BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: PROPHECY A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

II) THE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLICAL GIFT OF PROPHECY

A) GOD AND GOD ALONE IS THE ORIGIN OF PROPHECY

B) GOD WILL RAISE UP PROPHETS FROM AMONG THE ISRAELITES AND HE WILL TELL THEM EVERYTHING GOD COMMANDS ISRAEL TO OBEY

1) [DT 18:15-17]:

a) THE ULTIMATE PROPHET IS JESUS CHRIST

C) SO PROPHECY HAS IT ORIGINS IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES

1) [DT 18:15-17]:

D) THE OLD TESTAMENT OFFICE OF PROPHET BEGAN WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE REQUESTED SOMEONE TO RECEIVE GOD'S COMMUNICATION FOR THEM

1) [EX 19:16-19]:

E) THE GIFT AND OFFICE OF PROPHECY TAKES ITS SHAPE NOT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BUT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1) [Dt 18:15-19]:

III) THE NATURE OF PROPHECY

A) PROPHECY IS A VEHICLE OF REVELATION OF THE WORD OF GOD TO MAN FROM GOD

1) [DT 18:18-20]:

2) [COMPARE Ex 24:7]:

B) TO DISOBEY PROPHECY WAS TO DISOBEY GOD

1) [DT 18:18-20]:

C) TO MISUSE PROPHECY WAS BLASPHEMOUS AND WORTHY OF DEATH

D) CONCLUSION: PROPHECY IS A VEHICLE OF GOD'S REVELATION CONTAINING FORETELLING AND FORTHTELLING

IV) THE STANDARD OF PROPHECY

A) PROPHECY IS 100% ACCURATE - NO PROPHECY FROM GOD WILL GO UNFULFILLED

1) [DT 18:21-22]:

B) TODAY'S PROPHETS PERMIT ERROR IN THEIR PROPHECIES BUT THEN THEY ARE NOT OF GOD

C) CONCLUSION: PROPHESY MUST BE 100% ACCURATE

1) [DT 18:21-22]:

V) GOD'S PROTECTION OF PROPHECY

A) DEATH IS THE BIBLICAL PUNISHMENT FOR ALL PROPHETS WHO HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE FALSE

1) [Dt 18:21-22]:

2) [COMPARE DT 13:1-5]:

B) THERE IS GREAT DANGER AND HARM CAUSED BY THE FALSE 'CONTINUATION' OF 'PROPHECY' TODAY

1) CONTINUATION OF PROPHECY LEADS TO CONCLUDING THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT COMPLETE OR SUFFICIENT

2) BELIEVING THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THIS AGE LEADS TO BELIEVING INTHE INSUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST - THAT MORE IS NEEDED

3) BELIEVING IN THE INSUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST & THE SCRIPTURES IS TO REJECT WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH LEADING TO REJECTION OF GOD'S WORD COMPLETELY

VI) PROPHECY'S MODE OF RECEPTION

A) GOD SPEAKS TO THE TRUE PROPHET IN A VISION OF A DREAM

1) [NUM 12:6-8]:

2) [COMPARE ISA 2:1]:

3) [DAN 7:1]:

4) [AMOS 1:1]:

5) [MIC 1:1]:

6) [HAB 1:1]:

7) REV 1:1-2]:

B) FALSE PROPHETS ARE SAID IN SCRIPTURE TO SPEAK OUT OF THEIR OWN HEARTS

1) JER 23:16]:

C) THE TRUE PROPHET RECEIVES REVELATION FROM GOD AS HE SEES IT IN VISIONS AND DREAMS; THE FALSE PROPHET AS IT RISES OUT OF HIS HEART

VII) PROPHECY'S MODE OF EXPRESSION

A) FORTHTELLING ABSOLUTELY ACCURATELY AND AUTHORITATIVELY THE WORDS OF GOD

1) [EX 4:14-16]:

2) [DT 18:18]:

