Chapter 10: The Ministry of the Prophet

The ministry of the prophet is mentioned more frequently in Scripture than any of the other five-fold ministries. It is mentioned more than five hundred times throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament the Priests and Levites who are types of the Elders and Deacons of the New Testament carried out the bulk of the ministry.

Despite the number of times that the ministry of the prophet is mentioned, it is important to realize that, although this ministry is needed today, it is not the only one needed. The ministry of the prophet is but one of the five-fold ministries. As we continue on in our study, I trust that we will find healthy New Testament balance in this ministry as well as in all of the others.

There are several Old and New Testament words, which will help us to understand more fully the ministry of the prophet. The Hebrew word REAH is translated in the Kings James Version as "seer" in I Samuel 9:9. It suggests that the Prophet actually "sees" what God wants him to relay to his people. God will reveal Himself to prophets in visions or dreams:

""Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream," (Numbers 12:6)."

The Prophet is caught up in the Spirit in a visionary state where he sees great spiritual revelations. This refers not only to dreams and visions but also to the interpretation of dreams or visions (Daniel 2:23; 4:19-27; 8:15-27).

The Hebrew word NABHI or NABILY is translated "Prophet" in Amos 3:7. It makes reference to one to whom God's message was secretly revealed. The prophecy then springs or flows forth from the prophet to the people. Prophets receive the message from God more by HEARING than by SEEING. The message is received in secret but is spoken by them openly. This is the most common word used in reference to the Old Testament prophets. The word "NABHI" includes rather than excludes the seer since all of God's prophets receive a message from God, which is to be relayed to the people.

There are a few New Testament words, which relate to the office and ministry of the prophet. The word "PROPHETS" as seen in Acts 11:27 and 13:1 refers to one who speaks forth or relays the "Divine Message" or "Mind of God" to man. The work of a prophet is presented primarily as a "FORTH TELLING". However, included in the ministry of the prophet may be the work of "FORE TELLING". The latter is what most imagines to be the primary task of the prophet even though it is the former function, which the New Testament prophets performed most frequently.

Another New Testament word relating to the ministry of the prophet is the word "MOVED" as found in II Peter 1:21:

""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.""

This Scripture is referring to the fact that the prophets were borne or carried along in much the same way as the wind bears a sailboat across the waters. The prophets were under God's strong, controlling influence as they functioned in their office or ministry. This is not meant to imply that they were not capable of resisting God's will since "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," (I Corinthians 14:32).

Even though I Corinthians 14:32 is specifically dealing with the abuse of the gifts and callings of God it also illustrates that it is very possible to resist the moving of the Spirit of God as He would bare us along. When God directs us in this manner, it is not against our will but, rather, in harmony with our willingness to yield to His Spirit. The prophet is never in a position where he is at liberty to say, "I couldn't help myself," though he is definitely under a certain amount of pressure because of what God has shown him. He is to be knowingly and willingly borne along by the Spirit.

There are three words seen in Revelation 1:1 which I would like us to observe:

""The Revelation" of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to "Shew" unto His servant things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and "Signified" it by his angel unto his servant John"."

We will look at these three terms in the order in which they appear--not in their order of importance, if there is any such order.

The word "Revelation" means to reveal or make known by unveiling or taking the cover off. It makes reference to the impartation of spiritual knowledge, which could not be arrived at in any other fashion-that which would be otherwise unknown. A natural example of this spiritual phenomenon is that all of a sudden a light comes on which has been completely the work of God.

The word "SHEW" is also found in Revelation 1:1. It suggests the EXHIBITION or SHOWING BY WAY OF PROVING the message. The final word they I will be discussing is "SIGNIFIED" which means to indicate or give a sign. Goth "signified" and "show" refer to providing a clear picture of the message to be relayed to the people. It may include dreams, visions, or even prophecy with demonstration (almost as a pantomime with words added to give a double message).

We will end our word study of the ministry of the prophet with the word "INSPIRATION" as found in II Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is given by INSPIRATION of God." The word literally means, "God Breathed". It makes reference to the recorded word, which was divinely revealed and preserved for all ages. God not only took care to reveal it and have it spoken correctly but also to preserve it throughout all ages for the benefit of the church. He was and is truly concerned for you and I as well as for those who were alive in the days in which the Word was received and spoken.

