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THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
A Teaching on 12 Prophetic Giftings
12/6/01
Hi Loved Ones,
Years ago I knew a prophetic
preacher who was very anointed and inspired. After
sitting under his teaching for a couple of months, I
came to the conclusion that he was not just sharing good
stories, good Bible teaching, and inspired messages…
this guy was a prophet. I never knew a prophet before
and this was first hand experience of sitting under
someone who had the gifting. It was in the days that the
word prophet was not used, in fact he might have been
thrown out if such a thing had been suggested.
Anyway, it really intrigued me that
week after week he was speaking right into my own life
of either something that the Lord had just spoken to me,
or something that I would be going through that week or
season. I was really wondering how he did it! In answer
to my question, the Lord revealed to me that this man
was a forerunner and simply lived his life as an
example, from day to day, and simply shared what the
Lord was speaking to him about. He wasn’t trying to be a
prophet and look into the future for some great piece of
revelation. But his very life was prophetic, merely by
the inspiration he spoke, the lens he saw through, the
placement and timing in which he walked, and by the
events ordained for him to experience as a prophetic
sign. (I will explain these.)
There are various kinds of
prophetic giftings and I would like to share some of
them with you. Some people operate heavily in one, but
not necessarily in others, some operate in all. I
function in a conglomeration of most of these, (some
weaker, some stronger) and bounce back and forth
depending upon the leading of the Holy Spirit. However
it started a step at a time, learning as I went, then
being released into new levels of anointing as I went. I
think that when the Lord had OT prophets co-mingle in
prophetic schools, it was because it was a growing
process and they did learn by seeing it modeled. The
following are brief descriptions of the strengths and
weaknesses of the prophetic giftings. I pray the Lord
stirs your heart to receive more of His expressions
through His prophetic Word, coming to life.
This post is based upon the
following scripture:
Rev 19:10
…for the testimony of Jesus is the
spirit of prophecy.
There is actually a spirit of
prophecy being released upon God’s people in these last
days that is birthing a prophetic people, who are
prophetic in their gifts and expressions. I named a few
of them in the post, I believe there are more.
This release of His prophetic
spirit is a new level of prophetic expression and
anointing that also enhances both those in the office
and those who prophesy. However the post is not speaking
about a distinction between the office of prophet nor
those who prophesy, rather about a prophetic people. May
His prophetic expression stretch us into new territory!
PROPHETIC INSPIRATION
This above fellow had a very
anointed and charismatic speaking gift. It was his
primary gifting of Prophetic inspiration. He would
seemingly just open his mouth and share whatever was on
his mind or heart and it would speak right into people’s
hearts. He had an occasional dream or picture that he
might share, but he was a fluent and punctual speaker.
You can find this same gifting of inspiration in
prophetic musicians, prophetic intercessors, prophetic
warriors, prophetic pastors, prophetic teachers,
prophetic drama, prophetic writing, arts, decorating,
poetry, etc, etc! It is simply the expression of what is
on one’s heart from the Lord to share through whatever
means. It is God inspired or breathed, and He is the
Source of the thought, people are the expression and the
tool, and the Holy Spirit is the One Who brings it to
life in others. It is the Lord Who knows the people that
the Word is intended for, and it is the Holy Spirit that
brings it to life for them; the person is just a
conduit.
This kind of prophetic gifting is
inspired communication. It is not something that one
tries to do, or make prophetic, it simply is just
communicating what God is stirring on ones heart or
mind. The people I have observed with this gifting, are
dripping with the anointing, and practically everything
they share, even if it is what their child said that
morning, is prophetically inspired. And yet these people
are seemingly always longing to be used more by the
Lord, and rarely see their own gifts of inspiration. I
think that some do not see it, because they think it
needs to be more complicated than just sharing what pops
into their heart. But it isn’t complicated, it’s that
easy. The key ingredient in this gift (as in all of
them) is the anointing of the Lord.
David’s Psalms are a good example
of prophetic inspiration. He was just singing to the
Lord what was on his heart and what he was feeling. He
had no clue that what he was singing was the Word of God
and that multitudes would feed upon it, research it
prophetically, and use it as anointed weapons against
the enemy. Neither did he have a clue that his music was
intercession where angels were sent forth upon his
words.
Inspired prophets learn best by
expressing the Word of the Lord. They learn by doing,
not necessarily studying or meditating. They are often
not well developed in listening skills. But they are
charismatic in expressing what they understand from the
Lord.
PROPHETIC SEERS
A picture is worth a thousand
words, and the Lord speaks to seers pictorially. Seers
are gifted in dreams and visions. And they gain a great
amount of satisfaction on chewing all the meat off
these. They see things as parables, and allegorical
language. They learn to interpret what they see by
grounding it with the Word of God, and applying it to
other pieces of previous revelation that the Lord has
already grounded. Seers make very effective watchmen,
for they are able to observe what is going on at a
distance, then pray about it. Other times, a seer is
inspired to be able to communicate (through various
means) what he sees. Sometimes he speaks it
allegorically, sometimes it is through prophetic
teaching, sometimes it is through on the spot
inspiration.
I shared in a previous writing that
prophetic people each look through a different set of
lenses. They look into the distance to see what is
coming. This is especially true for seers. These lenses
are various degrees of thickness. I had shared
revelation that some prophets have telescopes, some have
various lenses all the way down to eye glasses. The
longer the lens, the farther out in the distance they
see. A prophet can also be given several lenses in his
inventory and will mix and match them according to the
need at the moment, as directed by the Holy Spirit.
These lenses range from right now Words, to just coming
ones, to way out in the distance Words.
Understanding prophetic lenses can
be very frustrating to a prophetic seer (and to the
listeners) especially in the area of timing. What they
see is vivid and real and right now in their own walk
with the Lord. This includes everything the Lord is
talking to them about, including all the confirmations
and signs to back up what they see, hear and understand.
But the actual Word for the body of Christ doesn’t come
to pass for many years.
In the OT the following were listed
as seers: Samuel (1 Samuel 9:19), Gad (2 Samuel 24:11),
Heman (1 Chronicles 25:5), Iddo (2 Chronicles 9:29),
Hanani (2 Chronicles 16:7), Asaph (2 Chronicles 29:30),
Jeduthun (2 Chronicles 35:15), Amos (Amos 7:12).
Prophetic seers learn best by
seeing the Word of the Lord. Therefore they are often
naturally less verbal but more observant of what is
going on around them. Sometimes seers have a tendency to
leave gaping holes in their communication. They see
things pictorially and when they communicate what they
see, they think that others can fill in the invisible
blanks. Sometimes the Lord will team up a seer with a
person who interprets or even teaches, so that there is
a clearer understanding when the Word is shared.
PROPHETIC MUSICIANS
Prophetic musicians sing and play
their prophetic songs, through creative ways. Of the
above seers, Heman, Asaph and Jeduthun were prophetic
musicians. It is highly possible that some of the songs
these prophetic musicians shared were actually their
visions put to music.
Wonderful creative inspiration is
falling on the musicians.
· The spirit of prophesy may come
upon a musician and he will sing an unrehearsed song of
the Lord, bringing a Word in season to those listening.
· Words of knowledge can be sung
instead of spoken.
· The musicians may bring forth
unusual sounds via their instruments or even voices that
portray what the Spirit is communicating through
feelings or the Word.
· Some musicians are being led to
half sing, half speak the Word.
· Others are miming what is being
sung, via their hands and body.
· Some are dramatizing their songs.
· Some sing of the visions they see
to whatever chord progression comes to mind.
· A song leader may choose a list
of songs that are a prophetic announcement to what is
coming, and they may be sharing songs that prepare the
hearts of the people for that season.
· The Lord is moving on musicians
to prophetically sing the scriptures to non orthodox
sounds and chords, of no particular rhyme or song, as an
act of intercession and prayer. I often sing my heart’s
prayers to the Lord, instead of speaking them. Some of
my most intimate moments are when I have sung my prayer
to the Lord, then I sing His response back to me.
Sometimes I can hardly sing because I feel the passion
of His love for me as I am singing His Words back to me.
· Others may use their prophetic
musicians gift to half sing, half teach. The other day
after I led us into a prayer of repentance, a prophetic
musician came to the mike and sang a few lines about
repentance. Then she spoke a little paragraph, teaching
about what the word repentance meant, then she moved
into a song of the heart where she was repenting via
song. It was a very moving Word through half singing,
half teaching.
· I have seen the best offerings
taken when it becomes an act of worship and the
musicians sing the prayers to the Lord and sing about
giving our offerings to Him, as the people come out of
their seats and place money at the altar.
Prophetic musicians learn less from
observing, and best by doing; expressing how they feel
through song. Prophetic musicians fight fear of man, and
desiring man’s approval. They finally overcome when
their hearts and expressions are towards the Lord and
not man at all. CD’s with music but no words are a good
way to grow in this gifting. For musician’s, prophetic
"jamming" sessions are great platforms to grow in this
anointing. My prophetic heart yearns for every church to
have a weekly gathering of all musicians, (not just the
worship team) so that they could nurture their giftings
in a corporate setting. Too often very anointed
musicians are left on the sidelines watching.
PROPHETIC FORERUNNERS
Another kind of prophetic gifting
has to do with one’s placement and one’s experience in
the body of Christ. I have seen many visions of people
being lined up in rank and file. The above man had the
placement of a forerunner and the path he walked with
the Lord was a few steps ahead of others who were
following behind. It was no big deal to him, he simply
shared what he was going through at the time. With no
control of his own, what he shared ended up being the
immediate upcoming future Word for others. His placement
was a matter of timing, he just happened to be a few
steps ahead. Not all forerunners are just a few steps
ahead. Some are placed way out in the distance (years)
and they point the way by example and modeling what the
Lord has shared with them.
Prophetic forerunners are like
signs, tokens, living parables. Their lives are like
living stories that communicate not only to their
personal lives what the Lord is saying, but also to the
body at large, by modeling through example. Here are
some prophetic examples where people portrayed the Word
of the Lord through people’s actions. Their actions were
like signs pointing the way, or demonstrating the Lord’s
Word:
1. Agabus took Paul’s belt (Acts
21:10-11)
2. Saul tore Samuel’s robe (1 Sam
15:27-28)
3. Ahijah tore his cloke into 12
pieces (1 Kings 11:30-31)
4. Elisha told the king to shoot an
arrow (2 Kings 13:15-18)
5. Jeremiah hid the linen belt near
the river (Jer 13:2-10)
6. Jeremiah smashed the jar (Jer
19:10-11)
7. Isaiah walked naked and barefoot
(Isa 20:3-4)
8. Ezekiel used a sword to shave
his head (Ezek 5:1-4)
9. Hosea married a prostitute (Hos
1:2)
Prophetic forerunners learn best by
doing. They are hands on kind of people. They are
tactile, receive and give touch, they enjoy experiencing
the Lord through living parables, they enjoy the full
use of their senses in hearing the Words to the Lord.
They may be less skilled in verbal abilities, since they
like to live more and talk less. They like spice in life
and change, merely so they may experience more.
Prophetic forerunners are sometimes lonely, as what they
are experiencing in the Lord is not what others are
experiencing. This is because they are walking ahead and
paving the way for others to follow. Prophetic
forerunners often take the road less traveled, because
they are creating the road as they go.
PROPHETIC PASTORS AND TEACHERS
Prophetic pastors and teachers are
inspired through and by the Word of God. They are
prophetically drawn to teach about sections of scripture
that have prophetic relevance. This not only includes
what is traditionally accepted as prophetic passages, it
also includes any passage that portrays a prophetic
message. For instance, this year I wrote the article on
Peter’s life called, "The Great Fishing Story" based
upon the prophetic revelation that there were many in
the body who had become so sifted that they felt they
had disqualified themselves from their callings. This
story is about how the Lord is going to circle around
and re-gather those people back into their callings.
Often pastors and teachers do not realize how prophetic
they are, they merely feel the inspiration to share out
of the Word of the Lord. But that inspiration is
actually prophetic and pointing the way or preparing the
way for an upcoming prophetic season.
Jesus had the best teaching gift.
He knew the Word of God, then opened it up with
understanding and it came alive. (Luke 24:32-33) "And
they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within
us while He talked with us on the road, and while He
opened the Scriptures to us?"
Prophetic pastors and teachers
learn best by studying, pondering, searching and praying
over the Word of God. They ask questions and analyze,
they see patterns, they see themes, they see motives and
scenes behind the Words, they see over all context to
issues that cross reference. They make good puzzle
builders, working with little details and communicating
how they fit. This gift needs a good balance between
pondering and communicating. Pastors and teachers are
not necessarily the best skilled in personal people
relations, because they spend so much time studying and
reflecting. They are often much more skilled in public
relations than personal ones.
PROPHETIC EVANGELISTS
We are going to see a wonderful
marriage of the prophetic giftings coming upon the gifts
of evangelism, in order to reach the lost and win souls.
These gifts will hone in on the hearts of man and bring
the secret issues to light. (I Cor 14:24,25) The Lord
God Almighty wants these lost people to know that He
KNOWS their name, He has the very hairs on their heads
counted one by one, and He CARES for them more than they
can even conceive! Prophetic Evangelism is going to
explode in such power that the world will take notice.
Jesus’ gifts to see and speak into the hearts of mankind
and bring masses to Him, are our best example of
prophetic giftings in operation. (Matt 9:4, Matt 4:23)
Prophetic Evangelists learn best by
one step at a time obedience to the prompting of His
Spirit. They will never know whether the prompting is
from His Spirit unless they dip one toe in the water and
try. It takes a courageous heart to reach out past their
own little world into the heart of another. The pitfall
of such an attempt is facing failure and thus wounding
of one’s faith. The blooming prophetic evangelist needs
to practice trusting that seeds planted will bring a
harvest, because the Word of God does not return void.
PROPHETIC APOSTLES
The word apostle means "sent one."
There are many practicing prophets who have been
prepared in the fire that will receive their promotion
into the apostolic callings with gifts of signs and
wonders. They will not leave their prophetic giftings
behind, but rather add the increase from a new enduement
of power from Him. (This is true of all the giftings as
promotions come.) These are ambassadors, speaking into
nations with multiplying signs and wonders.
There are also hidden ones who have
waited in the tomb, to be raised up into resurrection
power. They too have gone through the fire, but have
become so dead to self that they think they do not have
a purpose. He has kept these hidden from the world and
from the enemy so that through His resurrection power,
He shall raise them up as His banner to carry Jesus
Christ wherever they go. The book of Acts and the
Gospels are our examples of prophetic apostleship.
The prophetic apostle learns best
by learning to walk in His Spirit every moment of the
day, always communing with the Lord and seeking His
perspective on everything they see and hear. It is
practicing the Presence of God. The weakness of the
prophetic apostleship calling will be one’s focus. It
can be a stumbling block and distraction to look at
oneself, or for others to look towards the person, when
it is the gift of God that operates through this public
gifting.
