The Prophet as
One Who Convicts the Church of Sin unto Repentance in Order to Then Reform and
Establish.
1Sam 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will
come upon thee, and thou shalt
prophesy
(Hebrew: reflexive verb; You will be able to prophesy by your
own capabilities and actions once that the Spirit of God has come upon you)
with them, and shalt be turned
into another man.
q
Prophecy, which is
received, can turn an individual or church into a different person or body if
those individual or church welcomes it, believes it, and acts upon it. Belief and obedience to a godly prophecy
will bring God’s will and circumstances to bear upon that individual or church. Their course of life will be radically
altered and blessed by the Lord in accordance to the prophecy, making the
church into a different church or the person into a different person.
2 Chronicle 20:20 ¶ And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
q To
believe in the prophets of God means that we must
be first assured of their ministry as spokespeople of the Lord. Afterwards we are responsible to obey the
words that come through them after proper discernment. To prosper is to be able to
accomplish successfully what one set out to do. Only our executing and accomplishing the will of God measure true
success in life. Individual believers
and churches shall prosper
as they take heed to the charge of God through His prophets. Without
the prophetic ministry in it’s midst a church will truly never become
successful in executing God’s will for it.
Isaiah 44:26 That confirmeth the
word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith
to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be
built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:
q
The building
up an restoring of people’s lives and the growth of the church
Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew
thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee(to set apart and devoted to the Lord;
therefore the person becomes special or peculiar. He or she is considered sacred and holy to the Lord.) and I
ordained thee a prophet unto
the nations. (I gave you as a prophet to the nations)
q
q
Before God can call us
into “His Ministry” we must be thoroughly delivered, cleansed and a have a good
grasp of the voice and the ways of God.
We are set
apart to be given out.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot
speak: for I am a child.
7
But the LORD
said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send
thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Hebrew: Do not say to me that you are a
lad: for you must go to every one that I send you as my ambassador with an
apostolic mission, and you must speak with the same accuracy and intention,
that, which I appointed or charged you with.
8
Be not afraid
of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith(a prophetic revelation of) the LORD.
q Hebrew: Do not be afraid of their faces, because part of my
reason for being with you, is to rescue you, says the prophetic revelation of
the Lord.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put (given or bestowed) my words in thy mouth.
q
Put forth: An apostolic
reaching.
10
See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out(To uproot and expel) , and to pull down (to
pull, tear, and break down) , and to destroy(to exterminate and cause to perish),
and to throw down
(overthrow), to build(build
and establish),
Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins and arise,(metaphorically; become spiritually ready, and stand up)) and speak unto them all that I command thee (and speak
unto them with the same intensity, accuracy, and intention, all which I spoke
to you and charged you with) : be not dismayed (do not break down and
become demoralized) at their faces, lest I confound thee(cause you to be terrified)
before them.
18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city( a city which has become a fortress), and an iron pillar, and brasen walls(a bronze wall) against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes(officials) thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
19
And they shall fight(wage war) against thee; but they
shall not prevail( not
overcome) against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver
thee.
Jer 35:15 I have sent also unto you
all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return
ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after
other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to
you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto
me.
q
The ministry
of repentance, reformation, and establishing.
Ezra 9:11 Which thou hast commanded
by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it,
is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their
abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their
uncleanness.
12Now
therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters
unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be
strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your
children for ever.
2 Chron 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to
them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had
compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:
16 But they mocked the messengers of God,
and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD
arose against his people, till there was no remedy (Until the situation or circumstances become irreversible
and un- repairable bringing thus the wrath of God.)
2King 5:3 And she said unto her
mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he
would recover him of his leprosy.
q Healing ministry of the prophets.
The Prophet as a Foundation Layer Upon Which the Church is
Built.
Ezr 5:1 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and
Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied
unto the Jews that were in Judah and
Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.
Ezr 5:2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of
Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God
which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them (supporting, sustaining, encouraging, and exhorting).
q
The building
of the house of God must be always done in part through the ministry of the
prophets.
Ezra 6:14
And the elders of the Jews builded(they
were building), and they prospered(and
succeeding) through the prophesying of Haggai
the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and
finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according
to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
q
Building and successfully completing
the house of God can only be done in part through the ministry of the prophets.
Zech 8:9 ¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that
hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the
day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the
temple might be built.
q
Ministry in
laying down the foundation of the church.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him
unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves
with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called
Christians first in Antioch.
