The Voice of the Prophets
In looking at Old Testament prophets more closely (beyond the narrow category of prediction), it is clear that their message was most often calling the people back to proper worship of God. But much of that task was done in the context of the community, the nation, of Israel. That meant that much of the criticism of the prophets was leveled at religious leaders (which included what we would call "political" leaders of their day) for their failure to be spiritual leaders. It was also aimed at the powerful, most often also the religious leaders, who used their power and influence for selfish or sinful purposes. The prophets were a balance to the unrestrained power of the monarchy and the aristocracy (1 Sam 8:11-17).
All this says that Old Testament prophets served two complementary roles in Israel. They spoke for God to the people, calling the people to respond faithfully to the God who had revealed Himself in their history. But they also spoke for the weak, the oppressed, the disenfranchised, those who had little voice in shaping their own lives or their own future. Even in that role, they were still speaking for God, because their tradition remembered that once they were slaves in Egypt with no voice in their own future until God entered history and delivered them. Such oppression of the helpless by the powerful was understood to be a violation of the most fundamental part of God's revelation of Himself, that He is the kind of God who hears the cries of oppressed slaves and responds with grace and deliverance.
So the prophets stood as a counter voice to those who would allow the allure of power, ambition, and self-serving self-righteousness to blind them rather than to the things of God: doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. They were, in the best sense of the term, "counter-culture" Israelites. As Walt Brueggemann writes (The Prophetic Imagination), they called the people to live in an alternate reality not governed by the rules of power and success of man. They called them rather to live out Torah as a faithful response to God. They called the people to abandon the status quo shaped by those who benefited from it the most, to embrace a new future shaped, empowered, and energized by God.
So, as Abraham Heschel writes, the prophets always sang one octave too high. They were empowered by a vision of how things could be, a future in which the people and their leaders would live out their calling to be the people of God as a channel of blessing to the world. And the prophets had the courage to call into question any preoccupation with the status quo on any level that interfered with that future. As a result, they were often in trouble with those who stood to lose the most if the status quo were changed and their "could be" future became a reality.
In another context, this same idea was embodied in Jesus as he talked about the first becoming last and the last becoming first, and as He spoke and lived the idea that true leaders were servants who washed others' feet. In fact, this "alternative reality" is the heart of the "Kingdom of God" in the New Testament. The Kingdom of God that is to come upon the earth.
There are other issues related to what makes an Old Testament prophet, such as their calling by God. However, because of the cultural aspects of the Old Testament, there are no more prophets (in their manner) in the strict sense of the word. That was a uniquely historical phenomenon that cannot be duplicated now because history has changed. But the prophetic concern with these prophets were their faithful response to God, especially as it plays out in issues of power, authority, and control, becomes the basis for talking about a modern prophetic voice, one who speaks prophetically today to the nations of the earth.
The issues that called forth the prophetic messages of the Old Testament are very contemporary issues for today. There are still David’s around, who, even though they may be good leaders and people of God at times, sometimes use their power in horribly destructive ways to achieve their own ambitious or selfish ends with God’s view presented before men. There are still leaders like Ahab who are so blind themselves to the things of idolatry before God that they are willing to build altars to whatever gods they think are the most powerful in order to extend their ambition and control. There are still Jeroboams who are more concerned with wealth, success, and empires than they are with the suffering their ambition causes for others. There are still Herod's caught between their own delusions of grandeur and even more powerful political forces, who are willing to sacrifice whomever is necessary to secure their own comfort and survival. There are still Pharisees who are so sure that their way is God's way that they are easily willing to crucify anyone who poses a threat to the status quo of their version of the truth.
And so, I think, there needs to be people today, Christians today, who will dare to stand and speak the truth in love, who will dare to stand before the king and say, "You are the man!" Here it is easy, especially in more conservative traditions of Christianity to assent rather quickly to the idea that we should "take a stand" against all the sin in the world. We easily assume that the enemy is external, a force of evil that threatens to overcome all of us righteous people. There is a truth there. But it is not the whole truth. The voice that decries sin in the world is not necessary a prophetic voice today. It is simply a voice of truth for out hour of history!