A prophet is one who receives a divine message from God, relating to God's will and purpose and who, in turn, delivers that message to men. It may not necessarily be confirmed to the people of God. Many of the Old Testament prophets had a message for the ungodly as well as for the people of God. He is God's mouthpiece to the people, or God's point of contact with the people. Prophets not only serve as the mouthpiece of God (II Peter 1:21; Hebrews 1:1; and Acts 3:21) but also, because of their spiritual vision, can be though of as the "eyes" of the church. The job of the prophet is to lead the people into the light of what God has revealed to His messenger.

As the New Testament pattern is restored, we will see a greater restoration of the office of the prophet within the church. As we will see in the remainder of this chapter, there is a need for this if the restoration work is to be complete.

The message of the prophet is threefold. It is PREDICTIVE, DIRECTIVE, and CORRECTIVE. The ministry of the prophet is predictive since it speaks of events that are in the future for the purpose of preparing those to whom the message is given for that which is ahead. A prophet's message should help those to whom it is given to determine God's will as they plan.

The message of the prophet is also directive. Do not confuse this aspect of the ministry of the prophet with the ministry of the teacher. It is part of the prophet's ministry to give specific direction to specific people, under specific circumstances. Examples of this can be seen in I Samuel 22:5, I Kings 22:14-23; and Acts 21:10. God is faithful to direct His people properly if we will be open to the voice of God. This facet of the prophet's ministry may very well be God's means of confirming what he has already been dealing with us on concerning His will for our life and ministry.

The prophetic ministry may also be corrective. It speaks out against sin, rebellion, backsliding or doctrinal error as need be. Almost always the corrective, or rebuking message of the prophet will be accompanied by a promise of mercy upon repentance. God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked, but gives corrective messages that they may repent and be restored. God's hear is not set on destruction but on restoration.

A true man of God, when rebuking will himself be more hurt than the individual that is rebuked. If he can whip the sheep without feeling pain himself, he is definitely in the wrong spirit. It is never enjoyable to rebuke others. Remember the prophet is borne along with great pressure from God to give his message. His sole reason for doing so is the direction of God as well as the knowledge that it very possibly will bring restoration to the recipient. On the other hand, we cannot rule out those isolated instances where God is withdrawing his mercy from those who he has dealt with time and again. In this situation, His corrective message may well be without mercy as seen in Acts 5:1-10 and Numbers 16:31-33.

The prophetic ministry is a continuing ministry throughout the dispensation of the church. In the New Testament there are specific prophets mentioned. Acts 13:1 mentions the ministry of some prophets though we cannot conclude that all of them were prophets since some f them most certainly were teachers-unless, of course, they were functioning in both ministries, which is entirely possible. Some prophets were mentioned as traveling from Jerusalem to Antioch. One prophet, Agabus, certainly functioned in a prophetic office. He is referred to in this sense in both Acs 11:27,28 and Acts 21:10. Judas and Silas were also mentioned as prophets in Acts 15:3. There were certainly several individual prophets present in the New Testament church. Since there were so many documented prophets in the New Testament, it is impossible for anyone to teach that the ministry of the prophet is not for this present-day dispensation.

The office of the prophet is mentioned in I Corinthians12:28-29; 14:29-33,37; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11; Revelation 18:20. If we place all of these references within the context of Ephesians 4:11-15, we can see just how long this ministry, along with the other four of the five-fold ministry will be necessary for the church:

""Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:13)"

Might I ask the question: "as you look around at the bulk of the churches, or even individual Christians in light of the previous Scripture, could you say that we have reached the place where there is no more need of all five of these ministries, gifts of God, to the church?

The ministry of the prophet today, just as the ministry of the apostle, differs in form with the Old and New Testament prophets only in the fact that the latter two laid down the foundational truths and the former are to continue ministering this truth. They, "(are to build) upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets" (Ephesians 2:20). Even though it would be wrong to dogmatically say that God gives no further revelations to modern-day prophets, all present day prophetic utterances must be judged or tried by the Word of God. "To the Law and the the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them," (Isaiah 8:20).