27 ¶ And in these days came prophets from
Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the
Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came
to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Then
the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief
unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
q To strengthen, fix in place, and make steady and sure an
individual or church by confirming God’s will as well as giving the person or church
direction for growth in the Lord.
Rom 16:24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
·
The labor of the revealed Person of Christ
be with you all
25 ¶ Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
·
God has the ability to strengthen you, and to make
you firm and fast in your faith, (by my gospel and the preaching of the Person
of Jesus Christ) only in proportion to the revelation of the mystery (which is
the revealed Person of Christ)……
·
Christ is revealed through the prophetic scriptures
(prophets and prophecy reveal Christ) by the commandment of the everlasting
God. This revelation of Christ is made
known unto all the nations so that Christ may be obeyed by faith.
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps,(“ taking up the cause”; to aid) governments( from the word for “helmsman”; hence first to steer the church, and then to rule.), diversities of tongues.
Greek: And certain
has God set in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers,
then varied and numerous works of God’s dunamis, spiritual gifts consisting of
cures, helping and aiding in a variety of ways, governments, and diversities of
tongues.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Greek: It is He who
gave some to be
apostles, and some
prophets, and some
evangelists, and some
shepherds and teachers.
q
Please observe with me the two
lists that make up the structure of the New Testament church. In both of these spiritual inventories we
take note that apostles are placed first and prophets second.
q
Pastor
and teachers, which are really not two separate ministries but one class of
people operating both; (in that a
pastor must also have the anointing to teach his congregation), comes after the mention of
apostles and prophets in the second list. Church governments, which today are primarily in the hands of the
pastoral staff, are also found towards the end of the first list.
q
When the Lord Jesus inspired the
apostle Paul with these two blueprints for His church, He was certainly not
saying at any time, that apostles are more important than prophets, who in turn
are more important than pastors.
Neither did He say that the gifts of healing are more vital than the
governments within the church.
q
All ministers and ministers are of
equal importance.
When they operate under the leading of the Holy Ghost, they complement
each other to bring the fullness of
the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ into the earth.
q
These lists of
ministers and ministries are not describing RANK and
IMPORTANCE
but EMPHASIS
and STRESS.
q
The EMPHASIS and
the STRESS
on the New Testament church must be the apostolic and prophetic ministries, and
not on church government. This is an
incredibly important point, as we shall study.
q
The main responsibility of New
Testament church governments is to administer and conduct the apostolic and
prophetic ministries (which includes
the evangelist’s miracles ministry manifesting itself in signs and wonders) within the local assembly.
q
The apostolic and prophetic ministries, and not church
governments, are the foundation on which any local assembly must build
upon.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.
q
Being
built up in the Lord while resting on the revelatory foundation of the prophets
and apostles. Or the foundation laid by them. This foundation always being the very person
of Christ. His direction, His will,
wisdom, gifts, power.
q
The
article not before prophets shows that apostles and prophets are of the same
kind of people.
Hosea 12:13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
q
The Lord by a prophet causes the church to be
brought out of bondage.
q
The church is
furthermore guarded and kept
free by the prophetic ministry after being brought out of its bondage.
Until the prophetic ministry is fully welcomed in our churches it is impossible
for the Bride of Christ to be made spotless.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with
the washing of water by the RHEMA.
q
The
church will only be purified and made holy by the revelatory prophetic word of
God. The rhema is what washes the bride
of Christ and heals and restores it.
The Prophet as a Spokesperson of God’s Voice, Will, Ways
and Timing
Numbers 3:16 And Moses numbered them according (at) to the word (Heb: mouth) of the LORD, as he was commanded.
Numbers 3:39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron
numbered at the commandment
(Heb:
mouth) of the LORD, throughout
their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two
thousand.
q It is important to understand the prophet is not only a
foreteller of future events, but is the Lord’s faithful spokesperson to declare
that which comes forth from the mouth of the Lord. Prophecy is the accurate declaring forth of what the Lord Jesus
speaks within a person’s spirit. The
prophet must be very careful to declare without what the mouth of God speaks
within.
2 Samuel 16:23 And the counsel of
Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at
the oracle of God:
so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
1 Kings 6:16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of
the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built
them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the most holy place.
