MODERN DAY PROPHETS - It is widely understood that prophesying does not necessarily mean predicting the future, but it can mean speaking with inspiration, as a sermon can be, when God genuinely inspires it. Godly instruction in Christian living would then be the essence of that prophesying, rather than a prediction for the future. We have the right to test, or prove out, the words given by modern day "believers" who claim to have some prophetic gift. If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and what he says DOES NOT COME TRUE, then it is not the Lord's message. A true servant, one directly inspired by God, makes unequivocal predictions that do happen! Jesus warned us, just before his death, that today there would be presumptuous people (false prophets or Christs) trying to deceive as many people as they possibly can.

..........................................................................................................................................................
Modern Day Prophets

Are there modern day prophets?

BibleStudy.org

Do modern day prophets exist? How can we tell whether they speak for God or not?

There are prophets that exist in our world, but not the kind that deserves our attention.

From the distant past to this very day the study of prophecy has piqued man's religious interests.

Scriptures that reference prophets are not always clear.

For example, in 1 Corinthians, we find the Apostle Paul discussing this topic in the midst of a discussion on speaking in tongues and other gifts.

“So when I come to you, my friends, what use will I be to you if I speak in strange tongues? Not a bit, unless I bring you . . . some inspired message (prophecy, Greek: propheteia) . . . Two or three who are given God's message (prophets, Greek: prophetes) should speak. . . So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message (prophesying, Greek: propheteuo) . . . (1 Corinthians 14:6, 29, 39)

“. . . prophets, he did not think highly of himself but humbly gave credit to God” (1 Corinthians 2:1, 4-5).

He addresses the subject of spiritual gifts, of which prophecy is just one of many others, in 1 Corinthians 12.

It is likely the most authoritative chapter on the matter of prophets and their prophecies in Scripture.

It is here that Paul makes the case that a prophetic gift is not the most important one to possess!

It is widely understood that prophesying does not necessarily mean predicting the future, but it can mean speaking with inspiration, as a sermon can be, when God genuinely inspires it.

Godly instruction in Christian living would then be the essence of that prophesying, rather than a prediction for the future.

In 1 Thessalonians Paul tells us to test things, especially those who say they are speaking like prophets (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

We have the right to test, or prove out, the words given by modern day "believers" who claim to have some prophetic gift.

What, however, should we test? What are we to look for to determine whether someone who claims they represent God really does?

Jesus told us one thing to test for when he stated the following.

“You will know them (false prophets) by what they do” ('by their fruits' in the NKJV and other translations - Matthew 7:15-16).

Which fruits or actions is Jesus talking about in regarding to spotting false prophets pretending to be from God?

In another place, God provides us with an exact definition of what to look for.

You may wonder how you can tell when a prophet's message does not come from the Lord.

If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and what he says DOES NOT COME TRUE, then it is not the Lord's message (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

A true servant, one directly inspired by God, makes unequivocal predictions that do happen!

Jesus warned us, just before his death, that today there would be presumptuous people (false prophets or Christs) trying to deceive as many people as they possibly can (Matthew 24:4-6, 23 - 25).

God has warned us about such modern liars! Will we heed the warning?

Do not believe us, or anyone else,
just because we or they say so.
BELIEVE YOUR BIBLE!

BibleStudy.org is an Christian outreach started in early 1996 by the site's webmaster who can be contacted by the below form. Bible study began as, and continues to be, an independent Bible-based service that is not operated by or affiliated with any corporate or religious entity. All of our content, offered free of charge, is made possible by financial gifts from visitors like you.

Bible study makes every effort to create content based on what Scripture teaches. Our independence allows us to make corrections to our content whenever God, and strong Biblical support, leads us to do so. Some of the beliefs supported by the site can be found in our article entitled "What are the Bible's basic teachings?"

Site Content

A wide variety of Bible translations, commentaries, lexicons, dictionaries, encyclopedias and other reference works are consulted in the production of site content.

Bible quotes are primarily taken from the Holy Bible in Its Original Order - A Faithful Version (HBFV) due to its integrity in translating the original language text. Other translations, however, such as the King James Version, New International Version, The Living Bible and several others are consulted and quoted where appropriate.

The site highly encourages its visitors to verify the truthfulness of its content through prayer and the word of God. Our simple motto is the following.

https://www.biblestudy.org/question/modern-day-prophets.html