Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament Prophets

Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament Prophets 

An Introduction to the Role of the Prophet

Major and Minor Prophets

These books seem to be to the 21st-century Christian — are they?

If we discover in the prophets, they are not irrelevant. 

What is a Prophet, and are there still Prophets today?

Deuteronomy 18:15-22

God puts His word in the mouth of the Prophet, and they speak the words He commands them.

Acts 3:19-26

“The office of Old Testament prophet was designed, instituted, and developed by God to prepare His people for Jesus Christ, His ultimate and final prophet.” ~David Murray 

“From this fountain, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others drank all that they had of heavenly teaching. From the same fountain (namely Jesus), all the prophets have also drawn every heavenly oracle that they have given forth.” ~John Calvin

What about Prophets today? What about the gift of Prophecy in the New Testament? 

Terminology: Cessationism and Continuationism

Continuationism sees spiritual gifts (even the sign or miraculous gifts)continuing past the century.

Cessationism sees the sign or miraculous gifts as ceasing because they were as the New Testament was at the end of the first century. 

What is the gift of Prophecy? 

Some say that the gift of Prophecy is “Charismatic ”  or Spirit-driven interpretation of biblical texts.

The problem with this understanding is that prophets in the Old Testament were givng from the Lord and were not dependent on biblical . 

“The fundamental function of prophets isn’t to unpack and explain already written biblical texts.” ~Tom Schreiner

Some have said that the gift of prophecy in the New Testament is the same as that of

Even though preaching and prophecy are similar, the prophet isn’t from a written text like the preacher. 

1 Corinthians 14:6

Revelation and Prophecy / Teaching and Knowledge 

Prophecy is and God communicates directly to the prophet’s mind. 

1 Corinthians 14:29-30

Prophecy is the same as preaching or teaching 

Acts 11:27-28

Acts 21:10-11

Acts 13:1-2

Illustration: Persuasion 

1 Corinthians 13:2

Some say that prophecy in the New Testament is truth mixed with

These would say that the nature of Old Testament prophecy was, while New Testament prophecy can be mixed with — that is the of New Testament prophecy. 

These would also suggest that the prophecies should be evaluated, the prophet. 

Common Sense: Nothing explicitly tells us that the definition of prophecy — wouldn’t the people at the time the New Testament was written expect it to be infallible? 

1 John 4:1 – Many false prophets 

Matthew 24:11 – Many false prophets would come

Matthew 7:15 – A false prophet is a wolf in sheep’s clothing 

“If prophecy still exists today, it is hard to resist the conclusion that the foundation established by the apostles and prophets hasn’t been completed and that the New Testament prophets are still adding to the foundation of apostolic teaching.” Tom Schreiner 

Ephesians 2:20

More Common Sense: If we are to be aware of false prophets, the only way to discern a false prophet is by their . 

The Caution

If the Scriptures we have are all we need for life and godliness, what is the of revelation apart from the Scriptures? 

Prophecy and Impressions 

“I would therefore entreat the people of God to be very cautious how they give heed to such things. I have seen ’em fail in very many instances, and know by experience that impressions being made with great power, and upon the minds of true saints….in the midst of extraordinary exercises of grace and sweet communion with God and attended with texts of Scripture strongly impressed on the mind, are no sure sight of their being revelations from heaven…” ~Jonathan Edwards

If we do not understand prophecy, we will not understand how we are to discover in it.