The Voice of Prophecy

"Prophets are needed in this generation, but those whom God is using must spend more time before Him and less speaking what the public is asking them to say."

IN HIS VISION of revelation, the apostle John saw a scene and heard words spoken that he was told to seal up and not reveal (Revelation 10:4). This is the behavior of any prophet or speaker of prophecies. All things must be held before God, who spoke them, and be released only when They allow it. I made this comment before, but the New Testament prophet is not the same as the Old Testament prophet. The Old Testament prophet spoke what he heard from God, being a man without God in him. The New Testament prophet speaks as one, united with Christ. In effect, Christ is speaking, and we release His words. But, that said, there are things He will speak which are meant to be kept in the heart, and the more we treasure what He speaks, the more He will entrust us to. He knows, of course, our intent and motive, whether we will speak everything and hold nothing inside, but gives us the opportunity to show our choice, whether we will obey and honor His trust in us or not.

READ “Words of God from the Voice of God.”

This is a sign of spiritual growth. We are told to be childlike but not childish. It would bless for us to know the difference. We must know to wait on God and must understand what that behavior requires. It is not a frustrated time but an intimately connected one. God wants us to hear Him because we love Him and not because we wish to have something to say. What He says is not about our advancement or importance but is to encourage the church and prompt prayer. Even cause self-examination, if you will. He does bring correction, but it is always gentle and kind. That is His manner, His nature. The devil makes a scene. God is a still small voice. We are too eager for Him to be loud vindication and judgment. We cling to His judgment in John’s revelation when that is His last resort, to use a modern expression. He is a God of mercy, and there is too much we do not know of who He has been merciful to and who He will be merciful toward.

I steer clear of all teaching from John’s revelation for this reason. It has been taught, riddled with error. I would rather have its promises revealed to me by God Himself, and one thing He has stressed to me is it is largely a mystery. Men want every specific event portrayed to be described and pinpointed, but that cannot be done outside of intimacy with God. And I can tell you many are not as intimate as they think. It is wise to consider ourselves as always needing to learn. We are to submit ourselves to God in word and thought and action and be humble (James 4:7). He is Lord. We should always be willing to be taught.

Prophecy does not always have to be fulfilled. It can pass its time of fulfillment and fall away. Others can hear of it and take it up again. But if so, they must seek God's Spirit earnestly and with a sincere heart. He can reconstitute it, or put it back into place, but as before, when it was dropped by those who released it, it will only come to pass through those who submit to God’s Word. We cannot force it into being. God is ultimately in control of events and spiritual kingdoms. This being both the kingdom of light and the defeated (de-feeted) kingdom of darkness. There is no threat from it. God has taken care of all it has tried or will try to do. This is also why John was given the vision of revelation. It shows God is concerned with nations and cultures and godliness, and He has not let go of our heavenly blessing. We are seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). This has not changed and will not change. But our understanding of its application to future events must be sought in the Spirit and not in the mind and our “wishing and hoping.” Much fiction has been crafted to create it in our thinking. All of it is wrong. You heard me. Not one piece ever written or acted is factually correct but honors man's misunderstanding.

Prophets are needed in this generation, but those whom God is using must spend more time before Him and less speaking what the public is asking them to say. This was done in the past, under the Old Covenant, and those prophets died for their mistaken prophecies. Not because of God’s judgment for them but because they were wrong. Prophesy peace in a time of war, and you put yourself at risk. God told Israel they would be in Babylon for 70 years, but they chose to have men say it would be only for a short time. Jeremiah corrected them, and he was shown to be right (Jeremiah 29:9).

What is right today? God knows, and that is the base of it. He knows, so He must be the voice of it.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com