord as well as words of encouragement and hope. What Heschel says about Old Testament prophets can also be applied to New Testament prophets:GOP 69.1
. . . the purpose of prophecy is to conquer callousness, to change the inner man as well as to revolutionize history. GOP 69.2
The prophet’s duty is to speak to the people, “whether they hear or refuse to hear.” . . . The main vocation of a prophet is “to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin” (Mic. 3:8) . . . GOP 69.3
The prophet is a watchman (Hos. 9:8), a servant (Amos 3:7; Jer. 25:4; 26:5), a messenger of God (Hag. 1:13), “an assayer and tester” of the people’s ways (Jer. 6:27, RSV); “whenever you hear a word from My mouth, you shall give them warning from Me” (Ezek. 3:17). . . . Yet his true greatness is his ability to hold God and man in a single thought. GOP 69.4
Prediction is an important element of prophecy—“while others are intoxicated with the here and now, the prophet has a vision of an end” —but it is not the only one. The overall message of the prophets covered the past, the present, and the future. GOP 70.1
. . . the revelation did not have to entail exclusively predictive elements to be miraculous. . . . The revelatory nature of Paul’s message did not involve solely predictive elements but also reception of the true nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ and justification by faith (Acts 9:3-6, 20; Gal. 1:12, 16-17). GOP 70.2
Prophets would challenge their audiences but also encourage, comfort, and edify them. A good example for prediction, admonishment, and encouragement, even by his own example, is Paul on his stormy journey described in Acts 27, especially verses 22-36. At first glance, the following suggestion by Hvidt seems strange: “Christian prophecy . . . has little to do with the mere prediction of future events. Its energy is never thrust toward the future. It always aims at the present. Were it not so, prophecy could not be edifying to the Church in the time of the prophet.” In order to understand his point one needs to continue reading:GOP 70.3
It is true that prophecy often looks at the future. It also looks at the past and sometimes its time-focus is on events at the present time. But regardless of whether a given prophecy deals with something pertaining to the past, to the present or to the future, it is always of relevance to the present. GOP 70.4
In addition, “almost all prophets have focused on the coming of the reign of Christ. Hvidt may be generally correct that the prophetic message—whether it deals with past, present, or future events—is meaningful and crucial to the audience to which it is addressed. There are a few exceptions, such as parts of the book of Daniel. The prophetic message was supposed to be passed on by the prophet, although it was not or not fully understood by the then-present generation. It was sealed (Dan. 12:4). Nevertheless, even in this case God’s intention was to speak to the current generation and give these people general insights into His plan and His sovereignty and power.GOP 70.5
While the prophets related to God, they also related to the community of believers. Spiritual gifts, including prophecy, were given for the “common good” (1 Cor. 12:7, ESV) and for the harmonious function of the body in unity (verses 12-26). Leadership gifts, including prophecy, are “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12, NASB). Prophecy even touches unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:24). “Prophecy delivers the greatest good for unbelievers and Christians alike since it communicates, enlightens, and convicts.” GOP 70.6
Part of the prophet’s relationship to the community of believers is that the church was asked to check whether or not a prophet was a true prophet and to accept message and messenger, if the prophet was sent by God (1 Thess. 5:20, 21). Among the tests to be applied was the issue whether or not the prophet’s message would correspond with previously given true prophecy. In the case of New Testament prophets, agreement with the Old Testament was the issue. Although people may usually have realized what was genuine prophecy, they may not always have accepted its challenges and admonitions.GOP 71.1
Differences Between Prophets
There were also differences between true prophets, but these differences did not affect their authority and their message.GOP 71.2
First, there were gender differences. Many prophets were male, and some were female. Both groups were accepted in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Even if people would reject their messages, the Bible would still regard these prophets as genuine messengers of God.GOP 71.3
Second, some prophets delivered oral messages only, while others left behind also written material. Some of the written material became books of the Old Testament and New Testament and therefore part of the biblical canon; other messages did not. If inscripturation and canonization did not happen, the reliability of the prophetic message was not affected, and the prophet was not made a second-class prophet. The source of the message was still God. However, the accessibility of their message was more limited for other audiences and later generations.GOP 71.4
