This week we are going to continue with the subject of prophets and their calling, preparation and training. This is a very important aspect of the function of a prophet and it is a very hard thing to go through. A person does not decide to become a prophet, there are no clubs or schools one can join or attend, no monthly dues. God calls someone Himself and to Himself and the training can vary from person to person, from what situation God may use him in, what the social situations are that he is sending him into and so on. There are no courses or curriculums, but once called, the training can take years. They must be led into the “wilderness” where they will be purged and cleansed, until, after all their human strength is gone, they are made strong as metal and is ready to be used in their Makers service.  They must hold people to the Word of the Lord. They will have little honor in this life and at times, won’t be able to explain why they do what they do. Things in their life will go wrong so that the Lord can break them of their own self-confidence and ability. Humiliation and the crushing of pride will reveal their individual smallness and inability before God. A test is a success only if it fails sometimes so that they learn that they cannot succeed on their own ability alone. Whatever shows them the inner rottenness of their core takes away any confidence in the flesh. Their training undercuts all their hidden and false motivations. Name any area of natural success like  communication, intelligence, marriage, friendships, employment and so on. If the Lord hasn’t already smashed them, He will. When humiliation is complete, He moves on. In other words, life will be the teacher.

      How do we recognize a budding prophet? First of all, the Lord can call someone at any age. Jeremiah and John the Baptist were called before they were born while Abraham and Moses were called later in life. Many times, their lives will have tragic events that would break some people, but the Lord sustains them and teaches them. Sometimes these events can be very humiliating and other people around them will not understand why they happened. The budding prophet will have dreams and visions from the Lord and will share these with people. Some will think it’s their imaginations and brush them aside as a nuisance, but those with spiritual discernment will immediately recognize these as signs of a developing prophet. They must learn how to hear God in dreams and visions, mind-flashes, colors and open and dark speech, circumstances, the still small voice and all the other ways the Lord speaks. They will also be burden-bearers and have a keen sense of justice. Some will be teachers and have distinctive gifts that will enable them to do the work of a prophet. These should also be looked for. They must know the word of God in letter and in spirit. Their training will take years and they must renounce whatever has formed them, cutting the apron strings and any carnal hold on them. They also must learn not only what to say, but how to say it.

      Next week we will continue and talk about the function of a prophet, how do they operate and what they actually do.  After seeing these basic facets, then we will go into the Old and New Testament prophets and look at how they functioned and some of the differences.  Then we will briefly look into how prophets will function in the last days and Biblical prophecy.

Q. There are many today who claim to be prophets. Could you explain what a prophet is and how can you tell the real ones from the false?

A. This is a very important question, especially in the last days when the Scriptures warn us that there will be many false prophets. I’m going to give a detailed answer and describe who and what a biblical prophet is. This will take several weeks but I want you and other readers to have it for yourself so you can keep a copy handy to go over from time to time. This week we will start with the definition and purpose of a prophet. Next we will look at their function and what do they do and how they serve the believer and a congregation. After that we will discuss their calling, preparation, training and the distinguishing marks of one being called into this function. Then we will talk about the Old and New Testament prophets and their similarities and differences, the tests of a true prophet from the false. And lastly, how do the prophets fit today and how they relate to biblical prophecy and the coming of the Messiah. All of these areas will overlap somewhat

The word “prophet” in Hebrew is “navi” and it means a spokesman. The word does not describe who he is but what he does. He is to hear a word from the Lord and to speak exactly what the Lord tells him and to whoever God sends him to. The Word can come in the many different ways God speaks to man and this has been discussed in previous articles. There were Old Testament prophets and there are New Testament prophets. The main function of a prophet is to be an interpreter of the word. Deut 13.1-5 says that what he says and teaches should be in line with the Scriptures or what God has clearly said. Isa 8.20 says that the people should check out what people say according the Law and the Testimony, which is another way of saying the prophets. Yeshua came not to destroy the Law, or misinterpret it, but to fulfill it, which literally means to interpret it correctly. The Bereans in the Book of Acts checked out everything the Apostle Paul taught by the Scriptures and they were considered more noble than the rest. So, the function of a prophet is to interpret the Word of the Lord and then to speak and teach it to whoever God sends them to. Now, there is a difference between and watchman and a shepherd.  When one had a flock of sheep, some served as watchmen and others shepherds. The watchmen usually were perched high above the shepherd fields, alone, and they looked for danger. If they saw danger coming, they warned the shepherds. The shepherds then protected their sheep. The watchmen did not deal with the sheep directly because the sheep did not know their voice. The sheep follow their shepherd. In the spiritual realm it’s the same way. The prophets are often warned by the Lord or advised by Him concerning something and they were often times sent to the kings, leaders or shepherds for the word to be disseminated among the people because the sheep know the shepherds voice and trust him (Amos 3.6-8). Yeshua did this also but many times appealed to the people directly because He said many times that they were “sheep without shepherds.”  So a prophet is called by God, it is not  something you inherited like the function of a priest or a king. It is not something you can desire to be, it is entirely up to the Lord who His prophets are. A prophet in many ways is an “enabler” because he ,too, has fallen.  They are servants of the Lord, first of all, and they are to speak and interpret  the Word that they hear. So, his main purpose is more “forth-telling” than “foretelling” although the Lord may have him give a word concerning future events. They see the vision and listen and speak for God (Exo 7.1). They admonish, reprove, warn, direct and intercede to prevent or soften events. They teach through direct interpretation or parables. The prophet Samuel had a school for the Prophets. They are counselors and are ahead in the vision. They will be hidden ,for the most part, and they may stand a little apart from others. They are like an iceberg where they are seen in part but there is more to them than meets the eye, and they have depth. Next week we will pick up with the function of a prophet.

Q.There are several places in the Bible where the word "forever" is used but the verse is clear that it wasn't forever. Why is that and can you clarify what "forever" means?

A. The word "forever" is the Hebrew "olam" and it seems to mean indefinitely with reference to the nature of the thing being described. If the nature is God, then olam is truly eternal. If the nature of man is being referenced then it means as long as he lives. If the nature of what is being talked about is relationships, then it is as long as the conditions upon which the relationship is based still hold true. When those conditions change, the relationship ends. So, forever has several meanings depending on what is being referenced. For example God's nature is "forever" because that is who He is. God may call someone to do something "forever" but of course when he dies, that is over. Also, like a marriage, the intent is to stay together "forever", meaning a lifetime, unless the conditions in the relationship change (Deut 24.1-4). Another example will be the ages found in the Scriptures like the "olam hazeh" which means "this world" or "this present age." Olam is used but it won't be like this forever. Another age is called the "olam haba" or the "world to come." Again, forever is used but it won't be the world to come forever because it will change after 1000 years. So, olam does not means "philosophic eternity" but it is relative to some base. Olam does not always, in every case, mean "continuously in force" throughout infinite time no matter what happens to the world nor does it mean "irreversible" or something that cannot end if He wants it to, if conditions change (1 Sam 2.30).