The prophetic ministry was given primarily to the church, not to the world, although there are occasions where the ministry may reach outside the church to the unsaved and the heathen. The fact that the prophetic ministry is given to the church is taught in our key verse, Ephesians 4:11-15. The two aspects of this ministry which I would like to look at are the pioneering and perfecting of the church.

The pioneering aspect of the prophetic ministry can be seen in the fact that prophets frequently traveled with other ministries in order to augment them. Prophets gave life and vitality to new churches while also providing a strong foundational ministry in the Word.

Any new church needs solid men in leadership, even in it's early stages. This seems to have been supplied, at least in part, by the prophetic ministry until leaders were qualified and capable of being installed from within the local assemblies. They functioned not only in the teaching of the Word but also in the gifts of the Spirit and the laying on of hands to call and confirm believers into their given ministries within the local bodies. There are a few verses of Scripture where we see the pioneering ministry active. These include Acts 13:1; 15:32; and very possible I Timothy 1:8; II Timothy 1:6.

In order to discuss the prophet's ministry of perfecting the saints we must return to Ephesians 4:11-16. The theme of the surrounding text is growth and maturity as well as the idea of the body functioning together in harmony. The primary objective of the five-fold ministry is the "perfecting of the saints". This does not exclude the necessity of winning souls but it seems almost secondary to their primary calling. The ministry of a prophet should charge the church with new excitement as the church hears a "Thus saith the Lord".

The key to the effectiveness and prosperity of the church is wrapped up in the ministry of the prophet. The prophet doesn't only need to function effectively in the assembly but must also be readily accepted and received by the assembly as a whole. Gd requires response to "His True Prophets". Refusing to hear and obey His prophets will bring the hand of God's judgement upon His people as seen in II Chronicles 36:16:

""But they moved the messengers of God and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.""

Nehemiah 9:26-27,30 and Jeremiah 7:25-28 record similar examples.

Isn't it a shame that Christians today don't have the respect the Bible teaches that they should have for the man of God (I Samuel 16:4-5). Maybe the fault is equally shared by the people and prophet. It could be that the qualifications are so lowered today that the quality of the ministry is not what it should be.

THE PROPHETESS

Now we come, as we must, to a very controversial aspect of the ministry of the prophet--is it valid for a woman to move and function in the OFFICE OF A PROPHET or PROPHETESS? There are various examples of the ministry of the prophetess in both the Old and New Testaments. Both Testaments also include an example of a false prophetess. The mention of both real and false prophetesses are far less numerous then the mentions of their male counterparts. We will take the time to examine all Scriptures dealing with this aspect of the prophetic ministry to get a complete picture of what God is trying to teach us.

The first Scripture we will look at is Exodus 15:20. In this verse Miriam is spoken of as a prophetess. Here we see here leading the women in worship. However, in Numbers 12:1-10 we see Miriam, along with her brother Aaron, usurping authority over their brother Moses--God's chosen leader of the people. This action was in direct disobedience to I Timothy 2:12. As a result Miriam was smitten with leprosy.

The next prophetess we will discuss is Huldah (II Kings 22:14-20), the wife of Shallum, the keeper of the "wardrobe". As such, she was very active in maintaining the robes that her husband had the responsibility of. According to Jewish tradition, this means that she taught the women, which is in full agreement with the rest of Holy Scripture. It appears that she functioned in the "GIFTS OF PROPHECY" rather than in the "OFFICE" of a prophet.

Judges 4-5 present a picture of the time when Deborah ruled Israel. This is the only instance in the Bible where a woman functioned, even somewhat, in the OFFICE of a prophet. The Scripture indicates that Deborah was the wife of Lapidoth, the keeper of the Tabernacle lamps. It is very possible that, like Huldah, she assisted her husband in fulfilling his responsibilities. It is important also to note that Deborah was "thrust" into the OFFICE of a prophet by "MAN" (Judges 4:8,9). It could be that previous to this time she had functioned, not in the OFFICE but in the GIFT of prophecy. Her stepping into this OFFICE was definitely to the disgrace of male leadership.