Third, the genres of their messages differed. Some prophets wrote historical and legal books, others wisdom literature, others letters to churches and individuals, and still others prophetic literature. Even the prophetic literature came in two major categories, so-called classical prophecy and apocalyptic prophecy, as found in Daniel and Revelation. This means that some prophets developed an outline of human history in broad strokes, from their times to the end, while other focused more on current events and challenges. Dependent on the situation of their audiences some prophets, more than others, may have been called to rebuke, reprimand, and admonish people and call for self-awareness, return to the Lord, and just and merciful behavior. It makes a difference if one has to write to a church such as Smyrna or a church such as Laodicea (Rev. 2:8-11 and 3:14-22).GOP 71.5
Fourth, some prophets may have been more appreciated by their contemporaries and therefore, humanly speaking, may have been more successful than others during their lifetime. At times the people’s hearts were hardened, while at other times they were more open and receptive. That would mean that prophets were sensitive to the religious, political, and social situation of the time they found themselves in. However, while God spoke to the situation, this social- cultural situation did not alter the prophetic message in the sense that the prophet’s delivery did not correspond with the divine intention.GOP 72.1
Prophets as “Congregational Prophets”
Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14 has triggered quite a number of questions, especially when it comes to the gift of prophecy. We do not need to return to Grudem’s distinctions between infallible and fallible prophets, above. But still people would maintain that prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14 is of a somewhat different nature than prophecy in the Old Testament and possibly elsewhere in the New Testament. It is congregational prophecy.GOP 72.2
G. Rice seems to react to this view by stating that “the prophets of 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 fit into the category of oral prophets. They are not church members who, stirred by a sermon or hymn, wished to share a thought or two that happened to be impressed upon them.” They would still deliver a message from God.GOP 72.3
First Corinthians 14:29-33 is part of the section in 1 Corinthians that deals with spiritual gifts, among them prophecy. In 1 Corinthians 12 various spiritual gifts are listed. Such lists are found also in other Pauline writings (e.g., Romans 12:6-8). Strictly speaking, three lists occur in 1 Corinthians 12 (verses 7-10, verse 28, and verses 29, 30). First Corinthians 13 contrasts the spiritual gifts with true love, while chapter 14 compares the gift of tongues with the gift of prophecy. How should prophecy in this chapter be understood?GOP 72.4
Paul uses the word family prophēt- 37 times in his writings, 22 times in 1 Corinthians. He applies the term “prophet” to Old Testament prophets (Rom. 1:2; 11:3; 1 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 1:1; 11:32), the prophetic part of the Old Testament (Rom. 3:21), and New Testament prophets (1 Cor. 12:28, 29; 14:29, 32 [twice]; Eph. 2:20; 3:5; 4:11). In Titus 1:12 he mentions a Cretan prophet—one who hailed from the island of Crete, whose inhabitants had gained a reputation for deception. The language indicates that he not only uses the Cretan designation but also describes the situation from the Cretan perspective; not from the Christian perspective. All the other references to “prophet” reflect the biblical language and concept of a prophet.GOP 73.1
It is interesting that in 1 Corinthians 12:28, 29 and in Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11 prophets appear with apostles and consistently in the second place of sometimes longer lists. For Paul the prophets belong to the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20); they have received divine revelation (Eph. 3:5); and they are part of the leadership group of the church that equips the saints for their ministry (Eph. 4:11, 12). The parallelism between 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 and Ephesians 4:11 should be noted: “God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers . . .” (1 Cor. 12:28, ESV) and “He who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11, NET). The term “prophetic” (Rom. 16:26, NKJV) together with “writings” describes the Old Testament, and “prophecy” and “to prophesy” consistently refer to the prophetic gift in Paul’s writings. Paul’s treatment of prophecy in the letter to the Ephesians should not be neglected when studying 1 Corinthians 12-14, but should inform the interpretation of the more difficult passage. GOP 73.2
The Pauline vocabulary indicates that Paul does not differentiate between Old Testament prophets and New Testament prophets, prophets that are foundational to the church and are church leaders and so-called congregational prophets that may function as pastors or preachers of a local congregation or as church members without official role. In addition, the language of the Old Testament and New Testament coincides and seems to favor a gift of prophecy in the New Testament that is in basic continuity with that of the Old Testament. Therefore, it sounds artificial to introduce another type of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 12-14.GOP 73.3
