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).

Q. In Revelation 13.3 it says that the Beast will suffer a mortal head wound. Does this mean that the Antichrist will be assassinated and come back to life?

A. No, this has symbolic meaning so let me explain. The Book of Revelation is full of symbolic language and the symbols used can be found throughout Scripture. In Revelation 13.1, John sees a beast arising out of the sea. The sea is symbolic of the unconverted “sea” of humanity (Isa 57.20). In Jewish writings of the 1^st century this creature was known as Leviathan and he is also symbolic of the false messiah. Look up Leviathan in the Jewish Encyclopedia or Google it and there will be much information on it. This creature has seven heads. In Revelation 17. 9 these 7 heads are 7 mountains, and mountains in Scripture were symbolic of world kingdoms (Dan 2.25, Matt 16.18, Gen 49.24, Matt 21,44, Isa 2.2)). These kingdoms are Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and then Revived Rome. In Revelation 17.10 it says “five have fallen” by the time Revelation was written and that would be the first five just mentioned, one is and that’s Rome and the other has yet to come, Revived Rome. It says that when it comes it must remain a short while, which is the 7 years of the Tribulation. Now, in Revelation it says “he” but the kingdom is always personified by the king. The king was the kingdom. Now, back to Revelation 13.3. It says that “one” of the seven heads (plural) was slain. That means that Rome “fell” but this wound was healed. That simply means that Rome will be “revived” temporarily for 7 years. In other words, certain nations have arisen and have held dominion over Israel and all of God’s people. The wounded head was Rome and being “healed” is referring to the fact that Rome will be “revived” in the last days and the geographical area that will make up this last kingdom will be the same area that was part of the old Roman Empire. It will be primarily 10 nations, just like the Roman Empire was made up of 10 divisions as it fell apart. The 10 toes of the image in Daniel 2 reflect not only the Roman Empire as it fell apart, but are also symbolic of the 10 divisions of Revived Rome. So, this “beast” is symbolic in Revelation 13. It had seven heads that ruled over Israel, and 10 horns that are the same as the 10 toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s image. The “head” that was slain is Rome, and it being “healed’ refers the fact that 10 nations or areas that were a part of the old Roman Empire will make be aligned together in what is referred to as “revived Rome” with the false messiah as the head. It is not the literal “head” of the false messiah that is slain but one of the 7 “heads” (mountains, kingdoms=Revelation17.9) that once ruled over Israel, and that would be Rome.

This week we will conclude this short series on spiritual warfare with what to do after a victory. Wars have been lost because a victory was not handled correctly, and this can happen in spiritual warfare as well. The “poison fruit” of victory can stunt our progress. Japan won a battle at Pearl Harbor but it also had much to do with why they were defeated in WW II. Israel had some very early victories against Rome in the Jewish revolt of 70 AD but those same victories contributed to their ultimate defeat. When victory is in sight, don’t stop and “smell the roses” or enjoy the spoils before it’s time. You must keep on till the battle is over. Pharaoh Necho stopped too soon at Megiddo because his men started pillaging and this gave the enemy time to escape and it took an extra year to finally defeat them. The Union army at Gettysburg had the perfect opportunity to rout the confederate army after Pickett’s charge, but didn’t and the war dragged on. In defeating the enemy, render him useless or incapable of fighting back. David won a victory and captured many chariot horses (1Chr 18). So, he kept what he needed and hamstrung the horses so that they could not be used against him again. How do we do this? Don’t get involved with the same people again that have caused us much damage, don’t answer their calls and go into business with them and avoid the situations that led to the “battle” with them to begin with. In the spoils, don’t take more than can be handled. Keep only the useful things. When fighting a battle and God gives unexpected victories and rewards, don’t refuse them, but accept them gratefully. Israel got control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in the 6-day war of 1967, but gave the Temple Mount back to the enemy and that decision has caused and will cause much damage.