Does this one incident justify disobeying the direct command of Scripture as seen in I Timothy 2:12 and I Corinthians 14:34? I personally do not believe so. Is it possible that this is an exception for some reason which I do not fully understand, much like God telling Hosea to marry a harlot (Hosea 1:2)? We all know that a man of God should not marry a woman of that character. Should we change the Word of God just because God condoned something in one instance?

There is one other Old Testament Prophetess mentioned in Isaiah 8:3,4. This is the only reference in the Old Testament to the wife of Isaiah. Is it possible that she was considered such only because she was married to a great man of God--for the two shall be one flesh? It could be a type of riding on her husband's coat tail. It could also be that she functioned in the Gift of Prophecy.

In the New Testament, and old saint named Anna was called a prophetess in Luke 2:36-38. All that this Scripture tells us about her ministry is that she was moving in the gift of prophecy. The same is true of the only other New Testament reference to a woman functioning in the prophetic ministry. Acts 21:9 speaks of the daughters of Philip the evangelist, "The same had four daughters, virgins, which did prophecy." In no way should either of these New Testament references infer the OFFICE of the Prophet.

Female false prophetesses are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. In Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah mentions the prophetess Noadiah. In this chapter she is seen plotting with the enemies of Nehemiah against him. There is certainly nothing in this or previous references to commend her in her office. She was definitely set against the man of God and the work of God. Ezekiel also speaks against the prophetesses who prophesied of their own volition and not under the direction of the Lord (Ezekiel 13:17-23). The false prophetess Jezebel is mentioned in Revelation 2:2. Whether this is figurative or not is immaterial. God denounces her in the severest of terms.

We must conclude from the foregoing thoughts that the prophetess did not move to the same degree as their male counterparts in the OFFICE of prophet. Whenever the leadership capacity of the prophetic ministry is mentioned in Scriptures, the emphasis is always placed on the male prophet rather than on the female prophetess.

A woman does have a sphere of ministry within the church. However, women are never portrayed in the Bible in leadership positions within the church-especially not in a position of leadership over the men of the church. Whatever ministry the Lord has blessed women with, and for lack of time and space we will not delve into a discussion of it at this time, she is ALWAYS to be subject to male leadership, whether in the home or in the church (Ephesians 5:22-23; I Corinthians 11:3; 14:34; I Timothy 2:11-12; and I Peter 3:1-6).

FALSE PROPHETS

More than ever, we need to beware of false prophets. They abound on every hand. The term false prophet is used to refer to those prophets tat are perverted, evil, warped. The real problem is that they themselves are deceived into thinking they have the truth. The Bible states that DECEPTION is one of the major signs that the last days are upon us (Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11,24,25; Mark 13:22; I John 4:1-3). This is very evident around us today. Revelation 16:13-14 seems to indicate that there will be accelerated activity of evil spirits in these last days. I, for one, believe with all of my heart that we are living in these last days.

When considering the erroneous teachings of these false prophets, we must remember that, in order for any deception to be generally accepted, it must contain an ample amount of truth mixed with the false. If the prophecy of a false prophet is mixed with the truth it will be readily accepted by many innocent, yet gullible, followers of the Lamb. All too many, in our day, see no harm in a little mixture either with the world or with false doctrine. Remember, rat poison is 99% pure wheat yet it is very deadly. "GOD HATES MIXTURE". It was the mixed multitude in Israel's early days that raised havoc with the Israelites' dedication to Jehova. The Bible exhorts us that the followers of these false prophets will be punished with the same judgement which shall befall the false prophet himself (Jeremiah 14:16; Ezekiel 14:10-11; Revelation 19:20-21).

Whenever prophecy is given one of three spirits will be involved. The three spirits are the human spirit, the satanic spirit, and the Holy Spirit. We will look at all three separately. Since all three of the spirits we will be looking at work through men, it is difficult to discern just where one leaves off and the other begins. This shows us the extreme necessity of the gift of discerning of spirits functioning within the local body. The first, and possibly most prominent, spirit is the HUMAN spirit. Scripture warns us of the dangers of this spirit's involvement in prophetic utterances. When the spirit of self becomes too involved in a prophet's utterance, "They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord…Yea they are the prophets of the deceit of their own hearts:" (Jeremiah 23:16,26)

"Deuteronomy 18:20-22 speaks of prophets who speak or prophesy presumptuously:"

""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 presumptuously; thou shall not be afraid of him.""

