Just out of the blue one day, someone said to me, “Assaba…it seems only the poor vulnerable people in Obinim’s kind of churches who have witches in their homes. Every prophecy is about how some family member is bewitching them. I’ve roamed churches, and I’ve noticed the ones with educated people usually are about to receive big contracts while the poor folk continually sow seeds to avert some witchcraft.”
Bruh! This thing we call prophecy is a source of foncusion for most Christians. I’ve had my fair share of them – both good and bad. So while I’m no expert at prophecies and the intricate details of what exactly goes on behind the scenes, we have the Bible to give us some light in the darkness.
So what is Prophecy?
It is essentially conveying God’s mind to a listener. God told Jeremiah, ‘Thou shall be unto me as a mouth’ [Jeremiah 15:9]. Very early in, let me distinguish between a person who is a mouthpiece of God and operates in the office of a prophet or has the calling of a prophet AND a person who has been given the grace to speak the Word of the Lord in a certain created atmosphere. There are prophets called to nations, like God called Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, etc. to be prophets over Israel; prophets called towards a specific purpose, etc. These people fall under the callings mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4 and Joel 2:28. They often don’t need any overly saturated environment to start to dey go! They jos go! And then there are those who The Lord may communicate through very often when a particular atmosphere is created for them. They are often said to have the grace of prophecy but cannot be properly called prophets. An example is Saul at Gibeah – `And when they came to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, all that knew him before said one to another, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’ – 1 Samuel 10:10&11
Do Prophecies Change? When? How?
There are two forms of prophecies I can think of – changeable and unchangeable prophecies. Lemme give you a few examples of prophecies that were unchangeable before they occurred, and more which can never change:
- Micah 5:2 – Oh Bethlehem Ephethrah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you shall come One who will be ruler of Israel whose origin are from old, from ancient times.
- Isaiah 7:14 – Behold, a Son will be given born of a Virgin…
- Zechariah 9:9 – Behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey.
- Revelation 11 & 12 – The two witnesses and the seven angels with the seven plagues
- Revelation 21 – The New Jerusalem, etc.
There are prophecies that can be changed:
1. IMMINENT EVENTS: Hezekiah – 2 Kings 20
‘Put your house in order, for you will not live but die.’ There was no negotiation or condition attached to this prophecy. Isaiah did not say ‘if you do not do so and so you will die’. It was conclusive. But immediately Hezekiah heard this, he ‘turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord…’ [verse 2]. The Bible says before Isaiah had left the middle court, The Lord told him, ‘Dude, I know I said the guy was gonna die, but go back and tell him I gats him…he’s got 15 more years.’
2. There’s also the example of most of the prophets of the Old Testament who were sent to warn cities – Jonah the Runaway Man, Jeremiah, Elijah, etc. They carried God’s mind and intention to the people, but these were alterable prophecies with conditions attached, and particularly in the case of Nineveh, there was a marvelous unexpected outcome that differed totally from what had been spoken by the prophet Jonah.
3. GOD’S WILL AND INTENT
In 1 Chronicles 17, God made certain promises to David when he tried to build the Lord a temple. He told him he would raise up an offspring of David whose kingdom he would establish forever, and never take his love away from; that He would set him over His house and kingdom forever. David went and sat before the Lord and prayed – he gave thanks, and then made declarations of the exact things the Lord had promised him. He said, ‘Let the promises you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you have promised.’ And then he ended with ‘you have blessed my house, and it shall be blessed forever.’ Would the prophecies have if David hadn’t given thanks, reaffirmed them and made declarations regarding them? Not from God’s end, no. But it takes thanksgiving, constant reminder of God’s promises and declarations/speaking God’s promises over your life to build enough faith to hold on to these promises until they manifest.
A few more types and purposes of prophecies:
4. FOR DIRECTION AND A MANIFESTATION OF AUTHORITY AND POWER
Quick examples are Ezekiel 37:4 – ‘Son of Man, prophesy to these dry bones’ and 2 Kings 5:10 –
‘Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.’ – 2 Kings 5:10
5. MYSTERIES FOR THE NATIONS
E.g. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel’s prophetic interpretation, etc.
6. A TEST OF YOUR HEART
A revelation of God’s mind to Saul led to his undoing as an anointed King. A revelation of God’s mind to David allowed him to enjoy the mercy of God. God may reveal His mind to you to test the state of your mind. [Read about it in the sequel]
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF PROPHECY?
- The Spirit of God – eg. Prophecies of Elijah, Elisha, etc
- Evil spirits –
‘And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house…’ – 1 Samuel 18:10‘It happened that as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination [that is, a demonic spirit claiming to foretell the future and discover hidden knowledge] – Acts 16:16
- Lying Spirits
1 Kings 22:23 – a lying spirit caused the prophets to entice Ahab to go to war.
4. The Soul of the Prophet!
Examples:
a. Michaiah – 1 Kings 22.
b. i. Jeremiah 23:16 – ‘“Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.’
ii. 23:21 – ‘I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.’
iii. 28:15 – ‘Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.’
c. i. Ezekiel 13:1-3 – “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing’
ii. 13:6-9 – ‘Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.’
Go grab some water and come continue the sequel here!
