LEADERS ARE PROPHETICof fulfilled prophecies should be enough to convince even the greatest
skeptic of the divine inspiration and accuracy of the Bible! As Peter wrote:
“You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came
about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never
had its origin in the will of man, but men moved by the Holy
Spirit spoke from God” (II Pet. 1:20-21).It was only because they were speaking for God that these men were
known as prophets. Even though the purpose of this chapter is not to
do an in-depth study of the subject of prophecy, we need to pause and
understand a few defining things about Biblical prophecy.
Sometimes the prophets spoke about events that were in the immediate
future, or in the distant future – or both. This kind of prophecy is best
described by the word ‘foretelling.’ They foretold coming future events
that they could not possibly have any knowledge or understanding of
through human reasoning or study.
At other times, they were giving God’s prophetic interpretation on
contemporary events and how those events would affect their future.
This kind of prophetic word is best described by the word “forth-telling,”
or “telling forth the word of God.” Through no study or investigation of
their own, the prophets could reveal and tell-forth divine revelation and
interpretation of current events.
It is crucial to remember that every future-oriented prophecy in Scripture is
set within the context of a practical exhortation for present living.
Biblical prophecy is never a “pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by” message! It is
God’s authoritative message to His people while they are living in their
present situation. Through prophetic proclamation, He tells them about
how their willful choices and contemporary life-style will impact their
future – both for time and eternity! Prophecy is not so much pietistic as it
is practical.
As a result of their prophetic “thus saith the Lord”, most prophets were
not very popular with their contemporaries! They were commissioned
by God to tell the people things that they did not want to hear. The