Who are those people? They are false prophets who John claim to be speaking from the worldly point of view. He tells us to test the spirit of the prophet to ensure the prophesy comes from God.
Even great men get prophesy wrong at times: they can assume what they are sensing is for a particular person and it is for someone else; they can be caught up in the act of prophesy and be carried away by their own spirit. The emotion caused by the Spirit’s outpouring can carry people erroneously.
This is why we must test the prophesy. Does it make Jesus as Lord or darkness as Lord? Does it edify? Is it confirmatory for the person receiving the prophesy? Is God already speaking to that person about their future in a particular way?
I have been instrumental in giving prophesy. I like to have it confirmed by someone I respect in leadership first. This protects me as well as the recipient.
Paul exhorted people to exercise prophesy in the church service, this way the prophesy would be examined by many. He himself received many prophesies about danger in Jerusalem, however he chose to go. The Holy Spirit had already been revealing a path beyond danger to Paul. He had a desire to go the Rome, and through persecution in Jerusalem, to Rome he eventually went some two to three years later, having spent the intervening years in prison.
I recently received a word about a delay in going to Nepal. It had confirmed a word I had received the year before to stay. As the word stay was all I had personally received, I did not know for how long it meant. Obviously it applied to the current prophesy and the sense that I was the donkey tied waiting for the Lord to call for it to ride into Jerusalem. I had not received the Go! Signal yet. However, the current prophesy did say I would eventually go.
Test the prophesy! Amen!
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