“The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical insight declines” - Plato

There are many voices in the cosmos and the prophetic must be able to know who is speaking and what is being said. So how does God Speak?   Here are a few ways.

Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.”  God’s word always speaks. Divine revelation and power come to the person who passionately pursues the Lord through His word. Jesus is the word (John 1:1,14).  If we want to know him and flow in this great prophetic power, we must first meditate on His word. (Joshua 1:8).

There are three ways to hear his voice.

1.    Still- small voice (I Kings 19:11-12) – Most of the communication we receive from the Lord comes this way. It is a subtle knowing that seems to come from our conscience, but it is really the Holy Spirit revealing the mind of God.

2.    Internal voice (John 16:13, Matt. 10:20) –This is very closely related to the still small voice. The difference is that the internal voice is so strong inside of us that we have to let it out or we will seemingly explode. It is overwhelming because we know that we have received something straight from the Holy Spirit and it must come forth.

3.    Audible voice (Gen. 3:8) – Most Christians have never heard the voice of God in an audible way. It is unique and does not happen very often. I do believe that God wants to speak this way to us at times, but when he speaks this way it is in a greater level of His glory.  Most cannot handle it.

Vision - The ability to perceive or foresee something, as through mental acuteness.

There are different types of visions.

1.   Glimpses- These are quick pictures that come and go very fast. They are singular meaning that they don’t have storyline or a scene of multiple images. Usually symbolic. Prayer usually brings the interpretation.

2.   Internal Visions – Usually more than just a picture, because they include a story line. These are stronger than glimpses because they contain more than one image. They are internal so you have to pray for revelation in order to understand the meaning to convey the message. This is like a daydream that comes from your own mind.

3.   Open Visions – These visions happen when your eyes are opened and you see and are not stopped by distractions. These visions can take place when operating a car or doing a job. These are external and cannot be controlled by your mind. These visions can actually be seen by more than one person at a time.

(Job 33:15) – Dreams were given to Kings and interpreted by men such as Joseph and Daniel. The dreams were the intended plans of the Lord. Although not all dreams are prophetic, many do give direction, warnings, and insight into the purposes of God. There are different categories of dreams.

1.   Literal – These dreams contain things that have a figurative meaning. This dream gives exact people places and events that will take place in the natural. There is no interpretation because everything is factual.

2.   Symbolic- These dreams are full of symbolism. The colors, people, vehicles, etc.. all are symbolic of something else. These dreams take discernment and a great understanding of bible symbols to interpret.

3.   Angelic – The bible is full of stories where angels showed up in dreams to reveal the heart of God. Joseph received a series of four angelic dreams to reveal that Mary was going to conceive Jesus. Angel dreams usually give purpose and instruction.

(II Cor. 12:2-3) Paul was caught up in the third heaven. These are high realm visitations to the throne room of heaven. They reveal the glory of God. John wrote the entire book of Revelation by being caught up in the spirit. (Rev. 4). Isaiah saw it and it changed his life. Prophetically speaking it reveals the glory of God and the plan of God.

Impressions come that give us perception into what will happen or has happened. They come through our mind or spirit (Acts 27:10), through our body (Luke 8:45-46, and through our emotions. (Heb. 4:12). Most people ignore impressions but prophetic people use them to hear what the Lord is saying. Through impressions lives can be saved, purposes fulfilled, and things can be restored.

Isaiah 55:8: For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways declares the Lord.

God will use all of our senses to speak to us. Sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste are all important to see what He sees. The most accurate prophetic anointing comes when a person uses all of his/her natural senses to receive spiritual discernment. This can be very powerful. Pay attention to what you sense that in the natural you know is not real. This will indicate that the Lord is revealing something in an unusual way.

“I always avoid prophesying beforehand, because it is a much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place.” – Winston Churchill

There have always been enemies to the prophetic voice. We must be aware of the trappings of Satan. He comes as an angel of light to steal, kill, and destroy. He will forge the genuine with the counterfeit in order to deceive us. A person operating as a Prophet or flowing with a prophetic gift, must be aware of these spiritual forces. “The battle lies not in the realm of reason of fighting logic with logic. It rests in the realm of the Spirit that divides between souls and spirit.”

