Continuing his series on prophecy, Edmund Heddle turns to the life and ministry of John the Baptist.

Great interest was excited throughout the land of Israel when after three hundred years of prophetic silence, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judah. He required the people to submit to a baptism of repentance in the River Jordan as the only right way to prepare for the imminent arrival of the Messiah (Luke 3:3).

This 'prophet of the Most High' (to use the description given him by his father Zechariah immediately after his birth and naming, see Luke 1:76) was to be the recipient of the highest accolade possible for a prophet to receive when, years later, Jesus declared "there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matt 11:11). Clearly, it is essential to include a consideration of John's prophetic ministry as we seek to understand 'What is a prophet?'

Contemporary Religious Outlook

The Jewish people, smarting under the Roman army of occupation, had been saved from complete despair by the messages of the great Hebrew prophets to which they listened in their synagogues Sabbath by Sabbath. Most of them wanted God's promise of deliverance to bring them a Messiah, a King of outstanding strength, who would rid them of their foreign overlords. However, there were a smaller number, sometimes styled the 'quiet in the land', who prayed continuously and looked expectantly for a righteous leader, a great prophet like Moses.

At a time when many nations are facing great political uncertainty with immorality, crime and violence apparently unstoppable; like Israel of old they need the prophetic warning that unless they repent disaster is inevitable, together with the persistent cry of the 'quiet' intercessors who prepare the Lord's way into their crisis situations.

At a time of such uncertainty, like Israel of old we need both prophetic warnings and the persistent cry of the 'quiet' intercessors who prepare God's way."

Similar Background

John and Jesus, who were cousins, both shared this latter background and were brought up among those who like Simeon "were waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25). There are intriguing parallels between the lives of these two. John and Jesus were born at nearly the same time, and in both cases their births were miraculous. They both had a long period of 'hidden years' before their public ministry, yet in total their lives were both short. At the commencement of their public ministry they knew tremendous popularity, but for both this later gave place to unmerciful hatred.

Finally both were killed by those who hated them and their righteousness. In each case only a handful of their disciples mourned their master's death and cared enough to carry their dead bodies away for burial. Today's prophets, like those of long ago, must be prepared to face rejection and suffering. Their demand for personal holiness and national righteousness is unlikely to improve their popularity rating.

Yet So Different

That there are striking similarities in the backgrounds and subsequent life experience of John and Jesus cannot be denied, and yet in other ways they were so different.

First, in their attitude to life. Jesus summed up their differences in his familiar words: "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners" (Matt 11:18-19).

Second, in their kind of ministry. Folk who were commending John's ministry nevertheless admitted "John never performed a miraculous sign" (John 10:41). Whereas, when John's disciples asked Jesus if he was the coming Messiah, he pointed to his miracles as evidence and told them to tell John: "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised", and that he should cease doubting that Jesus was the Messiah, even though their ministries were so different.

There are intriguing parallels between the life of Jesus and that of John the Baptist, but they also differed greatly in their attitude to life, their ministry and witness."

Third, in the duration of their witness. Jesus showed that John was "a lamp that burned and gave light" (John 5:35) and for a while they had enjoyed his light. As a lamp attracts moths so for a while did John attract the crowds and even Herod himself (Mark 6:20). John was just a lamp which had to be lit and fed with oil. Jesus however is the self-perpetuating light to which John came to bear witness (John 1:8-9). Prophets may differ in their interpretation of Scripture and in the lifestyle they choose to adopt, but they need to be careful that their opinions and actions do not colour or conceal the pure light of Christ shining through them.

Fundamental Difference

The basic difference between John and Jesus was one that John was ever eager to point out. Jesus was 'the coming one', the one whose coming the prophets had foretold. John's coming was also foretold in Scripture but he was never more than a herald, a messenger sent to prepare the way of the Lord (Isa 40:3; Matt 11:10).

John stated that he was not fit to carry Jesus' sandals (Matt 3:11) for God had made it clear to him that when the dove came down and remained on Jesus after his baptism, this indicated that Jesus was nothing less than the Son of God (John 1:32-34). John is forever the servant of, and is inferior to, the Lord Jesus.

