WHO IS A PROPHET
It is very imperative that everyone in these days and time come to terms with the prophetic office and one of the foundational knowledge is to know who a prophet is.
WHO IS A PROPHET?
A prophet is God's spokesman or mouthpiece. Ex. 7:1. A prophet is an interpreter of God's mind. In the New Testament, they are confirmers of what God has said to you. Acts 13:1-2. A prophet is a proclaimer of Divine messages; a preacher of righteousness. Acts 15:32, 1 Cor. 14:3.
One who speaks under Divine to inspiration to Foretell or Forth tell. Acts 3:21, Heb. 1:1, Acts 11:27-28, 21:10-11.
Under the Old Testament, there were those called PROPHETS and SEERS. The two of them have some similarities while they also differs in certain way.
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN SEERS AND PROPHETS
A. Both receive revelations from God. These revelations can be about the past, present or future.
B. Both can bring vision, guidance, direction and encouragement to people.
C. Both speak on God's behalf.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO
We should know that scripturally, the two word SEERS and PROPHETS are not synonymous. A clear difference is made between the two words in 1 Chro. 29:29
1Chr 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
Seer (Heb.: RAAH- to see, observe, perception in the sense of hearing.
Prophet (speak by inspiration,)
Even though many people functioned as a Seer in the O. T., it was only 9 people that were called Seers. They are Samuel, Gad 1Chro. 29:29, Zadok 2 Sam15:27, Hanani (Grandson of Samuel 2 Sam. 15:27), Iddo 2Chro9:29, Amos Amos7:12, Asaph 2Chro29:30, Jeduthum 2Chro 35:15, Herman 1Chro 25:5. These people were governmental/marketplace oriented, Worship Leaders and formal priesthood.
The two words were formerly separated but in the days of Samuel, the two words were brought into one.
1Sam. 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
But in the New Testament, there is no reference to the word 'Seer'.
HOW CAN I DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THEM?
A simple way is to watch out for the PROPHETIC PREFIX they use.
You see, a prophet speak by hearing God's Word bubbling up on his/her inside. It is like a SPIRITUAL EFFERVESCENCE- sudden inspiration to prophesy with little or no foreknowledge.
A Seer would often say 'The Lord showed me' or 'I saw'. A Seer receives words from God through Visions and Dreams more than audible words. Their prophecies will often be interpretation of pictures or inner visions they see.
A prophet speaks more from what he/she hear and/or know while A Seer speaks more from what he/she sees.
The implication of this is that THE GIFTS OF A WORD OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE FUNCTION MORE WITH A PROPHET IN UTTERANCE while THE GIFT OF DISCERNING OF SPIRIT FUNCTION MORE WITH A SEER.
NOTE:
The first concern of the prophet is not to give predictions but to speak God's Word to people, calling them into covenant faithfulness and order. It is noteworthy that most of the prophets even in the old testament didn't give personal prophecies to people. Most of them just spoke on God's behalf to call people into alignment with God, call them into repentance and so on. The serious drive to always give personal prophecies to people has opened many a good and Godly prophets to operate with familiar spirits. Many have become false prophets, many have entered into diabolical acts to activate their spiritual senses and also to get spiritual powers to make their predictions come to pass.
The serious craze and ungoverned appetite for the supernaturals have led believers (both ministers and non ministers) into error. In the same vane, the ungoverned appetite demonstrated by many believers in this country especially this year has pushed many into error. They suddenly feel they know more than their pastors, they suddenly discovered their pastors are wrong and have been feeding them with trash. The massive rebellion COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN STIRRED UP BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE WILL OF GOD IN THE EARTH- THE HOLY SPIRIT. Selah!
BACK TO OUR SUBJECT
Kenneth Hagin said that every Five Fold Ministers have a TEACHING MINISTRY. This is very true.
Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, the primary calling of prophets is TO PREACH OR TEACH THE WORD OF GOD.
Jesus stood in the Prophetic Office and He said concerning Himself in
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
So, prophets in this time can either be a PREACHER AND A TEACHER OR BE EITHER OF THIS.
Paul was both. 1 Tim. 2:7, 2 Tim. 1:11.
Let me stop here today. I will continue tomorrow to RANKS OF PROPHETS.
ACTIVATION
Pray that you will come into alignment with who prophets are. This will help you to function better and receive their ministry better.
Take time to also pray for those that are out of alignment in exercising this office that God will restore them in Jesus' name.
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