This is the quickest route to heresy and delusion. "Presumptuous" means insolence or pride. Pride is nothing less than SELF-CONCEIT. It is natural to fall into SELF-DECEIT though self-conceit.

Deceiving ones self is a sure way to fall or, better yet, to plunge headlong into heresy and delusion. A clear and simple definition of heresy is one who chooses without the checks of others. He becomes a law unto himself, making all decisions, including doctrinal decisions, without the assistance or checks of other faithful brethren. These are the people who prophesy falsely and end up in all sorts of heresy and delusion.

The sin of heres can easily be traced back to its root cause--pride or "speaking presumptuously" out of their own hearts. This emphasizes the need for a plurality of elders within the local church, as has been emphasized throughout this book. The plurality of elders helps protect shepherds and sheep alike from heresy.

The next spirit that is present in some "prophetic utterances" is the satanic spirit. Satan's counterfeit finds access through the human soul as seen in Jude 19, "These be they who separate themselves, sensual (soulish), having not the Spirit (Holy Spirit)." As we consider how this satanic spirit works through the souls of men, we must be careful to distinguish between two types of men.

The first type of men are those who are saved, but who, to a degree, are involved in delusion. They are soulish, mystical individuals who are generally deceived through erroneous doctrine or false prophecy and see no need for consistent godly behavior. They are often moved solely their own emotions. You will recognize them by their inability to face the storms of life since they are similar to infants in the natural since they live only for natural comfort. They are quite easy for the mature, Spirit-filled Christian to recognize, thus, not easily deceived by these individuals. However, the babe in Christ will frequently be drawn by their "prophecies".

The second type of men are the ones spoken of in Jude 19. This "prophet" does not have the Spirit of God and is none of His. These individuals are not saved and are controlled and used by evil spirits. Satan is working through such men to bring strong delusion. Paul spoke of this in II Thessalonians 2:3-12. Whether you see this spirit of antichrist as a "system" or as "one man" at the head of it, the fact still remains true that today the spirit of Satan is working through men.

Scripture shows us that all sinners are in bondage to Satan and are led about at his will. He has some that he has made as his ministers, even as the Lord chose some to be his ministers. II Corinthians 11:13-15 certainly enlightens this point:

""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.""

This is referring to the willful rejection of the truth by those who prefer to not only believe lies, but also to do their own thing so that they may fulfill their own lusts. Strange as it may seem, the Scripture tells us that if we refuse the truth, then God will not only let us go our own way, but He will send us a STRONG DELUSION that we might believe a lie and be damned (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).

The third spirit involved in prophecy is the Holy Spirit. Naturally this is what is to be sought for by all true believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are numerous verses of Scripture that provide examples of men speaking at the direction of the Spirit of God. All of these Scriptures reveal that men are to speak in the church under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. To these Scriptures, we could add multiple references where men did actually speak under this anointing in both the Old and New Testaments.

TESTS OF A PROPHET

There are several tests that one can use in order to determine if a prophet is of God or not. God allows the false prophet to prophesy so that He may prove His people's love for Him and their love for the truth (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

God sees to it that truth is presented to us, but He also allows error to be presented so that we might have the opportunity of choice. Naturally, He would have us choose the truth, but the choice is ours. Isn't that what He did with Adam and Eve? They had God's truth, His command, and Satan came along with his mixture of truth and error and, sad to say, they chose the mixture rather than the truth that God had given them.

Today, we have those who prophecy and their prophecies come to pass, yet their message is a mixture which contains enough truth to make their error seem acceptable and even reasonable. It contains just enough truth to make an individual immune to the "WHOLE TRUTH". It is important to ask yourself if you are being taken in by mixture. I am not asking you to develop a critical spirit, or even a suspicious spirit but the Scriptures exhort us to "try the spirits". We will discuss some tests that a prophet must pass if he is to be God's prophet for His people. I might add, if a prophet fails on any one of these tests, do not heed the voice of that prophet.

