If you peel back the onion that is modern prophet-wannabes you inevitably will come to some form of divine revelation. This is the notion that they are not to be questioned because they heard what they are saying from God Himself! The New Apostolic Reformation claims they specifically heard from God in 1999 and He instructed them to band together. The Kansas City Prophets go back into the 1980's when Mike Bickle claims God instructed him to build the International House of Prayer. Bill Johnson out at Bethel Church in California claims divine impartation and visitations, something he then teaches at his "school of the supernatural." Many of your false teachers also claim this nonsense. Joseph Prince claims God gave him his great revelation of grace. People like Benny Hinn, Cindy Jacobs, and Todd Bentley all claim divine revelation. Let's face it - it makes it a lot easier to deal with critics to simply point up and say He told me!
Besides this divine revelation scheme, there is also the notion of a "paradigm shift" from the Old Testament to the New Testament regarding the prophetic. Realize beloved, this is the only way the schemers can operate. They have to believe that the rules for prophecy have changed now that we live under the new covenant. That is because in the Old Testament it only took one wrong prophecy to be exposed as being false. To hear the new guns tell it, you can be 35% wrong and still be a pretty good prophet! So despite the fact that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, they claim there was a paradigm shift in the prophetic ministry once we entered the new covenant. That in the Old Testament the Prophet was the mouthpiece of God but in the New, he/she is just there to build the church up in unity. That the Old Testament was a period of judgment and law and the New is all puppies and unicorns - hallelujah! This is to cover up of course the absurd nature of modern prophecies; which are nothing more than clairvoyancy and doctrines of demons. Benny Hinn once prophesied Fidel Castro would die somewhere in the 1990s and despite giving himself a ten year window - he was still wrong. In 1996 Cindy Jacobs prophesied that the Christian divorce rate would be cut in half within one year...oops. Just this year someone claiming to be an apostle-prophet said that God had confirmed in his Spirit that the Denver Broncos would win the Super Bowl. They went on to lose 43-8! That is a 50-50 shot and he still was wrong by 35 points! This is not prophecy beloved - it is fortune telling and witchcraft. It is not supported anywhere in Scripture - neither is the notion of a paradigm shift in the prophetic culture of the church. As with so many of the gifts may I proffer the notion that we simply are doing it wrong. Heading to our key verses, let us start with the difference between the two covenants and their relationship to prophecy:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. - Hebrews 1: 1-2 (NIV)
In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people through His prophets. There were no Bibles. There were no printing presses to run off copies of the Torah. Much was passed on through verbal history. Prophets did not guess future events like they were looking into a crystal ball. They declared what God was saying - period! When Nathan went to David he revealed his sin to him. When Elijah declared the upcoming drought it was in direct response to the evil ways of King Ahab. The ways of not obeying what God had said; like David with Bathsheba. They did not prophesy rainbows and kittens because they were there to say what sayeth the Lord! Now however the author of Hebrews writes, all things go through the Words of Jesus Christ, who held the Office of Prophet for us. Jesus left us His Word - the revealed will of God for our lives! I know Christians so hooked on the false prophetic. Chasing it day in and day out - always seeking a "fresh word." If you want a fresh Word - open your Bible! In Revelation God warns us to add nothing to the prophecy contained in the Word! What then is the role of prophet in the New Testament church? What is the role of prophecy? I think the answers are found in 1Corinthians 14 and the remaining two key verse sets. The first explains the purpose of a prophetic word:
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. - 1Corinthians 14: 18-19 (NIV)
Did you catch that beloved? Intelligible words to instruct others. Instruct others. What in the Bible are we pointed to for instruction?
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2Timothy 3: 16-17 (NKJV)
It is the same paradigm as in the Old Testament! The revealed Word of God instructs us now, where the Prophets of old used to. It is still seeking what sayeth the Lord! Instruction in righteousness so that we may be prepared, equipped, and ready. Many of those that prop up the false paradigm shift use the verses from earlier in this chapter that read:
