The Prophetic Office of Christ and His Church

Numbers 11:16-17; 24-29             John 1:19-51

The Prophetic Office of Christ and His Church

An athletic and impressive looking salesman representing Nike sportswear came to sell his products to a local manager of a sport’s store. The manager expressed interest in the man’s footwear.

“Those are good looking track shoes you’re wearing,” he said.

“Oh, yes,” the Nike salesman replied, suddenly getting very animated and excited, “They are the newest release of performance footwear from Adidas imported directly from the factory! They’re not even out in the shops yet!” 

“Adidas?” the surprised manager echoed back.

“Yes! They are the best of the best!”

The salesman enthusiastically slipped them off and proudly placed them on the manager’s desk. 

“See here. Notice the inner arch support and the extra stitching on the seams – basically indestructible. The soles are made of a special material to give a little bounce to reduce the pressure to your heels. The manufacturers chose only the very best material which is not too heavy and not too thick…in other words, these shoes are designed for comfort, durability, and practicality. A lot of scientific research went into the shape of the shoes and the inner support was made using memory foam so that each shoe conforms to the contours of each specific wearer’s foot. They cost me a fortune, but these are, in my professional opinion, the best on the market.”

The salesman paused to draw breath and then said, without skipping a beat, “Now, could I interest you in the latest merchandise from Nike?”

Now, of course, Nike will sell simply because of the brand name, their reputation, and their effective advertising – so even though the salesman messed up his sales pitch, the manager probably was interested in what he had to offer.

But the story draws a parallel with the sales pitch, if you will, of the modern church. We are meant to be representatives of the God revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures…we are meant to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven and yet, our lives very often speak of the things that belong to the kingdom of this world. Some would even dare to use the name of Jesus to sell the wares of the world. Representing one company, as it were, while wearing the garments of another. 

 Of course, like Nike, the Gospel doesn’t really need a salesman – it is effective in and of itself and has stood the test of time and trial – but nevertheless, we ought to ask ourselves whether what we say and do represents Jesus (the REAL biblical Jesus) or something else. Do those around us see and hear God’s Word in our words and deeds?

Today, we will be looking at the prophetic office of Christ and, as we do, we will also look at how this office or this role has been shared with us, His Church. First, we will look at the prophetic office in the Old Testament so that we can define it biblically. Then we will look at the office as it pertains to Jesus and to the Early Church. And then, finally, we will look at the prophetic office today. In all three cases, we will look at the anointing or baptism of the Holy Spirit as well as the teaching or ministry of the Holy Spirit through the office of the prophet.

Now, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was sent from God to an individual (or to individuals) for a specific purpose and for a specific time. The references are many and are mostly alike, but I will give you a few examples.

In Numbers 11, the Lord instructed Moses to gather seventy men who were known as leaders for the express purpose of giving them the same Spirit who rested on Moses. The purpose was for them to be enabled to share the burden of teaching and leading or “judging” the people of God. We are told that the Lord came down in the glory cloud and that he put the Holy Spirit on the 68 leaders who had come to the tent of meeting as well as the other 2 who had remained in the camp…and all 70 of them prophesied. Now, remember the two in the camp as we will look at them a little later. 

Then in 1 Samuel 10:10, we read that the Holy Spirit came upon Saul, and he prophesied…we also know that the Holy Spirit later departed from Saul. 

In Ezekiel 2:2 we are told that the Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel and told him to preach to Israel and warn them of imminent judgment if they did not turn from their wickedness and live according to God’s law. 

Now, these are just a few examples, but I’m sure you get the picture. The Holy Spirit would come and go as God sent him upon individuals to enable them to say some specific word or do some specific task in God’s name. 

But just what exactly did the Holy Spirit enable these individuals to say or do? Unfortunately, many people think that prophecy is solely a foretelling or a prediction of events yet to come…but, as you read through the Scriptures, you soon realise that what these prophets or leaders did or said when the Holy Spirit came on them had very little to do with predicting the future. Most of what they had to say and do was to either teach the people the law or warn them of the consequences should they choose not to obey or follow the law. 

You can see this particularly in their references to and quotes from the books of the Torah…from the Law. And so, we can safely assume that the primary task of the Holy Spirit filled individual was to forthtell (in other words, to preach, teach, exhort, reprove, encourage, or train up in godliness) rather than to foretell (to predict future). As such, the Holy Spirit filled prophet, as the term is used in Scripture, was simply a person who represented God – they were channels of revelation and interpreters of the law. Of course, they did from time to time predict the future, but such predictions were usually simple statements with regard to the logical consequences of bad behaviour…other predictions were rather rare and usually only incidental to their main objective, which was to call people to repentance through preaching and teaching what was written in the Scriptures…and also calling the people of God back to faith through their proclamation of the coming redemption. Some of what they said was recorded and preserved for the edification of all believers.

So, the bottom line is simply this: prophecy in the Old Testament had more to do with teaching, preaching, admonishing, exhorting, and recording the pronouncements of God than with foretelling the future…and then we must also remember that when these were predictions they were usually linked to warnings already contained in the law.

But what about the New Testament?

In our Gospel reading for today, we saw that John testified to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. This is very similar to what happened with the Old Testament recipients of the Holy Spirit. However, with Jesus there were some differences.

Whereas the Old Testament prophets had to preface everything they said with the words, “thus says the Lord,” Jesus spoke with authority, “I say to you”. He not only spoke for God, but he spoke as God. As the author to the Hebrews wrote: “God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days (please note the words, “these last days”) spoken to us by his Son.” As such, Jesus is, in many ways, the final revelation of God to humanity…the rest of the New Testament and, indeed, the teaching of the Church, is basically a commentary on his life and ministry and an application of his teaching.

In verse 33 of John 1 we see another difference. “The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain (or abide) is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit remained or abided on or with Jesus, unlike the Old Testament characters, where he would come and go. In other words, the Holy Spirit is fundamentally central to who Jesus was as well as to what Jesus did. It was through the Spirit that Jesus was conceived. It was through the Spirit that Jesus spoke and performed wonders. It was through the Spirit that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. And it is through Jesus breathing the Spirit on the disciples that the Church was born. 

The opening chapter of Genesis speaks of the Spirit hovering over the face of the deep shortly before creation is spoken into existence. And here, in the opening chapter of John’s Gospel, the Spirit once again hovers over the face of the baptismal waters to speak into existence the new creation through the life and ministry and death and resurrection of Jesus. It is Jesus who, through the Spirit abiding on him, brings spirit and life to those who receive him.

Now, did Jesus predict the future? Yes, he did but in a rather limited fashion. His foretelling mainly focussed on the coming destruction of the old order – these are the so-called “last days” spoken of in the Scriptures…the days between the end of the old order and the beginning of the new. Now, of course, he does speak about his return, his second coming, if you will but these few references are somewhat vague and rightly so. It is not for us to know the times and the seasons…that is the Father’s prerogative…it is for us to obey whether we know what the future holds or not. Humanity has always wanted to control the future independent from God, but God knows it is best for us to be totally reliant on him…that’s what faith and trust is all about. If we knew all there was to know, we would not need God, would we? No, we need him, and we trust him because he alone holds the future in his hands…and we know that his thoughts and plans for us are always the best.

Be that as it may, besides these few predictions, Jesus’ ministry was mostly focussed on demonstrating by word and deed the character and will of God. His prophetic ministry as revealed in the Gospels had to do with teaching, preaching, exhorting, admonishing, encouraging, challenging and calling people back to God and warning them of the consequences should they refuse to listen. Throughout the sermon on the mount, he repeatedly called people back to the Scriptures and away from the so-called oral law or the tradition of the elders. “You have heard that it was said…NOTE: NOT READ WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN…you have heard that it was said…but I say to you…” 

In a classic confrontation with the teachers of the law, Jesus asked, “Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” You see, his ministry was to call people back to the Word and thereby back to the God of the Word. The prophetic ministry of Jesus had to do with correcting false teaching and bringing people back to the true meaning of Scripture. That’s why he said that he did not come to destroy the law and the prophets but to confirm them or fulfil them. To clarify or illuminate what the Word really says…not what we want them to say.

So, what about those who followed him and those who took the Gospel out into all the world?  Well, we know that all 120 believers praying together in the Upper Room were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus had already breathed the breath of regeneration on them when he appeared to them in that same upper room shortly after his resurrection, but now they received the promise of power…power to be witnesses to Jesus. And that is what they did…they preached, by word and by deed, the good news of liberation from Satan and sin and death through the death and resurrection and ascension and present reign of Jesus. Then the same Holy Spirit came upon the Samaritan believers and then later on the Gentile believers for the same reason…to spread the Gospel to all. 

Now, when one reads the book of the Acts of the Apostles and the New Testament Letters, one does see a few predictions of future events, especially in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus, but these predictions dealt mainly with the destruction of the vestiges of the Old Covenant, namely Jerusalem and the Temple. But mostly, the New Testament believers functioned in very much the same way as did the Old Testament prophets. In John 14:26 Jesus told his disciples that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things I said to you.” He said something similar in John 15:26-27: “…when the Helper comes, who I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” 

So, in this case, the Holy Spirit enabled the followers of Jesus to recall his teaching in order to write it down for future generations so that we and those yet to be born can have an eye-witness account of all Jesus said and did. In theological terms this is called the doctrine of inspiration…just like the authors of the Old Testament books, the Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the New Testament to write down the teaching and the application of the teaching of Jesus. 

So, the prophetic work of Jesus, as we understand it from Scripture, continued as the Holy Spirit enlightened and inspired and led the Early believers to be the witnesses they were called to be. They were empowered by the same Spirit that rested on the Old Testament believers and on Jesus to be ambassadors or spokespeople for the Kingdom of God.

This work continues today in and through us…those who have come to believe in Jesus through what was recorded and expounded by the first disciples. We are also called to bear witness to Jesus wherever we may go in this world.

Now, do you remember the two leaders in the wilderness who did not go up to the Tent of Meeting, but stayed in the camp? The Holy Spirit came on them in the same way as with the other 68 and they also prophesied, but in the camp, not at the tent as was customary. All teaching and other matters of ritual and religion always happened in and around the Tent…not in the camp. What these two men were doing was considered irregular. So, Joshua asked Moses to put a stop to their prophesying, but Moses replied: “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” This yearning desire and heart prayer of Moses came to pass from the day of Pentecost on through to today. 

Like Moses, the leaders, other Old Testament characters, and like the disciples, all of the Lord’s people are filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul states quite clearly in Romans 8:9 that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.” Plain and simple. Every believer after Pentecost has the Spirit…and, unlike the Old Testament believers, but like Jesus, the Holy Spirit abides or remains in us. 

So, in a sense, all of God’s people are prophets…prophets like Jesus…and, as such, all of God’s people can proclaim the truth of the Gospel and can call people back to God through repentance and faith. Of course, there are some who are specifically gifted and called to be leaders and teachers and preachers in the Church, but this does not detract from the responsibility of all God’s children to be witnesses to Jesus. If you are in Jesus, then you are filled with the Holy Spirit. As Paul said in Galatians 4:6-7, “Because we are children, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” 

So, the prophetic ministry of Jesus continues down through the ages as his faithful followers, now empowered and illumined by the indwelling Holy Spirit, bear witness to the truth: that Jesus has come to seek and to save the dead and the dying.

But alas and alack…the modern Church seems more preoccupied with the agenda of the world, rather than with the agenda of Jesus. Our preaching and teaching ministry has taken a wrong turn somewhere and we are stuck in some dead-end alley. We speak more about humanity and their needs than about God and his will…which is so strange because Scripture clearly teaches that if we obey God’s will then all our needs will be met. Note, I said needs, not greeds or wants or lusts or desires. It seems as if Jesus has become a celestial vending machine, or a Santa Claus who exists solely to give us what we want, and prophecy has become little more than crystal ball gazing…you will be blessed in 2023 with health, wealth, and a Rolex watch…whatever…

In so many ways, Christianity has become an empty or shallow religion practiced by people who no longer view God as altogether Holy and Just and True, not to mention the Almighty Creator and Owner of everything that exists. When the first disciples met Jesus, he asked them what they were looking for. This is another way of asking them if they had considered the cost involved should they choose to follow him. They had to think about why they would follow him…and what the consequences would be should they choose to do so. Jesus taught them that they had to deny themselves…deny those wants and desires and dreams and ambitions…and that they had to be consistent, determined, persistent, informed, and submissive in their following. They had to come to him on his terms, not theirs. 

There was and there still is a price to pay in following the Lord Jesus. When one speaks the truth, there will be a reaction. Jesus died for speaking the truth. Most of his first century followers also died for speaking the truth. Down through the ages, people have paid a tremendous price for following Jesus. Some still do. 

But what about us? Are we perhaps a little bit like our salesperson…trying to sell Nike while promoting Adidas? Do we perhaps outwardly claim to believe the Word of God while living in the skin of the world? Jesus warned us about wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

But let’s not engage in finger-pointing here. Let us look deep down into our own hearts. Are we fulfilling the prophetic role of our Lord or are we just biding our time till we die by and by? Are we truly serious about being his witnesses…about doing what the Holy Spirit has enabled and empowered us to do…about seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness? 

What are you “selling”, dearest beloved brethren? 

Shall we pray?

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2023