1 Kings 6:19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set
there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
q
The
oracle of the Lord in the Old Testament was sometimes used to
describe the Holy of Holies, or the most inner room of God’s temple where the
Ark of the Covenant resided. The Ark of
the Covenant is symbolic of the very presence of the Lord, revealing His very
essence, and thus testifying to or giving witness of the Lord upon the earth. This is why it is also called the Ark of
Testimony.
q
The word oracle
in the Hebrew comes from the Hebrew root for “word;”. The phrase “the word of
the Lord” uses this very same grammatical formation.
q In the New Testament an
oracle is a concise and brief prophetic utterance.
q
Hence when the
prophet speaks the “word of the Lord,” he or she are declaring forth the
oracle, or the testimony of the Lord, and manifesting the presence of the Lord
through the spoken word with as much accuracy as is found in God’s presence in
the Holy of Holies.
q
The closer in
accuracy, intent, and God’s emphasis in the original rhema word, the more that
the prophecy will act as the oracle of the Lord that will bring forth the
testimony of the Lord into a church, and thus define His will, His ways,
direction, and timing for that congregation.
q
This is why again I say that it is crucial
that prophets and prophecy be reinstated and honored in our churches.
Acts 7:38
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel
which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the
lively oracles to give unto us:
1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak,
let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of
the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
If any one
speaks let him speak what the Spirit of God is giving him or her. (In other words, we should be discerning at
all time what the Spirit would have us speak and minister to everyone that we
come in contact with.
Numbers 22:35 And the angel of the LORD
said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak( Piel verb form ) unto thee, that
thou shalt speak(
Piel verb form). So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
q
There must always be three
dimensions to every prophecy. First
every prophecy must be given without in the accuracy of the rhema word
that is discerned within one’s spirit. One good rule in giving a prophecy is to
speak only what one sees or hears; no more and no less. Many a time the Lord will reveal something
in our spirits that we cannot understand.
Our responsibility is to speak out as faithfully as we see it. The Lord will then give us clarity in the
situation.
q Secondly, is the dimension of discerning the intent
of the Lord’s heart in the word given to us.
q Thirdly, the prophet must give the word with the same intensity
or emphasis, which the Lord gave it to him or her. Sometimes, the prophet is to give the word
with great compassion and gentleness, other times there is the tone of
admonishment or warning behind the voice of the Lord. Practice makes perfect. In Numbers twenty-two and thirty-five we
see the Hebrew Piel verb tense being used twice in the same verse. The Piel
verb form is used in what the Lord gives to the prophet, and likewise in what
the prophet speaks out. The Piel verb form illustrates intensity and emphasis. One Hebrew grammarian defines it as busying
ourselves with a certain action. The prophet consumes him or herself with the
spoken word of the Lord and is responsible to speak out that word with the same
intensity of emphasis in which it was given to them. We shall see more of this in our study.
Hos 12:10 And I have spoken( Hebrew: Piel verb) by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets.
q
Here we find the same
Hebrew “piel” verb form describing
intense and emphatic action. As we said
before, it means to busy or consume ourselves with a certain activity.” Thus, this verse tells us that the spoken
voice of God is best heard and understood through the prophetic ministry.
The Greatness of the Prophet Is To Restrict His or
Her Life to the Rhema Word of God.
Num 22:18 And Balaam answered and said unto the
servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I
cannot go beyond ( pass over or cross over to the other side
of; like crossing over a river ) the word ( Hebrew: the mouth) of the
LORD my God, to do less or
more.(to do the insignificant or what is great.)
19 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
35
And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but
only the word that I shall
speak( Piel
verb form ) unto thee, that thou shalt speak( Piel: The Hebrew verb showing intensity verb
form). So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
q The prophet must speak forth in the accuracy of, the intent
of God’s heart, and with the same degree of intensity of what the Lord Himself
speaks.
q
We have
previously studied that true faith is not our faith, but the faith of the Lord
Jesus Christ living within us. God’s faith always resides within His rhema
word. This is because God’s faith is
needed to cause His rhema word to come to pass. When we prophesy according to
the proportion of faith we are prophesying in accordance to the rhema word of
God. In proportion to the measure of the clarity of the rhema word as we
discern it, will be the proportion of the anointing behind the prophecy. This
is why we must learn to hear the voice of the Lord as accurately as possible. Obedience, faith, and holiness are the keys.
Let us look at two essentials of limiting our lives to the rhema word of God.
q
Romans
4:12 And the father of circumcision to
them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk(Greek: march as a soldier ) in the steps ( footprints) of that
faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
q q We are commanded to march (in Romans four and twelve,) as soldiers whose duty is to keep in line with the footprints made by the type of faith that our father Abraham had. If we do so, God will make us spiritual fathers and mothers of the multitude of things that pertain to His kingdom. The reason why we are spiritual fathers and mothers of so little is because we do not allow God to strip us down to the point where we hope and live out of His rhema word alone.
