The Gift of Prophecy

The Prophetic Message of the New Testament

The Prophetic Message in Its Broad Meaning

This brings us to our last point, the prophetic message of the New Testament. It was stressed that prophecy is much broader than mere prediction. It includes exhortation, rebuke, and comfort and is represented in all literary genres of the New Testament. We encounter it in John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ calls to repent. We find it in Jesus’ teaching ministry, in His parables, in the Sermon on the Mount, in His dialogues with friends and adversaries, to name just some. It is continued in the apostles’ eyewitness reports and their undertaking of confronting false teachers. Prophecy occurs in the New Testament letters, the theological as well as the parenetic and ethical sections, and even in New Testament narratives. Finally, it is also found in predictions. The entire New Testament is in this sense prophetic word, as is the Old Testament. GOP 81.7

The Prophetic Message in New Testament Predictions

It seems that the New Testament is not as rich in predictive prophecy as is the Old Testament, with its many “prophetic books” and its threefold division into Law (torah), Prophets (nebiim), and Writings (ketubim). There is only one full “prophetic” book in the New Testament, namely John’s Apocalypse. GOP 82.1

Yet at a closer look one finds in the New Testament prophetic announcements of Jesus’ death and resurrection, His statements on His coming and the resurrection of humanity, His commission to His disciples, which at the same time was a prediction of the Pentecostal pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the spreading of the gospel (Acts 1:8). Throughout the New Testament a strong emphasis on Christ’s second coming occurs, already widely found in 1 Thessalonians, one of the first written documents of the New Testament. The future resurrection is described in detail in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4. False teachers are predicted (Acts 20:29; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Pet. 2), as is the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2). A description of economic trouble and exploitation is mixed with the call to patience on the part of those suffering in the last days (James 5). The Day of the Lord and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth are spelled out in 2 Peter 3. GOP 82.2

These are just a few examples of predictive prophecy in the New Testament. Almost all New Testament writings contain at least some of these predictive elements. Sometimes they refer to individuals in the first century, sometimes to groups of people later, and sometimes to global events. It is important to keep these predictive elements in mind for it seems that today predictive prophecy is not much appreciated, even in mainstream Christian circles. GOP 82.3

Yet we have not even mentioned the book of Revelation with its extensive predictive prophecies from the time of John to the very end (Rev. 1-14) and its special and detailed focus on the very last events (the plagues, the battle of the religious and political alliances against God’s people, the final judgment, and the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 15-22). The New Testament is indeed rich even in predictive prophecy. GOP 82.4

But what is it that New Testament prophecy and predictive prophecy want to achieve? GOP 82.5

1. Prophecy attempts to focus our attention on God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It wants to foster and enrich our relationship with the Godhead. GOP 82.6

2. Prophecy addresses the individual as well as the community. It speaks about personal salvation and a bright future and invites humans to accept it. GOP 82.7

3. Prophecy also invites people to love and holy living according to the excellent commandments given to humanity by the Lord. GOP 82.8

4. The portrayal of future events wants to provide a sense for where we are in world history while we wait for Christ’s second coming. Future events are given as a kind of road map but are not in themselves the most important feature. People can get lost in details and discussions of minutiae of apocalyptic prophecy and miss the great picture that Revelation paints. It is about Jesus, the Revelation of Jesus Christ given by God the Father (Rev. 1:1). GOP 82.9

5. Prophecy points to the Almighty God, to Jesus as the Alpha and Omega, and the Holy Spirit as Spirit of prophecy and reminds humans in everyday life, who really is in control. The Lord of the universe has everything in His hands. He cares for His people. GOP 83.1

6. Through the motif of the sanctuary prophecy reminds believers that salvation and judgment as well as restoration come from the throne of God, who wants to dwell among His children on earth and dine with them. GOP 83.2

7. Through the great controversy motif prophecy paints an overall picture of what happened in the past, what is going on just here and now, what will take place in the future, and how not only this earth is affected by sin, suffering, and death but even the universe. The plan of salvation is developed, which portrays God in His love, holiness, and justice, bringing about a new paradise, the glorious kingdom of God without the deadly effects of sin. GOP 83.3

8. This prophetic word offers wonderful promises, for instance, access to the tree of life in Paradise regained (Ephesus), the crown of life and protection against the second death (Smyrna), a new name and a personal encounter with Jesus (Pergamum), participation in Jesus’ reign (Thy- atira), one’s name being secured in the book of life (Sardis), God’s name written on the believers while they function as pillars in God’s temple (Philadelphia), and participation in Christ’s throne (Laodicea). GOP 83.4

9. The prophetic word helps God’s children to keep going, not to give up, not to lose sight of the final goal, and it fills them with hope and abundant joy. GOP 83.5