Prophecy and the New Testament Church

Is prophecy relevant in the New Testament church? The answer to this question is determined by one factor only—and that is the answer to the next question: What is prophecy? There is a dispute in Christendom among those who believe that the prophetic voice is, and always will be relevant in today’s church, and those who believe that all prophecy ended with the Book of Revelation.

Based on the disputes surrounding the relevance of prophecy in today’s church, it is clear that one’s position on prophecy is determined by one’s understanding of what they believe prophecy to be. The intent of this article is to present scripture-based evidence that defines what prophecy actually is, and answer the question of the relevance of prophecy in the New Testament church.

This will be accomplished by looking at the relevance of prophecy in the Old Testament; the relevance of prophecy in the New Testament; and examining the role of prophecy in fulfilling the will of God.

However, before we get to that, we must address the argument that is commonly made by those who believe that prophecy ended with the printed words of scripture. They believe that any prophesies outside of the words of scripture are cursed. They use the following passages of scripture in Revelation 22:18-19 to support their belief:

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

There are several problems with applying these versus of scripture in this manner. First of all, some erroneously believe that John’s references to “this book” and “the book” in the preceding passages of scripture is referring to The Bible. It is not, because John did not have The Bible as we do today. The book that John is referring to is the book of Revelation. Secondly, John’s reference to “this prophecy” refers to the end-time predictions that he describes in the book of Revelation. Prophecy is much more than the foretelling of end-time events, as we will see in the remainder of this article. Therefore, Revelation 22:18-19 does not support the argument that prophecy ended with the written words of scriptures, and its use in this instance is out of context.

Now, let’s move on to the definition of prophecy. The word “prophecy” is used several different ways; and with different meanings in The Bible, King James Version (KJV) of the scriptures. However, the definition of the word “prophecy” that more closely fits the topic of this article is defined in Strong’s Concordance as G4394 and the transliteration prophēteia, which means prophecy or prophesying in the KJV (Blue Letter Bible). Prophecy at its most basic definition is “a message from God” (Got Questions).

The Blue Letter Bible describes the Outline of Biblical Usage for this definition of the word “prophecy” as follows:

I. Prophecy

1. A discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events

2. Used in the New Testament of the Utterance of OT Prophets

A. Of the prediction of events relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with the consolations and admonitions pertaining to it, the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due

B. Of the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophets

C. The gifts and utterances of these prophets, esp. of the predictions of the works of which, set apart to teach the gospel, will accomplish for the kingdom of Christ

We will use this outline along with supporting scriptures to get a clear picture of what prophecy actually is, and its relevance in the New Testament church.

REVELANCE OF PROPHECY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Prophecy Is A Discourse Emanating From Divine Inspiration

This part of the definition reveals a very important fact about prophecy. That is, all true prophecy is a result of divine inspiration from God. Peter writes, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.” (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

The first prophecy in the scriptures is recorded as follows: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). This scripture is often called the “protoevangelium” which means, the “first gospel” because it is the initial promise of a savior in the scriptures.

The “protoevangelium” foretells a continuous spiritual battle between humanity and evil. The offspring of the woman is interpreted as Jesus Christ, and the serpent represents sin. This prophecy foretells that the serpent (Satan) would strike the "heel" of the offspring, which refers to the crucifixion of Jesus, and the offspring would ultimately crush the serpent's "head," which refers to Christ's victory over sin and death through His resurrection.

Prophecy Declares The Purposes Of God

Another part of the definition of prophecy is that it reveals the purposes of God. For example, the prophecies of Isaiah provides details of how the coming Messiah would suffer and die to atone for the sins of humankind (Isa. 53). God also prophesies in the book of Isaiah that salvation would not be for only one nation, but that it would be a light that reaches the ends of the earth (Isa. 49:6). In addition, Daniel foretells of the rise and fall of earthly empires, which will culminate in an eternal kingdom established by God that will fill the earth and never be destroyed (Dan. 2:35, 44).

Prophecy Reproves And Admonishes

An important role of prophecy is reproving and admonishing the wicked. There were major Old Testament prophetic admonitions to the people of God. The Old Testament scriptures placed major emphasis on guiding the people of Isreal away from complacency, idolatry, and social injustice. For example, God used Noah as a "preacher of righteousness" to admonish a violent generation for over a century before sending the Flood (Genesis 6). Also, Jonah prophesied to Nineveh imminent destruction. However, because they heeded the admonition and fasted, God relented from the disaster (Jonah 3).

In addition, Jeremiah consistently admonished Jerusalem to turn from idolatry, and foretelling 70 years of Babylonian exile when they refused (Jer. 25). In Amos 4, God reminds his people of preliminary admonitions resulting in droughts, blights, and plagues, and God laments, "Yet you have not returned to Me" (Amos 4).

Prophecy Comforts The Afflicted

Another important role of prophecy is comforting the afflicted. God’s prophecies of restoration and joy comforted the afflicted. For example, Isaiah spoke a prophetic directive commanding: "Comfort, yes, comfort My people! says your God" (Isa. 40:1-2). This prophecy foretells the end of hardship and the pardoning of iniquity. Also, Isaiah foretells a messenger anointed to "bind up the brokenhearted" and "proclaim liberty to the captives" (Isa. 61:1-3).