Jesus went even further when he said that "he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than [John]" (Matt 11:11). Those who are in the Kingdom are brought nearer to God, have a clearer knowledge of God and have higher privileges than the greatest that were before Christ. So the prophets who prepare the way for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus have a greater and more glorious message than John could have imagined.

John and the Earlier Prophets

Jesus regarded John as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Matt 11:11). In what ways was he like them and did he differ from them? John the Baptist did not reproduce all the aspects to be seen in the Old Testament prophets. We have already seen that he did not perform any miracles to confirm his spoken word, neither do we have any record of his making public intercession for the nation.

Jesus regarded John the Baptist as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. John may not have performed miracles, but he was given the privilege of introducing the Saviour of mankind onto the public stage."

However, we hear him making strong ethical demands of his hearers and he reiterates the earlier prophets' demand for repentance. Unlike those who preceded him he was able to announce that God's promised visitation of his people was imminent. He stands alone in his use of baptism as an act of prophetic symbolism and is unique in his being able physically to introduce the Saviour of mankind on to the stage of his public ministry.

Jesus' Admiration of John

On the occasion when the deputation of John's disciples were leaving, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in king's palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written 'I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way before you'" (Matt 11:7-10).

John was not someone who would allow the winds of opposition to deter him from doing what he knew was right. Neither was he a pampered courtier fawning over the monarch. He was a man with a message and a man who had the courage to deliver that message. In fact this was how John came to spend the last part of his life in prison, because he had the courage to rebuke Herod the Tetrarch for taking his brother's wife (Matt 14:3-4).

John never allowed opposition to deter him from doing the right thing. He was a man with a message, the delivery of which required great courage and a strictly disciplined life."

Earlier John had given very clear and critical advice to tax collectors, soldiers and others who came to him seeking baptism (Luke 3:10-14). Even the religious leaders were made to face the need for a change of lifestyle before their professed repentance could be accepted. John likened them to the snakes that came scurrying out of their shelter in the grass and bushes when a desert fire broke out (Matt 3:7). It is a demanding role to declare what God requires of people both in secular and religious spheres of life, requiring not only considerable courage but also a strictly disciplined life.

Holy Violence

Jesus commended the single-minded determination he saw in John the Baptist and said that this was the attitude required of those who would seek to enter the kingdom. "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force" (Matt 11:12 RSV). The time had come to cast aside indifference and to maintain a holy resolution. Jesus' crusade for 'holy violence' was not a physical one, but a spiritual one: it required the death of formality in the quest for utter holiness.

John the Baptist's Problems

There were two temptations that John had to face. The first was when people began to turn away from John to join up with Jesus in considerable numbers, as their ministries proceeded side by side in Judea. One of John's lieutenants reported: "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan...well, he is baptising and everyone is going to him" (John 3:26). As happens so often, the truth was spiced up with a bit of exaggeration, but John refused the temptation as he replied: "A man can receive only what is given to him from heaven." He may have been tough, but he was certainly also gracious.

The greatest problem for John was being imprisoned by Herod. It must have been terrible for this man of the desert used to the wind blowing through his hair and able to freshen his sun-tanned face in the waters of the Jordan - he must have felt like a caged animal. In such circumstances John fell victim to doubt and depression (see Matt 11:2-6). Was this Jesus really the Messiah? Why wasn't he burning up the chaff? Why was he not demolishing all opposition to his kingdom? Jesus' reply warned him not to be offended at Jesus' very different approach (Matt 11:6).

It is important to remember that even John had doubts, and faced temptations. But his grasp of who Jesus was and what his ministry was about remained outstanding."

A Christ Centred Message

Apart from moments of self-questioning, John is outstanding for his grasp of who Jesus was and what his ministry was about. To John, Jesus is: the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Baptiser in Holy Spirit, the coming one who had arrived, the one who was before John and greater, the wielder of his winnowing fork, the axe-man aiming at the root of the tree, the one from above, the bridegroom, the one whose sandals John was unfit to untie or carry and supremely the one who comes from heaven and is 'above-all' (Matt 3:10-12; Mark 1:7; John 1:27-34; John 3:29-34)!

John the Baptist shows all today's prophets the right attitude to Jesus when he says: "He must become greater; I must become less!" (John 3:30).

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 2 No 6, November/December 1986.

Not all are prophets, but all are called to be prophetic witnesses...