When God intervenes, you don’t have to worry about carrying out vengeance. When Assyria attacked Israel in Isa 36 and 37, God intervenes and defeats Sennacarib. Humiliated at the sudden demise of 185,000 men, Sennacarib goes back home and is eventually murdered. Israel didn’t have to do a thing. It’s the same way spiritually. When God delivers us from someone, we don’t have to carry out personal vengeance against them, if it needs to be done the Lord will do it. Remember Sennacarib! Another important thing to remember is “don’t keep fighting the battle.” When it’s over, it’s over. Rehashing the battle leads to bitterness, anger and resentment, but, don’t ever think the battle is over in a victory either, expect it to get “hotter.” Why? Because you just improved your weapons and the enemy will counter. Also, God will allow the enemy to hit you because of pride. In 2 Cor 12.1-10 it says that Paul was given many great revelations but the Lord allowed him to be buffeted by his enemies to keep him from exalting himself. Some think the “thorn in the flesh” was some physical ailment but it wasn’t. Paul had a job to do for the Lord and he needed to be physically able to do it. But, a “thorn in the flesh” is a Hebrew idiom meaning an adversary, to falsely accuse, abuse or slander you. In Judges 2.3 it says because Israel had made covenants with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, they (the inhabitants) were now going to be “thorns in your sides, (or flesh).” In Num 33.55 it says that if Israel doesn’t drive out these inhabitants they will be “pricks in your eyes and thorns in your flesh.” In Ezekiel 2.6 the Lord tells Ezekiel not to fear the people or their words though they be as “thorns and thistles” to you . So, Paul’s thorn in the flesh was the accusations of the people against him who slandered and falsely accused him of things, stirring up crowds against him. This was to prevent pride in Paul, as he says himself (2 Cor 12.7). If we get “hit” and lose, we need to assess the reasons why and adjust, building our walls and defenses stronger than before. After a victory, rebuild your walls and develop your weapons (Isa 61.4, 58.12). We must also stay balanced through study of the Scriptures, receiving wisdom, being refined and prayer. As you can see, there are many aspects of spiritual warfare. We looked at definitions and basic warfare truths. We then looked at the Captain and who He is. Then, we discussed wise preparations and what psychological warfare was. Next we looked at what to do when on the attack and what to do when attacked. And lastly, we have just looked at what to do after a victory. What we have gone over the past few weeks is just an introduction to spiritual warfare. To develop all this out would take over a year but hopefully you have received enough to help you in this all important area of biblical spiritual warfare.

Spiritual warfare study continued......

This week we are going to continue our study of spiritual warfare and briefly discuss what to do when under attack. The enemy will try to penetrate you and there several ways this can be done. We already discussed what our “walls” are and the enemy will try and come over your wall. This is when he thinks he has you defeated and you will be overwhelmed by an attack. Secondly, he will also try and come through your walls by a constant pounding, being harassed and it doesn’t let up. Third, he may try and come under your walls. This is when the enemy tries to undermine you by imperceptible methods, trying to “tunnel” his way into your defenses by “digging” into your life trying to find a weakness he can exploit. If that doesn’t work he will try to get through your gates. Your gates are your senses and he will try to use your perceptions to control you. Last, deception is always a good tactic, a spiritual “Trojan horse” if you will. They will try to be your friend and get close to you. Then, in time, their real agenda will be unleashed and you won’t know what hit you. Accusations, falsehoods, friends turning on you will reveal the sad truth that you have let the enemy inside your walls, too close to you, and unless you get control real fast much damage will be done.

When under attack, the goal of the enemy is to keep from doing a work for the Lord. Just do it and don’t be distracted. Speed up and don’t slow down. An excellent example of this is the Book of Nehemiah. He is building the walls of Jerusalem and was under attack constantly, but he kept on working, even with one hand on a weapon and the other with a tool. This is where we study harder, pray and take action even when under attack. Keep up a steady pace, stay on schedule and keep on standing. Do the things that the enemy is trying to keep you from doing. But, don’t be stiff and formal, use “formulas or act like the next guy. Israel was disobedient in 2 Sam 4.1-22 and thought that if they carried the Ark into battle, God would give them the victory. It was like “magic” and sometimes people have a desire to do the same thing. They wave a bible, or wear crosses or stars of David thinking it protects them. In other words, don’t replace the Scriptures with anything else. When attacked, pray because that is your source of strength and have an attitude that you won’t back down. Do something like knowing your attacker, his strategy, strength and plans. Also what weapons he will use. Know your foundation and why the battle is being fought. Don’t be a “crusader.” Study, learn, pray and move when God tells you. Your devices of protection should not be a hindrance to you, streamline your “armor. During the Crusades, the Crusaders had so much armor on that the heat of the Middle east was bad enough but the Moslems would set fires, raising the temperature even higher and the Crusaders suffered heat exhaustion and heat strokes and literally fell off their horses. Don’t ignore the minor things when battling major attacks (Ladders at the back gate while there are battering rams at the front gate). During a battle, find a place to rest. You can’t fight, fight, fight without any rest. Cool it for awhile. Don’t talk about the battle all the time because it drains you and you can’t hear from the Lord. Spiritual battles don’t need to be centered in reason and don’t be surprised when those closest to you join in the battle against you. On the other hand, the enemy can’t sustain a battle against you forever either. Hang tough and keep going. Use whatever means you can to hold on. Wait and be confident. Also, be flexible and know when to “pull” back. During a battle you must protect your water source, which is the Word of God. If you are well protected, don’t let the enemy “draw” you out from behind your walls. An example of this is where one is really learning the Scriptures and is on fire, Then, they move away because of a job offer or they leave the congregation because they are “led of the Lord” when they really haven’t heard. They will soon be “cut off” from the “good city” from others and from their studies. How do you know when God speaks? First, does it line up with the scriptures. Second, if it is accompanied by a sign that you ask for. Here’s how NOT to put out a fleece. “I want to do…….. and if you want me to do it then give me….”
and name the sign. Here’s how to do it. God speaks to you and you are not sure. You want to confirm it, and it is then that you send out your sign. “If you are speaking to me about this, then……(name the sign). Many fleece their own thoughts. If the Lord is in it, He is not ashamed to confirm it.

The enemy will try to “thin you out” by having too many irons in the fire. He will try and draw you away from your “home base” which is where you are learning and are fed. You are then in his territory. What do you do when you haven’t heard from the Lord? You wait, study, grow and learn. How does God speak? You can hear His voice directly. Messengers, prophets, teachers, donkeys, unbelievers can be used to speak to you. Circumstances or the Scriptures are common also. There is His still, small voice or dreams, visions, mind flashes which are called “open speech.” Then there are puns and parables which are called “dark speech.” God is not limited on how he can speak and we must know that he does and believe that he will speak to us.

Next week we will go over what to do after a victory.

In spiritual warfare there will be times when we need to be on the offensive.

In spiritual warfare there will be times when we need to be on the offensive. Many people think that believers should be passive, turning the other cheek, and we should at times, but there are other times when we are to be aggressive and moving forward and “the gates of hell will not stand” indicates we are on the offensive. The key thing is to know the difference and to hear from the Lord on what to do. So, when and how to attack will be discussed in this article. Pulling down strongholds is a dangerous job and you must always count the cost before you engage. Many believers quote this verse about warfare but few realize what it is, so let’s look at that for a moment. As always, these concepts in warfare can all be applied to our spiritual warfare and how we fight our battles on an everyday basis. To pull down an enemy’s strong hold means we are going to have to get close to his defenses, up close to their “walls” and try to loosen the stones or dig under their walls to destroy their foundation so the wall will come down. This is dangerous and casualties will be high. The people who do this are called “sappers” and there are several things that are needed if you are going to do this. To be a sapper, you must be properly trained for this particular job and have the appropriate tools. Many get into “battles” and don’t know what they are talking about and get hurt. Then, you need a covering from other people and are fighting with you. This involves shields, barriers and protection from the enemy above who are trying to keep you away from their walls. They are going to throw everything they can at you. Secondly, you are going to have to know what you are doing and do it fast. Third, you are going to have to “look up” constantly and be aware of what’s coming at you. Lastly, you must know your limits and capabilities and also to know when to retreat (back-off). This type of battle is when you have to get close and personal with an opponent. You are going to have to attack his foundation and defenses and try to get him to “come out” from behind his walls. This can get very uncomfortable for both and there can be some rough moments. They will throw everything against you, and you will get hurt, no question about it, so this type of attack should be entered into with caution. When David wanted to kill Uriah the Hittite he gave orders for Joab to place him close to the walls of the city. Joab did, and Uriah got killed. Now, if it’s dangerous to attack the outer defenses, it will be even more dangerous to attack the “citadel.” This is where the enemy inside the wall falls back to for a last line of defense. The superior forces are usually concentrated there. This means we may get through someone’s outer defenses but they will fall back to old habits, arguments, logic that has worked for them for years and you will have to deal with their best reasoning.

What if you are in the open field and not close to the walls of your enemy. Well, we must attack the lesser enemy first before you take on the stronger (Joab and Abshai did this against the Ammonites and Syrians). We must take the cautious road, not the fastest and we must cutoff the outside “reinforcements” and then go for the main target. Pharoah Shishak cut off Sukkot, a major defense in Israel, before he attacked Jerusalem. Even when attacking we must always have a defensive position in case of a counter-attack. Julius Caesar attacked a city called Alesia in Gaul and set a siege mound around the city. He then built a second wall outside of that in case he was attacked from the outside, and he was. As a result, he defeated an enemy that was positioned defensively and offensively against him at the same time. In our spiritual warfare we should be fighting to defend the Lord and His Word, not fighting for God to defend you. David fought Goliath for the sake of God’s honor. We tend to get into our own battles then ask God to bail us out. When choosing when to engage, ask yourself is this for the honor of God or are you just defending yourself against personal attacks. If it’s the latter, just let it go in most cases. When your strategy is gaining minimum results with maximum effort, a change in strategy is needed. In a battle, you could lose or have major problems by being distracted or giving up too soon. We must be consistent in our walk. If the enemy has the high ground, don’t attack him. To move the enemy off the high ground you must give him something he knows he can take. Joshua did this at AI by drawing the enemy outside of the city, then a second group attacked the weakened defenses inside the city.

These are just a few things to keep in mind when attacking. Next week, we will deal with what to do when under attack.