PROPHETS AND PROPHECIES
Are there prophets today? The Charismatics would say yes. They say God continues to speak to His people through His voice, His angels, through visions and dreams. They claim that God reveals to them in extra-biblical ways things that are yet to happen whether in the world, in the church, or in their personal lives. Question is: Does God still speak to His people in such extraordinary ways just like He did in the days of Moses and the Prophets, and in the days of Jesus Christ and His Apostles?
Another questionable view held by the Charismatics is that a prophecy today can be fallible. They say a prophecy from God can contain mistakes. An example of this they say is the prophecy of Agabus in Acts 21:8-14. Can a true prophet make a mistake in his predictions? Is it possible for a prophet to prophesy fallibly? If his prophecy is fallible, then is not God who gave him that prophecy fallible as well? Is God fallible? Can God make mistakes?
Meaning of Prophecy
Before we consider the prophecy of Agabus, let us understand what prophecy is. The word “prophecy” comes from the Greek word prophemi which literally means to speak before, to foretell, or to predict. This is basically what we find the prophets in both the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) doing— foretelling or predicting future events as revealed by God who knows all things, even things that have yet to happen.
The prophets were called servants of God and spokesmen of God (Jer 35:15). As such, it is impossible for a true prophet to make a false prophecy, or a mistaken prophecy, or a prophecy that will not come true. It is important to note that with their foretelling also came a forthtelling—a preaching against sin and a call for sinners to repent of their ways.
Many of the prophets wrote the Scriptures (eg Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others). The prophets spoke with divine authority—“Thus saith the LORD”. Many of the things they said became Scripture. Now the question we want to ask is this: Does God still send out such prophets that speak God’s Word with such authority, and can His people continue to expect prophecies from God with regard to future events?
Cessation of Prophecies
The biblical answer is no. There are no prophets today and no more prophecies today like those of the OT and NT. Why? It is vital to understand that the prophets and their prophecies flourished in a time when God’s Word (the Bible) was still in the process of being written and completed.
It is significant to note that after the OT was completed—all 39 books—the last being Malachi, there followed a lengthy period of silence where there were no prophets and no prophecies. This lasted for nearly 400 years until John the Baptiser came into the scene to herald the coming of the Messiah and inauguration of the NT. John the Baptiser came in the spirit of the prophet Elijah to announce the coming of the Messiah, the Apostles prophesied and wrote the NT, and to some NT church members the gift of prophecy was given (eg, Philip’s virgin daughters in Acts 21:9 and Agabus in verse 10).
Know that the NT was written in the first century. The Lord used His Apostles to write the 27 books of the NT. Once completed, prophecies would cease. How do we know this? Where in the Bible does it say that once the NT Scriptures are completed, prophecies shall cease for all time?
The answer is in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” Prophecies and knowledge through visions and dreams shall fail and vanish away; they shall be removed when “that which is perfect is come”. Question: What is this perfect thing? It is the Bible—the Canonical Scriptures (all 66 books). The revelatory gifts like prophecies, tongues, and knowledge through visions and dreams will all be taken away once the Bible is complete, once the last book of the NT is written, God will cease from speaking through such spectacular ways because the believers would now have the whole Bible—perfect, complete, totally sufficient and absolutely authoritative on all matters of Christian faith and life. No one is to add to it or subtract from it (Rev 22:19).
False Prophets Today
Now if that is the case, then how is it that today, we still find in the Church people who call themselves prophets and are prophesying in the name of Christ, saying they have a Word from the Lord, and saying, “Thus saith the LORD”?
In light of what the Bible says about the cessation of prophets and prophecies after the Canonical Scriptures are completed, there can be but one conclusion—the so-called prophets and prophecies today are false ones. Did not Jesus already warn, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matt 24:4-5), “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matt 24:11), “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt 24:24).
Many of such false prophets are found in the Charismatic churches today. Beware of them. Jesus already warned that all these false prophets who prophesy in His Name will be judged on that final day, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt 7:15-23).
Many lives are destroyed by these false prophets through their false prophecies. There have been cases of how a young man thinking he has received a prophecy from the Lord to marry a certain lady in the church. Not wanting to disobey or reject a “prophecy”, both got married only to divorce soon after. Did God make a mistake?
A Fallible Prophecy?
Owing to such cases of mistaken prophecies, Charismatics and New Calvinists are advocating that the prophecies that God gives today can be fallible and errant. Wayne Grudem, John Piper and Mark Driscoll are among those who propound such a view that prophecies from God can be fallible. One example cited as proof of this is Agabus in Acts 21:10-12. According to them, Agabus’ prophecy, “So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” (v11b) did not come true. They say there are mistakes in the prophecy. Alleged mistake #1: The Jews did not bind Paul but the Romans. Alleged mistake #2: The Jews did not deliver Paul to the Romans.
We do not believe Agabus’ prophecy was fallible or contains mistakes. We believe all prophecies that come from God are infallible and inerrant. The contentions of those who claim that Agabus gave a fallible or mistaken prophecy can be easily refuted by just one statement in verse 11, “Thus saith the Holy Ghost.” It must be noted that Agabus’ prophecy was not really Agabus’ but the Holy Spirit’s. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity. He is God, and God is infallible. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth—He does not lie (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13). Man makes mistakes but not God. Although penned by human beings, the Bible is God’s Word infallible and inerrant. Man was the pen, the instrument, but God was the Author, the Writer. Similarly, Agabus was the mouth but God was the Speaker— “Thus saith the Holy Ghost.”
The fulfilment text in Acts 21:27-36 tells us the prophecy was fulfilled precisely. As predicted, the Jews seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple intending to kill him (vv30-31), the Romans bound him with chains (v33), and when the Romans took him away, they shouted, “Away with him”. In Acts 28:17, Paul himself testified, “Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.”
Dear brethren, believe the Scriptures. Do not believe the many false prophets out there today who claim to speak in God’s name. Know that God never sent them. Heed God’s warning in Jeremiah 23:16, 21, 25, 26, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. … I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. … I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.”
Why False Prophets?
Why does God allow these false prophets to do what they do? It is to test us, whether we love Him or not. The Lord commands us, “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” (Deut 13:3-4). Did you pass the test? JK
