The Prophetic Identity Viv Grigg

The Person of the Holy Spirit Ruach, the wind, the breathe of God, carrying the voice of God across the earth and universe, that personality of the Godhead who remains with us His nature in Gal 5:22, 23 The comforter, counsellor, guide

The Nature of the Prophet At times overwhelmed by the Spirit Pathos – sensitive souls  feels the pathos of God and speaks it to the people  Feels the pain of the people and speaks it to God Don’t speak often  Can only speak what God says  Must speak what God says The first thing people will say is “that is your opinion, your idea.”  Testing  Or challenging God Creates an alternative consciousness  Rejects pride, grreed, the show  Call to simplicity, to humility, to dependence on God  Call to do justice and care for the oppressed  False prophets prophecy to please – peace, peace (Jer 28:9) Calls Kings to War  Lays out the battle plans

Types of the Prophetic When the Lord reveals he uses different entrance points to personality  The mind and spirit prophets Moses Isaiah Ezekiel Jeremiah  The direct revelation prophet Amos Jonah  The dream prophets Joseph The speakers to national and international consciousnesses  Prophecy against the city or the nation Moses – let my people go Jesus: Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem  Calling a nation forward Joseph – there will be seven years… Those who speak to individual lives  You are Peter the rock  Behold a man in whom is no guile

Types of Prophecy The Prophetic Oracle  The Prophetic Exhortation  The Prophetic Prayer  The Prophetic Song  The Prophetic Vision Prophets = Seers In the Spirit (Rev 4:1-3) The Written Prophetic  After much social analysis  The final steps in the analysis are the call to action  Collective discernment is important in this process The Prophetic Action  Jer 27: 2-3

The Relationship of the Prophet to the Other Leadership Gifts Church is built on the prophets and apostles When prophets speak, apostles act  Prophets may move to the apostolic role but the basis of their authority then changes Earnestly desire to prophecy (1 Cor 14:1) All can prophecy  Differentiate the gift/ calling, and the activity of the Spirit who can use anyone (1 Cor 14:.  The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets  Apostles and prophets as foundational Prophetessses: There are both men and women prophets in the scriptures (Agabus’ daughters(Acts 21:9); Aaron’s sister, Mriam (Exodus 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4) Hldah (2 Kings 22:1ff).  The gifts are given as he wills  The limitation is in the exercising of authority over men as church elders (1 Tim 2:12). Thus women prophesying or in other leadership roles need to exercise appropriate care as to the style of communication. We have to differentiate the prophetic from the outworking of that prophetic into the apostolic or administrative structures to do what God is saying  The basis of authority is different  The style of leadership is different The prophet calls vision into being The leader carries people into the vision The administrator structures the vision

Releasing the Prophetic Requires the cleansing of the baptizer  Brokenness Prayer and fasting leading to intercession  Develops in an intercessory lifestyle Social analysis  Biblical understanding ( training in Biblical justice themes)  If we do not speak to the issues of the day, we are not speaking - need to know Long hours alone Begins in Intercession  The Intercessor is the one who stands between  The intercessor feels the pains, the groans of the people  But intercessors need to be guided by the prophetic often expressed as the vision of the church or mission or group.

Testing Prophecy (1 Thes. 5:19-22) Affirm the prophetic, test it You only really know someone is a prophet when prophecies are fulfilled

Background Reading on the Prophetic Barr, K. J. (1995). Fire on the Earth: Prophetic Religious Life for the 21st Century. Melbourne, Spectrum. Brueggeman, W. (1977). Hopeful Imagination: Prophetic Voices in Exile. Philadelphia, Fortress. --- (1978). The Prophetic Imagination. Philadelphia, Fortress. Gentile, E. B. (2002). Your Sons and Daughters Shall Prophesy: Prophetic Gifts in Ministry Today. Grand Rapids, Chosen Books. Heschel, A. (2001). The Prophets. New York, HarperCollins. --- (2001). What Manner of Man is the Prophet? The Prophets. New York, HarperCollins: Knight, H. (1947). The Hebrew Prophetic Consciousness. London, Lutterworth Press. Lanhma, K. S. Maori Times, Maori Places: Prophetic Histories, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Inc. McKane, W. (1965). Prophets and Wise Men. Napierville, IL, Allenson. Reese, A. (2002). The Presence of God and His Prophetic Voice: A Study in the Development of the Prophetic Voice and its Significance for the Church Today. Auckland, New Covenant International Bible College. Weber, M. (1963). The Prophet. The Sociology of Religion. London, Beacon Press.