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Very often in our reading of the Scriptures, we come across
the expression, “The Word of the Lord came to me,” or to some individual, and
It informed them of events for which they could have no natural knowledge. Sometimes
it was a warning, or a prediction of some event that would occur in the future;
an example being, “And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me,
saying, ‘Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee,
saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is
thine to buy it.’” (Jer 32:6,7) Sometimes the Word would give an instruction,
or a commandment for the hearers, “And the word of the LORD came unto
Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true
judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: and oppress
not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of
you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.’” (Zech 7:8-10)
On less frequent
occasions, the Word will speak about or show the recipient something from the
past. “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, take up
a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou wast
perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was
found in thee.’” (Ezek 28:11,12,15) John saw this scene, “And there was war in
Heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought
and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
Heaven.” (Rev 12:7,8)
Prophecy, therefore,
can take at least three forms, each of which given for a specific reason, but
always – always for the same purpose. “Follow after charity, and desire
spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an
unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth
him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth
speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that
speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth
edifieth the church.” (1 Cor 14:1-4) Various gifts are given for various
reasons, Paul wrote. Tongues, for example, are “for a sign, not to them that
believe, but to them that believe not,” (1 Cor 14:22) so that they might hear
the Word and be converted. Prophecy is for the benefit of they who already know
the truth about Yah, and are seeking deeper knowledge – unless the prophecy has
come specifically as a warning against those who are unbelieving or unjust.
So if prophecy is a
gift to the Church, it therefore becomes important – in fact, it becomes quite
necessary – for an honest seeker after salvation to be able to recognize
who the servants of Yah truly are. Yes, salvation is an individual experience,
but at the same time if one ingests false doctrines, he will not truly know the
Father and Son, and the Bible teaches that “this is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
(John 17:3) This is the reason why a true servant of Heaven must evangelize,
because it’s not okay to just “leave the people where they are,” and pray that
their consciences’ clarity will usher them through the Pearly Gates. Yes, Yah
will judge people based upon their hearts, and the light they have received –
but at the same time, if we have light, the Scripture’s commandment to
us is, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my
people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isa 58:1) The
Christians of the last days will worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
In order to do that, therefore, the last people must know the truth.
The purpose of this
article isn’t really to show that the earth’s history is in its last days. I
have written a few previous works already which attempt to verify this to my
readers’ satisfaction, such as, “The Desire of Ages”
and “The Unrolling of The Scroll.” Based on those,
however, it can easily be shown that IF the reader is convinced that we are at
the end of all things, and that Christ will soon return, then it means that there
are and have been prophets upon the earth, who have been heralding His second
visit to the planet in bodily form – and that Christians should be seeking
these individuals out, or at least heeding them when they are heard.
But why have prophets
in the last days? Haven’t all things that are necessary for salvation been
given already in the first century? “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to
write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto
you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3) That verse certainly seems to say
so, but while the things necessary for learning about Yah’s character are
given, His voice is not done speaking to us by any means. Consider that while
Jude’s epistle was written between 65 and 80A.D.* – the book of
Revelation, which deals almost exclusively with prophecies of future events,
was recorded by John about ten to twenty years thereafter.*
We were told in the Old
Testament specifically, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the
LORD your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and He will
cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in
the first month. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my
Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your
old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the
servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. And I
will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars
of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,
before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” (Joel 2:23,28-31)
To fully understand the
metaphor of the “former and latter rain” here, we need to understand what it
literally meant, and then its spiritual application. From the earlier chapter
of Joel’s book, we find that he speaks a lot about locusts, and worms, and
crops – essentially farming metaphors. This is where the concept of the “two
rains” comes from originally. In the part of the world where this prophecy was
written, the rain came in two distinct “seasons.” The first, or “former” rain
took place at seed time. It softened the earth for planting, and ensured that
there was moisture enough in the soil to support the growing plants. The second
or “latter” rain occurred just before the harvest – and this burst of water
revitalized the crops, which had been naturally subjected to the elements and
heat of the sun during the course of their maturation, making them vital and
green for being gathered in.