Gal 5:25 If
we live in ( Instrumental (By)) in the
Spirit, let us also walk
(Greek word which
is defined as “marching in the footsteps of a soldier”) in (Instrumental (By))
the Spirit.
·
Greek paraphrase) (It is a
given that we should be living our lives not in the present day world system,
but in the domain, influence, and sovereignty of the world of the Holy Spirit. Because
we are being continually affected and influenced by the Spirit, in that
influence and effect we must march in step as soldiers so that the Spirit’s
influence can go on, deepen, intensify, and continue interrupted.
q Thirdly, is the dimension of discerning the
intent of the Lord’s heart in the word given to us. Thirdly, the
prophet must give the word with the same intensity or emphasis,
which the Lord gave it to him or her.
Sometimes, the prophet is to give the word with great compassion and
gentleness, other times there is the tone of admonishment or warning behind the
voice of the Lord. Practice makes
perfect. In Numbers twenty-two and thirty-five we see the Hebrew Piel verb
tense being used twice in the same verse. The Piel verb form is used in what
the Lord gives to the prophet, and likewise in what the prophet speaks out. The
Piel verb form illustrates intensity and emphasis. One Hebrew grammarian defines it as busying ourselves with a
certain action. The prophet consumes him or herself with the spoken word of the
Lord and is responsible to speak out that word with the same intensity of
emphasis in which it was given to them.
We shall see more of this in our study.
38
And Balaam said
unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power(dunamis) at all(dunamis)
to say (intensive) any thing? the word that God putteth in my
mouth, that shall I speak ( intensive verb).
q Hebrew: The only power that I have, is the power to speak the word of God. The word that God puts in my mouth I must speak as accurately and as emphatically as when God gave it to me.
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add ( you shall not cause an addition or an exaggeration to what the Lord has spoken) unto the
word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish( subtract, withdraw, or to hold
back) ought from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
1Sam 3:19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
q The Lord did not allow any of Samuel’s words to fail or not to come to pass.
q
The Lord did not allow the words
of Samuel to fail, not because He was under any obligation to please Samuel,
but because Samuel had a great discernment and obedience to the words of the
Lord. If Samuel had been discerning the
voice of the Lord incorrectly or not at all, his words would have failed. God would have not honored them. The Lord
per se was not concerned about Samuel but about the accuracy of His word
working through Samuel.
1 Sam 9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of
God, and he is an honourable
man;
( Hebrew: Glory or glorious: The Hebrew word also means to be weighty and heavy with honor and
glory. In this case Samuel is heavy and
weighty in the Spirit of God; he discloses the invisible God and makes Him to
become visible through all of his prophecies.
This is the definition of glory or glorifying the Lord.
6 all that he saith cometh surely to pass:( Hebrew: All that he says will come to pass, surely
comes to pass) now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our
way that we should go.
2 Sam 24:11 For when David was
up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s
seer, saying,
q The freedom of the flow of the word of the
Lord must always come to the prophet.
He or she must be a pure vessel so that the flow of the God’s word
always comes to them
Jer
23:28 The prophet that hath a dream,
let him tell (recount, rehearse and declare the dream
with the accuracy, the intention of God’s heart, as well same emphasis that God
had in His telling of it. Hebrew
emphatic verb)) a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak (As accurately
and thoroughly as God gave it to him or her; emphatic verb)
my word faithfully(reliably
and with certainty).
Dan
5:12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, pre-eminent,
surpassing, extreme, extraordinary and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting (Explain) of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences(Declaration
of enigmas and riddles), and dissolving of doubts
( Solution to difficult and complicated problems; all BY the
Instrumentality of Spirit of God, were found in the same Daniel, whom the
king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the
interpretation.
· An excellent spirit – Excessive, abundant,
preeminent, and surpassing. (The
requirement to move in the deep riches of God.)
·
Lit; “ interpreting
dreams, explanations of mysteries, and dissolving knots
1 Sam 10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of
God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when
thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets
coming down from the high
place
(Spiritual places of worship in the Lord) with a psaltery ,(guitar) and a tabret,(tambourine) and a pipe(flute), and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: (
they are prophesying)
q
The verb “shall
prophecy” is in the Hebrew reflexive mood. Simply this mean that the prophets were
prophesying by their own capabilities and actions.
·
Psaltery; harp, guitar, lute
·
Tabret tambourine
·
Pipe flute
·
Harp harp
·
Reflexive participle:
Prophecy
6
And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy
with them, and shalt be
turned into
another man.
