Now we are all prophets

Then he said to me "Prophesy…" So I prophesied as he commanded me. Ezekiel 37:9-10

After studying the role of the prophets in the Old Testament, one of our Bible study group members asked "What about today? Are there still prophets today?"

It's a good question, and we discussed it at length. Some would point to Hebrews 1:1-2 to argue that prophecy ceased with the end of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ. Others would argue that prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Cor 12:10 and some people are especially gifted for this role. Certainly the New Testament mentions specific people such as Agabus as prophets.

But the New Testament also speaks of every Christian being called to prophesy (eg 1 Cor 14:5). The Old Testament prophets were anointed with the Holy Spirit to speak God's word into a specific situation and call people back to the covenant made at Sinai. As Christians living under the New Covenant, we all have the Holy Spirit and we all have the word of God in scripture. So we could be said to be prophesying when, prompted by the Spirit, we remind one another of that word in order to exhort and encourage one another in our daily circumstances.

That doesn't mean racking our brain or searching our Bibles for an appropriate word for every occasion. But we should be obedient to the Holy Spirit's leading and be ready to include God's word in our conversation and our prayers as he brings it to mind. "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets" (Num 11:29)

Image: Author: Ian W Scott / photo on flickr