That the prophets in 1 Corinthians 14:29 should be tested is no argument that would support a secondary status of their prophetic ministry, because “even proven Old Testament prophets had their words regularly tested.” Although prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14:3 is described as encouragement and consolation, the limitation of prophecy to these and similar elements would misunderstand Paul and use an argument from silence. What is not mentioned is not necessarily excluded. “Paul was not defining prophecy but, in context, ‘merely uses the fact that prophecy is understandable and therefore results in edification, exhortation, and encouragement.’ ” Farnell points out that an understanding of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14 as congregational prophecy versus apostolic prophecy disregards Ephesians 4:11 and improperly differentiates between Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; and 1 Corinthians 12-14. GOP 73.4
Prophecy and Ecstasy
The question if prophecy is related to ecstasy is addressed in many publications. In his article on prophecy in the New Testament, G. Friedrich has a section entitled “Ecstasy and Prophecy.” Although he states, “There is in the NT no exclusion of the individual ego, no replacement of the human ego by divine, prophetic rapture,” he still would allow for ecstasy to occur with prophets in the New Testament, assuming that “the prophecy of John the divine also has ecstatic features.” However, moving on to Paul, he claims:GOP 74.1
The prophet is very different in Paul. He certainly receives revelations . . . but he is not characterized by visions and auditions which transport him out of the world. . . . The prophet in the Pauline congregations is not the seer but the recipient and preacher of the Word. He is not one who, possessed by God, has no control over his senses and has to do what the indwelling power orders. Alienation and raving are foreign to him. The primitive Christian prophet is a man of full self-awareness. When he is speaking he can break off if a revelation is given to someone else. When two or three prophets have spoken in the congregation others may remain silent even though something is revealed to them, 1 C. 14:29ff. . . . The responsible personhood of the prophet remains intact even though the whole man with his understanding and will stands under the operation of the Spirit. GOP 74.2
Friedrich makes a distinction between John as a prophet and prophets in 1 Corinthians. Although he does not directly provide a definition of ecstasy, his description of the situation in Corinth, which he seems to contrast with John’s experience, suggests that he may follow a standard definition of ecstasy, namely, of being in a state “beyond reason and self-control.” Ecstasy is among others a religious phenomenon and is found among mystics of many religions. Religious ecstasy can be self-induced. A. Schimmel describes ecstasy as absolute mono-ideism, links it to mysticism, which is found in all religions, and declares that the mystery of an ecstatic experience cannot be communicated. Heschel adds: “The prophetic act leaves an utterance behind; ecstasy leaves behind a memory of a moment that cannot be put into words.” He continues:GOP 74.3
What is important in mystical acts is that something happens; what is important in prophetic acts is that something is said Ecstasy is one-dimensional, there is no distinction between the subject of experience and the experience itself. The person becomes one with the divine. Prophecy is a confrontation. God is God, and man is man; the two may meet, but never merge. There is a fellowship, but never a fusion. GOP 75.1
H. Ringren’s carefully written article about ecstasy and Old Testament prophecy, in which he occasionally sees some parallels between the Old Testament record and what today would be described as ecstasy, ends with the statement: “There is, however, a fundamental difference: the one believed to be possessed by a spirit usually forgets all about the spirit on awakening, while the OT prophets were fully conscious of the message they received.” GOP 75.2
Although the Old Testament records the exceptional cases of Saul finding himself among the prophets (1 Sam. 10:5, 6; 19:20-24)—some would argue that this was a form of ecstasy, while others would not —a corresponding experience is not mentioned in the New Testament. The prophets in Corinth were able to control themselves and stop speaking (1 Cor. 14:29-32). There is no indication of ecstasy. The same is true for the other New Testament books. If John would be singled out because of his visionary experiences and his invitation to come to heaven (Rev. 4:1-2; see also Rev. 17:3), Paul should also be added to such a category of prophets (2 Cor. 12:1-4), if it existed. However, it is the same Paul that claims that prophets do not move to an uncontrollable ecstatic stage. And he does this even in the same Corinthian context. While prophets may experience exceptional supernatural phenomena, they are still in their minds and not in a mystic trance or compulsory ecstasy. It may be wiser not to create different categories of prophets that cannot be substantiated with the New Testament.GOP 75.3
Heschel may be right when he writes:GOP 76.1