The Spirit of God seized Saul
who came in contact with the band of prophets and caused him to become
associated with them as the musical instruments brought them into an ecstatic
state.
1 Sam 9:18 ¶ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is.
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am
the seer: go up before me unto the high place (The spiritual places of worship before the Lord) for ye
shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee(Declare:
q Causative verb; the presence of the Lord in the high
places of worship caused the Word of the Lord to come forth from
Samuel) all that is in thine
heart.
1 Chronicles 25:1 ¶
Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the
sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy(were prophesying)
with harps, with psalteries(guitars),
and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen( men or persons in general,
involved in their respective occupations according to their ministry)according
to their service
(religious ministry) was:
The Requirement of Faith in Prophecy
Heb 11:1 ¶ Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
q Substance is also the foundation or title
deed
q The proof or the full assurance of the
“coming” affairs that make up life though yet not seen with the physical eyes.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed (equipped) by the rhema word
of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do
appear.
Greek: The worlds
were framed by the rhema word of God, so that the things that we presently see
with our eyes were made out of things that cannot be seen by the eye. In other words, God always creates what is
physically evident to us, out of things which are physically invisible, through
the rhema word. This is the title deed
of the rhema word.
q
The word “framed” is
the same word used for the mending of the fishing nets by the apostle
Peter. It is also defined as the full
equipping towards the successful carrying out of a mission. The “framing” of the United States
armed forces in the Persian Gulf Crisis tells us that they were furnished with
the quality and quantity of armaments, food, gear, and clothing that were
needed to furnish them a total victory.
6 But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
·
Apart from faith there is no dunamis power to please God.
7 By faith Noah, being
warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to
the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir
of the righteousness which is by faith.
·
Being
divinely instructed and admonished concerning the things that he could not see
with human the human eyes
·
“The things
yet not seen” was what was well known to Noah, or what had a three dimensional
substance to him. The physical world
acquired no reality or became simply two-dimensional.
8 By faith Abraham, when he
was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
·
He was
called was in the
present tense or as when God gives to us a word.
·
He
obeyed- Greek: “a military submission to hearing”
·
He
went out; As we go
out likewise to prophesy the word of God.
·
Not
knowing: ‘Having
nothing which was set and standing before him. He had no acquaintance with what God had called him to do.
11 Through faith also Sara
herself received strength
to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful
who had promised.
·
Received
dunamis power to lay down a foundation of seed (Greek: “spermatos”)
·
Considered,
deemed and accounted
27 By faith he forsook Egypt,
not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is
invisible.
Discernment is given to
discern spirits but never to decide between faith and unbelief.
Romans 4:17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a
father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth
the dead (corpses),
and calleth those things which be not as though they were.(the things not existing as existing)
·
q Greek translation and also my own paraphrase; Abraham once and for all, (aorist tense) believed God. Who is the God whom he believed in?
q Abraham believed in the God whose nature is to continuously give life to the dead i.e. (Greek; Circumstances which are so dead that they are corpse like).
q He is also the God who continuously calls the things which are not, as if they are. (The word “as” is a very interesting word. It means in the same manner as, or having the same content).
q This tells us that the nature of our God is to call forth the things, which are still not physically in existence as having the same reality and essence of things, which are in existence. This is one of the facets of faith!
q
Think of it; Abraham’s faith in
God was so great, that out of corpse like circumstances, and out of things,
which in reality do not exist, God made Abraham into a father of many nations
and millions of people. This is called the faith of Abraham. Most believers today, especially in the
United States, know little about this measure of faith, which in reality is the normal operation of faith. Because our comfort and security levels are too high, our faith is
dysfunctional.
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Greek: Abraham, with
all hope gone, believed on a foundation made out of hope, that he might become
the father of many nations, in relation to the rhema word which was
spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead ( now in a permanent state of a corpse) , when he was about an hundred
years old, neither yet the deadness ( the corpse-likeness) of Sara’s womb:
Romans
4:12 And the father of circumcision to
them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk(Greek: march as a soldier ) in the steps ( footprints) of that
faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
q We are commanded to march (in Romans four and twelve,) as soldiers whose duty is to keep in line with the footprints made by the type of faith that our father Abraham had. If we do so, God will make us spiritual fathers and mothers of the multitude of things that pertain to His kingdom. The reason why we are spiritual fathers and mothers of so little is because we do not allow God to strip us down to the point where we hope and live out of His rhema word alone.
Gal 5:25 If
we live in ( Instrumental (By)) in the
Spirit, let us also walk
(Greek word which
is defined as “marching in the footsteps of a soldier”) in (Instrumental (By))
the Spirit.