It was just before he said goodbye to his disciples and ascended into heaven that Jesus commissioned them, when they had received the Holy Spirit, to be his witnesses (Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:4-8)

When his promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, Peter explained that what had happened to the disciples was a fulfilment of a prophecy of Joel and stated the result - adding his own four words – "and they shall prophesy" (Joel 2:28¬-29; Acts 2:16-18).

Putting these two statements together the conclusion that we reach is that all Christians are appointed by Jesus and are enabled by the Holy Spirit to be his 'prophetic witnesses' to the whole world in general, and to their own generation and locality in particular.

Not All Are Prophets

Christ's witnesses function as prophets do, but this does not mean that every believer is a prophet in the sense that Paul had in mind when he asked: "Are all prophets?" (1 Cor 12:29); the presumed answer to which is 'No!'. The ministry of the prophet, to which Paul referred, is an important one, second only to that of an apostle; but this is a ministry given only to some persons.

Not all Christians are called to the ministry of the prophet. But all are appointed by Jesus and enabled by the Holy Spirit to be his 'prophetic witnesses' to the outside world."

It is also necessary to distinguish that 'prophetic witness' which Jesus expects his disciples to maintain among a world of unbelievers from the manifestation of the gift of prophecy which Paul sought to encourage in the assembly of the Lord's people in Corinth (1 Cor 14:1, 5).

All God's People Witnesses

God's primary purpose in calling a people to be his own, in both Old Testament and New Testament times, is for them to be his witnesses. Paul told a company of idol worshippers in Lystra that God had not left himself without witness in that he had given them rain and fruitful seasons, but it is evident from the context that these people needed witnesses to show them that such essential blessings are the provision of a loving God (Acts 14:15-18).

In Isaiah's day, the people of God were reminded that they were his witnesses (Isa 43:10; 43:12, 44:8) with the responsibility of bearing witness to the fact that Jehovah is the living and true God as compared with all idols.

The Shema Witness

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord". These words repeated twice a day by orthodox Jews are called the Shema, from the Hebrew of the first word, meaning 'hear or listen'. In Jewish tradition, the last letter of the first word of the Shema and the last letter of the last word are printed in large type. These two letters are the letters of the Hebrew word 'witness'.

All believers are called to be witnesses: to listen to the living, speaking God and testify to his truth."

This statement which is part command, part creed and part covenant is an excellent summary of the witness Israel and the church today is called to sustain. The command is to listen, for God is a living God who speaks. The creed declares that he is one and besides him there is no other God. The covenant is implicit in his name Jehovah, who is the God who enters into covenant with his people.

New Testament Witness

By the time Jesus sent out his witnesses into all the world there was an additional piece of information to be added to the Old Testament witness: the God of glory had sent his Son to die for the sins of the whole world and had raised him from the dead. The essential aspect of New Testament witness is the fact of the resurrection (Acts 1:22).

Seven times over Luke informs us of this (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 10:41; 13:31; 17:18). No witness can claim to be truly Christian which denies, explains away or omits this fundamental truth (1 Cor 15:14-17).

Witness Word Study

The Hebrew word translated 'witness' literally means to repeat. It is part of being a witness to repeat what we have seen and experienced. However, the repetition may be that implied by the Old Testament's insistence that there must be at least two witnesses to establish the truth of any matter (Deut 17:6)- a principle which is carried over into New Testament teaching (Matt 18:16).

The New Testament word for witness is martus. This is the Greek root from which we get our English word 'martyr'. As F.F. Bruce has pointed out, by the time we come to the reference in Revelation 2:13 to 'Antipas, my witness', the Greek word 'martus' has begun its transition from 'witness' to 'martyr'. This stresses the cost of being a faithful witness.

The Greek word for 'witness' is also the root of our English word 'martyr'. Being a witness – that is, repeating what we have seen and experienced – comes with a cost."

The English word 'witness' refers to a person who has seen or can give first-hand evidence of some event. This quality of witness is emphasised in Jesus' words to Nicodemus. "We speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen" (John 3:11).

Witnesses Stand Out

The English word for 'witness' is made up of two words: 'wit' (meaning 'to know') occurs in several well-known phrases such as 'to have the wit to', 'to keep one's wits about one' and 'to be at one's wits end'.

The second word 'ness' is of French origin and means 'nose'. It occurs in a number of English place names e.g. Dungeness, Foulness, Shoeburyness, also Walton-on-the¬-Naze - all places which project or stick out.

The English word 'witness' implies someone who sticks out because of what he knows."

It would be hard to beat this definition of a 'witness' that he stands out for what he knows! Before leaving the words used for 'witness' it is important to note that the words 'testify', 'testimony' and 'bear record' are all translations of the Greek word 'martus' and have the same meaning as 'witness'.

Universal Witnessing

Jesus' words make it clear that he expects his disciples to carry out their witnessing to the ends of the earth. "To all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47), "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) indicates our marching orders geographically to be to the ends of the earth. But there are other 'worlds' into which we must seek entry for his gospel. The 'worlds' of music, art, drama, sport, society and many others have all to be evangelised.

We have been given our marching orders: to take the good news of Jesus to the ends of the earth and into every sphere of society."

We must regain the commitment of those early Christian witnesses who witnessed to Jewish rulers, to an occult magician, to a Roman jailor, to a Roman centurion, to Athenian intellectuals, to a rioting crowd in Ephesus, to King Agrippa and to a number of Roman governors. They didn't give their witness behind the closed doors of Church buildings in those days, expecting strangers to 'come and get it!'

Power-packed Witness

The secret of their powerful witness was their conscious receiving of the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised them the dynamic experience which they had appropriated. He had told them that when the Holy Spirit came he would bear witness and they also were witnesses (John 15:26-27).

But the initiative was the Holy Spirit's. He showed them where to witness. He directed Philip away from a revival to a deserted road; persuaded Peter to break out of his religious apartheid and sent Paul sailing to Europe and finally to Rome itself (Acts 8:26; 10:20; 16:10; 27:24).

Witness Confirmed

He enabled them to witness effectively by transcending their merely human wisdom (1 Cor 2:4). He backed up their words with demonstrations of his power. When Ananias and Sapphira lied about their offering they collapsed and died (Acts 5:1-11). When Elymas the magician resisted Paul he ended up with temporary blindness (Acts 13:6-11). As they witnessed he brought conviction to their hearers and multiplied the number of those who were being saved (John 16:8-11; Acts 2:37-41).

The secret of successful witnessing is the conscious receiving of the power of the Holy Spirit, who witnesses through and with us, and backs up our words with demonstrations of his power."

Speaking God's Words

The most simple definition of a prophet is 'one who speaks God's words' and it was Moses who expressed the desire "that all the Lord's people should be prophets" (Num 11:29). That wish was fulfilled when Joel's prophecy was made a reality on the day of Pentecost (Joel 2:28-29). Then Jesus' promise became true: "When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matt 10:19-20). This is what it means to prophesy and all true witnesses are prophets in the sense that Moses had in mind.

This is the only manifestation of prophecy in which all the Lord's people can share. They cannot all receive the ministry of the prophet and it is unlikely that they will all be able to speak a word of prophecy in the worship gathering of the Lord's people; but they can and they must be prophetic witnesses to the world. The one about whom they bear witness is called "the faithful and true witness" (Rev 1:5; 3-14) and they can have no higher ambition than that their witness is also faithful and true.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 2, No 5, September/October 1986.

Continuing our series on the question 'What is a prophet?', Edmund Heddle unpacks the idea of prophetic anointing.

No one knows the origin of the custom of anointing with oil or for how long it has been practised. It is claimed that the oldest prescription for an anointing oil dates from about 4200 BC, so it is certainly an age-old practice. Anointing is mentioned in the Scriptures over one hundred times and in all periods of biblical history.

Anointing a Pillar

Genesis 28:18 records the first occurrence in the Bible when early one morning Jacob poured oil on the stone on which he had rested his head, as he set it up as a lasting memorial of his experiences. His action gives then impression of being the normal thing to do, rather than the introduction of a new custom. By pouring oil on the stone he sanctified it, in the sense of setting it apart for God, a meaning that is common to all Biblical anointings.

Secular Anointings

The Bible in Old and New Testaments refers to various secular uses of anointing. Part of an Israelite's daily toilet was to anoint oneself with oil, thus causing their faces to shine (Psalm 104:15)! This custom was only omitted during mourning (2 Sam 12:20, 14:2).

