Prophetic-School: 100% Accuracy?
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Originally from: <AVMuk@aol.com>
Originally dated: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:54:14 EDT
We have followed this thread with interest in the accuracy of prophecy.
1. Paul in 1 Corinthians chap 13 is certainly talking about full knowledge
against partial knowledge, as this leader suggests. Prophecy also needs to be
accurate as we know from the Book of Numbers and various OT references.
2. At the same time, it is manifest that there must be a TESTING OF THE
PROPHECY, SO THAT PARTS OF IT MAY BE ACCURATE, rather than a general assumption
that everything is automatically right or wrong.
3. This is well brought out in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 'Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good'.(KJV) It is also inferred even in the Old Testament in
that all prophecy must be tested by SCRIPTURE: Isa 8:20 'To the law and to the
testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of
dawn'. (NIV) Every new teaching or prophecy is therefore, to come under this
scrutiny, as we see from the commendation of the Bereans for their attitude to
what Paul was sharing: Acts 17:11 'Now the Bereans were of more noble character
than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true'.(NIV) The
same idea of testing is used therefore, when prophecy takes place in a meeting,
only in this case the testing is by a witness of the Spirit to the other
prophets. If all prophecy was accurate, this would not be necessary !! 1 Cor
14:29 'Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh
carefully what is said'. (NIV)
4. The Greek word DOKIMAZO of putting things to the test by experience:
A. dokimazo ^1381^, primarily, of metals (e. g., the Sept. of (Prov. 8:10;
17:3)), signifies "to prove," e. g., (1 John 4:1), more frequently to
prove with a view to approval, e. g., (Rom. 1:28), KJV, "they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge"; RV, "they refused"; marg.,
"did not approve," the true meaning. Their refusal was not the
outcome of ignorance; they had the power to make a deliberate choice; they
willfully disapproved of having God in their knowledge.
In the next chapter, the apostle speaks of the Jew as "approving things
that are excellent," (2:18). The Jew knew God's will, and mentally
"approved" of the things in which God had instructed him out of the
Law.
In (Rom. 14:22), he is said to be happy who "judgeth not himself in that
which he approveth"; that is to say, in that which he "approves"
of after having put the matter to the test. The KJV "alloweth" has
not now this meaning.
As to the gifts from the church at Corinth for poor saints in Judea, those who
were "approved" by the church to travel with the offering would be
men whose trustworthiness and stability had been proved, (1 Cor. 16:3) (the RV
margin seems right, "'whomsoever ye shall approve, them will I send with
letters"); cf. (2 Cor. 8:22).
In (Phil. 1:10) the apostle prays that the saints may "approve the things
that are excellent" or "things that differ," i. e.,
"approve" after distinguishing and discerning.
In (1 Thes. 2:4), the apostle and his fellow missionaries were "approved
of God to be entrusted with the Gospel"
B. Adjective. dokimos ^1384^, akin to dechomai, "to receive," always
signifies "approved"; so the RV everywhere, e. g., in (Jas. 1:12) for
KJV, "when he is tried."
The word is used of coins and metals in the Sept.; in (Gen. 23:16), "four
hundred didrachms of silver approved with merchants"; in (Zech. 11:13), in
regard to the 30 pieces of silver, "Cast them into a furnace and I will
see if it is good (approved) metal." (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of
Biblical Words)
5. ALL THIS WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE :-
(a) EACH PROPHECY must be tested, even if it comes from a known Prophet
(b) A TEST is applied either of a witness of the Spirit or of a period of
time
(c) WITHIN EACH PROPHECY there may be parts which are at different levels, and
TIME will also determine their validity.
6. IN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE round the world and for the last 35 years in
Ireland, we have found that Prophets move, even accurately, at different levels
of revelation. One example is the prophecy of ISAIAH. He is accurate in his
predictions, but comes to a Crisis in Isaiah chapter ??? Some of the
modern Bible translations bring this out well: Isa 6:5: 'Then I said, "My
doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful,
foul-mouthed race; and I have looked upon the King, the Lord of heaven's
armies."' 6: 'Then one of the mighty angels flew over to the altar and
with a pair of tongs picked out a burning coa'l. 7: 'He touched my lips with it
and said, "Now you are pronounced 'not guilty' because this coal has
touched your lips. Your sins are all forgiven."' (TLB)
Isa 6:5: 'Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man
and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD
Almighty!"' (NLT)
ISAIAH IS THEN PURIFIED AND RELEASED WITH NEW PROPHETIC GIFTING at a deeper
level, covering the SUFFERING MESSIAH.
I trust this will be helpful, but to avoid longer space, please contact me
personally on incidents etc. we have seen of this growth in prophecy from our
own experience of visions.
Keith Gerner AUDIO VISUAL MINISTRIES
VISIT OUR WEB SITE. http//:www.grmi.org/Ministry/Audio-Visual