PROPHETIC INTERCESSORS
Intercession is an act of
mediation, or a go between for the Word of God. It is
taking the rhema Word of God from heaven and being a
bridge for it to come to pass on earth. Just as in the
tabernacle, the place of intercession was in the holy of
holies, away from public view. These are some of the
highest levels of the prophetic giftings, that the
public rarely sees. The Lord speaks to them His secrets
merely because He wants to, and they listen, merely
because they want to hear Him. It is not what is shared,
or what is heard, but the intimacy of being together. It
is like Mary; they receive, believe, stand, then wait
for the Word of the Lord to come to pass.
Mary held in her physical womb,
God’s seed. Prophetic intercessors hold in their
spiritual wombs, God’s seed. He implants little Words
that are carefully held, and nurtured, and grown in a
safe environment, and one day they bring forth a
wonderful harvest. Prophetic intercessors pray over what
they are given, cherish and keep what they are given.
Some go through great levels of sacrifice to guard what
has been given. All are forms of intercession to bring
to birth the Word of God, spoken from heaven, onto
earth.
Prophetic intercessors learn best
by obeying. They live a sacrificial life style hidden
away from the world, and stay closeted in the secret
place. They feel like aliens in a foreign land, and they
live and breathe to hear and know the Word of the Lord.
They are more reflective than outgoing and have
excellent listening skills.
PROPHETIC WARRIORS
Prophetic warriors will hear and
see the promises of the Lord, often seeing the obstacles
and hindrances set in opposition for that Word to come
to pass. They have been given great authority and
anointing to stand against opposition, and they have
fierce nurturing hearts for what they protect. They pour
their lives and energy into standing upon the Word of
the Lord, and resisting any nuance of even a suggestion
that it will not come to pass. They have been given
special armor to set their faces like flint and not
budge. They are planted deep in the Word of the Lord.
They know their opposition and they know the Sovereignty
and power of God. They have a strong gift of faith.
David was our best example of a prophetic warrior.
A prophetic warrior learns best by
small, safe doses of measured warfare. It is carefully
allowed one step at a time by the Lord. They learn
through their wounds how not to get ahead of Him by
fighting presumptuously. Prophetic warriors don’t
operate well on committees. A prophetic warrior is often
more bold, outspoken and impulsive. That is because
demonic opposition needs a quick slash of the sword.
PROPHETIC ARTISTS AND DANCERS
A prophetic artist has a
combination of the seeing gift and the gift of
inspiration. They see the Word of the Lord. Then they
make it come to life through expressive means of
communicating that Word.
A prophetic artist learns best by
feeling. They are sensory people and enjoy creating what
they sense around them. They like the Word to be
demonstrated and tactile, or at least expressive and
vivid. Colors, expressions, pictorial language, even
sounds and mood each have prophetic significance. The
craftsmen in the tabernacle and the temple were our
examples of these gifts.
The Lord has been raising up the
gifts of prophetic dancers, who have the gifts to
express through their bodies what the Holy Spirit is
saying to their hearts and emotions. It is a beautiful
release of His Presence that comes as they abandon
themselves in pouring out their passion to Him through
movement. The OT dancers with tambourines and banners,
going before the armies in battles, were wonderful
examples of the power of God to break through the
demonic ranks with the power of praise.
Of all the giftings above,
prophetic artists have the hardest time differentiating
between the anointing of the Lord and themselves. And
that is to say, they do recognize their gift as from the
Lord, but they tend to personalize and identify the
acceptance or rejection of their gifting, with
themselves. Other prophetic giftings are not quite as
personal as the prophetic artist, so this can become a
stumbling block. They are more feeling oriented, more
subjective and less logical in their approach to
sharing.
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The bottom line of all the
prophetic expressions is number one, His anointing
within and upon us to express His heart. And number two,
that we should not feel the obligation or stress to
"produce or act prophetic." Rather, it is His super,
over our natural expression of Who He is, as we respond
to His Spirit. It is the same Holy Spirit in operation,
but each gifting is a unique way of communicating His
prophetic Word. He is an awesome God we serve!
Lovingly,
Sandy
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