Are There Modern-Day Prophets?
Share
Prophets begin showing up in the Bible early on, enough for them to be addressed in the Mosaic Law. These men and women had a distinct role: to give God’s message to people, namely Israel but also other nations and individuals. The Old Testament prophet developed more under David and continued to call Israel, Judah, and their kings to repentance. In the New Testament, we further read about prophets in Acts and see prophecy listed as a gift of the Spirit.
Two thousand years later, we may wonder: do modern-day prophets exist? Some denominations teach that they do. Others are adamant the role was for the ancient world, and not today. What does the Bible teach?
What Can We Learn from Old Testament Prophets?
In the Old Testament, prophets would address Israel’s moral condition, always related to their commitment to the Lord. The prophets pointed out specific sin and urged a repentant return to their God and his blessings if they would worship him first and follow the Laws. Prophets also spoke of future events, giving oracles regarding what God would one day do as consequence for continued sin or deliverance if the people would repent and stay faithful. As examples, Isaiah and Jeremiah warned of impending judgment for Israel’s disobedience. At the same time, they would offer hope for redemption since God would bring the people back. God would stay true to his covenant.
Beginning with David, we read about prophets by name, like Nathan. The prophets fulfilled an important role, challenging the very king with the words of God. In theory, the prophets enjoyed a type of immunity and freedom to hold the king accountable. Returning to the Lord would bring goodness and success to the king and the people, recognizing that God rules and reigns above all. Unfortunately, kings can become prideful. As Israel and Judah became more sinful and idolatrous, the kings persecuted the prophets, killing many, as Jesus mentions (Luke 11:47-48). For example, Elijah famously had conflict with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel over their idolatry and murder.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 outlines the standards for judging the legitimacy of a prophet. According to the Law and Moses, a true prophet spoke the words of God, and their predictions came to pass. Their theology also had to call people to Yahweh, not to themselves or another god or idol. Moses commanded the people to hold prophets accountable, even executing them if they led people astray.
The Old Testament prophets teach us that when God’s people disobey, he seeks to forgive and restore them, and to that end, he raises up individuals to speak his words and call a person or nation to repentance. It’s easy to read the Old Testament prophets and their harsh language and misjudge them, like God was too mean. However, taking their context into account, God showed great patience over years of oppressive practices, even child sacrifice to idols at one point. In addition, God always promised restoration and hope through the prophets, continuing to show how mercy triumphs over judgment.
How Does Prophecy Change in the New Testament?
In the New Testament, prophecy still happens but makes a dramatic shift through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Unlike the Old Testament, where God called only a select few to act as prophets, the New Testament sees the Spirit empowering every Christian to hear and speak God’s message. As Peter explains in his sermon in Acts 2:17-18, quoting from Joel, God gives his Spirit to everyone, the young to dream dreams and the old to prophesy. Joel had prophesied a new age where the ability to speak the words of God wouldn’t be limited to a chosen few but every believer regardless of background.
With this, the standards for judging prophets changed. Jesus gave the Spirit to each individual and the corporate body of believers, saying he would lead us into all truth (John 16:13), fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy about the New Covenant, how one day people won’t need to say, “teach me about God,” because he’ll teach them all himself (Jeremiah 31:33-34). Therefore, people with the Spirit can discern whether a message is from the Spirit. In Thessalonians 5:20-21, Paul encourages believers not to despise prophecies but to test everything, holding to what is good. I John 4:1 teaches Christians to test the spirits, specifically that Jesus came in the flesh, similar to the theological test from the Old Testament. The church, then, has been empowered to discern whether a message comes from God. The Spirit within us bears witness to it, and we should follow it.
The consequences for false prophets also changed. The New Testament doesn’t teach us to kill a false prophet but to hold him or her accountable to truth and love. Paul instructed such a process in 1 Corinthians 14, where two or more prophets speak in the public meeting and the church evaluates the sermons. In this, the Spirit guides and empowers, humbling every member and leader.
The New Testament redefines prophecy as a spiritual gift to build up the Body of Christ, to broadly bear witness of Jesus, which can include calls to repentance and future telling but is not limited to them.
