Bibliology - Lesson 4 by O. B. (Oscar Brian) Mink

2 Peter 1:21 "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."

The Prophet And Prophecy     "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man." A true prophet is one that speaks for God unto men. The word "prophet" does not necessarily mean one that fortells the future. A true prophet id one called of God to minister in Divine things, one who speaks in behalf of God. He may fortell the future, or he may not. Ordinarily the full gift of prophecy includes;
        1.) Forecasting the future events supernaturally revealed to them.
        2.) Insight into the present needs of the people.
        3.) And ability to point out the Divine remedy by which the present needs od the people were to be met.
    There are in the Old Testament and the New Testament literally hundreds of predictions of future events. The greater part of these have already been fulfilled, some are now being fulfilled. Many which relate to the last days of the age, the second coming of Christ, the tribulation period, and the millennial reign of Christ are yet to be fulfilled. The body of fulfilled prophecy constitutes an argument for the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures that the most learned infidel cannot gainsay. The fiery darts of the devil are futile and totally misspent when sent against the onslaught of this great truth.

The Divine Criteria

    In the Word of God the criteria is given by which the prophet and his prophecy is to be judged. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, ..." (II Peter 2:1). So it is, we need to know God's appointed means by which the counterfeit, or the false prophet is distinguished from the genuine true prophet. There are two questions asked in the Bible which show the unavoidable necessity of the Divine criteria, and ability to use it. The questions are;
        1.) Jeremiah 23:35 "... What hath the LORD spoken?"
        2.) Deuteronomy 18:21 "... How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?"
    The believer is responsible to know all the Lord has said on any subject, if he will seek to measure this responsibility he will not only know what God has said relative to the subject, but he will also know what God has not said on the subject. The following example, elementary as it may be, should serve to show the need of ability to use the Divine criteria in separating truth from error, and the false prophet from the true.
Example: "One of the prophecies of the Bible indicating the end of the world is, that the time would come when man would not be able to tell wintertime from summertime." Is this the word of the Lord? NO, it is not. What has the Lord said about seasons? "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22).
    The Lord has given in His word the imperative rule by which the believer is to test the prophecies or teachings of those which claim to speak for God. "... How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?" A Bible question deserves a Bible answer. "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:22) When a man prophesies, and says he is prophesying in the name of the Lord, and it comes not to pass; it is obvious, that man is a liar. (Jeremiah 28:9) "... when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him." Thus we see the first and inflexible rule, God gave to Israel to determine whether the prophet be God's spokesman or not was that their prophesy must come to pass. Fulfillment proved the prophecy not to be their own, but God's.

