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What Exactly is Prophecy?

Recently I was asked if there is still prophecy in the church. Is it still a thing in church? My answer was “of course it is”, however I quickly realized that there are varied definitions of prophecy and that has led to varied answers to this question m

The baptist/ reformed Christian might quote the verse in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 “we see in part, we know in part, we prophecy in part …but when the perfect comes the partial is done away with” (paraphrased). This verse is often applied to spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophetic utterances and any manifestation of the spirit in a supernatural way. According to this line of thinking only bible reading and teaching from clergy is permitted in church meetings. I believe this interpretation is deeply in error and mislead many Christians. It is easy to debunk becuase this verse also includes knowledge being done away with. And it doesn’t’ take a scholar to see Paul is talking about the return of Christ and the resurrection from the dead. When He dominates the entire planet and there is only truth, no deception and false teaching.

So then,

What exactly is prophecy?

Recently in a church gathering I attended a man spoke up at the end of the singing and said in a loud voice, with a slightly different tone than he normally speaks with and essentially said “thus saith the Lord…I love you with an everlasting love…” That was the essential message of his prophecy. It was a well-timed reminder about the love of God for us personally and I think it encouraged many who heard it. But was this prophecying? After some time in the same gathering, the pastor stood up front and with a microphone skillfully taught from the book of Esther from the Old Testatment. Linking therein the types and connections between the characters and situations in Esther, with Jesus Christ. It was very good. Was this teaching message prophecying?

A prophecy is a sharing by a Christian, it unveils, explains and/or expounds upon Jesus Christ. It can be done after saying “thus switch the Lord” or it can be done as just a natural spiritually shining out of a Christian.

John in the book of Revelation shares that “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). Testimony of Jesus Christ, from him directly through Christians, via the Holy Spirit. And it a pointing to him by the Holy Spirit.

That is prophecy. It has not been done away with merely because we have the new testament. Historically I think highly emotional and exaggerative (is that a word?) Christians have irritated and bothered other Christians into prohibiting any and all sharing but their own in churches. They don’t know how or want to deal with certain personalities so they shut everything down (including many things the Spirit himself wants to share).

A similar and well-written article on this topic. Rethinking Prophetic Utterances by Frank Viola.

Also, check out this ministry website Eternal Testimonies.

Also, What is the Pride of Life?

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From the Tabernacle to Temple

I am visiting Israel here in May of 2022 with family and friends.

While here I’ve felt led to read Jeremiah and Hebrews.

One thing that has perplexed me for some time before this trip is the general ignorance about the tabernacle of Moses and David and their connection to the Temple of Solomon. When I ask my Israeli friends about these Temples they seem a bit perplexed and don’t know many details about either in comparison to the Temples.

I was quite ignorant of the connection between the tabernacle of Moses and all subsequent “houses of God” until someone taught me (Frank Viola) and I read a great book called The Tabernacle by M.R. DeHaan.

Our guide here is a devout Jew, educated as archeologist, and he essentially said that Solomon got the plans for the temple from his contractor Hiram who “was known for building houses of god.”

Details about this can be found in 1Kings 6,7

I am sure this is true to some degree but the connection between Moses’ tabernacle and Solomons temple is clear. Turning the portable wooden and fabric tabernacle into a stone temple no doubt took much planning, substitutions and thought. Also the dimensions are quite different.

David (Solomon’s father) brought the ark of God to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, see 2 Sam 6. Where he set up his own “tent” and is believed to have written many of the Psalms based on his experience with God there.

The Ark of covenant, the mercy seat, the table of showbread, the holy of holies, the candlestick, the outer court, the brazen altar, the single entrance gate. Extreme detail and dimensions and instructions from God to Moses about the house can be seen beginning in Exodus 25.

There is a direct reference to David’s city of Zion, to the Ark of the Covenant, and to Moses in 1 Kings 8 about when Solomon was building the Temple.

Fast forward to the time of the Christians. Stephen one of the seven Christians chosen by the apostles referred to Solomon getting the pattern for the house of God (temple) from Moses. Right before he was stoned to death. The final point Stephen made about God not dwelling in houses of stone enraged them to murder him by stoning, See Acts 7:44-50.

There seems to be an overemphasis on the Temple. As marvelous and massive as this temple must have been.

A trip to Israel has historical and religious value by default.

But in order to get spiritual value out of it one must comprehend the meaning of Israel from God’s perspective…what he was accomplishing with Israel. That requires we accept the meaning of Jesus Christ to God.

Jesus Christ was the whole purpose of Israel, many would doubt that, many others would resent that but it is true. The fascination with the history and religion of it all is one thing, but getting SPIRITUAL VALUE from it requires an understanding of Jesus Christ. And if we cannot do that then its just history, its just religion, just a cool place to visit.

This brings us to what I think is a very important general principle for life. To get the spiritual value of every and anything, good or bad, we must comprehend the spiritual meaning of things as they relate to God’s purposes concentrated on Jesus Christ.

This means that Israel, the temples, and everything related to them. Past, present and future find there meaning and purpose and value in Jesus Christ. He defines them, he gives them purpose and meaning.

What it means to Gather in his name: https://adamcollier.com/what-does-it-mean-to-gather-around-jesus-christ/?preview=true&preview_id=3914&preview_nonce=9f27f9180f&frame-nonce=b3800848f9

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Horrific Despair… into Joy Unspeakable

Look around in the world today and there are many reasons to despair. On many different levels in many different countries.

Minor despair of financial difficulties.

To the major despair of war coming to steal from and to murder entire towns of people.

When Jesus was betrayed, arrested, set up, tortured and killed slowly in public. What despair his followers and family must have felt. All seemed lost, all his teachings must have seemed in question. The entire religion of Judaism and belief he was the messiah dashed to pieces in their minds.

Life can very often tempt one to ask in despair:

“Who can live in such a world?”

“Why does everything have to be so hard?”

“Why are those people so cruel and selfish?”

“What are we going to do?”

“Are we even safe? Will we be able to buy food and stay in our homes?”

The resurrection of Jesus Christ turned this despair of humanity into joy unspeakable.

Unspeakable because it is inexplicable. For those in Christ it bubbles up from within, in the midst of terrible life situations.

Joy because our days of death and suffering are numbered. Precisely numbered and meticulously planned out. Not indefinite, not forever, not alone.

Our suffering and deaths are for a particular purpose and appointed at a particular time. (See Hebrew 9:27).

Furthermore Jesus himself promises to strengthen and be with us as we suffer. Even further we are actually partaking in the sufferings of Christ. They actually are his sufferings if we can understand spiritual reality. All our suffering in this world is a result of Satan’s lashing out against Jesus Christ. As Jesus expands and takes back his humanity and his earth it terrifies and likely infuriates Satan and his principalities and powers.

But their end is coming. New bodies, new hope, new future, new heavens, new earth, eternal growth, eternal expansion, eternal glorification, and more are all in store for Jesus Christ. And for us also, if we are in Him.

Therefore the Joy that is unspeakably wonderful cones bubbling up from within even at the prospect of suffering and death.

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