Socio-Spiritual Meteorologists
In our times, the term ‘prophesy’ communicates ‘prediction’ and a prophet is one who tells you what happened to you in the past, present and most importantly what is going to happen to you in the future. Many people who have addressed themselves as prophets have attracted masses because naturally human being are superstitious in nature. Biblical prophecy however, seem to suggest otherwise; the prophets of the Old Testament were primarily not concerned with predicting the end times as they were concerned with analyzing the prevalent circumstances, choices and decisions of individuals, leaders and organized institutions.
Gordon fee and Douglas Stuart (How to read the Bible for all it worth, 2nd ed. P.166) write; “Less than 2 percent of Old Testament prophecy is messianic. Less than 5 percent specifically describes the new covenant age. Less than 1percent concerns the events yet to come”. When reading the prophets one must come to grips with the truth that the prophets were social critics and analysts. What is considered as a prediction by many readers was actually an analysis based on the behavior. The prophets analyzed Israel from a historical perspective and biased their conclusions on the socio-spiritual commitments of the nation to the specific deity known as Yahweh.
Biblical Prophets were not predictors that one would utilize in a gaming club. These men were weather men who based on human behavior with nature and environment projected seasons. Based on the existing covenant stipulations between Israelites and their God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68), the prophets prophesied both stormy and sunny days accordingly.
Channels of Divine Revelation
Prophets of Israel unlike the fortune-tellers of the surrounding heathen nations were not magicians neither with specific sorcery powers; but rather men filled with the spirit of Yahweh (ruach ha-kodesh-divine inspiration). Prophets with ruach ha-kodesh, had divine inspiration upon them and regardless of their dramatic and artistic behaviour, they were still in their senses. With the presence of ruach ha-kodesh on their lives, they received a new power that encouraged them either to take a specific action, speak wisdom, compose hymns, exhort their fellow men or discuss political or theological problems. All this was done while the one with ruach ha-kodesh was in full possession of his or her senses (Genesis 1:2; Exodus 31:3; 35:31; Job 32:8; Judges 11:29; 14:19; Isaiah 11:2; 32:15; 42:1; 44:3-4; 61:1). A prophet was not like a modern Pentecostal charismatic worshipper whom the ‘spirit’ comes upon with tongues and the individual cannot tell the meaning of the tongues.
Prophets did not become robotic in the time of revelation but in the process of their ministry the prophet’s intellect merges with the divine and transcends the normal powers of the intellect. They were not just the community intellectuals but men to whom was the revelation of God in line with the historical relationship of the nation of Israel and Yahweh (Deuteronomy 18:22). Sometimes these prophets acted weird and irrational to ensure they communicate the message of God (2kings 9:11; 1Samuel 19:24) but that did make them crazy.
It was the Prophets who put into perspective all the existing mythologies about the one true God and established him not just as the God of Israel but as the universal creator-God (Genesis 1-11).
Again, it is from the prophets that we understand the intentional involvement of this universal God into the affairs of humanity especially in line of the HUMAN MAJOR PROBLEM and ULTIMATE SOLUTION (Genesis 12-2Kings 25). The prophets were preachers and apologists of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel as a nation and always reminded the nation its obligatory side of the covenant. They warned the nation that failure to hold their end of the bargain would result into the exile (loss of Land, worship, Kingdom and freedom) but faithfulness to their end would maintain peace and growth.
The prophets however, emphasized that there was always hope even after failure and that hope was restoration. The prophets taught a two-stage restoration. They talked about a from time to time restoration where every time they are attacked the Lord would visit and restore them. This stage one restoration was supposed to be exhibited in the life of the nation of Israel not for other nations to worship the nation of Israel but to worship the God of Israel.
Prophets also anticipated and preached about an ultimate restoration. In this, they communicate that the people of God will be led by an invincible, glorious and righteous messianic Davidic King who will fulfill the Abrahamic promises both for Israel and for the nations (Genesis 1-12). At this point nations will enter into a new covenant, one without the Mosaic curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) and this new Covenant is expressed in: 2Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 9:1-7; 11:1-6; Jeremiah 31:31-34; 1Kings 3-8. This restoration will remain eternally since the restoration would have dealt with the ultimate problem of man which is sin.
God bless you I invoke TRUTH, REASON and FAITH (2Tim 2:7)
Priest Isaiah White (+256-793/775 822833 for further inquiries)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
@Think & Become
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 