Are there Prophets today? Yes, prophets today are there and are proclaiming God’s message but we are too stubborn and stone-hearten to hear them. An example of a prophet of our days is T.B. Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). We rather prefer to dwell on their shortcomings to throw stones at them. Even in cases that they are innocent, we strive towards persecuting and blackmailing them. We are more interested in seeing them fail that succeed. Their efforts to spread the gospel are not seen, rather we kindly follow their teachings, and actions everyday to figure out words that are not in place to start shouting at the top of our voices that they are fake prophets.
We are more interested in killing them than listening to the divine message that they have for us. However, our behavior is not strange because we simply inherited it from our ancestors who found joy and happiness in persecuting and killing the prophets of old. The whole truth is that there exist few to no prophet that did not receive persecution and tribulation from men. The reason why we hate these men of God is because they reflect the truth from God but we prefer to remain in our darkness. If we are not careful, we’ll be used by Satan to accomplish his will of persecuting modern day prophets.
Prophets today are there in our midst
I regularly hear people ask the question “Are there prophets today?, Are Prophets today real or false?”. The search volume of this question is really high. Perhaps this is because many people are gradually abandoning the Bible which holds all truth about God’s Kingdom. They prefer to get quick answers and solutions. And in their search of quick and easy answers, they end up in the hands of spiritual leaders who have shaped the gospel to their personal taste there by misleading God’s people. You must first start by understanding that not everyone who claims to be a servant of God is truly his servant. Many have been misled by spiritual leaders concerning the phenomenon if prophets today are there. You can as well read our article on Prophets today.
Was John the Baptist the last prophet? Are there prophets today
What do we really mean when we say that prophets today are there? Many people believe that John the Baptist was the last prophet. But the New testament proofs this wrong in the following passages Acts 11:27-28 –
“About that time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up an by the power of the Holy Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)”, Acts 21:10 – “We had been there for several days when a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea” and Act 15:32 – “Judas and Silas who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength.”
All the prophets mentioned above came after the death of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. This is a sufficient proof for the wise that John the Baptist was not the last prophet. In addition, we’ve just mentioned a few prophets of the new testament. In reality, there were many prophets whom the spirit of God operated through in the midst of the immediate 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. They were able to reveal the secret and hidden things which God showed them. In addition, they prophesied and spoke things to come as they were directed by the Spirit of God.
Difference between Old and New Testament Prophets
In order to clearly get what we mean by Prophets today are there, you’ll need to first get the difference between the Old and New Testament Prophets. After reading the achievements and accomplishments of the New Testament Prophets in Acts 21:10, Acts 11:27-28, and Acts 15:32, you realize that they acted differently from the old testament prophets. The Old Testament Prophets regularly received God’s Authoritative instructions for His people which were to be written down as Holy Scriptures.
That’s why they use to start with an authoritative voice of “Thus says the lord”. However, this is not necessary the case with the New Testament Prophets and Prophecies. New Testament Prophets are more into encouraging, comforting, guiding, and exhorting the body of Christ or the church of Christ. In order words, everything has been accomplished by Christ and there is just no new teaching to come our way again. That’s why Jesus Christ told his Father in Heaven and men on Earth while He was on the cross that “It is Finish”.
It is finish means that he has completed all the teachings which men ought to know in order to be save and moved to eternal life. In order words, it means that He had completed the work God gave him on Earth thereby fulfilling God’s promise to save mankind. So prophets today are not called to dictate God’s laws to people. We already have the law and grace needed to be saved. Rather they are called to be witnesses of Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. That’s why Apostle John says that “The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). In order words, we can say that it is the truth which was revealed by Jesus Christ that inspires the New Testament Prophets.
Did the gift of prophecy end after the foundation of the church?
Still dwelling on the fact that Prophets today are there, we can not leave this vary aspect of prophets and Church foundation. Today, many denominations teach that the prophetic gift was sent by God through Jesus Christ for the immediate foundation of the Church. Most even suppress the question of “Are there prophets today”. They believe that this gift vanished immediately after the church of Christ was established by the 12 Apostles. Whatever the case, this is their point of view. And just as I’ve always encouraged Christians to dig deep into their Bibles for secret truths concerning the things of God, I’ll also advice you to hear what the Bible has to say about this point.
Biblical evidence
Saying that the gift of prophecy does not exist in today’s church is same as saying that the revealed truth by Jesus Christ does not exist in the modern Church. What I’m saying is backed up by Revelation 19:10 which clearly says that New Testament Prophets are inspired by the revealed truth of the gospel left by Jesus Christ. Still holding to the point that Prophets today are there, we’ll call your attention to 1 Corinthians 12:28 – “In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first place Apostles, in the second place Prophets, and in the third place Teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to hep others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues.”
This is a clear organization of God’s Holy Church. Who are we humans to ca, and change this pattern? Else you’ll be telling me that the Early Church’s setting was not God’s will. Which i believe it was not the case. Before Apostle Paul died, he was guided by God’s Spirit to install order which should be respected in Church as you can read from 1 Corinthians 14:26. He clearly invites every church that gathers in worship to welcomes inspired messages or prophecies from those who are mature in the faith. And this setting still holds for us today although most of our church leaders have eliminated or suppressed it to install theirs. For more information, read our article on the Gift of prophecy.
The Prophetic Office in the modern Church
Still on the fact that prophets today are there, we’ll pour more light to the prophetic office in the modern day Church. Does it still have a place or did it end after the Apostles? Let’s hear what the Bible has to say from Ephesians 4:11-12 -“It was he who “gave gifts”; He Appointed some Apostles, others to be Prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors, and teachers. He did this to prepare all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ.”
This Bible chapter and verse is clear on the fact that when Jesus Christ went up to heaven he shared gifts to the rest of the world for the gospel’s sake. Saying that these marvelous gifts ended after the Apostles is like saying that the construction of Christ’s body also ended with the Apostles. These gifts were shared to everyone including you and me who have been saved by the unmerited favor of God through Jesus Christ so that we can use it for Christian service as mentioned in the verse above. This clearly answers the question of “Are there prophets today?”. Learn more about this supernatural gift and how to receive as well a use it by reading our article on the Gift of prophecy.
