On Being a Prophet Part Three

Why am I still dealing with this? I gave serious thoughts to just deleting mikey for the troll he is, but I think that it is important that I once an for all quash this mentality that somehow prophets are not called anymore. If mikey had left out his last part about not respecting Christians I would have simply treated him as the uninformed person that he obviously is and not a troll. Lets start with the verses people use to state that prophets are no longer called and I will show you where you are wrong mikey.

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had
made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"? And again, "I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME"?

Hebrews 1:1-5 NASB

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Hebrews 1:1-5 KJV

1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he
had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father"? Or again,"I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?

Hebrews 1:1-5 NIV

I had heard in many places that Hebrews 1:1-2 shows that the office of Prophet has ended and if you look at the NIV version the “but” in verse two would imply such but a real study of the verses in the Greek show that it is not the case, and the “but” is not even there in the Greek. I will let Jimmie's words to me on the subject stand in that regard.

NONE OF THE ABOVE

Not to often I get to use that one. There is not a but anywhere in the Greek. The transition into verse is more of a transition of from OT to NT and not saying that the prophets time had come to an end. When you go to verse 3 and 4 you see where the transition is going. It has nothing to do with the prophets speaking or Jesus speaking. It has everything to do with setting Jesus alone as the Son of God, the speaker for God.

Anyone who would proof text verse 1 and 2 do not know how to do hermeneutical Bible study nor exegetical Bible study. Here is how it reads in the Greek:

1. In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets,

2. these last days did speak to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He did make the ages;

3. who being the brightness of the glory, and the impress of His subsistence, bearing up also the all things by the saying of his might -- through himself having made a cleansing of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the greatness in the highest,

4. having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a
more excellent name than they.

5. or to which of the messengers said He ever, 'My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, 'I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to
Me for a son?'


Look at the punctuation, it is the key to understanding Greek. Also word order is very important as well. The writer is basically saying: God spoke through the prophets, but there is one greater than the prophets who is the Son of God who has been appointed above everything because He created everything.

Anyone who would argue that this is saying that the age of the prophets is over before Jesus. They are basically saying that Jesus is not a
prophet and the the OT lied when it proclaims the Messiah to be a Prophet and Priest and King. People have to be careful when they make the Bible say things it does not say. It does not say the age of the prophets is over, it just says that in times past God spoke through the prophets and Jesus has come as being greater than the prophets because He is the Messiah.

Being careful on my end as well, I had to go back in the Greek and make sure I read the entire paragraph before I could answer the question. That is always a good rule of thumb, read the entire paragraph before trying to comment, it makes you look more intelligent when you can say _____ because in the following 2 verses he said this or that.

It is a good study, but remember this is also written to people who are Jews and have to be understood from a Jewish perspective. Jews only knew the prophets
and the writer of Hebrews is making the grand case that this Jesus is greater than even Moses, the greatest of the prophets.

I hope my ramblings helped some. But there is not a precedent here for claiming the ending of the prophetic ministry. What is even more concrete is the NT use in the Spiritual gifts of the word prophet. Paul was consistent with this one gift being prophecy (the one who goes and proclaims, "thus says the Lord.")


In
His Grace,

Jimmie W. Kersh

Mikey, please come tell me just what I have gotten wrong. Where have I said something in Jehovah's name and been wrong? I am extremely careful in what I say that Jehovah has told me to say as they are His words not mine. Mikey, even your admonition that prophets are NEVER wrong is wrong. One of the tests of a true prophet was that none of his prophecies (those things said in the name of Jehovah) were wrong. Mikey, I would dare say that I am more biblical in my teachings than many pastors people look up to today as “spiritual” leaders. I do not portray myself as the authority because I am not, Jehovah is. If you wish to show me a specific point in the Word that says the time of the prophets has ended then bring it on, but I am quite certain you won't find it because I already looked and it is not there.