Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:5-10
The office of prophet has always been essential in establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Jeremiah was one of many reluctant prophets whom the Lord called to declare his words over kings and nations. God has an unusual relationship with his prophets. Amos spoke about that relationship when he said, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). God has established a connection between his will being done on earth and the declaration of his word by his prophets. There is a practical side to that as well as the continuation of God’s initial intent to rule the earth through men and women who serve as his representatives.
The practical side is that if prophets did not declare what God was about to do, whether deliverance, blessing, or judgment, then when any of those things happened it would not be credited to the work of God. Men would simply go on with life thinking that fate and politics had brought some event to pass without recognizing God’s hand in the matter. That is the world we live in today. God’s prophets are too silent and too few. World leaders act as if “might makes right” and that there is no God in heaven who will judge kings and nations for their actions.
If no one calls the shot, then when God sinks the nine-ball in the corner pocket after banking off three rails, everyone will think that what happened was simply coincidence or blind luck. Because, by and large, the church today has relegated prophets to the Old Testament or the first century church and considers present-day prophets as extremists or crackpots, there are too few prophets connecting the dots for the nations. On top of that, if the majority of churches in America won’t take prophets seriously then why should the leaders of nations?
God’s initial intent was to rule the earth through Adam and Eve. He gave them the position of a son and daughter and delegated his authority to them to rule over his creation. In Christ, he has done the same for us. In terms of honoring his initial intent, God still gives his directives to his representatives and they declare those directives over the earth. God honors man’s dominion by waiting on man to come into agreement with him before acting. When his prophets declare his word over the earth, then God acts to fulfill what they have declared.
Isaiah assures us that when God’s word goes forth it always fulfills its purpose. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:10-11). Notice that God told Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth.” He went on to tell him that he was appointed over nations and kingdoms to uproot, tear down, plant, and to build although he would never lead an army or a political movement. Jeremiah wielded his power by declaring the word of God, which God then fulfilled. God is always in the starting blocks and ready to run a race, but he waits for his people to fire the starting pistol.
Concerning prophets, God’s word goes forth from his lips to theirs by revelation from the Holy Spirit or the lips of angels. When his prophets declare it, God empowers his word to fulfill its purpose in the lives of individuals and nations on the earth. The declarations of God’s people release the angelic realm to make God’s word a reality. Without prophetic declarations, much of what God desires to do will not come to pass because he still honors the authority he has given his church.
As long as parts of the church reject the idea of prophets and prophetic words in the 21st century, the will of God on earth will be greatly hindered. God loves to partner with his people and in his sovereignty has limited what he will do without their participation. Until the gift of prophecy is fully restored and prophets are honored in his church, only a fraction of God’s purposes will be released on the earth. Not only that, but until the prophetic is accepted as authentic, the church will not have enough maturity to train her prophets well or to even judge prophecy to know if it is from God. A rejection of prophecy rather than its acceptance will lead to the very weirdness that the church fears. The good news is that God is restoring prophecy to his church today. The only question is will his church receive it or reject it.