3) [ISA 6:8-9]:

4) [JER 23:28]:

B) FORETELLING - THE PREDICTION OF FUTURE EVENTS

1) THE PREDICTION OF FUTURE EVENTS WAS A NECESSARY PART OF THE TRUE GIFT OF PROPHECY

a) THE PROPHECY MUST HAVE A SCRIPTURAL PURPOSE AND MUST COME TO PASS

i) [DT 18:22]:

ii) FORETELLING OF EVENTS TO BRING ABOUT REPENTANCE IN CONTEXTS OF SIN

iii) FORETELLING OF EVENTS TO STRENGTHEN AND ENCOURAGE IN CONTEXTS OF DIFFICULTY AND DESPAIR

iv) PROPHECY BEING REVELATION FROM GOD MUST BE ON A LEVEL WITH THE REST OF SCRIPTURE

C) TODAY'S PROPHECY IS NOT BIBLICAL AND NOT OF GOD

1) TODAY'S PROPHECY LACKS THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD

2) TODAY'S PROPHECY IS TOO VAGUE AND TOO BROAD TO BE VALID

3) TODAY'S PROPHECY IS OFTEN IN ERROR

4) TODAY'S PROPHECY CLARIFIES NOTHING IN THE MIDST OF A MESSED UP CHURCH

5) TODAY'S PROPHECY IS OFTEN HERETICAL

6) CONCLUSION: TODAY'S PROPHECY IS NOT TRUE PROPHECY AT ALL

VIII) PROPHECY'S VERIFICATON = THE MIRACULOUS

A) THE ABILITY TO DO THE MIRACULOUS IS THE HALL MARK OF ALL TRUE PROPHETS

1) [1 KGS 18:36-39]:

B) THE VALIDITY OF MOSES AS A PROPHET PARTIALLY RESTED ON THE MIRACLES THAT HE PERFORMED

1) [EX 4:1-2]:

C) THE VALIDITY OF CHRIST AS PROPHET PARTIALLY RESTED ON THE MIRACLES THAT HE PERFORMED

1) [ACTS 10:38]:

2) [MT 11:4]:

D) GOD USES THE MIRACULOUS TO VERIFY HIS WORD SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET

E) THERE WILL BE FALSE PROPHETS WHO WILL ALSO PERFORM MIRACLES BUT THEY WILL CONTRADICT OR DOWNGRADE SCRIPTURE

1) [JER 23:31-32]:

IX) PROPHECY'S CONTINUANCE

A) INTRODUCTION

B) THE OT BIBLE PREDICTS THAT ALL PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OT GIFT OF PROPHECY AFTER THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD

1) THE RETURN OF PROPHECY TO ALL MEN IS SET AFTER THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

a) [JOEL 2:28-32]:

2) PROPHECY IS ALWAYS AS DESCRIBED IN THE OT

a) [JOEL 2:28]:

3) THE GIFT OF PROPHECY WILL BE BESTOWED UPON ALL MEN AFTER THE SECOND COMING

a) [JOEL 2:28]:

C) NT PROPHECY IS THE SAME AS OT PROPHECY

1) INTRODUCTION

2) THE NT ABILITY TO PROPHECY IS THE RESULT OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, OF PERFECT ACCURACY AND AS OBJECTIVE AS IN OT PROPHECY

a) [ACTS 11:27-28]:

3) NT PROPHECY'S MODE OR RECEPTION IS SAME AS OT: DREAMS & VISIONS

a) [ACTS 13:2-3]:

4) NT PROPHECY IS AUTHORITATIVE & VIA THE HOLY SPIRIT

a) [ACTS 21:10-11]:

b) [DT 18:18]:

c) [ACTS 21:4]:

5) NT PROPHECY: 2 OR 3 UTTERANCES MAX, ONE AT A TIME AND IN THE ORDER PRESCRIBED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

a) [1 COR 14:29-32]:

6) NT PROPHECY IS THE WORD OF GOD THE SAME AS THE OT & NOT OF ANY PRIVATE INTERPRETATION

a) [2 PETER 1:20-21]:

7) CONCLUSION

X) PROPHECY AS A MEANS OF COMMUNION WITH GOD

A) THE OT PROPHET SERVED AS A CONDUIT THRU WHICH THE NATION ISRAEL HAD WITH GOD FAR LESS EFFECTIVELY THAN THE BELIEVER OF THE CHURCH AGE WITHOUT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

1) AFTER THE FALL THE OT PROPHET WAS ESTABLISHED AS AN INDIRECT AND LESS THAN PERFECT CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH THE NATION ISRAEL HAD COMMUNION WITH GOD

a) [DT 18:15-17]:

b) [EX 19:16-19]:

i) [GEN 17:7]:

ii) [DT 18:16-17]:

c) [EX 19:20-21]:

2) THE ULTIMATE PROPHET JESUS CHRIST REPLACES THE NEED FOR A FINITE HUMAN PROPHET BY INDWELLING THE CHURCH AGE BELIEVER THROUGH THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - A DIRECT AND FAR BETTER COMMUNION WITH GOD

a) JESUS CHRIST IS THE ULTIMATE PROPHET AND MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN BEING GOD HIMSELF AND NOT JUST A MAN

i) [ACTS 3:22]:

b) TO RESURRECT THE GIFT OF PROPHECY THROUGH YET ANOTHER FINITE MAN IS TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS IN ONE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IN THE CHURCH AGE

c) THE GIFT OF PROPHECY THROUGH JUST A MAN IS PARTIAL AND INCOMPLETE BUT WITH THE INDWELLING PROPHET JESUS CHRIST THROUGH HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM COMMUNION IS WITH GOD VIA GOD HIMSELF ALL THE TIME

i) [CP 1 COR 13:8-10]:

Further details available from the study of 1 Cor 13 to verify this conclusion:

XI) PROPHECY AS A MEANS OF FOUNDING THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

A) NT PROPHETS ARE A ONCE-FOR-ALL-TIME AND NEVER TO BE REPEATED PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH (SINCE FOUNDATIONS ARE ONLY BUILT ONCE)

1) [EPH 2:19-20]:

B) THE PURPOSE OF THE NT PROPHET WAS TO REVEAL GOD'S NEW REVELATION ABOUT THE CHURCH

1) [EPH 3:5]:

a) REVELATION ABOUT THE CHURCH AGE WAS INCOMPLETE AT THE BEGINNING

b) GOD DESIGNED THE OFFICES OF PROPHET & APOSTLE TO FOUND AND INITIALLY DIRECT THE CHURCH UNTIL THE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE NT BIBLE WAS COMPLETED

c) CONCLUSION

XII) PROPHECY AS A MEANS OF COMPLETING THE CANON

A) REVELATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS FRAGMENTARY AND INCOMPLETE

1) [HEB 1:1-2]:

B) WITH THE ADVENT OF CHRIST GOD SPOKE A FINAL TIME. ONCE HIS MESSAGE IS RELAYED & RECORDED DOWN, PROPHECY WILL CEASE IN THIS AGE

1) [HEB 1:1-2]:

2) OUR LORD'S FINAL MESSAGE WAS TO BE MADE KNOWN TO THE DISCIPLES VIA PROPHETIC REVELATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

a) [COMPARE JN 16:13-14]:

3) THE APOSTLE PAUL RECEIVED REVELATION OF THIS FINAL MESSAGE OF OUR LORD FROM THE LORD HIMSELF

a) [COMPARE Gal 1:1:11-12]:

4) NO NEW REVELATION FROM GOD IS FORTHCOMING SO THE REVELATORY GIFTS HAVE CEASED INCLUDING PROPHECY

a) [REV 22:18]:

b) [2 PETER 1:3]: