From social media seers to microphone prophets, voices claiming divine insight are everywhere—but should we listen? #ModernProphets#SpiritualDiscernment#christianforums#crosswalkforums#forums#crosswalk#faithcommunity#faithforums
In an age full of “word for the year” videos, online dream interpretations, and headlines from self-proclaimed prophets, many believers are asking: is this biblical—or spiritual noise?
Some say prophetic ministry is alive and needed today, pointing to New Testament examples and modern revivals. Others warn it’s often vague, manipulative, or flat-out false—leading Christians away from Scripture and into confusion.
Where’s the line between real discernment and blind skepticism? Can God still speak through prophets, or should we stick to the written Word alone?
“Test the spirits to see whether they are from God…” —1 John 4:1
I believe new prophets are unnecessary.
We have what we need in the Bible.
The only prophecy acceptable today would be a prophecy from the Bible.
“Jesus is coming again.”
That’s an acceptable prophecy.
Predicting when Jesus comes back, is not.
Any alleged prophecy that cannot be corroborated by Scripture is not something I would believe.
The short answer of whether Christians should pay attention to prognosticators and modern-day prophets is, well, no.
There absolutely is a prophetic dimension to the Church’s corporate vocation as the Body of Christ bearing the Word of God to the world; and individual Christians participate in that prophetic ministry by living faithful lives that run paradoxical and contradictory to the pattern of the world, by speaking truth to power, by living in such a way that we proclaim the Lordship of Jesus. Since Christ is Lord, He has conquered and overcome the powers and principalities, and that means the Gospel we proclaim is a prophetic declaration of the victory of God, in the Messiah, over and against the broken powers of this fallen age.
But this is to understand that the biblical understanding of the prophetic vocation is not one of prognosticator, but as one who proclaims the word of God. This is certainly something within the Church as a whole, as she bears the Word of God to the world.
I would not, also, deny that there are individuals who have prophetic charisms–gifts–not because they called themselves prophets, foretelling the future, or claiming special revelations from God–but because they were loud voices calling people to repentance and faithfulness to Christ. In the 20th century I think men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr captured that prophetic zeal, in the ways they rebuked the powers that be with the message of God’s Word–denouncing the evil of the age and lifting up the promise and hope of God in Christ for the world. That may be a controversial take, I don’t know. But in the face of systemic evil and adversity, those who dare to speak God’s truth to power seem, to me, to be capturing that same prophetic zeal we see in the biblical prophets of old–and which was never lost in the Church, but has continued to be part of the Church’s vocation throughout the centuries. When St. Ambrose rebuked Emperor Theodosius to his face for the great evil he committed against the people of Thessaloniki, that’s a very Nathan like thing to have done–and even as Nathan told David to repent in ashes and sackcloth, so did the godly bishop tell the emperor to do the same. Was Ambrose a “prophet”? Was Bonhoeffer? King? I don’t know that I’d go so far, but I would call what they did prophetic, in the spirit of the ancient Prophets.
Seen from the inside, according to people I know, it’s like the difference between physics and engineering. You have the facts (Scripture) and you have the application of the facts to the current situation.
Hence, the need for a godly pulpit. And competent scholars who can apply God’s whole counsel to our specific opportunities.
People I know explain that the charismatic gift of prophecy, as seen from the inside, usually takes the form of a spontaneous word picture that pops into your mind, and that, when shared with the worshipping congregation, fits very well into what is going on. Including that sermon, if that item is on the menu for the day. Call it an anointing of the poetic faculty. The supernatural dimension is the uncanny way the shared insight is so appropriate.
We should be very careful not to confuse this wholesome gift from God with preaching – which is another gift from God – or with “prophecy TEACHING” – which is a satanic perversion of both prophecy and teaching.
Imagine a perspective on Bible reading which pounds on the inevitability of the global triumph of evil, and our hapless incompetence in this “church” age. And does so so convincingly that the consistent dispensationalist denies the central, earliest, creed of the church:
C I Scofield served his anti-Christian paymasters well. 100+ years later, his devotees, proselytes, and acolytes can no longer utter the classic statement of faith (“Jesus is Lord”) in good faith.
When a well-schooled dispensational saint is backed into a corner and finds himself saying this, the Mormon practice of “mental reservation” clicks in. The aware dispie will cross his fingers behind his back and mutter under his breath “Well, not really. Not here. Not yet.”
The unaware/naive dispie has already in his mind redefined the word “Lord” to mean “Guru.” Personal Spiritual Adviser, on a par with Madame Rose the palm reader. At least that’s the role Jesus is relegated to, in the years and decades following the moment of conversion.
Paul told the saints to “despise not prophecies.” OTOH, we do well in the sight of God to despise prophecy teachers, who are almost always false teachers. Who casually destroy lives and vocations, and never need to say they’re sorry. Ask the first three Mrs. Hal Lindseys.
Prognosticator, the dictionary says foreteller of the future. So NO Christians should have nothing to do with such practices or people.
Modern day Prophets. What is meant by such a term?
Incolloquial terms a prophet foretells the future, in biblical terms it is that but also someone who forth tells or proclaims Gods word. A preacher can be a prophet!
So Again the bible defines what a prophet is. Someone who says what God has told them to say and if that involves future events, they will happen.
As a result the bible defines a False prophet as someone who says ’ God says this … will happen! ’ but if it dose not happen that person is a blaspheming false prophet and should be ignored.
To sumerise.
Ignore thos who say they can tell the future.
Those who claim to be speaking on Gods behalf, test there claims, there record has to be 100% accurate.
Listen to Godly preachers who seek to explain and apply Gods word to our lives.
