“What is the function of prophetic ministry? It is to hold things to the full thought of God, and therefore it is usually a reactionary thing. We usually find that the prophets arose as a reaction from God to the course and drift of things amongst His people; a call back, a re-declaration, a re-pronouncement of God’s mind, a bringing into clear view again of the thoughts of God. The prophets stood in the midst of the stream – usually a fast-rushing stream – like a rock; the course of things broke over them. They challenged and resisted that course, and their presence in the midst of the stream represented God’s mind as against the prevailing course of things.” (Chap. 1, pg. 11)
“That last statement in Revelation 19:10 sums it all up. It gathers up into one sentence prophetic ministry from the beginning. I suppose prophetic ministry commenced in the day when it was stated of the seed of the woman that it should bruise the head of the serpent, and then passed on to Enoch, who prophesied saying, “Behold, the Lord came…” (Jude 14), and so right on from then. It is all gathered up at the end of the Revelation in this thought, that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” That is, the spirit of prophecy from beginning to end is all toward that – the testimony of Jesus. … All the way through it was always with the Lord Jesus in view, and a full Christ. “He gave prophets… till we all attain unto… the fullness of Christ.” That is the end, and God can never be satisfied with anything less than the fullness of His Son as represented by the Church. The Church is to be the fullness of Him; a full-grown Man – that is the Church. The prophetic ministry is unto that – the fullness of Christ, the finality of Christ, the all-inclusiveness of Christ. It is to be Christ, center and circumference; Christ, first and last; Christ in general and Christ in every detail. And to see Christ by revelation means that you can never accept anything less or other. You have seen, and that has settled it. The way to reach God’s end, then, is seeing by the Holy Spirit, and that seeing is the basis of this prophetic ministry.” (Chap. 1, pg. 22)
Related posts:
Our Deepest Convictions
Centrality and Eccentricity
“Christ the Center of All Things” – by Nathan Odell
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