Greek paraphrase) (It is a
given that we should be living our lives not in the present day world system,
but in the domain, influence, and sovereignty of the world of the Holy Spirit. Because
we are being continually affected and influenced by the Spirit, in that
influence and effect we must march in step as soldiers so that the Spirit’s
influence can go on, deepen, intensify, and continue interrupted.
Numb 24:3 And he took up his
parable, and said) to say, speak,
utter, Balaam the son
of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
· Balam has his outer senses closed so that he could have his
inner senses opened. The outer perception is closed to the world so that the
inner one could be opened.
· Whose (spiritual) eyes are unclosed has
uttered prophetically as and oracle of God through the unclosed condition of
his spiritual eyes.
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God
(The rhematic sayings
of God), which saw the vision of the Almighty(Shadday)
TWOT-2333);, falling (to fall
prostrate, prostrate oneself before) into a trance, but having
his eyes open:
·
Falling down by the power of
God
· Hebrew translation; He has uttered forth prophetically as he is
hearing the “rhematic discourse “of God. This being the result of seeing
visions of God, which have given him revelations to speak forth prophetically.
These visions came while in a trance, where his spiritual eyes were made naked.
·
Our spiritual
eyes must be made naked and unclosed if we are to truly minister in the Spirit.
Numb 24:3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath
said, and the man whose eyes
are open hath said:
·
( Septuagint)3 And he took up his parable and said, Balaam son of Beor says, the
man who sees truly says, The man who
discerns with accurateness and according to fact.
4
he
says who hears the oracle(
Who is hearing the
rhematic discourse of God) of the Mighty One, who saw a vision of God( Who saw the vision of God with
discernment) in sleep; his eyes were opened:( uncovered as in “apocalypses”
spiritual revelation)
Nu 24:4 He hath said, which heard
the words of God, which saw
the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
·
Septuagint:
Who discerned the vision of God while in the realm of sleep, his eyes being
uncovered. (Spiritual
eyes.)
·
The
Septuagint tells us that in Balaam’s physical eyes being asleep caused his
spiritual eyes to be opened. To the
proportion that we close our natural sensory perceptions as we submerge
ourselves into the world of the Holy Spirit is to the proportion that our
spiritual sensory perceptions will be opened.
·
Please
observe with me the Hebrew exegesis of the same verses, as follows.
Acts 3:18 But those things, which
God before had shewed by
( THROUGH;
SIGNIFYING AN AGENT OR MEDIUM) the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ
should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must
receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by( THROUGH; SIGNIFYING AN
AGENT OR MEDIUM) the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began.
q
Prophecy
takes faith and action on the prophet. They are required to step out in faith
with the rhema word. Not doing so is
disobedience.
q We are God’s medium, or vessel of
transmission, through which His voice flows from the invisible world of His
kingdom to the visible world that we live in.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the
light of men.
·
His life is the light of people.
5 ¶ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
·
And this light continually shines in the
darkness. Please note that it
does not say that the light produced by the life of Jesus illuminate
the darkness of this world. It
says that the light continues to shine in this darkness.
·
“To shine
is” the natural function of light. When the darkness of rebellious humanity is
so thick, the life of Jesus will not always illuminate it, but it will never
stop it from shining. This is what it
means that the darkness comprehend it not. “To
comprehend” is a faulty translation.
·
Also the
light shining in darkness is the continual flow of God’s rhematic discourse
within us. There is a continual shining of God’s voice within us in a way that
we can see it and minister with it if we do it by faith.
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ.
·
God speaks
out of from a source that is rooted in the darkness of our spirits.
·
The light
that God shone within our hearts is bring forth the progressive knowledge of
His glory ( that we must acquire and walk in by faith as we obey the light
of Hid voice)
2 Cor 4:18 While we look not at the
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
q
We
contemplate and put our attention from moment to moment on what we cannot see
with the physical eyes. For what is seen with our physical eyes have a
short-lived and seasonal effect. What
is seen in the Spirit however has an impact that lasts forever.
1 Cor 13:12 For now we see
through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then
shall I know even as also I am known.
·
Greek :For we spiritually see or glance through
a mirror in enigmas.
·
“In the
Spirit we see and prophesy what is puzzling, ambiguous or inexplicable.” We step out in faith as accurately as
possible and speak these very words.
The revelation or understanding many times comes as we prophesy.
Psalms 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
q
I will speak
to you as a prophet in enigmas.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
·
For in Jesus Christ only obedience
to God by faith produces the strength of God that can display His power. This type faith however is only activated in
a way that makes it operational when it is done in love. Faith through love has the energizing power
that produces God’s inner strength for miracles.
