How to Stay Above Deception Part 23

The Prophetic Ministry

By Apostle Felix

Throughout our history God has spoken to our ancestors by his prophets in many different ways. The revelation he gave them was only a fragment at a time, building one truth upon another. But to us living in these last days, God now speaks to us openly in the language of a Son, the appointed Heir of everything, for through him God created the panorama of all things and all time. Hebrews 1: 1, 2

Who is a Prophet?

The English word prophet is the transliteration of a compound Greek word derived from pro (before/toward) and phesein (to tell); thus, prophet is someone who conveys messages from the divine to humans, including occasionally foretelling future events.

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1: 21

The first person to be called prophet in the Bible was Abraham in Genesis 20: 6, 7. The Hebrew word used is Nabiy which means, the announcer, or authorized person. A prophet is considered as a mouthpiece of God, one who announces the agenda of God. In the Old Testament, the prophets were regarded to be the advocates and mediators. They were used by God to receive His word and pass it on to the people. Abraham was called a prophet but yet we do not have any of his prophetic account like Isaiah. What kind of a prophet was Abraham?

Abraham was called out of the land of Ur by God for the purpose of starting a nation through which the Messiah should be born. God called him out of his own people. A man, who was an idol worshiper was divinely handpicked by God. That was grace at work.

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. Joshua 24: 2

Abraham was handpicked by God for the purpose of facilitating a womb for the Messiah. He was the womb God chose to bring the Messiah into this physical world. From Genesis 3: 15, God was looking for a womb through which the Messiah would come and God found Abraham and started preparing the womb.

So when Jesus the Messiah came into the world he said, “Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead! Hebrews 10: 5

Abraham was called a prophet because he was carrying the message of God to the world. God said to him, ‘I will bless you, and you shall be a blessing to many,’ Genesis 12: 2. The blessing God referred to was not the camels, tents, gold or any of material possession, but the Christ who was to be born and die for the sins of the world. The blessedness of Abraham was beyond the material possession, but Messianic. Therefore, Abraham’s office as a prophet had to do with the privilege God had given him to be the pioneer of the lineage through which Jesus Christ was to be born.