This prophecy promises to replace sorrow with "beauty for ashes" and heavy spirits with the "garment of praise." In addition, God speaks to the "afflicted, tempest-tossed, and not comforted." In this prophecy, God promises to rebuild the foundation with precious jewels and guarantees that her children will be taught by the Lord, establishing them far from oppression and fear (Isa. 54:11-14).

There are also prophecies of divine promises of God’s sustaining presence. God makes a direct promise of strength to his people when he says, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Isa. 41:10). In the following prophecy, God’s empathy for the suffering of his people is revealed. "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them" (Isa. 63:9). In the New Testament, Jesus extends his comfort directly to the weary when he says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).

Prophecy Reveals Things Hidden And Foretells Future Events

Prophecy is also defined as revealing things hidden or the foretelling of future events. For example, the Messianic prophecies foretold the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also, the Old Testament contains numerous specific details written centuries before his life, which includes: his lineage of the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10, Isa. 11:1); his birthplace in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2); specific events surrounding his death (Psa. 22, Isa. 53); and his resurrection (Psa. 16:10).

There were also prophecies of historical and national events including predictions regarding the fates of specific cities and nations. For example, the prophet Ezekiel predicted that the island fortress of Tyre would be destroyed, its stones cast into the sea, and its site left as a bare rock for fishermen to spread nets (Eze. 26:4-5). Historians note this was fulfilled when Alexander the Great scraped the old ruins to build a causeway to conquer the island. In addition, Moses, Isaiah, and Jeremiah predicted the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the 70-year captivity, and the eventual return of the Jewish people to their land (Jer. 25:11, Isa. 11:11-13).

REVELANCE OF PROPHECY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

As stated previously, prophecy is also defined as the foretelling of future events. In the New Testament, emphasis is placed on the end times and Christ's return. New Testament prophecies focus on spiritual vigilance, the avoidance of deception, and readiness for final judgment. For example, Jesus prophesied global upheaval, false Christs, and moral decay, in warning his followers to "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming" (Matt. 24).

There are also apostolic warnings of apostasy. Paul gave prophetic warnings about the "perilous times" of the last days, admonishing believers to turn away from people who maintain a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Tim. 3). In addition, in the messages to the seven churches, the glorified Christ issues specific prophetic corrections to first-century churches, using the repeated warning: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Rev. 2-3).

The New Testament scriptures makes reference to the utterances of the Old Testament prophets’ predictions of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:10 says, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The Outline of Biblical Usage describes it this way: “the spirit of prophecy, the divine mind, to which the prophetic faculty is due.” (Blue Letter Bible).

Prophecy in the New Testament scriptures is also referred to as “the endowment and speech of the Christian teachers called prophets.” The Apostle Paul writes, “Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?” (1 Cor. 14:6). Regarding the gifts and utterances of these prophets, Paul admonishes believers not to reject prophesying, but test what is spoken. Paul writes, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:20-21).

Paul’s letter to Timothy makes reference to the predictions of the works that would be accomplished by Timothy, who was set apart to teach the gospel by the laying on of hands. Paul writes, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” (1 Tim. 4:14).

THE ROLE OF PROPHECY IN FULFILLING THE WILL OF GOD

God makes his will and purpose known to mankind through his Word. It is recorded in the book of Isaiah, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Is. 55:11).

God said to the people of Israel: “. . . man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” (Deut. 8:3). Jesus confirmed these words in Matthew 4:4, The Bible records, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

God placed ministry gifts in the New Testament church. Paul writes, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12). While differing roles are associated with each gifts (or offices) mentioned here, they all have one thing in common. The individuals filling each of these roles are messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and therefore prophecy is the foundational gift in each of these roles. This does not mean that prophecy is limited to leadership roles in the church. God will use whomever he chooses to declare his will. Remember, Revelation 19:10: “. . . the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Our knowledge of God should not be limited to the written words of scripture, because God does not limit his revelations to mankind to his written Word. The phrase "Word of God" used in scripture often does not refer to the written word, but instead to the spoken words of God, or those inspired by God to speak. Biblical history tells us that because the children of Israel rejected the Word of God from his prophets, God blinded their eyes to wisdom and understanding (Isa. 29:10). Christians today should be careful not to make that same mistake. If we reject the spoken words of God, or those inspired by God to speak, we could miss the will and purpose of God for our lives. The prophet Hosea writes, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . .” (Hos. 4:6).

CONCLUSION

As evidenced in The Bible, prophecy has always been a pivotal factor in God’s communication with humankind. What is prophecy? Prophecy is the means through which God declares his will and purpose; reproves and admonishes; comforts the afflicted; reveals things that are hidden; and foretells future events. Is prophecy relevant in the New Testament church? Absolutely. Prophecy is much more than relevant, but it is essential in accomplishing the work of the New Testament church, and the building of God’s kingdom.

If you would like to have a personal relationship with Jesus, you must be born-again according to Acts 2:38 which reads, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Please share your comments and questions in the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.



Diane Margo Penny is an author, bookkeeper, content creator, social media specialist, and Web Designer.

Works Cited:

All scripture references are taken from The Bible, King James Version unless noted otherwise.

The Holy Bible, King James Version. Giant Print Reference ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Publishers, 1990.

[BlueLetterBible.org]

[GotQuestions.org]

Image Citation:

mountain-6734029_1920. Mostafa Merai. [Pixabay.com.] Web. 15 June. 2026.