Further Proof Needed

    It is necessary in arriving at a correct view of the teaching of the Scriptures on any subject, that the student study all that God has to say on that subject. God has given the first and most important law of Bible hermeneutics, or Scripture interpretation, and that is, ALWAYS STUDY THE CONTEXT. (II Peter 1:20) "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation." Simply and plainly stated, no Scripture is to be interpreted independently of any other Scripture which has a bearing on the subject being considered. Remember this rule every time you study the Bible. By neglecting this rule we could take Jeremiah's words (28:9) and say, "Any man that makes a prediction, and that prediction is fulfilled, that man is sent of God." God is simply saying through the inspired words of Moses and Jeremiah (Deuteronomy 18:22, Jeremiah 28:9), that one indispensable result, or evidence necessary in ascertaining whether the prophet be of God, or of himself is, the prophecy must come to pass. But this in not all that God says on the subject, nor is it all that God requires of His prophets. The other qualification which the prophet must possess or be immediately rejected is, he must walk in humble obedience to the already revealed word and will of God. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 commands that the prophet which causes the people to err must be put to death, and Isaiah says, "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20). It was said of Samuel that he let none of the words of the Lord fall to the ground, and Samuel was "... established to be a prophet of the Lord." (I Samuel 3:19-20). John the Baptist was the last prophet of the Old Testament order, and John, the Apostle of Christ, the Seer of the apocalypse was the last prophet of the New Testament order in the predictive sense.
    Yet many false prophets have come on the scene claiming for themselves Divine prophetical status, and they came under the curse threatened in Revelations 22:18, "... If any man shall add unto these things (predicted events), God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:" The curse is equally severe for those that would delete any part of the inspired record (Revelation 22:19). While there is no further need in this age for predictive prophecy, there is great and urgent need for exercise of the teaching aspect of the office. Two of the Divine conditions for prophetical office in Old Testament times was, the prophet must be a true teacher of, and obedient to the Word of God. These two conditions still apply to our present time as relates to the office of Preacher, Pastor, or teacher (I Timothy 3, Titus 1). Yet the religious world has gone after those who claim for themselves power to perform miracles, and ability to see and predict future events not recorded, nor predicted in the Bible. The deceived followers of these false teachers attach no significance to the conditions which God has fixed for those who would minister in sacred things. Performed miracles, plus fulfilled predictions are not within themselves sufficient proof that they which make predictions and perform the miracles are approved of God. On the contrary, it is sufficient evidence against them, proving their claim to be of God is false. The predictive ministry of the prophet ceased with the end of the Apostolic era (I Corinthians 13:8, Revelation 22:18). And the Divine testimony declares, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: {17} That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Timothy 3:16-17). The Scriptures are fully complete, and there is no reason for a good work to suffer from a lack of Divine counsel. And it is due to the plenary character of the Bible that miracles are no longer needed to attest to the Divine call, and veracity of the messenger of God. Miracles accompanied the preaching of the Apostles and gave credibility to their message, especially with Gentiles.
Acts 8:5-6 "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. {6} And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." It behooves the seeker of Bible truth to try the spirits, "... because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (I John 4:1) If it is a miracle one is looking for, he might be accommodated, for the devil has power to work miracles, and God is going to give him a measure of liberty in the exercise of this miracle working power as this age draws to a close, (Revelation 13:14, 16:14). But God in judgment is going to take the miracle working prophets of the devil, and their deceived victims and cast them into the lake of eternal fire, (Revelation 19:20, 20:10-15).
Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." It is well to keep this great principle, Verify The Scriptures, always before us because satan can perform lying wonders, yea; even fool the elect if it were not for God's intervening grace. Every false teacher has some measure of truth, and they use this measure of truth as a key to open the door of conversation. Once the door is open they dump their truckload of wood, hay and stubble upon their unsuspecting vctim(s). "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. ..." (2 John 1:9). No matter the attractive elements in a false religion, though they would raise a loved one from the dead, we are to be as strong in our condemnation of them as the Bible is. Christ says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matthew 7:15). The religious false prophets, and astrologers will continue to make their guesses as to future events, and on occasion God may allow them to guess correctly. The teachings of Scripture is, 'Only God knows and controls all events of time' (Isaiah 14:24, Acts 15:18, Ephesians 1:11). Man knows not what tomorrow may bring forth, much less what the distance future holds (James 4:14, Proverbs 27:1). God may allow the devil to work a miracle, but it is God that holds the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:18), and God is the Sovereign Determiner of all human destinies, (Isaiah 44:7).
    "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded." (Proverbs 13:13).

Questions
Lesson - 4

1. Was the prophet's office in the Old Testament limited to the forecasting of future events?

4. What was the first and inflexible rule God gave to Israel to determine whether the prophet be of God, or of self?

5. What is the first and most important rule in a arriving at correct interpretation of the Scriptures?

6. What qualification was the Old Testament prophet to possess other than ability to predict future events, which without he was to be immediately rejected?

7. Give the New Testament Scripture reference where it states that the person who adds to the prophecies of the Bible shall be cursed.

8. Does the devil have power to perform miracles? Give Scripture reference supporting your answer.

10. What was it the Noble Bereans searched for verification of Paul and Silas' message ?