Understanding Prophecy

For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (James 1:23)

I want us to look at prophecy in a slightly different way to help us understand, and probably demystify it from what many think it is.

Prophecy is not a science or art. Prophecy is not a mysterious undertaking that only the extremely skilled can access.

Let me give an analogy.

Look at the world as a huge building being constructed and each person as a workman in the project.

An architect drew the whole project to the smallest detail.

Prophecy is like the draughtsman. He is the one who interprets the architectural drawing to the workers so that they can accurately do their part.

He helps us understand the small details the foreman may overlook because he lacks the skills and training a draughtsman has. He can only interpret the big picture from the architectural plans.

Each of us has the architectural drawing (the Bible) that helps us know the part we are building.

Then we have foremen (ministers, leaders) to help unite what we are building (our small portion) with the entire building.

The draughtsman (prophet) helps us see the small portions that we could very easily overlook either in our small portion or even the corporate part.

The draughtsman and foreman are partners. None is bigger or better than the other as only their responsibilities differ.

In fact even the normal builder is not smaller than them because they all have one boss, the owner of the building and drawer of the architectural plans

For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is. (1Corinthians 3: 11 – 13)

Prophecy therefore serves to unite the church in becoming the best that God has for each one of us.

It is important to realize that the draughtsman does not introduce anything new in the building. He is only able to interpret the very small details others easily overlook.

Incidentally it is the same with prophecy. Prophets do not introduce anything new; otherwise they are called soothsayers or fortune tellers. They will seem to introduce new things because they are able to clearly see things everybody else is blind to. They are able to see cultures we have developed and the hardening of our hearts over the years even as we think we are spiritually healthy. They are able to see those petty sins that hamper our growth and impact.

That is the reason the Bible is a very important for the prophet. In fact any prophet who does not recognize the importance of the Bible in his ministry is as off as the fortune teller since the context of any prophecy is the word of God.

Remember that even Jesus validated His ministry using the Bible? That the One who gave the word used the scriptures to demonstrate who He was and what He came to do?

That is why I am equating the prophet to a draughtsman; the one who can clearly hear what God is saying and reporting it.

A prophet is called false when he shifts his focus from the architectural drawing to the comfort of workers because that beats his purpose. In fact in Jeremiah he is called a worker of iniquity. A good and exciting word can never make the worker see those things only the draughtsman can.

That is why the motivational preacher (and many prophets nowadays are such) is such a danger to the church because he shifts the focus from obedience to comfort and fulfillment of believers. Those who pretend to use the scriptures choose only the juicy verses and blank out whole portions of the scriptures that do not fit their popularity and fame seeking narrative.

Other prophets (and preachers) are spiritual terrorists or bandits; ‘encouraging’ (which is actually threatening) believers to give this or the other otherwise …

Will we love the scriptures as to base our whole beings and ministry on them?

This is a poor analogy but I hope it has made some to realize what God expects of us and especially how we look at prophets