Prophecy

[JohnD]

It occurs to me that the term itself should be defined / debated / discussed.

What IS prophecy?

I gather most assume it is entirely PREDICTIVE prophecy.

Mysticism.

A kind of insight some people have over others (who don't have it).

Before I give the definition I have evidence of...

I wonder what ♥ Worthy Posters ♥ think / feel / believe / know prophecy is.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

[Isaacsname]

The Hebrew word for prophet comes from the Akkadian word for waters

Just by that cognate alone, one could have weeks of study 

[Guest In Him]

My 2 cents: am here to learn.

And his feet were in the form of the brass of Lebanon which is heated in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. Rev 1:15

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant and with thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; worship God;

for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 19:10
 

[Jostler]

The simplest "summary" of the gift of prophecy as I understand it might be expressed  as:

"a forth-telling of the mind of God in a given situation"

I believe it has more to do with simply being used to "speak out" the mind/will of God into human circumstance.

The idea it's foretelling the future generally comes from our ideas of what a prophecy  is being polluted by the likes of Nostradummy and psychics like Jeanne Dixon claimed to be

There is a gift of the Spirit that deals with the future...but  it's not prophecy...that one is the  Word of  Wisdom.   We can separate those out for the purposes of studying and understanding them but in practical situations often more than one is at work at a time.  And in such a way it's difficult to distinguish which is which while they're actually on display.

Edit to add:  understanding Rev 19:10 is a HUGE key to defining prophecy too as In Him just brought up

Edited March 29, 2019 by Jostler

[missmuffet]

On 3/27/2019 at 6:46 AM, JohnD said:

It occurs to me that the term itself should be defined / debated / discussed.

What IS prophecy?

I gather most assume it is entirely PREDICTIVE prophecy.

Mysticism.

A kind of insight some people have over others (who don't have it).

Before I give the definition I have evidence of...

I wonder what ♥ Worthy Posters ♥ think / feel / believe / know prophecy is.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

Prophecy is the study of things still to come. It is important. The book of Revelation has prophecy. 

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Edited March 29, 2019 by missmuffet

[JohnD]

Prophecy = to profess / one who professes is a professor /  prophet / prophesy

same root

It is the telling forth of something.

It can be about the future, the present, or the past.

It is NOT about the future only.

The prophecy / profession made is not so much about

the message itself as it is about the God who gives the message through his

professor / prophet.

The prophet / professor is ONLY a messenger (tool) in the hand of God.

Takes the focus off of the mystical fantasy mankind has made of the entire subject and

places it back on God where it belongs.

 

[JohnD]

The entire Bible is prophetic.

Not only in its foretelling of the future

but in its forth telling of the past and even the present.

2 Peter 1:20–21 (AV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

[JohnD]

The LORD Jesus came to Earth as a man and fulfilled the three offices of the ultimate Messiah:

Prophet

Priest

King

This is what got Saul in so much trouble as an under messiah.

He was already a King and a prophet. But when he transgressed and offered the sacrifices

when Samuel was running late, Saul took on the third office. This cost him his life.

Edited March 30, 2019 by JohnD

[turtletwo]

10 hours ago, In Him said:

for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 19:10

@In Him Thanks for sharing this. It helps whenever you can get a definition of prophecy straight from the scriptures. 

[turtletwo]

On 3/27/2019 at 8:46 AM, JohnD said:

I wonder what ♥ Worthy Posters ♥ think / feel / believe / know prophecy is.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

@JohnD  And thanks to you for posting this worthwhile topic... I have been reading with interest what my brothers and sisters had to say. Now I am about to read your posts that followed.

For myself, when I was young I thought it was only about God giving certain ones the ability to forsee the future (Example: Daniel) Then as I became an older Christian, the churches were telling me that prophecy means to prophesy or teach (the scriptures.) Like a pastor does in church. At this point in time, I am in the mindset of In Him. I want to learn and I am here to do so.