The anointing of the heads of guests was a courtesy that Simon the Pharisee neglected when he entertained Jesus to a meal. It is significant from the words used in Greek that whereas Simon did not get around to anointing Jesus with common olive oil, the sinful woman was not content with anything less that an expensively perfumed oil to pour on Jesus' feet.

In biblical times, anointing with oil was a daily activity, with uses ranging from personal vanity to social courtesy, to medicine."

The third use of oil was a medicinal one, in the story of the Good Samaritan, who poured on oil and wine (Luke 10:34, also Isa 1:6, Eze 16:9). From the story of the women at the Garden Tomb, we see it was a custom to anoint the bodies of the dead (Mark 16:1).

Priest's Anointing

Turning to the biblical accounts of sacred anointings, we note that priests were anointed into office by the pouring on of oil. In the Pentateuch there are some thirty references to anointings; all of these refer to the anointing of the High Priest and his sons, the tabernacle and its furniture (Ex 40:9-15). This act was in fact their ordination and accreditation, giving them authority to minister to both God and man (Lev 8:12).

Priests were anointed into office, giving them authority to minister to both God and man."

Special Formula Oil

The oil used in their consecration had to be made to a special prescription laid down by God himself. (Ex 30:32). The four spices were liquid myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, aromatic cane and cassia. These were to be blended with olive oil by a perfumer. Two of these spices were rare and only obtainable from India and the Far-East.

This was to be the oil used for anointing the priests and the kings of Israel down the generations. It was forbidden to use this oil on the bodies of ordinary men (Ex 30:32) and it was forbidden to make up any oil to the same formula, on pain of exclusion from the people of God. This special oil was kept in a holy place (1 Kings 1:39) and in the care of the son of the High Priest (Num 4:16).

The oil used in the priestly anointing was made of a unique formula, written by God himself and forbidden for use on ordinary men."

Such careful regulations made this oil special and therefore an appropriate symbol of the Holy Spirit, throughout Scripture typified by oil and which cannot be poured out on those who are unredeemed.

Aaron's Anointing

Looking back over the centuries, the writer of Psalm 133 describes the precious oil poured on Aaron's head in such abundance that it ran down on to his beard and the collar of his robes (v2). So generously is the Spirit poured out, bringing the fragrance of Christ, the blessing of life and the brotherly unity of all who share the divine anointing.

In connection with his anointing, a gold plate was placed on Aaron's turban. The Hebrew word for this gold diadem is closely connected with the word for the Nazirite vow of separation (Num 6:21). By his anointing the High Priest was forbidden to leave the sanctuary and was not permitted to come into contact with the dead, even to attend the funeral of a close relative. All of this teaches us that alongside blessings of the divine anointing, stringent demands of holy separation are imposed on all upon whom the holy oil has been poured.

As with the priestly oil, so the Holy Spirit is poured out generously on believers, bringing the fragrance of Christ, brotherly unity and the blessing of life- but also the call to be holy and separate for the Lord."

Anointing of Kings

In the historical books of the Old Testament (Judges through 2 Chronicles), there are more than fifty references to anointing, and all but few are concerned with the coronation of kings. Saul and David, Absalom and Solomon and others after them received the 'coronation' of holy anointing oil. Very little is said about placing a crown on their heads, the vitally important thing was the anointing they received.

Holy anointing oil was also used at the coronation of kings; what mattered wasn't the crown placed on their heads, but the anointing they received."

This anointing resulted in their being described as 'the Lord's Anointed'. This term, which occurs a dozen times in the Book of Psalms, has an original reference to the kings of Israel and in a fuller, prophetic sense to the Messiah.

Kings were anointed over an area or kingdom (1 Sam 15:17); David was first anointed king over Lawrence OP / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 / see Photo CreditsJudah (2 Sam 2:4), and subsequently over Israel as a whole (2 Sam 5:3). Early on he had received a prospective anointing as the God-appointed successor to King Saul, whilst still a young lad (though no mention was made then of the territory over which he was to reign). Then, during the waiting period whilst Saul was still king, that David on two occasions had the opportunity to kill him. But this David refused to do because Saul was 'the Lord's Anointed' (1 Sam 24:6, 26:9-11).