This is not a comprehensive list of every problem that faces the prophetic, but hopefully it will be insightful enough to know what challenges we face if we really want the prophetic voice to be released. Most of these things would be considered spirits, but I am just going to name them.

Jealousy

In Genesis Chapter 37 we find the story of Joseph. In the next section we will discuss how God speaks and one of those ways is through dreams. Joseph was a young man of God and his story is one of tragedy to triumph. A man that went from the pit to the palace. The end of the story is victorious, but the struggles that his brothers went through could have been prevented if they had not sold the prophetic voice. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him, not because he was so spiritual, but because his father loved him more than them. From the moment Joseph arrived in Egypt everything he touched was blessed. From Potipher’s house, to prison, and finally in Pharaoh’s chambers, the prophetic spirit on his life exalted him into greatness. How tragic it was for Israel to lose the voice and the anointing because of hatred and jealousy. One of the reasons that the prophetic voice is not in operation is because of jealousy. There is a perception that if someone truly operates in the prophetic that they will be more loved than others who do not. This is childish and has no place in God’s Kingdom. We must embrace the voice of God because when it is released it brings the blessings and purposes of God.

Religious

This is one of the deadliest spirits against the Prophetic. This spirit says that prophesy has been done away with. That there are no real prophets today. It compares the prophetic movement with sorcery and witchcraft. When the religious spirit sees the prophetic it immediately attacks the character of the voice and the message that it speaks. This spirit will try to blind you from seeing how God sees. Even when a prophetic word is activated, this spirit will try to confuse and contradict the word. It usually operates through established men and women of God. Most do not even know they are acting under its influence. This spirit tries to distort a genuine move of God through deception, control, and manipulation. It operates out of religious structures and favors the traditions of men over a real intimate relationship with Jesus.

Paul confronted this issue when speaking to the Galatians. The church was trying to be made perfect through the flesh. He rebuked them and questioned their commitment to the Spirit above the Law (Galatians 3:1-5). Stephen was martyred for allowing the spirit of God to move through him. He had miracles happen and it was the religious leaders that not only questioned him but killed him. (Acts 6 & 7).

Jesus operated in direct conflict to this spirit.

       a.    He hung out with sinners

       b.    Met their needs

       c.    He prayed with them and gave them the Gospel

Jezebel

Jezebel hates the prophetic so much that it will literally try to kill the one operating in it. This spirit is very powerful because if it can destroy the prophetic then there is nothing standing in its way from complete control. The thing this spirit hates the most is anything that keeps it from total domination. Manipulation is its fuel and fear its friend. This spirit is associated with control. Let me make something clear. Not everyone that is controlling is operating under Jezebel. Some people just have a dominating personality. Use discernment. Don’t confuse personality with spiritual darkness. This spirit is also associated with seduction, manipulation, and rebellion to authority (especially male). This spirit can operate through men or women.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the history of the Bible. Immediately after gaining a great victory where God proved Himself as well as Elijah, he found himself running scared. On Mt. Carmel he killed 450 prophets of a false god, Baal. Now he cannot even face a woman that has threatened his life. He cries out to God and complains that he is the only one left and this woman is going to kill him. The key to understand is this. When the prophetic is at its greatest height it will face its greatest challenge. Elijah was still supposed to anoint another king to replace Jezebels husband Ahab. In the end the prophetic won. (I Kings 18-22).

New Age Movements

Many of the problems with the prophetic is that it has been closely related to new age teachings, including fortune-telling, palm reading, psychics, and Astrology.

Colossians 1:16 says: “For by Him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created by Him for Him.”

Revelation 4:11 says: “Worthy are you Our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; For you did create all things and because of your will they existed and were created.”

Nothing that has ever been created has come from Satan. The Devil takes what is already in existence and perverts it into something impure and unrighteous. The things that people do for their own gratification or for profit are a form of something that is more real and more pure. The biggest problem is that sometimes the unrighteous get to the new things first so we classify it as not from God. God created us with a desire to know the future. The problem comes in when we seek any method other than His presence to discover the hidden things. It is dangerous and opens a door to the enemy to steal away our destiny.

Soulish Prophecy

Many times people prophecy out of information that they have already received or from a desire to give someone something they want to hear. This is not only damaging to the recipient of the word, it is dangerous to attach the name of God to something He did not say. Usually this will open a door to a Jezebel spirit. I have met so called Prophets who meet with the Pastor prior to a service just to gain information that they can use in the proceeding service. A person flowing in the prophetic can only allow the influence of the Holy Spirit to lead them.

