What is prophecy? What does it mean to prophesy?

Prophecy involves a man (or, in the right context, a woman) speaking on behalf of God. The prophet receives a message from God and passes it on to the people concerned (Deut. 18:18; Jer. 1:9:17), frequently introduced by the words: ‘thus saith the Lord' (e.g. Isa. 7:7; 10:24; 28:16 etc.). In many cases, prophecy discloses future events, but not always. However, it does disclose God's mind at a given moment in time with regard to a specific issue or problem or person(s). Haggai, for instance, spoke primarily about present issues: lack of interest in, and zeal for, the house of God. But he also mentions the future glory of the house of God (in the millennium, Hag. 2:9) in order to encourage those who were building the temple at the time (see Q 2).

We have now to ask, what is prophecy? I suppose most people would say, 'It is the foretelling of future events', and we would need to say, yes, that is one character of prophecy but it is not the only character because prophecy is the giving forth of God's word for the moment, the bringing to bear of the word of God so as to help the people of God in any particular situation (1 Cor.14:3). It is not merely quoting a verse out of the Bible, that is always very precious and we would not seek in any way to underestimate the value of that, nor is it giving a word on many things that we have heard over and over again, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Peter says, 'I think it fitting.... to stir you up by putting you in remembrance' (2 Pet.1:13), but there is such a character of ministry that deals with relevant problems that are particularly connected with the people of God at any particular moment. This is the present application of prophecy.

The Bible is a very large book, and if a man or woman is guided by the Spirit of God to give an appropriate word bearing upon the condition of the saints at any given time then they are prophesying - they are giving a word of prophecy to meet particular needs.

1 Cor.14:3 tells us that prophecy is for three things, firstly, it is for edification, that means for building the saints up, building them up in their affections towards God, in their knowledge of the truth, in their responsibilities, and in their privileges. Secondly it encourages, or as the Authorised Version says, 'exhorts', it stirs up, engages the affections, the desires and the exercises of the people of God. The word of God brought to bear upon them exhorts or encourages them to further activity and further devotion in the things of the Lord. Finally, it consoles. It has been aptly said that it builds up, it stirs up and it binds up. Sometimes the saints need encouragement or help or comfort, and the word of prophecy is able to bring that to them.

What the speaking in tongues really was we do not know positively. It was probably an ecstatic form of speech, or some foreign language. As a distinctive gift it has passed away, notwithstanding the fact that from time to time the restoration of this sign-gift has been claimed. (During the middle ages; at the time of the Wesley's; during the days of Edward Irving, when it was proven to emanate from evil spirits; and in our own days, thousands claim to possess it.) But what is prophesying? , In the Old Testament prophecy, it was foretelling coming events. In the New Testament, it has a different meaning. It is not foretelling, but forthtelling. it is one who is speaking as from God and for God; the one who possesses this gift must therefore be in communication with God through the Spirit so as to be able to communicate to others His mind and His will. The exercise of this gift necessitates a close walk with God. This gift the Apostle desired the Corinthians to have. Instead the Corinthians had the inferior gift, which they valued on account of the display and perhaps the mysteriousness of it.

Many hastily conclude that a "prophet" is one who foretells or predicts things yet future and unknown. They then ask, "What place is there for prophets in the Church of God since the revelation of God's will and purpose is complete in the Scriptures?" But, the true definition of a prophet is "one who communicates the mind and will of God to those to whom he is sent." Samuel and Elijah were both prophets, yet they had very little to do with predicting future events. Rather, their main work was to bring God's will, already revealed in the Law, to bear on the hearts and consciences of their nation. So it is with New Testament prophets. Their job is to apply known truths to the hearts of the saints. Therefore, there is continual need for their ministry.