It is imperative that the first test of prophet be the test of truth (Isaiah 8:20). If a prophecy isn't in accord with the Word of God, THE TRUTH, reject both the prophet and his message from the very beginning. Falsehood and error will always come as a mixture of TRUTH and ERROR. The unbeliever will be open to anything that is presented to them but the believer must beware of MIXTURE, the greatest threat to us, as Christians. Many will come as an angel of light, using the church as a cloak for their evil Doctrines of Devils---offering just enough truth in their prophecy to be inviting. Watch out!!! The test of truth is offered in I John 4:1-3:

""Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.""

There are those who deny the incarnation and deity of Christ as John warned. This test is in the present tense, "That Jesus IS come in the flesh." Even today He dwells in His body, the church. If a false prophet denies the literal incarnation and deity of Christ or the fact that He dwells in flesh, "His Church," turn a deaf ear to his words.

Another type of false prophet are those who prophesy in the name of other gods. These are false, cultic prophets, which includes Mariolatry (Prophesying in the name of Mary).

In the day of Jezebel and Jehoshaphat the false prophets outnumbered those who were from God by 400-900 to 1. What makes us think that the ratio will be any better in these, that last days when evil spirits are set loose by Satan to deceive the elect if it is at all possible.

In Old Testament times, as seen in I Kings 22:18-22, the false prophet was used so that God's true prophet could be seen and proven. Likewise, the godly were warned in I Corinthians 11:19 that: "…there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." Even today, God may be using the false prophet to wrap up His program for the last days. Watch carefully for strange and false doctrines. If a man holds these, he should be rejected, even if his prophecies do come to pass. God still permits "truth" and "error" to be presented for a two-fold purpose: that our love for Him and His truth be proven, and that the true identity of "Truth" and "Error" may be brought out into the open.

The second test of a prophet is whether or not their prophecy comes to pass since, "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." (Deuteronomy 18:22). Other examples of this are seen in Jeremiah 29:30,31 and 28:1-17.

Whether or not a prophecy comes to pass, is not the first or most important test. The test of truth must be applied to all of the major fundamental doctrines of the faith held by a prophet--not just to those pertaining to the incarnation and deity of Jesus. The first test must be completed before proceeding to the second test. If a prophet fails the first test, that is all the warning we need from the Lord to shun that prophet. Unfortunately, many Christians do not heed this teaching. If a man has charisma and signs and wonders, that's all many folks need to follow him.

Returning to the example found in Deuteronomy 18:22, in this particular situation a prophet was prophesying in the name of the Lord--not under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, but out of his own mind. This shows that it is possible to give a "prophetic word" that is not of God and yet not be considered a false prophet. In this case an individual was moving in the realm of his own spirit even though he thought he was moving in the Spirit of God.

God tells us not to be afraid of prophets whose prophecies do not come to pass because they have prophesied of their own volition. These prophets will lose respect and influence within the ministry as their prophecies are judged to be not credible.

When trying to see if the prophecies of a particular prophet have come to pass in order to determine if the Holy Spirit rules a prophet, it is important to remember that the time element is not always consistent. A discrepancy could simply be a result of the fact that the time for a particular prophesy to come to pass has not arrived yet as in the case of I Kings 13:2 which came to pass 351 years later. Another possibility when a prophecy fails to come to pass is that the fulfillment was contingent upon the obedience of the one receiving the prophecy. In this case, the lack of obedience will cause the word not to be fulfilled.

The third test of a prophecy is what may be termed "greed" or "covetousness". This individual is a hireling---one who is a prophet for profit. There are many scriptures warning against this type of ministry. This test is beneficial for any ministry, which professes to be of God. God's true men are not for hire.

The next test is the test of fruit or character. Matthew 7:15-22 carefully describes the use and necessity for this test. In the case of false prophets, there is a mixture in their character. They call Jesus Lord, they prophecy, they cast out devils and do great works in his name. Inwardly, however, they are wolves, corrupt trees bringing forth evil fruit. A ministry will bring forth either the fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) or the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

In earthly terms, we can ask ourselves if the ministry of a prophet is followed by peace, harmony, and edification or by confusion, strife, and carnal-mindedness. This is a good test for any man or ministry that professes to be of God.the true fruit of a ministry is proven ultimately by what it produces in those who sit under that ministry over a prolonged period of time. A man's ministry should be seriously questioned if he continually attracts "strange company". I'm not saying that some peculiar people will not come in under his ministry. However, if a few strange ones do come in, a true ministry will either bring a changed in them or they will not remain under that ministry.

