We need the prophets. Some prophesy. Some are prophets.
There is a distinct difference between a person who operates in the gift of prophecy and one who functions in the office of the prophet. The prophet is the second office mentioned in the five ascension gifts that Jesus gave the church to mature us for the work of the ministry. The prophet is of paramount importance.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-12, KJV).
When a prophet in the Bible, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, prophesied, he stayed within God’s plan of redemption. No matter what the subject, whether he spoke about the Israelites’ sin or redemption, the prophetic word he spoke dealt with God’s plan of redemption. After the prophets decreed that judgment would come upon the Israelites as a result of their sin, even when the prophets spoke of Babylon or other nations that God used to judge His people Israel, every word the prophets spoke was still within God’s redemptive plan for Israel.
There are Scriptures that declare God raised up nations, such as the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Medes, and the Persians. They were raised to fulfill God’s purpose: to fulfill God’s redemptive plan for Israel.
God did the same thing with the Babylonians. He raised up King Nebuchadnezzar to judge Judah and to purify them. He later used the Medes and Persians to restore the people of Israel to their own land. All this was part of God’s redemptive plan.
God also raised up Cyrus for His purpose in His redemptive plan. In Isaiah 45, it was Cyrus that was mentioned in this prophetic Word, hundreds of years before he was on the throne. God prophesied through Isaiah that Cyrus would be the one who would restore Israel to their homeland and to help them rebuild the temple. The common thread we see here is God’s redemptive plan for His people. The prophetic always stays within the border of God’s redemptive plan.
We find another example of God’s redemptive plan in Isaac’s life. In Genesis 26:1–16, we see the story of Isaac and Abimelech, king of the Philistines. Abimelech made a covenant with Isaac to protect him. Once again, God used an ungodly king so that His redemptive plan might be established through him.
God allowed the Philistines and their mighty champion Goliath to exist so that there could be a David—the same David we all know and love. The Philistines were used by God to promote David from shepherd to warrior to king; He used the enemy army and their champion to fulfill His redemptive plan. Read through the Bible with redemption in mind, and you will see that over and over again, God used men who were ungodly to stand in a position where they would fulfill God’s redemptive plan. {eoa}
The preceding is an excerpt from Benny Hinn’s book, Mysteries of the Anointing (Charisma House, 2022). For more information or to order the book, please visit MyCharismaShop.com.
Pastor Benny Hinn is known around the globe as a noted evangelist, teacher and the author of best-selling books, including Good Morning, Holy Spirit; Prayer That Gets Results; Blood in the Sand; and Lamb of God. His television program, This Is Your Day, is among the world’s most-watched Christian programs, seen daily in 200 countries. His popular website and ministry app reach millions of people every single day in areas of the world that may not otherwise hear about the gospel. Through his ongoing multimedia outreach, Pastor Benny continues to take the message of God’s life-saving and miracle-working power around the globe, and to go “into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
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