Assuredly the apostolic test is not always appreciated, and there are those in our day as indifferent to edification as the Corinthians. But a greater than they did not regard as a defect in spiritual tone the desire that men should be refreshed or helped in whatever way they needed. No doubt those who spoke in a tongue argued that they stood for the rights of Christ, who was glorified in the gift, and that theirs was the divine side — they spoke to God. But the apostle boldly maintains that the lack of speaking to men demonstrates the inferiority of speaking in a tongue to prophesying. He that so speaks is not taxed with speaking unintelligibly, or unintelligible things; on the contrary he is presumed to speak the truth, and high truth — "in spirit he speaks mysteries." But, the language being unknown, "no one hears;" he is not understood. He that prophesies speaks to men edification, encouragement, and comfort. The testimony flows in blessing to souls. The apostle was not dazzled, as the Corinthians were then and many since, in their yearnings after it, with the display of power. But he unqualifiedly sets prophesying beyond such a display, for it brings in not power merely but God, and God in His building up souls, encouraging them and consoling them. This does not cast such a halo around man; but it really brings in God in grace, and gives the consciousness of His presence.

We must remember, however, that verse 8 is not a definition of prophesying, but its contrast with speaking in a tongue. Prophesying, again, has no necessary connection with the future, as some suppose, nor is it preaching or teaching in general. It is forth-telling rather than fore-telling. It is so speaking to man as to put him in the light of God — of God's dealing with his heart and conscience. It gives His mind.

The apostle begins with prophecy. It is indeed the highest character of instruction from God. It is not necessarily predictive. Prophets do predict, but this is not what constitutes prophecy. On the other hand, it is a great mistake to suppose that prophesying is merely edifying men in a general way. Prophesying does edify men in the most important way; but the verse to which I have referred in 1 Corinthians 14 is not a definition of prophesying but a description; that is, it does not tell us what prophesying is, and nothing else; but it describes what prophesying is as compared and contrasted with speaking in a tongue. To speak in a tongue does not edify people, but prophesying does. Yet there are many who might edify without prophesying. He surely edifies who strengthens souls by holding up Christ and making His love better known; and so does he who exhorts or teaches well. But none of these things is prophesying, which means that character of truth which puts the conscience of a man in the presence of God, which gives the soul the certainty that His mind is in that which is uttered, stripping and laying bare thoughts, motives, feelings, everything. Such is prophecy. There may be what approaches it, no doubt, elsewhere; but this is its proper force. In that same chapter (1 Cor. 14) we see the proof. Going into a Christian assembly, where they were talking with tongues, a stranger might think they were mad. What a reproof to the Corinthians! In very childish spirit they were reasoning after some such human way as this: "If God has given us tongues, we ought to use them: but there is no place so important as the Christian assembly; therefore tongues should be used in the Christian assembly." One thought of Christ, one right feeling about the church, would have preserved them from that mistake. How did the talking with tongues promote the glory of the Lord Christ in the assembly? How did it edify those that came together in the name of the Lord? Not in the smallest degree: consequently, had there been singleness of eye in thinking of Christ and those that were Christ's, they never would have thought of it. They went astray owing to the commonest source of error: they were thinking of themselves and of their own importance. Having the gift of tongues, they thought they were to use them because they wished it. Who could forbid them? Did not the gift come from God? Thus, we see, it was independence of action, not perhaps without human arguments as to their duty, but without the express word of God, or even that instinctive sense of truth which requires a certain spirituality to apply aright. They were walking like men, and even children; they were carnal, not spiritual; they were reasoning instead of believing. All was wrong.

Two verses in 1 Corinthians 14 demand a little attention — the 3rd and the 6th. Verse 3 is the effect, or rather the quality, of that which a prophet says, and not a definition. He edifies, he encourages, he comforts, by speaking. Nevertheless these words show the character of what he said. Prophecy is in no wise simply the revelation of future events, although prophets as such have revealed them. A prophet is one who is so in communication with God as to be able to communicate His mind. A teacher instructs according to that which is already written, and so explains its import. But, in communicating the mind of God to souls under grace, the prophet encouraged and edified them. With regard to verse 6, it is plain that coming with tongues (by the use of which the Corinthians like children, loved to shine in the assembly) he that so spoke, edified no one, for he was not understood. Perhaps he did not understand himself, but was the unintelligent instrument of the Spirit, whilst having the powerful impression of the fact that God spoke by his means, so that in the Spirit he felt that he was in communication with God, although his understanding was unfruitful. In any case no one could speak for the edification of the assembly unless he communicated the mind of God.

