'I will pour out my Spirit on all people...both men and women': Edmund Heddle looks at the Bible women who exercised a prophetic ministry.

It was the prophet Joel who foretold the day when there would be an unrestricted outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

And afterwards I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28-29)

This promise would signify unrestricted giving on God's part, for he undertook to pour out his spirit and it would come down on all people. The promise does not mean that the Spirit would descend on all people without exception but that he would come down on them without distinction. No longer would there be any restriction imposed on the basis of sex, age or social position. The Spirit would come on sons and daughters, on old men and young men, on male and female slaves.

God's promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not without exception, but is without distinction.

In his commentary on these verses, John Calvin says that this was giving "in great abundance". However deep our own experience of Pentecost, there is much more for each of us of God's unrestricted outpouring and in the gift and ministry of prophecy which is thereby made possible (Acts 2:17¬-18). In this article we investigate how Bible women exercised a prophetic ministry.

Women Prophets in Scripture

Miriam

Miriam was the sister of Aaron and Moses and is described as a prophetess (Ex 15:20). Following the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites joined in a song of praise to the Lord: "I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea..." When Miriam saw the Israelites walk through the sea as on dry ground, she took a tambourine and, as all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing, sang to them, echoing Moses' song with these words: "Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea".

We must not think of Miriam just as some young thing aflame with enthusiasm. By this time Miriam was well past middle life. She was twelve when Moses was born, and remembering that Moses spent forty years in Egypt and then a further forty years in the land of Midian before the crossing of the Red Sea, we may conclude that she was well into middle age at the time of this account. What a blessing it is when the older women can lead their younger sisters in prophetic praise!

Josephus, the Jewish historian, states that Miriam was a married woman - but the Bible is silent on the matter and hymn-writer George Matheson says of her: "There is neither marriage nor courtship. Her interests are not matrimonial, they are national. Her mission is not domestic, it is patriotic." How much should we thank God for prophetic women who have a deep concern for our national well-being and are not afraid to stand up for God's standards today!

Miriam, described in Exodus as a prophetess, shows what a blessing it is when older women can lead their younger sisters in prophetic praise.

Deborah

Deborah the prophetess functioned as one of Israel's judges (Judges 4 and 5). She was married to Lappicloth and had her headquarters under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel. She must have been open to the prophetic gifts of wisdom and knowledge (1 Cor 12:8), for Israelites from various tribes who had questions to ask and disputes to settle travelled to her for counsel. It was therefore only to be expected that when Israel came under oppression by Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, the people turned to Deborah for advice.

Deborah summoned Barak, a leader of Israel, saying, "The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you..." His answer indicated Deborah's standing among the people: "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go, I won't go." She said she would go with him but warned that the honour would not be his, as Sisera would be killed by a woman. Her Song of Deborah (Judges 5) is one of the most ancient passages in the Old Testament, and from it we learn that victory over Sisera's chariots was brought about by a cloudburst. Sisera was killed by Jael, another woman, with a tent peg.

So far as we know, Deborah never experienced natural motherhood, but this judge, prophetess and poetess was a "mother in Israel" (Judges 5:7). Some of today's women who have not had their own children might exercise a prophetic ministry among God's people, not least in the matter of spiritual warfare.

Huldah

Huldah the prophetess was the wife of Shallum, keeper of the wardrobe in the Temple during the reign of Josiah. She lived in Jerusalem in the Second District (2 Chron 34:22). In 621 BC the Book of the Law was discovered when building work was being undertaken in the Temple. When the book was read to the young king he tore his robes and sent his officials off with the order:

Go and enquire of the Lord for me about what is written in this book which has been found. Great is the Lord's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book (2 Chron 34:14-21).

It is remarkable that, although Jeremiah and Zephaniah were both prophesying at that time, it was a woman and not these prophets who were consulted. Huldah's message to the king confirmed that divine wrath would be poured out on Jerusalem, but she went on to say, "Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God...you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place" (2 Kings 22:15-20).

When King Josiah sought God's word of guidance, he called upon Huldah, a prophetess – despite the fact that both Jeremiah and Zephaniah were also alive and prophesying at the time.

One of the purposes of prophecy is to provide the 'Now word' of guidance as to how Scripture may apply. Again, we remark how significant it is that, although there were other male prophets around and the king was surrounded by men like Hilkiah the chief priest, Shaphan the secretary, Asaiah the king's attendant and others, it was a woman prophet who was consulted for God's Now word.

Anna

Coming to New Testament times, we meet Anna in the opening chapters of Luke's gospel. Also a prophetess, "She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the Temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:35-38).

Anna arrived on the scene just as the aged Simeon had taken the infant Jesus into his arms and was uttering what we now call the Nunc Dimittis. Under the guidance of the Spirit, she gave God thanks for the child and went on to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

These so-called 'quiet people' were remarkable for the 'timing' of their lives. Simeon entered the Temple under the direction of the Spirit just at the time Jesus' parents were bringing him in to present him to the Lord. Anna also came in "at that very moment" (Luke 2:38). It is not enough to know the right prophetic word to bring; we need also to know the right time to bring it to those to whom it is directed.

Anna shows us that it is not enough to know the right prophetic word to bring – we also need to know the right time, the right place and the right recipients.

Women False Prophets Named in Scripture

Noadiah

Noadiah was a prophetess who opposed Nehemiah, governor of Jerusalem (Neh 6:14). She was a supporter of Sanballat and Tobiah, opponents of Nehemiah in his work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Her name means 'One to whom the Lord revealed himself', and it is possible that she was a genuine prophet who really knew the Lord.

Sadly, she attached herself to these two men and used her speaking abilities to intimidate the man God had sent to renew the walls. Sanballat and Tobiah made repeated attempts to persuade Nehemiah to meet them and discuss the situation, but he refused and committed the situation to God in prayer.

