Office of The Prophet

Chapter 1

Introduction

Most churches in this day and age are ignorant of what the office of the prophet is and how those anointed to serve in this office operate in the church and in the world at large. There must be someone teaching on this subject, but I have not encountered anyone. It is imperative for the people of God be able to recognize these individuals because the office of the prophet was established by God himself, and he anoints and appoints prophets to be his voice to the body of Christ and to the nations.

“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) Notice the Lord in this scripture refers to his prophets as servants. Prophets are servants of the Lord in word and deed.

When the Lord gives revelation through his prophets, God will validate what the prophet speaks. Throughout scripture you will find phrases that include: “Fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken through his prophet.” (I Kings 2:27); “According to the word of the Lord” (II Kings 1:17); and “But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets.” (Acts 3:18) These scriptures indicate the Lord will bring to pass messages spoken by his prophets.

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” (Matthew 10:41)

These scriptures make it quite apparent that the Lord values His prophets.

I want to thank Pastor Bob Baca for asking me to put this teaching together. I have never sat through a teaching on the office of the prophet. What I know has come from the Holy Spirit as he has taught me how to operate in this office over the years.

In studying and compiling this teaching, the Holy Spirit reaffirmed his call upon me to minister in the office of the prophet. I do not say this lightly or to make anyone feel that I am more favored by God than others. It is a humbling and awesome responsibility that requires great diligence to be sure I am hearing the Lord and following what he is directing me to do and say.

Through studying the office of the prophet, I discovered that many of the things I have done over the years and the ways the Lord has had me minister are all part of the office of the prophet. I was doing what the Lord told me to do, and I was ministering in the way the Lord called me to minister, but I was unfamiliar with the characteristics that set me apart to minister in this office. I learned a great deal through preparing this teaching, and I pray that each person studying it will learn as well. Of course, the Holy Spirit is the perfect teacher, and I invite him to open your minds and hearts to hear his voice as you go through this study.

Let’s start with the basics. Many people in the body of Christ today believe that the Old Testament became outdated when the Lord sent his son Jesus Christ into the world to be our Lord and Redeemer. In fact people do not even read the Old Testament due to this kind of thinking.

The Old Testament sets forth the history of the church itself, which is fundamental for believers to know. It introduces the statutes the Lord set forth for his people to follow; this is also beneficial for the body of Christ. The Old Testament establishes a moral code authored by God himself. The Old Testament is also filled with example after example of how the Lord worked through his anointed prophets.

The Old Testament also contains demonstrations of the Lord, through his prophets, instructing the people of Israel, correcting them, and revealing what was going to happen in the future. The Old Testament includes demonstrations of God’s wrath being poured out against those who disobeyed God. There is much to be learned from studying the Old Testament. There are also outdated laws that are no longer followed like an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. We are living in an age of grace and mercy that requires us to forgive instead of imparting retribution.

Chapter 2

Prophet - God’s Definition

People often declare someone to be a prophet of God because of the operation of the gift of prophecy in their lives. The manifestation of the gift of prophecy is different from the office of a prophet. Any Spirit-filled believer who knows what the Lord wants to say can speak that message to the body of Christ. A Spirit filled-believer can operate through the gift of prophecy often and for many years but still not be a prophet of God.

One of the big questions people ask about prophets is how does someone know that they are actually called to be a prophet of God. The answer is simple and yet complicated. A prophet will know that he is a prophet when the Lord speaks to him and places a holy call or commission upon him to be a spokesman or messenger for the Lord. This commission can come through God himself speaking to an individual. The commission can also be received through a vision or a dream. It can come through anointing by another prophet under the direction of the Holy Spirit. One does not take it upon himself to anoint and appoint a prophet of God. The commission comes from the Lord God Almighty.

When Moses was initially called to be a prophet of God he asked the Lord for someone to speak for him. The Lord responded by appointing Aaron to speak for Moses. Somewhere along the line the Lord also anointed Miriam to speak as well.