The times in which we are now living are unlike any the world has ever known. There is an escalation in the intensity of spiritual battle in the heavenlies. Every nation on the planet is caught up in the prophetic unfolding of the end times before our very eyes. In these daunting days, in this prophetic climate, there has been an overabundance of people claiming to have a prophetic word to share, a warning or a decree that they say comes from God.
There’s so much today that is called prophetic that is not prophetic. So many voices in the world today claim to be prophetic voices, so many people claim to be prophets, but most of these do not even understand the office of the prophet, let alone have the anointing of God to hold such an office. Many are believers who have simply been misled about the anointing of the prophet, the gift of prophecy, and the office of the prophet, if they have been taught about such things at all.
The second chapter of Joel is often quoted in reference to the gift of prophecy, and rightly so. But there are three things this passage tells us about prophecy that most people miss. Let us take a deeper look at what this familiar Scripture is telling us.
First, Joel 2 declares that prophesying will take place “afterward.” After what? To answer this, you have to look at what Joel said earlier. Joel 1:14 (KJV) says, “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD, your God.” God is asking His people to seek Him, call on Him, and cry out to Him. In Joel 1, God calls His people to intercession, and in Joel 2, He tells them what will come afterward. Intercession gives birth to the prophetic.
Second, in Joel 2:28, God says, “I will pour out my spirit.” He didn’t say pour down. If it was to be poured down, that would mean that He would be pouring it from heaven onto the earth. No, what Joel tells us here reveals that is not the case. Pour out means it’s in your heart already. At salvation, the Lord already filled you with His Spirit. If you are saved, His Spirit is in you. Because the Holy Spirit is in each of us, the prophetic is already in every believer. It is already in you.
Third, God clearly states in verse 30, “I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke,” which is judgment. To understand more about the prophetic releasing judgment, let’s look at the book of Acts. Peter quotes a passage in Joel 2 when he tells the crowd what happened on the day of Pentecost.
The preceding is an excerpt from chapter 20 of Benny Hinn’s The Mystery of the Prophetic 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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