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

This prayer was answered; Noadiah's influence was overthrown and Nehemiah finished the work of restoration (Neh 6:15). How important that God's prophets should make sure that they are not passing a word which is not from him.

Noadiah may have been a genuine prophetess, but she attached herself to the wrong people and ended up passing on 'words' that were not from God.

Jezebel

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who had introduced Baal-worship into Israel and who had erected a sanctuary for four hundred priests who fed at her table. She was a typical oriental despot, ready to murder anyone who stood in her way. Hers was the name given to the New Testament false prophetess who had led the church at Thyatira into idolatry and immorality.

The risen Lord Jesus writes to the church and tells them, "I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess...she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols...do not hold to her teaching" (Rev 2:20-25). All prophets, male or female, need to remember that no prophetic word that contradicts scripture is ever to be accepted or promulgated.

Women Prophets Not Named in Scripture

Isaiah's wife

Isaiah, whose name means 'Yahweh is salvation' and who is called the 'evangelical prophet', had a wife who was a prophetess. Some scholars think that this is merely a courtesy title for a prophet's wife, but others believe she exercised the prophetic gift in her own right.

If this was the case, it must have been a great blessing to her husband to be able to share the Lord's burden with someone close and sympathetic - she must surely have been a real prophet to let her husband get away with naming her two sons Shear-Jashub, and Maher-Shalal-¬Hash-Baz! But if she really shared his prophetic insight she would rejoice that her boys were a constant reminder of her husband's message that 'a remnant will return' and that 'quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil' would come the king of Assyria to capture Samaria (Isa 8:3).

How useful it would be in our churches if we were to encourage prayerfully the coming into being of husband-and-wife prophets moving together in the prophetic ministry.

Philip's daughters

Philip the evangelist was one of the seven deacons appointed by the church in Jerusalem to relieve the apostles from the burden of organising relief for the widows. Following the outbreak of persecution in Jerusalem, he took the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:5-13) and from there to the Ethiopian eunuch travelling through the desert (Acts 8:26-28). 'Spirited' away from there, he settled in Caesarea.

At some point Philip married and had four daughters, all of whom prophesied (Acts 21:9). But the absence of any reference to his wife may mean that by now he was a widower. If this was the case, he would have been very glad to have them care for him and his home. But his greater joy must have been that that each manifested the prophetic gift which would have worked so happily together with his own ministry as an evangelist.

Families that are one in Christ might well encourage within themselves the development of complementary spiritual gifts and ministries, thus becoming more efficient and effective in the Lord's service.

Isaiah's wife and Philip's daughters show the blessings that can come when families work together with complementary gifts and ministries.

Women Who Functioned Prophetically

In addition to those whom the scriptures call prophets there are a number of women who manifested prophetic gifts.

Hannah

Hannah, whose name means 'grace', was one of the two wives of Elkanah but unlike Peninnah had no children She vowed to God that if he would give her a child she would devote him to the Lord as a Nazirite. When God granted this request Hannah gave expression to her joy and praise to God in a prophetic psalm of thanksgiving (1 Sam 2:1-10). This was clearly a prophetic utterance, containing the first reference in scripture to the king as 'Yahweh's anointed' or 'Messiah', one who would come to save his people.

Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah

After the angel Gabriel had told Mary she was to give birth to the Messiah, she hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judah to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the baby leaped in her womb and she was inspired by the Spirit to speak the words of encouragement that must have kept Mary going during the testing days ahead:

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear... Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished (Luke 1:39-45)

As we in the same way go about discovering God's purpose for our lives we, too, may experience that same leap within, manifesting itself in a blush or a moistening of the eyes and confirming that God has his hand in what is happening to us. Like Elizabeth we, too, may be privileged to confirm God's will to others. What a precious ministry this is!

Mary the mother of Jesus

Mary's response to the encouraging words of Elizabeth was to do as Hannah had done so many years before and express her praise and thanksgiving to God in the form of a prophetic utterance. Her Magnificat is first of all praise that God had deigned to choose her, a humble peasant girl, fulfil the hope of every Jewish maiden, to be the mother of the Messiah. But it also expresses praise for God's special love towards his chosen people Israel.

Alongside our traditional hymns and our modern songs is there not a place for 'spiritual songs' (Eph 5:19), with both words and music immediately inspired by the same Spirit who inspired Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary? It certainly seems an aspect of prophetic utterance most suitable for women prophets, though not exclusively so.

Alongside hymns and songs, is there not a place for 'spiritual songs' such as those uttered by Hannah, Elizabeth and Mary?

Summary of the Women Prophets

The women prophets of the Bible functioned in a number of different situations in personal, family, community and national life. In their respective situations they discovered that the Spirit promised by the prophet Joel was just as active in them as he was in their men-folk.

Miriam led the women in praise on a great national occasion.

Deborah gave wise counsel and encouraged Barak, a national military leader, to go out to conquer the enemy.

Huldah was consulted in order to bring understanding about the law book that had been found and what the king should do about it.

Anna lived in the Temple but came into the particular court where Mary and Joseph had brought the infant Jesus 'at just the right moment', guided by the Spirit.

Isaiah's wife shared a prophetic partnership with her husband.

Philip's daughters had a complementary ministry to their father's ministry as an evangelist.

Elizabeth gained the witness of the Spirit as at Mary's arrival her baby leaped in her womb.

Hannah and Mary, both promised a son, expressed spontaneously prophetic praise in words given by the Holy Spirit.

Let the women of our churches be encouraged to develop the gift and ministry of prophecy, following the example of the women prophets in Bible!

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 4 No 4, July/August 1988.