Heb 4:3 For we which have believed
do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall
enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the
world.
·
All
of the works of God have already come into being.
1 Cor 13:2 And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing.
·
Perfect
intuitive knowledge to prophecy out
of God’s mouth; progressive knowledge to prophesy by the word of knowledge, and
faith in every situation in which you prophesy by both of these two modes, to
see the fulfillment of prophecy as miracles.
·
Please
look with me at the following verses that encourage us to open our mouth in
faith, as God will fill it.
Prophetic Ministry
Ezekeil 3:1 ¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou
findest; eat this roll, and go
speak
unto the house of Israel.
q He said God spoke to me rhematically
q Eat Consume and devour
q Roll: “Writing.” Here it is the
writing furnished by God’s Spirit.
q Findest: What I show you from moment to moment in
the Spirit devour it, and then minister it through my words with the same
intention and intensity that I show it to you.
2
So
I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
q God, Himself, revealed and gave the desire
to consume His word so that then the prophet could minister it as led by the
Lord in obedience.
3
And
he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with
this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey
for sweetness.
q God commands us to be filled in abundance
with the flow of His rhema word, ”as a writing” which is furnished by the flow
of God’s river.
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found, and
I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart:
for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
o God’s word came up in Jeremiah’s spirit
and when he knew what they were, he consumed them in order to accomplish God’s
ministry in obedience,
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the
grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the
proportion of faith;
7
Or ministry, let us wait
on our ministering: or he that teacheth,
on teaching;
q
Greek: Ministry in the sphere of (our) ministry (Ministry
must be executed in the realm of the ministry to which we have been called to;
no more and no less. This is what Paul
means by Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering. In other words let us minister only in
the ministries that God has called us to.
“Walk in your calling” is a very important commandment. Part of our
maturing, as Christians is the change that the Lord makes in our lives to get
us out of the key to ministry is to “walk only in the two or three things that
God has called us to do.” Being busy
for the Lord in a host of Christian activities will produce spiritual burnout. Likewise, the onset of spiritual burnout is
a sure sign that we are not walking in our callings.
Acts 21:9 And the same man had four daughters,
virgins, which did prophesy.(were continuously prophesying)( Greek
verb; present participle)
One who is
called into the prophetic ministry should never be content to give one or two
prophecies, but should endeavor to have the prophetic gift continuously flow
out of him of her for the benefit of others.
Cor 14:6 ¶ Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what
shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by
knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
q
I come to
fellowship with you in utterance by the instrumentality of a revelation.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Greek: What is
it brethren? Whenever the time may be
that you assemble yourselves, each of you a psalm (hymns; a means of putting OT
psalms to music) has, a teaching has, a tongue has, a revelation has, an
interpretation has. All things for
building up let it be done.
q
Notice
the body ministry of the early church versus our present “models” which have a
few people ministering.
1 Cor 14 :1 ¶ Follow ( persecute) after
charity, and desire(
have a godly jealousy for) spiritual
gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet( be
jealous) to
prophesy, and forbid not
(do not hinder or
withhold) to speak with tongues.
I Cor 14:3
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification(the building up of the body of Christ), and exhortation,( encouragement , admonition, and
warning) and comfort( to persuade, arouse and stimulate
into Christian action)
26 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
q
Greek: If anyone speak with a tongue let it be in two (sentences) or at the most
in three (sentences) done in succession, and one interpret.
27 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
q The person is commanded to keep silent and speak to him or herself
and to God if there is no one that can interpret.
1 Corinthians 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let
the other judge. (Discern)
q Two or three prophets can prophecy in succession and the
rest of the church must discern the spirit of the prophets. Many churches to
day have totally closed down the gift of prophecy, but the Word of God teaches
us otherwise.
32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
q
Greek: And the spirits of the
prophets are in continuous military subjection to the prophets.
q
We must never be scared of false
prophecy. If it is false, it is our responsibility to discern it but never to
quench.
· To
glance in the Spirit, not particularly with understanding, at what the
Father does within us, gives us the ability to externally minister with
identicalness to the Father. This is
because ministry is initiated by faith without understanding. Much ministry can be initiated with a
spiritual glancing at what the Father does within us to allow us to minister it
externally with identicalness. Please
look with me at the following verse.
