The Essential Nature of the Prophetic Ministry

Now, we will go on this morning to the next ministry, the ministry of the prophet. I have already defined the prophet, literally, as one who speaks for. This is the literal meaning of the word prophet: “pro” forth, “phete” in Greek, to speak. One who speaks forth. He speaks forth on behalf of God a message received directly from God. What sets the prophet aside is his message. He is a man with a special message for a special time and place received direct from God. You see, this sets him aside from an ordinary preacher.

Let’s consider the example of Jonah. Jonah could have walked into the city of Nineveh as a preacher and told those people, “If you go on living this wicked way, God will send judgment.” That is a general truth of God’s word. But Jonah was a prophet. He had a time element in his message. He said, “It’s coming within 40 days if you don’t repent.” That set him apart as a prophet. Likewise, John the Baptist came with a message of repentance, which, as a matter of fact, every preacher should preach. And he said, “If you carry on like this, God is going to require of you, repent.”

But he was a prophet. He said, “There’s one following after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.” He had a special time factor revelation. This is what sets a person aside as a prophet. He has a specific message for a specific time and place, which goes beyond the great general principles of the word of God, which every preacher and every minister should unfold.

Essentially, I believe the scriptural account of a prophet is one who stands in the counsel of the Lord. In Amos chapter 3 and verse 7, you have this very remarkable statement.

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

The word ‘secret’ is also translated elsewhere in the Old Testament ‘counsel.’ He reveals his inner counsel to his servants the prophets. This is the nature of the apostolic ministry. It’s a person who understands the inner counsel of God. Charles was telling us last night, and this is extremely appropriate to what I’m saying this morning, that for every age there is a specific purpose of God. And to be in the line of God’s blessing, you must be moving in his purpose for that time. Essentially, it’s the ministry of the prophet to unfold the specific purpose and counsel of God for that particular time, situation, generation, or group.

So, God does nothing. This is a tremendous statement. All through history, God does nothing without revealing his secret counsel and purpose to his servants the prophets. Again, if you turn to 1 Kings chapter 17 and verse 1, you’ll find Elijah’s account of himself as a prophet.

“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab the king of Israel at that time, ‘As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’”

That’s the position of the prophet. “The Lord before whom I stand.” I stand in the presence of God. I receive his counsel and his message, and then I give it forth as I’m directed. Elijah was directed to go direct to the king and give his message to the king of Israel. “There’s not going to be any rain or dew for the next 3 1/2 years.” That was his message. Having delivered his message, he withdrew.

In Jeremiah chapter 23, you’ll find God’s differentiation between the true and the false prophets. This is a subject which is one of the main themes of this chapter of Jeremiah chapter 23. We will not go into it in detail, but I want you to notice the phrase that God uses there to describe what it means to be a true prophet. In verse 16 of Jeremiah 23, the Lord speaks about the false prophets, and he says,

“Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you, that make you vain: for they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.”

They have something that just comes from themselves. It is not received from the Lord’s mouth. Now, in verse 18, he says of these same people,

“For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word?”

That’s the true prophet, the man who stands in the counsel of the Lord, perceives, and hears, and then delivers his words so received.

And then the Lord says of these false prophets in verse 21,

“I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.”

A terrible thing to do, to speak when God hasn’t spoken to you if you’re speaking as a prophet. Now listen,

“But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way.”

So, the thing that God asks of the prophet is that he will stand before the Lord, stand in the counsel of the Lord, hear the message of the Lord, and then take it and deliver it as he is directed when, and where, and to whom the Lord directs. This is the essential nature of the prophetic ministry.