We must not minimize the importance of the "fruit" test concerning the character of the prophet himself. His personal life, conduct, and behavior are to be above reproach. He should be held to the strict qualifications of all elders as seen in I Timothy 3:1-7. Isaiah provides us with a picture of a corrupted ministry, the kind that is to be shunned, "they err in vision, they stumble in judgement." (Isaiah 28:7). Another example is found in Jeremiah 23:9-11. The real test oaf ministry from God is not signs and wonders, but they pure fruit of a holy, spiritual life being lived by the man of God.

The fifth and final test is the test of "love" as seen in I John 4:1-21. A true prophet under the direction of the Holy Ghost will be motivated by LOVE. This is often the area where a false prophet will be detected. He, all too often, is only concerned with stinging, whipping, rebuking, and beating the sheep. A true prophet of God will still give the stinging, rebuking message with the mercy of God. A constant diet of harsh, rebuking messages should bring a man's ministry under suspicion.

When I am speaking of love, I am not referring to that "mushy stuff" which is so prevalent today. Many wolves in sheep's clothing come in with a false display of love called benevolence. Satan even has counterfeit for love. Benevolence is good and needed, but some use this to propagate their false teachings. Put all prophets to all of the tests that we have studied and you will find which spirit they are operating with.

Peter speaks of false prophets as being "among" the people and false teachers "among" you (II Peter 2:1). In Acts 20:29-30, it tells of the wolves who come in from without and of men rising up from within. Those rising up from within the body of Christ are the ones to be most feared, for their ministry is by far the most damaging. Their tactics are more subtle and deceptive. Their delusion will be more readily accepted because of the influence they already hold within the ranks of the assembly.

The very foundation of all false prophecy is DELUSION. This may come on a sourish, human, level or be influenced directly by Satanic activity, or a mixture of both. Therefore it is imperative that young ministries be developed under the umbrella of a plurality of ministries. Those starting out in the ministry must be nurture under proven, older ministries which will be able to give a young ministry the balance and checks needed to ensure proper growth. Under a plurality of elders there will be those well established in present truth to guide a developing prophet or one who is functioning in the gift of prophecy. There also should be an elder who has the gift of the discerning of spirits to help create further checks to develop a young ministry safely into maturity.

Samuel is an example of one who grew in his own ministry under the guidance of an older ministry, that of Eli. Even though Eli had several failures and man of them were very serious indeed, he was in a position to guide Samuel's development. Under Eli's ministry, Samuel was established as a prophet and his ministry was recognized and accepted from Dan to Beersheba (I Samuel 3:20).

It is important at this point to consider how many individuals and who the people are that recognize your ministry as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. Your ministry will make room for itself. Let God establish your ministry. When He does, senior ministries will recognize what God is doing in your life, as will the people of God.

Samuel did not promote, defend, or establish his own ministry. In no way did he try to get the people to recognize his calling. God established and confirmed his ministry and caused others to know that he was established a prophet at Samuel obeyed God and functioned in his individual calling. With the calling firmly established by God, the people simply followed Samuel's leadership without any pressure or fan fare.

Throughout scripture, we have multiple examples of younger ministries training under more mature elders. The New Testament is aglow with examples of multiple (or plurality of) ministries--not of one man taking leadership. Such references include but are not limited to: Acts 11:27; 13:1; 15:4; I Corinthians 14:29-32.

A plurality of leadership eliminates, or at least greatly hinders, both the possibility of error as well as the "I" syndrome arising. Hopefully the plurality of elders will insure that no one is in a position to build his own self-importance.

The plurality of leadership will also help confirm younger ministries before the people as they see other, more mature, elders promoting the ministry of fledgling prophets and confirming their authority before the people. Therefore, new ministry will have a greater effect among those to whom they minister.