What Is the Difference Between Prophetic Words and the Word of God?
-
![Plus]()
- Updated Aug 25, 2023
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
This passage of Scripture is one of my favorite passages to call to remembrance. It was especially helpful to me as I exited the movement known as the New Apostolic Reformation several years ago, and I pondered on my time in the prophetic movement.
There is a tendency to gravitate to one’s personal experiences in this movement and to hear the voice of God for oneself.
In 2 Peter 1, the Apostle Peter speaks of his experience seeing the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the mountain. Yet, in spite of this real experience, he points back to something more certain than his experience, Scripture.
He instructs those to whom he writes to pay attention to this word and to recognize the light it brings in the midst of darkness (2 Peter 1:19). True prophecy originated with God, not man, and the Spirit of God guided fallible human beings to speak on God’s behalf infallibly.
This is relevant even today because of the temptation and the practice of desiring to give prophetic words to others and to reveal hidden and secret knowledge that others do not know.
There is also the belief that prophecy can be fallible and not authoritative, which seems to contradict God’s very nature, as this is not modeled in Scripture with regard to God’s true prophets.
There are individuals who have released words for the year, which is not exclusive to the modern prophetic movement. If you and I take time to look online, we will find a plethora of words for 2023 and what is to come.
We would find not only words claimed by professing Christians, but we would find predictions from psychics and mediums. In the New Apostolic Reformation, foretelling is not an uncommon practice as many are encouraged to speak on behalf of the Lord and to release what is felt to be from the Lord.
There are people who profess to be prophets and who proclaim one-word prophecies for the year, and there are those who prophesy based on dreams and visions. Specific mantles or anointings are said to be coming soon from those mentioned in Scripture, such as Deborah and Jehu.
Some will also incorporate numerology, ascribing areas in Scripture containing the number 23 to this New Year.
These are practices I once engaged in as well in this movement, and this raises questions and concerns for others who put great value in what professing modern prophets have to say.
Many people have also been told to not doubt these professing prophets but to believe them, and when they do, they will succeed. This is a proof text in reference to 2 Chronicles 20:20.
You May All Prophesy
Recently, I was reading a very helpful article by Bob DeWaay. This article, written in 2006, discussed the issue of the prophetic calling and who it is for in the body of Christ.
When looking at a few scriptures, including 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 and 1 Corinthians 14, Bob concluded that the prophetic calling is for all believers.
He stated in this article, “Here is what I believe: that prophecy, as addressed by the passages above, is to proclaim valid implications and applications of authoritative Scripture. Under the New Covenant, every redeemed child of God has the Holy Spirit, and therefore may prophesy.”
He discusses some of the reformers and their stance on prophecy according to these passages, stating they taught and believed that prophecy consisted of preaching or proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I appreciated this statement in his article, “Every believer who accurately announces the terms of the gospel to the lost is prophesying with the full authority of God.”
So, what do we do with modern-day prophetic words that appear vague and general or even more akin to New Age practices and tendencies?
We are to judge them according to Scripture. We are reminded that Revelation 19:10 says, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” True prophecy testifies of Jesus Christ, and we can see this time and again both in the Old and New Testaments.
We Proclaim Christ
Thinking about these practices brings concern for others who are putting great emphasis on these prophetic words for their lives. There is, sadly, a trend to speak to others and personalize these words for the year while leaving behind the gospel.
I think back to my own time in this movement and how much of what is said in the name of prophecy is not prophecy. God is specific and omniscient, and His Word testifies of His Son.
He is not vague or general in His speech when speaking through individuals in the Bible. He also would not perform a practice He instructed others not to do, such as omen reading (Deuteronomy 18:9-14).
I also recognize the sincere danger in speaking on behalf of God when He did not say the things proclaimed.
Passages in the Old Testament, such as Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 13, are sobering passages for the false prophets who were claiming to speak for God when He did not send them or speak to them.
Many of these false prophets were speaking from vain imaginations and the desires of their own hearts, which can deceive more than we realize.
In a recent blog post I wrote regarding this very topic, I stated this as the word to share for 2023,
“All of us have sinned and have rebelled against a holy God. Sin entered through Adam, and now all sin. We have broken His law, and being a just Judge, He punishes sin. Apart from Christ, we are sons of disobedience and children of wrath. There is good news though. God sent His Son, born of a virgin, pure and perfect in every way, to fulfill the Law and the words of the prophets. He did what we could not do. He atoned for our sin on the cross.”
Jesus Christ has done what we could not do, and He has secured salvation for those who come to Him by grace through faith in Him. He rose from the dead to give us the glorious promise of eternal life. We who are in Christ no longer fear the second death because of His resurrection.
He has overcome death and Satan. In Him, we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are saved from the power of sin, and one day, we will be saved from the presence of sin. This is good news!
Why Does This Matter?
The Gospel of Jesus Christ never stops being valid. It is what we are to proclaim in hopes that those who hear will be brought to repentance and saving faith in Jesus Christ.
We are to remind ourselves often of what we have been saved and to remember our desperate need for the Savior.
The gospel is not a message one graduates from in life. This is the primary message we all, as believers in Christ, are to proclaim. We do not need a new word. We need the Word.
For further reading:
Does God Give Prophetic Dreams to Us Today?
Is the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy Still Relevant Today?
What Does it Mean That ‘Your Young Men Will See Visions’?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/patpitchaya