A truly prophetic voice is one who has the courage, perhaps even in some sense the calling of God, to look around at the community of faith in its status quo and say, "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven." A prophetic voice is one who calls God's people to return to their calling as His people. A prophetic voice is one that will not settle for the status quo, not for the sake of stability, or security, or comfort, or even for the sake of conserving the tradition. A truly prophetic voice is a radical voice, a liberal voice that calls for change, even if that change is a return to a vital tradition long obscured by false piety and self-righteousness.
A prophetic voice will not gloss over injustice or oppression, will not be silent in the face of bigotry or prejudice or false pride, and will not compromise faithfulness for practical ends no matter how noble those ends may be in themselves. A truly prophetic voice is one that will sweep away all the trappings of religion and simply ask, "What does God require?” and answer simply, "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." Or simply "love God, love others." A prophetic voice is one that will settle for nothing less than holiness of heart and life as the result of faithful obedience to the voice of God. In a real sense, a prophetic voice even today is the voice of God. In our culture, and with our history, it is easy to claim the role of a prophet. But it is also easy to claim that role as its own form of ambition and power. It is perhaps too easy to claim to speak prophetically, but to do so with arrogance, anger, and bombast as the late David Koresh well demonstrated in leading his followers to fiery end in death. A truly prophetic voice speaks in love, not anger, even when it cries "Woe to you hypocrites!" Jeremiah spent 40 years of his prophetic ministry telling the people, sometimes in the harshest and coarsest language possible that they were sinners and were going to die. But he took no joy in that message. At the same time that he stood firm as the lone prophetic voice against the tyranny, injustice, and idolatry of God's people, he was weeping. He told them they were going to die for their sins, but he did so with tears in his eyes (Jeremiah 8:22-9:1)!
And Jesus on more than one occasion soundly denounced religious folk who could not envision anything beyond their own little world of truth. And yet, he stood overlooking the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, knowing that the very people over whom he was weeping had murder in their hearts.
Do we need prophetic voices today? Certainly so! Not everyone can be a prophetic voice. It's costly. Prophets often get thrown into cisterns and tried for treason… Or beheaded… Or crucified, or shot; as the Evangelist Oral Roberts stated, “the world do not like or care for ‘do gooder.’ It's just not a very popular position, so it takes a certain kind of person to be a prophetic voice. Prophetic voices just aren't the best of "team players." Our world and times do not like nor appreciates the voices of corrections in evil. Prophetic voices are often on the fringe of the crowds who flock to hear the latest "how to" speaker. They just don't fit in with polite conversation about the latest triviality, because they want to talk about much too serious topics. They are socially insensitive because they continually want to bring up topics no one else wants to talk about, and are often politely told that they should find a more appropriate forum, perhaps at that "other" church or place that really needs to hear it. Prophetic voices often see things that others do not see, and so are often embarrassments to their "family," which sometimes accuse them of being just a little mixed up.
How does one become a prophetic voice? It is a great quest to be answered. When one looks upon the Prophet, there are a variety of factors that cause him to be, but no one thing can often be said that made him. Sometimes life experiences can open our eyes to the injustice and prejudice around us. Sometimes the passion of others provides a model for that "alternate reality." Many times the written word of God may call us to see beyond where we are. Sometimes the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to a new vision of His work in the world. Sometimes it is a personality trait that is sensitive to certain things. Sometimes a deep commitment to the things of God leads to a spiritual growth that opens up new vistas. Sometimes, perhaps, God simply speaks to one to be a prophetic voice.
A false Prophet today
The late PFO director Bill Cetnar repeatedly declared, “Time is the enemy of a false prophet.” False prophets are plentiful today just as they were in the time of Jeremiah; whose words in Jeremiah 23:16 address those who “speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord.” False prophets of today, as in times past, elevate their own spirituality, seduce the undiscerning with a false sense of hope, and draw disciples to themselves rather than Christ. Yet, when the predictions of modern seers do not even come close to fulfillment they offer a number of excuses or rationalizations for the failures, leaving their prognostications nothing more than retractable doublespeak. Many contemporary prophets simply go on to a new scheme or revelation, forgetting or ignoring the previous ones as though they never uttered them. Few of these prophets offer a trace of repentance or apology following the failure of these “words from the Lord.”
When these modern false prophets do acknowledge their past predictions, they often reinterpret the prophecy to make it seem to fit current events or spiritualize it to some completely new meaning or understanding. Or the “prophet” may attempt to distance himself from his alleged divine utterance by claiming, “I am no prophet, I am a mere man and I do make mistakes.” I have heard prophets say to the people, if what I say is good, then well be it, if not and it doesn’t happen, please forget it!” Some false prophets off times sidestep the issue of their failed prophecies by saying they “predicted” rather than “prophesied” a certain matter to be a fact. False prophets, who find themselves cornered and unable to ignore, redefine or spiritualize their predictions, sometimes will resort to the Bible word of “Touch not the Lord’s anointed” and call us to keep silent rather than become heretic, calling their detractors quenchers of the Holy Spirit. Christians need to take a long hard look at Jeremiah’s words, “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams that you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name: I have not sent them, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:8-9). Jeremiah’s edict is very clear: If anyone claims to prophesy and then gives false prophecies, believers are to reject the prophet. If “prophecies” are found to be false, we know that God is not the author of the revelation of falsehood.
God, through Moses, gave a test to determine the source of a prophecy: “If the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing that the Lord has not spoken: the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22). God’s standard for prophets is “one strike and you’re out.” “God is never a loser in prophecy. God does not play with His Prophetic Word.”
America has many prophets, false and true
With the rising national debt, the financial collapse of America has become a staple in the prognostications of many a doomsday prophet. The decline in morals; it is not hard to imagine sometimes the source of these issues is the part of many present-day prophecies. Yet, any serious economist or historian of America and world history would disagree that our flight of stress can not be gross over as usual in man’s history in these times. It would be a great deception of the 21st century to ignore such facts before us, especially with the faces of the world’s scenes changing as our crises continues. To imply an American or world financial collapse occurring because America has no righteousness in the land is often the voice of modern prophets in America. America’s economic strength is not dependent upon her as a nation nor is it dependent upon her foreign allies. Rather, it must be said, that millions of Christian throughout the country in the last century and present have been the glue that have held things together and shall continue to hold it together until the day of the antichrist.
God gives actual promises “He has heard the voice of his saints and will look again on them in this nation and the world, even as He have looked on Israel long ago. God promised to restore in the land among His people during their prayers. God and His greatness will be magnified among His people.” America can often be brought into the exact parallel of Israel in terms of God’s dealings, Of course, we know God’s primary dealings are with individuals of “all nations” and the Church in general, the body of Christ. But, this nation America has been blessed under God’s rule over it, but it is not Israel in any real sense; needless to say, we are destine by God to inherit His favor if we obey and return to His will for us as a people and nation.
Earthquakes around the world warns us of God’s attention for us; the question of prophecy is, will God allow an earthquake to hit the west or east coast of America and destroy our beautiful cities and coastal areas? Should we worry about such a possible predictions of prophecy? Will this happen in a few more years from now and if God’s would so, will He give us a warning in time to escape. We know that such a specific warning could cause many of us as American to find a safe place and be safe from such an earthquakes or costal traumas. Can we now predict in actual order a discourse on world politics, especially in relationship to America and the nations of the earth? Will there be a leader arise in the west to challenge the leader predicted in the Bible to rise in the East? (Please refer to our book “On Borrowed Time, Volume One”). Can we predict a woman president that will be in the White House in this 21st century? And will that woman president plan to destroy the nations of the earth from America?” Will Europe rise as a western power and will it rule the nations and influence the world?” Is there a confederation of states emerging in Europe?
According to scriptures
A world dictator is coming on the scene. I speculate in the first volume of this text “On Borrowed Time”, possibly he may arise in the east. We are told from scripture, He will be a perfect incarnation of Satan. The bible teaches, this man will rule the world. His making for entrances into the world is now.
Remember Christ leaving the earth, standing with the disciples
“When our Lord stood on the mount, about to ascend to the right hand of the Father, His disciples, sensing His imminent departure, anxiously asked Him when He would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). Instead of indulging their end-times inquiry, He told them that it was of no concern to them when God had ordained such things to take place, only that they would take place. Far more important than probing the secret will of the Father was the obedience they were to render to His revealed Will (verse 7). In particular, He told them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (verse 8).”
“Doing Christ’s Will in the earth is the greatest quest and need for this time!”
