*This is a series of posts which might be of benefit for the first time reader to begin at the “Introduction” for continuity sake.
This may be the most interesting post in this series. Can a real prophet ever “miss it”? At first glance, the simple answer appears to be “no”. A real prophet must be 100% on target at all times. There can be no wiggle room, no exceptions, and no quarter given to anyone claiming prophetic utterance who gets it wrong. I would never want to be placed in a position of defending error or a person who apparently “missed it”. An erroneous prophecy is simply that, erroneous. But let’s be sure we have all the biblical insight available which might help us process the human element under a New Testament paradigm. For example, some questions I personally have…
Will a REAL Apostle be successful 100% of the time in every city they may go? (If this is the standard, then perhaps Paul’s apostleship is in question.)
Will a REAL Evangelist lead 100% of the lost to Jesus in every crowd? (Oops)
Will a REAL Pastor/Shepherd retain 100% of all the sheep which enter the door of his church? (I can answer this one)
Will a REAL Teacher have 100% of all biblical knowledge and revelation available? (Of course not)
We recognize the humanity which exists in these offices without diminishing the reality of their ministry. Whatever the office may be, there should obviously be a recognizable gifting, anointing, and calling to demonstrate that gift. However, why is errorless performance demanded upon one office (the prophet) and not the others? I suspect that expectation is seeded due to the nature of the prophetic declaration, “Thus says the Lord…” If you claim to be speaking for Him, then the bar is naturally high with regard to credible and accurate information released. This is why I recommend to my Charismatic friends to use more reticent language when prophesying over people. Phrases like, “I sense the Lord may be saying…” -or- “I am sensing that the Lord may want you to know…”. That small word, “may”, can actually be helpful if the person or congregation is not grounded in prophetic understanding and parameters. It underscores that the prophecy is subject to the witness of the Spirit in their own heart. It can be received or rejected. This is unlike OT prophecy which carried the force of God’s oath and definitiveness.
In Deuteronomy 18:22, it is possible for a prophet to speak “presumptuously” and miss it. Under the Old Testament, these prophets were to be “put to death” (Deut. 18:20). This was due to the fact that OT prophets spoke at the level of Scriptural authority. As I wrote in a previous post, a NT prophet has no such expectation. This is why NT prophecy is now judged (I Cor. 14:29) and the spirit of the prophet is subject to other prophets (I Cor.14:32).
I also think we need to wrestle with TWO other important considerations.
- Prophetic words have conditional aspects attached to them at times.
For example, Jonah prophesied Nineveh’s judgment. The city repented and judgment was averted. Did Jonah miss it? I have often wondered if the reason Jonah was mad was due to a feeling that his prophetic credibility was seemingly undermined by the absence of judgment. The Hebrew writer also mentions that the “word which they (Israel) heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Apparently, fulfillment of certain promises are conditional upon people’s faith receptivity and corresponding actions. So, how does accuracy play into these scenarios?
Again, no one is defending inaccuracy. The question becomes, is accuracy the ONLY consideration when it comes to credibility. Psychics can be accurate, but we know the source from which that derives is demonic. So perhaps there is more to it than we first thought.
- Prophetic words are linked to God’s timing.
We need to consider the amount of time which passed for several biblical prophecies to come to pass. Real prophets prophesied centuries in advance the coming of the Messiah. How does that play into accuracy? It would have initially seemed like they missed it, but obviously they didn’t. How about Paul who wrote about the “soon” return of Jesus? How should we process the concept of “soon”? Did Paul miss it? Of course not. But these are aspects of prophecy which need to be factored in as we consider the office of the prophet.
For me, understanding that the NT prophet is reformed through the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, I can extend some grace for this ministry. Sure, accuracy is important. It is in the nature of this gift and office. Those who prophesy should be completely enamored in the “fear of the Lord” and weigh their words carefully before they release them to eager sheep to hear from God. But at the end of the day, “we all see through a glass darkly”, which includes NT prophets.
Until next post…
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