John 5:9Then answered Jesus
and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of
himself, but what he seeth
(To habitually glance at what the Father does in the Spirit. This is not discernment with
understanding) the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these
also doeth the Son likewise. ( Greek word
“homos” )
·
Glancing in the Spirit to
what the Father does, gives us that momentary instinctive knowledge, which on
many occasions, is enough for us to step out in faith and do with identicalness
what we have acquired instinctively in our spirits.
·
Our right to do so is based on the fact that we have an equal
inner spiritual nature to that of the Father, giving us identity with Him in
our outward actions. We are responsible
to work with identicalness to what we see on the Spirit. This is what the term “homos”
means.
·
Sometimes however, prophecy,
and probably with more of the type, which involve visions, and of more detailed
and intricate ministry, requires more than a simple glancing in the
Spirit. It requires spiritual vision
with discernment, and understanding.
John 8:38 ¶ I speak
(INSTRUMENTALITY: to utter and express prophetically (not the content of the speech)) that which I (What
I) have seen
( To see with a spiritual discernment which causes me to understand)
with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
·
Compare with John 3:11 below.
John
3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know (We utter prophetically what we know
instinctively in the Spirit in one moments time, and not as needing the
acquisition of knowledge in the continuum of time), and testify ( but
however bear acquired knowledge as with a prophetic vision)
that we have seen (only
when we see with discernment and understanding); and ye receive not our
witness.
John
5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto ( My Father never ceases working in
the Spirit) and I work.(and
I work externally, using exactly the same procedures and in exactly the same
manner in which I see instinctively the Father working within me.)
·
For us to know by instinct, in one moment
of time, what the Father speaks in us (without understanding what He is
saying, and without having to get the whole message of what the Father wants to
say first) is what we need to begin to open up our mouths and speak
prophetically.
John
3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know (We utter prophetically what we know
instinctively in the Spirit in one moments time, and not as needing the
acquisition of knowledge in the continuum of time), and testify ( but
however can only bear testimony as with a prophetic vision)
that we have seen (only
when we see with discernment and understanding); and ye receive not our
witness.
·
Simple prophecy does not require our
understanding, but an instinctive knowing in our spirits of what the Father is
doing.
·
However, in order to bear witness, as in
seeing and explaining a detailed prophetic vision (in a sequence of pictures or details),
we need to see in the Spirit with discernment and not just as a simple
glancing.
·
Hearing the voice of the
Spirit allows us to administer the kingdom step by step alongside the
“continuum in time” of what we are hearing.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father, which hath sent me.
· “Judging”, in the verse above is the administration of God’s kingdom in the Spirit.
Romans 12:6 Having then
gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy,
let us prophesy according
to the proportion(Greek “corresponding to the word)
of faith;(belonging to
faith)
·
Prophecy is faith in one of its
manifestation, this manifestation being in the “the word belonging to faith,
or which is produced in the spirit as an expression of faith.
·
Faith, which produces a rehma word, is the
FAITH OF GOD working in us. The rehma
word is a translation of God’s faith into a medium that we can discern, minister
externally, and understand. When we minister the rehma word we are ministering
the faith that God Himself has.
·
Prophecy is God’s faith in the verbal expression of His rehma
word. Therefore, prophecy is faith, and
must be given by faith.
·
Prophecy therefore does not require our
understanding, but a simple instinctive knowing of the “corresponding word”
(proportion of faith), which God by His faith, or God’s faith, produced in us.
·
To the proportion that we hear or see the
word is to the proportion that we prophesy.
·
Degrees of ministry in the Spirit
1
John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our
hands have handled, of
the Word of life;
·
Heard,
·
Seen with discernment,
·
Behold as a movie in a theater,
·
Felt,
touched, and handled of the “Word of The Life” or the word which when
ministered contains God’s “kind of life” and the operations of that life
within it, to make the ministry operational.
1 King 22:10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each
on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of
the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
·
Hitpael- the
reflexive expresses the visible side or the action of the prophets
·
12 And all the prophets
prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall
deliver it into the king’s hand.
The passive tense is the
giving of the oracle as the Lord brings it as the prophet is passive in his or
her acting. Look at the next verse.
1Sam 3:21
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
q
Hebrew: Yahweh uncovered or
disclosed Himself to Samuel through His word.
q
The word discloses the Lord
to the world as it is faithfully spoken forth by the prophet.
q
The apostle and the prophet
uncover or disclose the hidden Lord Jesus dwelling in the form of mystery to
the church. As He is disclosed, the
church can then participate or fellowship in to what the Lord Jesus has
purposed and called forth corporately and individually. The more revelation, the more participation
into the Lord by the church, and by individual believers.
·