When news came to him that Saul was dead, David discovered that his informant had dealt the final blow and for such a crime he was immediately put to death (2 Sam 1:14-16)- so heinous did David regard the crime of taking the life of the Lord's Anointed. From the anointings of kings we see the dignity and authority bestowed on them by the sacred anointing they had received. We should also note that charismatic gifts also resulted from the same anointing (1 Sam 10:6-13, 16:13).

Kingly anointing bestowed dignity and authority, and often resulted in charismatic gifts."

Were Prophets Anointed?

In spite of the fact that a number of Bible dictionaries state that priests, kings and prophets were anointed, there is no record in Scripture of any prophet ever being anointed with oil. It is true that Elijah was ordered to anoint Elisha as his successor in the prophetic office. But it was Elijah's mantle, rather than any oil, that came down on Elisha (1 Kings 19:16-19).

Alan Cole in his commentary on Exodus (p203) says: "the word (anointing) is used only in a metaphysical sense of the appointment of prophets". Psalm 105:15 describes the patriarchs as prophets, and God calls them 'my anointed ones', yet there is no suggestion that they had ever been anointed with oil. The prophet's anointing was and always will be 'with the Holy Spirit'; of which in the anointing of priests and kings the oil was the symbol.

Prophetic anointing was and always will be with the Holy Spirit."

Christ the Anointed

Jesus is 'the Anointed One'; priest, king and prophet, and for this we call him 'Christ', from the Greek word 'christos' meaning anointed. We also call him 'Messiah' or Messias, the Latin form of the Hebrew word 'mashiach', also meaning 'the anointed'. Isaiah's prophecy had been fulfilled in him and he could say: the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me' (Isa 61:1). It is important to notice that Jesus was not anointed 'by' the Spirit, but 'with' the Spirit. J Elder Cumming in his 'Through the Eternal Spirit' (p154) says:

The thought conveyed in these passages is that the anointing is the Holy Spirit himself. It is not that he is the agent in giving it, nor that he gives something that belongs to him which he makes over in the sense of a blessing or power. It is that he comes to be the anointing oil. Jesus of Nazareth was anointed not by him, but with him. The anointing is not a blessing, a gift such as grace, peace or power, but is a person, the Holy Spirit himself...

Peter explained to the Roman Centurion Cornelius that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, that he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Jesus' earthly ministry was made possible by his having been anointed with the Holy Spirit.

This anointing of Jesus had taken place immediately after his baptism by John in the Jordan, when the Spirit descended like a dove (Mark 1:9-10). The tempter immediately challenged this anointing, but Jesus stood firm against him and so returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14).

The Christian Anointing

There is no anointing for the believer to claim before he can rightly use the name 'Christian' (Greek christianos), meaning follower of Christ the anointed one. As Aaron and his sons were unfit to minister until the holy oil had been poured upon them, so Christians are unfit to discharge their office as priests, prophets and kings until they are anointed with the Holy Spirit, of whom the holy oil was the type.

Christians are unfit to discharge their office without the Holy Spirit, of whom the holy oil was a type. When we accept God's gift of the Spirit by faith, we receive an abiding anointing."

According to Paul's words to the church at Corinth (2 Cor 1:21), and John's letter (1 John 2:20, 27), Christians have been anointed, and the tense of the verbs they use indicates that this anointing is something which happens once and for all: it refers to a definite moment in the life of the disciple. It would seem, therefore, that the habit, prevalent in some circles, of referring to 'an anointing coming upon me time and time again' obscures the fact that what we receive when we by faith accept God's gift of the Spirit (Luke 11:13, Gal 3:14) is an abiding anointing.

Part of the answer to the question 'What is a prophet?' must be this: a prophet is someone who is aware that the Spirit has been poured out upon him and as a result he is enabled and impelled to speak the words of God. Without that experience, no man could ever be a prophet.

Meaning of Anointing

• To be set apart from unholy things;
• To be given authority to act as a crowned king;
• To be able to speak God's words and have those words confirmed by charismatic gifts;
• To spread abroad the fragrance of Christ;
• To be a unifying influence, and
• To promote spiritual life and vitality.

These are the characteristics of those prophets who have received the abiding anointing of the Holy Spirit himself.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 1, No 5, 1985.