At the death of the
Messiah, a new vine was “planted,” an earthly Church in fulfillment of the
prophecy: “‘Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which
planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it,
and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the
husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took
his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he
sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But
last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But
when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir;
come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught
him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of
the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?’ They say unto Him,
‘He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto
other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.’ Jesus
saith unto them, ‘Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the
builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s
doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits
thereof.’” (Matthew 21:33-43)
The Church is the “nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.” It is as the martyr Stephen said, “Which of
the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which
shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers.” (Acts 7:52) The previous keepers of Yah’s Vineyard
had indeed slain and persecuted all the messengers of the Master (i.e., His
prophets) and finally destroyed the Son Himself, in the Person of Yahshua. But
as it was on a smaller scale with Stephen, so it was with Christ, that the
blood of the martyrs is seed – “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word
of God.” (Luke 8:11) Christ, as the Seed, as the Word of God, was cast into the
ground to produce an enormous harvest – and just as Joel’s parable dictated,
there was a “former rain” to prepare the soil at this time.
At Pentecost, where the
apostles were gathered together after Yahshua’s death, the Spirit of Yah was
indeed poured out upon them, and they began to speak in the tongues of the “many
devout Jews” who were in the area at the time. Those who did not understand
what was going on thought that the followers of Christ were all babbling in a
drunken stupor, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice,
and said unto them, ‘Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be
this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye
suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith
God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour
out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.’” (Acts 2:14,18) Peter
then proceeded to give a speech, under the influence of the Spirit, that
converted many of his hearers instantly.
This was the “former
rain,” and the reason for both outpourings (that which was, and that which has
come) is given in Joel, but should be apparent already from the effect it had
on Peter’s listeners. “And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and
that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be
ashamed.” (Joel 2:27) The purpose of the working of the Spirit is that “Ye
shall know that I AM.” The Lord will “roar from Zion,” he says in
another place, and this loud cry will “Gather the people, sanctify the
congregation, and assemble the elders.” (Joel 2:16)
The purpose of the
prophets was to reveal Yah’s will to those who sought His face. Even if they
knew the general outline of future events, the Almighty would always send them
a messenger to clarify the details, especially as significant events
approached. “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret
unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) This is a most important point for
at least two reasons: primarily that He will not leave us to guess at any
prophecy as the time for it’s fulfillment approaches, for “no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation,” (2 Peter 1:20) even if at the time
it was given, or even for some time after, the words of the prophet are not
understood. “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, ‘O my Lord, what
shall be the end of these things? And he said, ‘Go thy way, Daniel: for the
words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’” (Dan 12:8,9)
So now we know several
facts about prophecy: 1) It is for the purpose of showing Yah to those who seek
Him, according to Joel. 2) It is a gift given to the Church according to Paul.
3) It will appear again with great power near the time of the final Harvest of
believers (again Joel). 4) It will show who Yah is working with in the last
days according to Amos. Putting those four things together, we can conclude
that the gift of prophecy will be one of the distinctive signs of the church
during the last days. And so important is this distinction, that it is not only
inferable from the evidence above, but is also stated in John’s Revelation, so
that there would be no question. “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he
said unto me, ‘See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy.’ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 19:10, 17:12)
But now we have a
predicament: As the last days do approach, and are even now upon us, we have
many people claiming the gift of prophecy. Whole religions have been founded on
individuals who have claimed to receive a “special message” from Yah, and many
offshoots of existing churches have formed at the word of one who claims to be
expanding upon or fulfilling the roles that the prophecies point to.
So our original
question comes into play here: how do we know who is of Yah, and who is seeking
to mislead the sheep? How can we identify a true prophet from false teachers:
those who are either deceived themselves, or purposely seeking to “draw away
disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30) for pride’s sake.
The latter will most
likely be the easier of the two to spot. For one thing, their spirit should be
clear enough, given enough time spent with the individual. But the Bible gives
several very simple tests that enable the honest-hearted, and knowledgeable, to
be able to tell, in either of these cases.