Of such communication the apostle distinguishes two kinds — revelation and knowledge. The latter supposes a revelation already given, of which some one availed himself by the Holy Ghost for the good of the flock. He then points out the gifts which were respectively the means of edifying in these two ways. It is not that the two latter terms (v. 6) are the equivalents of the two former; but the two things here spoken of as edifying the church were accomplished by means of these two gifts. There might be "prophecy" without its being absolutely a new revelation, although there was more in it than knowledge. It might contain an application of the thoughts of God, an address on the part of God to the soul, to the conscience, which would be more than knowledge, but which would not be a new revelation. God acts therein without revealing a new truth, or a new fact. "Knowledge," or "doctrine," teaches truths, or explains the word, a thing very useful to the assembly; but in it there is not the direct action of the Spirit in application, and thus not the direct manifestation of the presence of God to men in their own conscience and heart. When any one teaches, he who is spiritual profits by it; when one prophesies, even he who is not spiritual may feel it, he is reached and judged; and it is the same thing with the Christian's conscience. Revelation, or knowledge, is a perfect division and embraces everything. Prophecy, and doctrine, are in intimate connection with the two; but prophecy embraces other ideas, so that this division does not exactly answer to the first two terms.

That is prophecy in one aspect. No doubt it foretells future events, but you must not limit it to that. Indeed, in the New Testament, prophecy is one of the gifts of the Spirit of God acting in power in the assembly; and there it is exclusively bringing to bear on the conscience the Word of God by the Spirit of God. It is the Word of God conveyed to the conscience in such power through the ministry of the prophet as to produce the conviction that God Himself is there. John's ministry was thus prophetic.

This brings us to another point. You will perceive that John's ministry was really prophetic. Now, prophecy may be looked at in two ways. Sometimes our view of it is too limited; we have too often an imperfect knowledge of what it is. There are many prophecies which are not the foretelling of future events, although, of course, that thought is included in the term. Prophecy is not merely the foretelling of future events, but the presentation of the stern reality of things as they are. If any man, any servant of God, is empowered by God to bring to bear upon people's consciences the awful reality of things as they are; if he, by the Spirit of God, is enabled to bring, the Word of God to bear upon men's consciences, so that there is the detection of hidden things by the power of that Word, that is prophecy.

The scriptural use of the term 'prophecy' is in no way confined to foretelling events, nor is that its primary significance. It included any communication which God saw fit to make either to His own people or to any of the nations. God said to Abimelech concerning Abraham, "He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee." Gen. 20:7. Aaron was called the prophet of Moses. Ex. 7:1. God's power came at times upon individuals who were not recognised as prophets, and they prophesied, as for instance Saul in 1 Sam. 10:10-11. Prophecy became in Israel the means, through mercy, of God's communication to the people when the priesthood with Urim and Thummim had utterly broken down. It came in by Samuel. Elijah and Elisha prophesied in the midst of apostate Israel. Nathan, John the Baptist, etc., were also prophets. Of some of the prophets no prophecies are recorded, while others are only known to us by what they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In the N.T. we read that Philip had four virgin daughters who 'prophesied;' and Agabus foretold that Paul would be bound at Jerusalem and be delivered to the Gentiles. Acts 21:9-11. Prophesying is, however, in the N.T. also used in a different sense. The word is from πρόφημι, 'to speak forth,' and a prophet may therefore be described as a spokesman of God. Prophecy of this kind is a gift in the church for the edifying of the saints, bringing God's word with power upon their consciences and hearts. It is the gift of most importance in the church. 1 Cor. 14:1-5, 24, 31, 39; 1 Thess. 5:20.