What comes to your mind when you think of the word "prophecy?" What is a "prophet?" What is meant by "the prophetic?"
Often times as we grow deeper in our faith, we get more questions than answers. And that's a good thing, because as we desire more of God we go more into the depths of Who He is. The deeper we go, often the more questions we have.
I will not attempt to answer the questions above. But I will share with you an aspect of "the prophetic" that perhaps you've never thought of.
Who did "the prophetic" start with? Was it the modern-day Charismatic movement? Was it the New Testament apostles? Or was it....
Abraham? Abraham????? That's right, Abraham. The first Jew. In fact, the first mention of a prophet in the Bible was by God to Abimelech. When telling Ablimelech to return Sarah back to her husband, He said of him that "he is a prophet."
OK, so Abraham was a prophet. That doesn't make all his offspring prophets. Or does it? In describing the wanderings of the patriarchs and their clans, the Psalmist says that God's way of protecting them was to warn the surrounding kingdoms that they were His anointed ones and prophets (Psalm 105:15).
Jump ahead a few centuries to Moses. When learning that some men who were not among the elders near the Tabernacle had joined the elders in prophesying, he proclaimed his desire for all of God's people (read: all the Israelites!) to be prophets.
There is a prophetic call that is yet to be fulfilled in the nation of Israel. The occasion for my trip to Israel last month was to be a part of a prophetic school designed to impart an understanding of that prophetic call. This is why we believers must pray for Israel. This is why we must understand the seriousness of the times. This is, indeed, why the nations are coming against Israel. They hate the prophetic, and are enraged with jealousy. It is because of Israel's special call as a people called to be God's prophets to the nations.
Next week I will re-start the series, "What's So Special about Israel." This series, based on Romans 9:4-5, takes a look at the list of covenant priveleges spelled out by Paul in the context of his travailing intercession for his people. Indeed, "God's gifts and His call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).