“But the prophet, which
shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to
speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall
die. And if thou say in thine heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD
hath not spoken?’ When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing
follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken,
but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
(Deu 18:20-22)
The first test given is
accuracy. If a prophet says that something will occur, and it does not, then
this individual has not truly spoken the thing that Yah has commanded him to
speak. This test, however, is not black-and-white; it is not a sure test
of those whom Yah has sent. This is especially true in cases where the prophet
is sent with a warning. Consider the prophet Jonah. He was raised up by Yah to
speak a message of warning to the town of Nineveh, and upon learning that this
was his mission, and after finally accepting it, he did give the message. “And
Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, ‘Yet
forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.’” (Jonah 3:4) But look at what
occurred next: “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”
(Jonah 3:5) And their king said, “‘Who can tell if God will turn and repent,
and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?’ And God saw their
works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that
He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.” (verses 9,10)
How did Jonah react to
this? “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he
prayed unto the LORD, and said, ‘I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying,
when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew
that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.’” (Jonah 4:1,2) Jonah well knew what
this test was for true prophets, and he was upset that he might be seen as a
false messenger, because what he had spoken of had not come to pass.
Prophecy, it seems, can
be somewhat dependent upon circumstances, particularly where time is
concerned. Not only have some things been delayed because people repented, but
sometimes they have been delayed because individuals did not do things
they were supposed to. The Messiah Himself said, “But of that day and that hour
[of judgment] knoweth no man,” (Mark 13:32) But then He also said, “Verily I
say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.”
(Luke 21:32)
Shall we accuse
therefore the Messiah of being a false prophet because that first generation
(and many subsequent) did indeed pass away before what He declared would be was
fulfilled? Some would have us do so, of course. From the very beginning, Satan
has tried to misrepresent the Father’s longsuffering and patience with us as
weakness. From the very first instant of his rebellion, he has been held
together by the Throne itself; and yet this infinitely generous provision has
only led the fallen angel to greater and greater boldness, to a greater false
conviction, to more abominable levels of pride. The more time that has been
allotted to the rebel, the less likely he has been to repent. (see Rev 20:1-3,
7,8)
We must therefore, it
seems, allow Yah to work on His own timing, while at the same time paying the
most careful attention to what those who claim to be speaking for Him are
saying. Though Yah’s judgments are often delayed for as long as possible, “the
Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the
elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:9,10)
This brings us to the
second element of our criteria, and unlike the first, there are no two ways
about it. This test, though amazingly simple, is near-absolute. If a
prophet does NOT have this characteristic, he is no prophet, and there can be
no disputing it. A prophet of Yah will preach... repentance. A prophet of
Yah will bring a message of absolute holiness, of putting away sin from the
body of Christ as a whole and as individuals. A prophet of Yah will bring no
smooth messages to calm the senses of hearers; though it will be done in a
spirit of love, it is this very love which fuels the true prophet’s burning
drive to have his listeners be converted to lives of Victory in the Almighty.
In the Old Testament
and New, this was the message of the Father: “Therefore now amend your ways and
your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent
Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you.” (Jer 26:13) “Then said
[John] to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, ‘O generation of
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth
therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves,
We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the
root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire.’ And he came into all the country about
Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” (Luke
3:7-9,3)
A prophet will not be
able to hold back the message of reproof, for the love that Yah has placed in
him will not allow him to keep silent when he sees those around him, some of
whom he may care for personally, engaged in actions which he knows will
bring forth their destruction. “Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him,
nor speak any more in His name.’ But His word was in mine heart as a burning
fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not
stay; for I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side.” (Jer 20:9,10a)
This may cost them
friends, and perhaps even family connections, but our Messiah has said, “Verily
I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters,
or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the
Gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and
brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions;
and in the world to come eternal life. For whosoever shall do the will of my
Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother. (Mark 10:29,30; Mat 12:50) The true prophet of Yah is willing to walk
this narrow way, as is everyone who considers himself a sincere Christian; not
for financial gain or position or the approval of man, but because he knows he
must do the Father’s will.
Here is another
absolute test:
The prophet Isaiah
said, “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and
for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. And
when they shall say unto you, ‘Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and
unto wizards that peep, and that mutter:’ should not a people seek unto their
God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if
they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.”