What Can We Learn from the New Testament Prophets?
Acts gives several examples of prophets in the New Covenant. In Acts 11:27-30, Agabus predicts a famine for the region. The early church felt this message was from God, so they responded with generosity, giving food and other resources to the Christians in Judea. Here we see how prophecy led the church by the Holy Spirit to provide for others during a difficult time.
Agabus shows up again in Acts 21:10-14, which also includes his daughters as prophets. In this passage, Agabus gives Paul a prophecy. He ties his hands and feet to symbolize how Paul will be arrested and imprisoned if he goes to Jerusalem. Others hear this and believe it, discerning its truth, and try to convince Paul to change his plans. However, while Paul agrees with the prediction of his arrest, he felt led by God to continue anyway, accepting his fate. “I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
As Paul shows us, prophecy doesn’t override a personal calling (discernment) or choice. Paul respects and acknowledges the gift but not their interpretation. He remained responsible for his own choices and following the Spirit.
From the New Testament, we learn prophecy is a communal and individual relationship between the prophet, the Spirit, and the church community. It calls us to trust the Scripture, God’s leading, acting in humility, and following the Spirit.
How Does Paul Address the Gift of Prophecy?
Additionally, the New Testament reveals how some people have the leadership position of a prophet, like Agabus and his daughters, people known for being especially used as prophets. At the same time, the gift of prophecy is a universal gift. Every believer has it, and Paul encourages us to develop and strengthen this one especially. “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
At the core, prophecy involves hearing and obeying, including speaking God’s words to others. Therefore, this ability undergirds the whole Christian life. If we are to walk in the Spirit, how can we if we don’t hear or perceive him and don’t have the power to follow? Of course, we do have this power. Paul connects the way of love to developing the ability to hear and speak the words of God. God is love, and his word changes things for the eternal good. We love people through speaking his message.
Peter also stresses the importance of speaking by the Spirit. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it with the ability God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” The oracles of God are just another way to say as a prophecy, and Peter encourages the discipline of making sure our words and actions come from the ability supplied by God through the Spirit, not ourselves.
Does the Bible Support the Idea of Modern-Day Prophets?
Looking through the Bible, we never read where God removes the gift of prophecy or the role of a prophet, as listed in Ephesians 4:11, along with pastors and teachers. In fact, Paul intentionally tells us not to despise prophecy. To dismiss the gift and the role undermines the whole Christian ability to personally communicate with the Spirit and respond in obedience. Hearing the voice of God is now an identity for every believer, according to Jesus himself (John 10:27).
At the same time, any spiritual gift can be abused, like how teachers are held to a higher standard and judgment (James 3:1). Prophecy can be mishandled and abused. A prophet’s role isn’t to have power over others or tell them what to do but to communicate God’s words in humility. Unfortunately, some leaders abuse the gift for personal gain or control, which misleads people from the truth and causes harm to individuals or whole churches. Good teaching encourages people to use discernment and accountability when dealing with a “prophetic word.” Individuals and churches must test a word, which includes how it aligns with the Bible. No leader’s word should be taken as final, nor placed above Scripture. The Bible was inspired by the Spirit, and therefore, a word from the Spirit will never contradict the Bible.
Modern prophets also remind us that we must develop the ability to hear God’s voice as distinct from all other voices in the world, even our own. We strengthen this gift through spending time in prayer, studying Scripture, gathering with the saints of God, and walking daily with the Spirit. When God gives us a message for others, we must share it humbly, making sure we offer it freely without command and telling the other person to submit to the Spirit in their heart, to see if God confirms it to them. There’s only one Spirit, and he won’t argue with himself. Prophetic words need to encourage people to follow God, not an organization or a person.
Modern day prophets remind us how God’s voice is still active and the Spirit works through the church to edify his children. Only through walking in humility and testing the spirits can we embrace the gift of prophecy as a powerful ability to build up the Body of Christ, spread the Gospel, and bring God the glory due him.
Peace.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/KAZITAFAHNIZEER