Prophecy did not cease after the First Century Apostles. We must consider, therefore, how the prophetic ministry is to be understood in our day compared with the days of the biblical Prophets.

Prophecy is a gift to the Christian Church...

God has always communicated with His people through His prophets. The prophetic ministry is as essential today as in every age. Paul made it clear in his letter to the Ephesians that this ministry is given for the strengthening of the body of believers:

He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting… (Eph 4:11-15)

Prophecy did not cease after the First Century Apostles. We must consider, therefore, how the prophetic ministry is to be understood in our day compared with the days of the biblical Prophets.

The Biblical Prophets were rooted in Torah

The Old Testament was traditionally divided into three main sections, the Torah, the Prophets and Writings. Torah is the foundation of all Scripture. The Hebrew word 'Torah' means teaching/instruction and refers specifically to the first five books of the Bible. These five books are the foundation of the Old Testament. They contain all the major themes of the Bible, including the account of Creation, the Fall, the call of Abraham to the life of faith, the Covenant with Abraham, the call of Israel, the Covenant with Israel and the teaching of Moses with conditions of the Covenant.

A careful study of the ministry of the Hebrew Prophets reveals that they do not add to Torah, but simply interpret the times in which they lived in terms of Torah. They look back to what the God of Israel covenanted with His people, and the conditions of the Covenant. The Hebrew Prophets also looked forward to the coming Messiah. The valleys and peaks of Israel’s history conformed to the terms of the Covenant, and Prophets arose when God’s people needed help to understand the times in which they lived, and prepare for the future.

   "Prophets of every age understand God’s ways through their understanding of Scripture"

The ministry of a prophet, in every age, is strengthened when the prophet has a mature understanding of the Bible, especially the promises and purposes of God revealed in His Covenant. Israel’s Prophets were able to interpret the signs of the times and discern the Word of God when they understood the Torah. It is the same today: we understand the situations of the world best when we are mature in our understanding of the entire Bible. The prophetic ministry is also subject to the call of God on a person’s life. Prophecy is directly from God and is given for the edification of God’s people through whom God Himself chooses:

No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet 1:20-21)

Responsibility and Privilege

The call of each of the biblical Prophets is set out in detail in the Books of the Old Testament and shows the awesome responsibility laid upon them. The prophetic ministry in our day is no less serious and the call is equally clear, as borne out by testimonies of those who have been called by God.

The prophetic ministry is as essential in our day as in former days. These words of Amos are still relevant – Surely the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

Modern Day Context

What has changed in our day is that the Covenant is to be understood in terms of the Sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. Also the Gospel has gone to the whole world so that men and women from all nations are being called into the covenant community of faith.

In addition, the body of believers is now called to act together as a prophetic people within whom the prophetic ministry has a specific role. We no longer stand alone in ministry as in the days of the biblical Prophets. Moses prayed for the day when the Spirit of God would raise up a body ministry – Oh that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them. (Num 11:29)

Joel prophesied that this would indeed happen. Peter identified the beginning of the outpouring of the Spirit according to Joel’s prophecy. This was on Temple Mount on the special Day of Shavuot (Pentecost) when the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit began to be fulfilled: "...and it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, and on my menservants and maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy." (Joel 2:8-32, Acts 2:17-21)

A New Era in our World

We are in days of great significance and the God of Israel is working out his end-time purposes across the entire world. The prophetic ministry is given for building up believers to understand these purposes and prepare for the future. There is continuity in the role of the prophet and the call is no less serious than in former days. Maturity is gained through study of the entire Bible, and through prayerful consideration of the times in which we live.

We do not stand alone and are to submit ourselves to one another because everything must be determined through the witness of others with like ministry. The Bible- New and Old Testaments -states it this way: everything is determined by the witness of two or three witnesses (eg Deut 19:15, 2 Cor 13:1).

As in every ministry appointed by God, we do not volunteer for the ministry of the prophet within the congregations of believers, but when called, we begin a journey to maturity. We must root ourselves in the Scriptures and in prayer, being ready to speak or write when moved by the Holy Spirit. We are entering turbulent days on this earth and, as a body, it is time for the covenant people of God to help one another understand the times and prepare for the future. Is there anything more important?