The theory of ecstasy, in its attempt to make the prophetic act plausible by making it comparable, deprives us of an understanding of what is genuine and tends to distort the essence of prophecy. . . . It starts, then, with the assumption that the experiences of the prophets are of the same kind as those of the orgiastic cults in many primitive societies. GOP 76.2
A term such as “ecstasy” that we use in common parlance and in the humanities to describe phenomena that we observe in the religious as well as in the nonreligious spheres may not be suitable for use of the experiences of Old Testament and New Testament prophets. It may indeed be a rational attempt to explain the supernatural that is otherwise denied to exist or to have an influence on humanity.GOP 76.3
The Duration of the Gift of Prophecy in the Church
The question whether the gift of prophecy ceased to exist at the end of the first century A.D. or somewhat later or whether it might still be possible to experience it, is also being discussed.GOP 76.4
Farnell subscribes to the following thesis: “With the church firmly established through the ministry of the first-century apostles and New Testament prophets, prophecy passed from the scene.” He builds strongly on Ephesians 2:20, claiming that the foundation of the universal church can be laid only once. As soon as it is laid, prophecy as a component of the foundation is no longer necessary. He claims that “once the church was established, the gift would be discontinued.” GOP 76.5
A second New Testament passage employed is 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, which talks about the cessation of prophecy when perfection comes. Farnell understands perfection as maturity that will go through different stages “until complete maturity is reached at the Second Coming of Christ.” A certain level of maturity was reached with the completion of the New Testament canon. So the gift of prophecy ceased. “Thus the gift of prophecy, along with tongues and knowledge, was a temporary gift which is no longer operative today.” GOP 77.1
In addition to biblical texts, Farnell uses two theological reasons he believes genuine prophecy has ceased. The first is his understanding that prophecy is miraculous and must be infallible, which he seems to consider as absolutely flawless in every aspect. If this is not given, the phenomenon that we encounter is false prophecy. “It would seem reasonable to contend that no person today who would presently claim the prophetic gift could ever make claims to such an absolutely perfect record of supernatural and miraculous accuracy which is required of true biblical prophets.” Therefore, the gift of prophecy must have ceased. The second argument is an argument from analogy. As the last Old Testament book was written, the gift of prophecy ceased to exist. With the close of the New Testament canon New Testament prophecy came to an end.GOP 77.2
This is strongly supported by R. Thomas, who is also quoted by Farnell.GOP 77.3
With the completing of the last book of the New Testament, the gift of prophecy became obsolete. A severe penalty is pronounced on anyone who attempts to add to the prophecies of the Apocalypse (Rev. 22:18). Since the Book of Revelation covers events occurring from the time John wrote it until the eternal state, any alleged prophecy subsequent to the Book of Revelation is counterfeit. GOP 77.4
However, as a dispensationalist Thomas turns around and talks about prophecy in the future. “Prophets in the future will minister to the people of Israel and the world at large during the tribulation after the rapture of the church (Joel 2:28).” They are a different kind of prophet because they will not be related to the church, which will no longer be on earth.GOP 77.5
While one may understand Farnell’s uneasiness with modern charismatic prophets, his biblical arguments look forced and untenable. For instance, a great number of expositors understand 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 in the light of the future resurrection and final transformation, Christ’s second coming, the consummation, the future world or how else the end of historic time may be described. A. This elton is concerned that in the discussion on the permanence and cessation of spiritual gifts Paul’s main point might be overlooked. He seems to attempt to cool down the debate by pointing out that the text should not be over interpreted. GOP 77.6
Those who argue in favor of the permanence of the prophetic gift (and/or all spiritual gifts) may follow two different approaches. One of these approaches seems to be more pragmatic and the other one more biblical.GOP 78.1
Based on the history of the Catholic Church and persons considered to be prophetically gifted, such as Julian of Norwich and Ignatius of Loyola, Fisichella states that “the prophets and the prophetic charism cannot be relegated hastily only to the period of the primitive church, they are always a constituent part of the church and always possess a permanent and irreplaceable significance for the church.” GOP 78.2
Hvidt approaches the topic theologically:GOP 78.3
