Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO PROPHECY
By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze
MEANING OF PROPHECY
Any of the following is a true definition of prophecy:
- Prophecy is the foreknowledge of future events.
- The spiritual ability to know, tell and explain events of the past, present and future, by entirely relying on the Holy Spirit of God.
- A clear knowledge of present hidden things which can neither be known by the natural reasoning nor by conventional signs.
- A prophecy is a process by which a divine message or revelation that have been given to a true prophet is in turn communicated to others by this prophet.
- Any divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of events of the past, present or future.
- The spiritual phenomenon in which a message is sent by God to human beings through an intermediary or a prophet.
- Prophecy is a divinely inspired revelation or interpretation.
MEANING OF A PROPHET
“Surely the sovereign (Lord) does nothing
without revealing his plans to
his servants the prophets.”
Amos 3:7
The term prophet is derived from the Greek word, prophets, which means “foreteller”. It refers to an inspired person who has been sent by God with a message to tell. He is the mouthpiece of God. In a broader sense, the word can refer to anybody who utters the will of God as ascertained through visions, dreams, the casting of lots, etc. The will of the deity also may be spoken in a liturgical setting. The word, prophet, is often associated with the priest, a religious figure, a healer, a diviner, a possessor of psychic powers, the foreteller and the mystic, who delivers and/or interprets messages from God.
The Catholic Encyclopedia defines a Christian conception of prophecy as "understood in its strict sense, it means the foreknowledge of future events, though it may sometimes apply to past events of which there is no memory, and to present hidden things which cannot be known by the natural light of reason."
Quoted by Wikipedia
"A prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a true prophet are then communicated to others by this true prophet. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the world is divine. The process of prophecy especially involves reciprocal communication of the true prophet with the (divine) source of the messages." From Wikipedia
WHY FORETELLING SEEM TO BE THE ONLY PROPHECY
Reasons abound why foretelling is regarded as the major prophecy, as if it is the only prophecy. It is easy to know what had happened. But, it is very hard to know and foretell future events, especially when there are no signs or possibilities of their happening.
MEANING OF REVELATION
Revelation is the receipt of divine message, prophecy, or directive for intended purpose: spiritual experiences that warn, direct or transform the lives of individuals and groups. Usually, such a message is delivered by the Holy Spirit, through an Angel or a prophet. Revelation can also be defined as God's disclosure of divine will to human beings through a select person.
Every great religion is based upon revelation; its followers are dependent on the privileged insights of its founder or those of the original group with which the faith began. The insights:
- Explain the ultimate meaning of life and the universe.
- Have been handed down in religious traditions, are arrived at, not through logical inference.
- Are received through sometimes sudden, unexpected, illuminations that overshadow and transform the human spirit.
- Look upon God as a free and personal spirit distinct from the world.
- Accept revelation in the more specific sense of a divine self-disclosure.
In the prophetic religions -Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Zoroastrianism - revelation is understood as a message communicated by God to a divinely-accredited spokesman. The spokesman is charged to herald the content of that message to an entire people or world.
TERMS USED FOR PROPHECY
Other terms used for prophecy include prediction, forecast, divination, foretelling, insight, foresight, exposure, disclosure, message, etc.
MEANING OF KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge simply means the understanding of the Truth about life. Truth in this case is plural, embracing all the natural laws, principles, facts, etc, of life. Truth may be physical law, spiritual statement, chemical theory, biological principle or otherwise.
The universal truth is an ordered whole. However, facts may appear disorderly to man, because man learns them through mistakes, by trials and errors, from experiences and with time. By science, man is only finding out what is already in nature or the potentials which God endowed in nature.
EVERYDAY PROPHECY
Prophecy can be defined as “the ability to predict the past, present and future, without witnessing the realities involved.” Most often, prophecy is understood to mean “the foretelling of the future events.” But, prophecy can equally tell what had happened in the past or what is happening elsewhere at present.
“Everyday Prophecy” means the orderly use of prophecy in our everyday life, and in all fields of human endeavour”.
THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF PROPHECY
First, prophecy is universal. Universal, in the sense that, every aspect of nature prophesies. Hence, one can say “as prophetic as fact.” That is, one fact of life can lead to several true conclusions. Besides, things and events of life have their signs and effects by which their reality is proven.
Second, prophecy is eternal, contrary to the assertion of some people that prophecy is Judaic, ancient and obsolete. It abounds in life, forever. More so, as God, who validates it, is an everlasting and unchangeable God. Various ways by which people adopt prophecy include prediction, forecasts, estimates, projections, budgets etc.
Third, the bedrock of prophecy is Truth. The Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Prophecy, is also the Spirit of Truth.