(Isa 8:18-20) This most important test of a prophet is this: Are they speaking
words which are according to the Scriptures? Are their principles the same as
those taught by the prophets of old, and the apostles of Yahshua? If they are
found to contradict the clear teaching of the Inspired Canon, “there is no
light in them.”
As Scripture also says,
“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a
sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake
unto thee, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and
let us serve them;’ thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or
that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye
love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall
walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey
His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him. And that prophet, or
that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you
away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and
redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which
the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away
from the midst of thee.” (Deu 13:1-5)
Here we have an
important point. Isaiah declared that his prophetic ministry was to be “for
signs and for wonders in Israel,” but consider that Satan also has his
deceptions! Even a false prophet may speak words which seem true; which seem
designed to lead people to live proper lives, but here is where the discernment
comes in: A proper life is that which is outlined in the Scriptures. The Word
warns us, speaking of those who are high-minded and careless in the treatment
of the Gospel, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming
themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor 11:13-15)
“Let no man deceive you
by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that
he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Th
2:3,4) The deceptions in these last days are great, and will become even more
subtle, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.” (Mat 24:24) How shall we know, then, who the true
messengers are? “To the law and the testimony,” comes the reply from Isaiah.
The Word says that even
if a prophet’s words come to pass, even if great signs and wonders attend his
ministry, should he heal and cast out demons – if he himself does not keep the
commandments of Yah and His Son, to live according to the Word, and does not
teach others the same, “there is no light in him.” He is teaching his hearers
to follow other gods, and his condemnation will be the greater for it. Paul
said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
(Gal 1:8) These are bold words – perhaps even arrogant to a worldly mind, but
Paul knew Yahshua, knew that of which he spake, and we are called to do
the same.
No prophet has yet seen
the depths of Yah’s mercy. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) Christ Himself, when He was in
human form, could not express everything that was being given to Him to know,
and for this reason said, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no,
not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark
13:32) He Himself did not know how long the Father would bear with fallen
humanity, seeking to bring them to repentance. The timelines, therefore, seem
to be a particularly “weak” area in prophecy; as men count weakness, and may
also be dependent upon the circumstances of men, as we exercise our free will.
As the apostles wrote, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.”
(1 Cor 13:9,10)
This test by itself,
therefore, cannot be wholly used to determine the validity of a prophet’s
ministry; nor whether what he says comes to pass in the way it was generally
believed it would. I have heard it said that Nineveh DID fall, only four
centuries after Jonah walked its streets with words of warning. The word of
prophecy is sure, but the interpretation, the timing and its fulfillment must
come from the Spirit’s instruction.
The sure tests are
these: that a prophet will preach repentance, and will not be among those who
smooth the feelings of hearers, converted or otherwise, “For when they shall
say, ‘Peace and safety;’ then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail
upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Th 5:3) A prophet will
not speak against the words of those who recorded their testimony before him, “For
the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21) If a prophet today is of
this same Spirit, moved by the same Holy Ghost, how then can he speak against
those that have gone before? “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or
spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments of the Lord,” writes Paul, and concludes the subject with, “But if
any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” (1 Cor 14:37, 38)
A prophet need not
convince man of his validity; “But there is a Spirit in man: and the
inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (Job 32:8) Let
therefore those who honestly seek Yah’s servants pray for this inspiration.
Those who speak for Yah will say, “Thus sayeth the Lord,” and, knowing their
calling, and knowing that they fulfill the criteria discussed above, they will
continue to give their testimony, and their warning, that others may hear and
be converted.
With love they will
speak, and an earnest desire for their hearers to be saved; because this is
also written: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in
all things whatsoever He shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that
every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the
people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as
many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.” (Acts 3:22-24)
The prophets of today
also speak of “these days,” these last days, and testify of that one great
Prophet, the Messiah Yahshua; for the one ultimate test of a follower of the
Way is also the final great test of a prophet: “By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)
David.
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*Dates taken from The Rainbow Study Bible, Illustrated
Reference Edition, Rainbow Studies Inc., 1998