God sends Apostles and Prophets Today!

[whirlwind]

There is another thread about prophets but in order not to derail it I opened this one. A comment made in it is duplicated here but I wanted to not only discuss prophets but their fate. In Biblical history the prophets were Divinely inspired to foretell what would be. Today's prophets, I don't believe, will tell us of things not written although there will be new revelations of the written word.

• Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.
  
  1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
  
  [list:3cbwyz87]Apostle ~ a delegate, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ, (with miraculous powers) - messenger, he that is sent.

[/list:u:3cbwyz87]

As we have teachers, evangelists, pastors, etc. with us today I believe we also have apostles with us today. However, I have never knowingly met one nor have seen one perform miraculous works...even though I know that others have. So, I must leave "apostles" to others. Here I am concentrating on the difference in a prophet and a teacher?

A teacher teaches what they have been taught, have experienced, what is written, what is known in order to instruct students. A prophet teaches too....but teaches what the Holy Spirit has revealed. A prophet is Divinely inspired. Does that mean that today they must tell of a future event that has never been prophesied? I don't think so. Jesus said....

• Matthew 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
  
  [list:3cbwyz87]Meaning....no new prophesies and no new laws.

Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. [/list:u:3cbwyz87]

To me, a prophet is a Divinely inspired teacher of His Word, of the spirit of the Word. The teacher teaches the letter and a prophet teaches the spirit.

• 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

 

[whirlwind]

We are told....

• Luke 11:49 Therefore also said the Wisdom of God, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;'

There it appears that some of the prophets and apostles did, and will, meet the same fate. Who are they "which killest the prophets?"

Matthew 23:29-30 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, 'If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

• The religious and churched Pharisees of today do and say the same thing...they build the tombs in order to spiritually kill the prophets all the while being so holy and saying, "how could they have hurt the prophets of God's Word back in the Biblical days?" "I wouldn't have done that, I wouldn't have stopped them from teaching...I wouldn't have partaken with them in the blood of the prophets!" And yet...they do this now.

23:31-34 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

• "In your synagogues." In your Christian churches! Remember, it will be, and is, brother against brother in this spiritual battle and "they know not what they do." [Lk.23:34]

 

[whirlwind]

To the Son, who is The Word....

• John 3:34 For He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.

But, what of the apostles and prophets? Do they receive all of the truth at one time?

• Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over is household, to give them meat in due season?
  
  John 16:12-14 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you.
  
  Hebrews 5:11-14 Of Whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The Holy Spirit will reveal truths as we can "bear them." He knows our appetites and levels of maturity. He will "shew you things to come," but does that mean new things, things not written?

• John 14:26 But the Comforter, Which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

All things He said unto us are written! The Holy Spirit will open understanding of His written Word. We are warned about listening to false prophets....

• Deuteronomy 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

We know that there will be false prophets among us so how do we know those that are false from the prophets He sends? We are told, "ye shall know them by their fruits," but what if their "fruit" isn't on display for a time? What if we aren't able to discern their spirit? We know, from Scripture, that the Lord will prove us, that there will be false prophets and that He tells us....

• Matthew 24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Why? Because NO ONE will know the hour and...He will not be "in secret chambers." Any prophet should document what they teach from His Word for....it will be written, He has "foretold us all things." A prophet will be led by the Holy Spirit and the spirit of the letter, the written letter, will be revealed.

 

[Free]

Everyone is an apostle--one that is sent--but there are no "Apostles" and certainly no so-called Super Apostles.

 

[whirlwind]

In conclusion.....

So, we see we must be very careful with prophets. We must not follow the false ones and yet...it is important to heed the true prophets and they will "prove all things"....

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the LORD, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
  
  5:19-20 Quench not the Spirit; Despise not prophesyings; Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

To us, children of God, He said....

• 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.

That teaching can come to us through reading His Word, through the teachings of others, those we should esteem and love for their work, for the Spirit is in us and will guide us to see and hear! And remember what prophecy is.....

• Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, "See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

 

[whirlwind]

A word of warning about prophets.....

Jeremiah 14:13 Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, 'Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.' "

• The false prophets promise we won't experience the tribulation...but we will. They speak "the deceit of their heart," in promising peace and safety....RAPTURE.
  
  [list:30cyg7bd]Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

[/list:u:30cyg7bd]

14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

14:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in My name, and I sent them not, yet they say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this land;' By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

14:16 And the People to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

• From the above we see that one way to know they are "false prophets" is by their fruits, which here is...the teaching of rapture. For "they say, sword and famine shall not be in this land." Not only "shall those prophets be consumed," but so will "the People to whom they prophesy."