Regarding the preconditions of Christian prophecy one must therefore say that prophecy—in its material aspects—can never establish anything new regarding the revelation in Christ, and further that it can never say anything that goes against Scripture. On the other hand—in its formal aspects—prophecy and the prophetic revelations can truly have vast importance for the realization of revelation in history. The innermost being of prophecy thus conceived is an ever-inspired actualisation of revelation, adjusted to every particular time in history. GOP 78.4
He continues to show that Catholic theologians “used prophetic revelations as evidence of certain explanations of Scripture, when a certain passage of Scripture could be understood in different ways.” Well-known theologians such as Bonaventure and Aquinas “used the messages of known prophetic mystics to settle theological disputes about the Spirit’s procession from the Father and from the Son, about the veneration of religious pictures and . . . about the theology of the sacraments.” GOP 79.1
Typically, Evangelicals and especially Adventists argue directly from Scripture. Discussing 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, Garland stresses that “Paul does not hint that spiritual gifts will not also endure until the parousia. They too remain in the present time, though they will not continue beyond the end.” In his A Pauline Theology of Charismata, Schatzmann devotes an entire section to the “Permanence or Temporariness of Charismata.” He shows that the exegetical basis for the assumption that the spiritual gift faded away with the end of the apostolic time and the completion of the canon is very weak. GOP 79.2
G. Rice argues in favor of the permanence of the spiritual gift, using two texts in 1 Corinthians (1:6, 7; 13:9, 10) and one in Ephesians (4:13). The unity in faith, knowledge of Jesus, and maturity will be realized with Christ’s second coming and the first resurrection (1 Cor. 15:53). GOP 79.3
Based on 1 Corinthians 13:8, 10, J. Mager comes to the conclusion that prophecy will not cease to exist until the Second Coming prophecy. W. Mueller also favors the permanence of prophecy until the end of time. He argues that in their controversies with the Montanists the early church was not able to point to a biblical text about the cessation of prophecy at the end of the first century. Furthermore, he mentioned 1 Corinthians 14:1, 39; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, the gift of discernment to help evaluate prophetic claims, discusses Revelation 22:18, 19, and finally points to Joel 2:28-32 as a promise of prophetic activity for the end of time. GOP 79.4
So how long should the gift of prophecy remain in the church? As correctly mentioned, this question is not directly addressed in Scripture. One has only indirect evidence. Here are some arguments in favor of the permanence of prophecy until the Second Coming.GOP 79.5
1. Spiritual gifts are essential for the church to function as a body. Cessation of spiritual gifts would lead to a disintegration of this body of Christ on earth.GOP 80.1
2. The cessation of only some of the spiritual gifts cannot be demonstrated from Scripture, not even in 1 Corinthians 13. The context points to the parousia and the resurrection as the end of spiritual gifts. That does not mean that all gifts must be present and exercised equally during church history. It is God in His sovereignty who not only determines which gifts individuals will receive but also how frequently and to what extent specific gifts are given.GOP 80.2
3. Leadership gifts, including prophecy, that build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11, 12) and contribute to the final goal of “unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (verse 13) are needed. While unity, maturity, and fullness have a present dimension, here the coming of Christ is referred to. “The threefold description in v. 13 points to the ultimate destination of God’s people on the last day.” GOP 80.3
4. Joel’s (2:28-31) prediction of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a revival of the gift of prophesy was partially fulfilled at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out (Acts 2:14-21, 32, 33). However, the great Day of the Lord, mentioned in Joel, is in a special way connected to Christ’s second coming. So there should be another fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy prior to Christ’s return. GOP 80.4
5. Jesus predicted the coming of false prophets after His ascension and prior to His second coming (Matt. 24:11, 24). However, He did not warn of prophets in general. Obviously the problem would be to distinguish false from true prophets, not the situation that no longer true prophets would be sent by God. In the previous chapter he had promised to send prophets (Matt. 23:34). Here He warns against false prophets. This reflects well the first-century situation, and this would happen again in the time before His return. As there is a real confrontation between Jesus Christ and the false christs and an imitation of Christ by the false christs, so it can be assumed that believers may have to choose between true and false prophets. The danger is even for believers to be deceived, which makes sense if they have to choose and cannot just reject any prophet. R. T. France suggests that “after all, the reason why false prophets can pass themselves off as ‘sheep’ is presumably that genuine prophecy is a familiar and welcome phenomenon in the church.” GOP 80.5