“Prophetic anointing must be internal before it can become external.”- Roddie Nelson

Although it is vital to understand the prophetic anointing, I believe there is something equally important. People must respond to the anointing. Jesus Christ who is the matrix for everything we hold dear had to have the anointing. The validity of the ministry of Jesus was based as much on the response of the people to His anointing as it was the anointing itself. As we have read earlier, the Spirit who gives the anointing remains on those who receive Him. Jesus always carried the anointing, but there were times when people did not respond. Specifically in His own home town (Matt. 13:57).

There are several things that happen when people respond to the anointing.

1.   A spirit of Revelation and truth come (I John 2:27 , John 16:13).

2.   Promises are released (II Cor. 1:20).

3.   Burdens are Broken (Is. 10:27, Acts 10:38).

4.   God releases blessing (Gen 12:1).

        Solomon was anointed to receive anything (II Chron. 1:11).

5.   It brings people into their Destiny (Joshua 1:8, Jer. 29:11, Acts 9).

6.   Freedom and Deliverance come (II Cor. 3:17, Gal. 5:1).

7.   The works of Jesus get accomplished (John 14:12, Rom. 8:11)

8.   Positions one for favor with God and man.

       a.   David (I Samuel 16:14-23)

       b.   Joseph (Genesis 41:38

9.   Closer Intimacy with the Lord and with others (II Kings 2:14-15).

10.   Faith Increase/ The anointing causes things to be done outside of yourself.

What happens when the anointing is rejected?

1.   Reject God’s purpose for your life.

2.   Denies the Holy Spirit from moving in your life (Ps 51:10-12, I Cor. 12).

3.   Lose your inheritance of blessing.

       a.   Esau (Gen. 25, Heb. 12:16-17)

4.   Whatever you project you will attract. Others will reject you.

5.   Others are hindered from receiving their needs met.

       Is. 61 says He anointed me for them.

When we reject the anointing we are coming into agreement with the enemy, because we are quenching, which means to stop the flow of, the Holy Spirit.

Jesus and the Prophetic

 The whole book of Revelation is a prophetic vision of Christ. The apostle John was taken to a higher place where he encountered the throne room of heaven. In this moment his eyes were opened to the eternal glory of the Lord. His heavenly visit enables him to have a perspective of the future. This is truly the prophetic in its greatest form of operation.

Revelation 19:10 says: ……”For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

What this is saying is that the spirit of prophecy will testify or validate the reality of Jesus Christ. How awesome to know that when true prophetic words are released, they directly focus on Jesus. In his second epistle, the apostle Peter gives us a great revelation on the prophetic. He tells us that we have received a more sure word through Jesus. Peter was at the Mount of transfiguration when the Father spoke of Jesus. The word of the Father validated Jesus as His son. Peter goes on to reveal that every true prophecy does not come from human will, but by men moved on by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:17-21). What this tells us is that the greatest prophecy we can give is that Jesus Christ is alive and that he is coming back and that he is desiring all who will to invite Him in to rule and reign in their life. Every inspired prophetic word will lead or point people to Christ.

In the fourth chapter of the gospel of John we find the story of the women at the well. Jesus uses the prophetic to get her attention in order to tell her about salvation and worship. He uses the gift of word of knowledge in telling her about her five husbands and that the man she is currently with is not her husband. As a result, the word says that she perceived that Jesus was a prophet. Jesus never said to her that He was not. He then prophesied of a day when true worshipers would arise and worship in spirit and truth.

In John chapter 7 and in chapter 9 Jesus is called a prophet by the multitudes and by a blind man who he had healed. Again, Jesus never disqualified their claim. Jesus was the total embodiment of the prophetic. He was the manifestation of every prophetic promise from Genesis to Malachi. He was the embodiment of what men of old heard and saw through divine impartation by the Spirit of God.

One of the foremost questions we must ask ourselves is concerning Jesus in the prophetic. How was the prophetic gifting in operation in His life? Jesus is always the measuring rod to our goals as followers of Christ. Did He operate in the prophetic? Everything that we do must point to Jesus!