HF146 - Prophecy in the New Covenant
To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Sat Aug 13, 2005
Subject: Bible Study HF146 - Prophecy in the New Covenant
Hebraics,
Folks have often heard me say that too many of God's people
are trying to live in the new covenant on an old covenant level,
and especially when it comes to prophecy. Hopefully the next
study will provide some light on this issue. Let's talk about
it.
This is Bible Study HF146 - Prophecy in the New
Covenant.
Before I deal directly with the prophecy issue, let me
direct attention to the one matter that is crucial to new
covenant understanding. It has to do with who Jesus really is
and how this applies to Gods new creation. There has never
been a covenant like the new covenant. We need to know why.
Paul said that in Christ "All the fullness of Deity
dwells in bodily form." (Col2:9) This expression simply
means that Jesus is fully God. The word for fullness is the
Greek term 'pleroma.' [play'-ro- mah]. It speaks of the
fullest measure.
Therefore in Christ is the absolute full measure of all
that God is. Theologians refer to this fullness as the
'plenitude of the divine perfections'. Sure it is a mystery to
be understood with the heart but not always fully with the
mind. So, while Jesus was and is fully man, He also was and is
fully God. To know what God is exactly like, we look to Jesus.
Hebrews 1:3, says, "He is the radiance of His glory and
the exact representation of His nature."
Now let's see how this affects new covenant believers. John
the Baptist said, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who
comes after me has a higher rank that I, for He existed before
me.'" Then the apostle John adds, "For of His
fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."
(Cf. Jn1:14-18.)
Did you catch it? The apostle said of His 'pleroma' we have
all received. John is not saying that each of us is a little
Jesus. Nor is he saying that we have become gods. John is
saying that the full measure of Christ's Spirit, and the full
measure of the finished work of the cross now belongs to, and
abides in every believer. It is because of this full measure
of the cross that grace continues to follow grace in our
lives.
The point is that no believer gets just a bit of Jesus and
then goes on to another experience to receive a fuller
measure. Every believer receives the full measure of the
Spirit of Christ the moment of their birth from above. Failure
to understand this is the platform for all kinds of
'never-quite-arriving' doctrines.
No believer in the new covenant is told to measure up to
Christ. We have already measured up. We have the 'plenitude of
the divine perfections' placed on our account. What is left is
for believers to grow up in the wisdom and knowledge Jesus
Christ. Paul said that in Him are all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge. And this is what growing up in Christ speaks
to. No believer can get more of Jesus that we already have. We
have His fullness. Paul said we are to grow up in all aspects
into Him." (Cf. Eph4:15)
I realize how easy it would be to twist this out of shape,
but the fact remains --- All of God's children have the same
full measure of Christ in their lives. There is nothing left
over that we must later receive. It is this understanding that
becomes the underpinning for a fruitful new covenant walk. And
it is this understanding that keeps believers from needing to
find a prophet to give them a word from the Lord. (Such was
the case in the former testament.)
In the new covenant there are no prophets on the order of
the former covenant. Why is this? The need for that kind of
prophet no longer exists. Today God speaks to each of His
children in His Son. This does not mean that the Lord cannot
address us through the speaking of others. He does that often.
Yet all of God's born-from- above children have the indwelling
spirit of Jesus in their hearts. Because of this indwelling,
when believers are in fellowship, just their sharing about
Jesus can become God's word from one to the other. Why?
Because there is a life-flow in our speaking.
There is one Scripture that expressly defines the heart or
essence of prophecy in the new covenant. I am not speaking of
what Paul said about exhortation and edification. When the
angel told John not to fall down before him, he told John why,
saying, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours
and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship
God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy." (Jn19:10)
The Greek for testimony is 'marturia' [mar-too-ree'-ah]
This word means 'the evidence given.' The evidence given is
in the heart and in the speaking of a true believer. Paul said
that the Spirit testifies to our own spirit that we are
children of God. John said that we have the testimony in us.
Thus when we are speaking for and about Jesus, it is the
spirit of prophecy at work. When we are speaking about our
religion the spirit of prophecy is not at work.
Jesus describes the new covenant believer's life; "He
who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost
being will flow rivers of living water.' Or we might add,
'From his innermost being will flow the spiritual and living
testimony of Jesus Himself.' (Cf. Jn7:38,39)
The fact again is that the Holy Spirit enters the heart of
the believing person as the spirit of the resurrected,
ascended, and glorified Jesus. Thus the finished work of the
cross becomes a present reality in our hearts. Our salvation
is complete. How complete is it? Paul says that we have
already been raised up and seated together in Christ in the
heavenly places. You cannot get more saved than that.
Which brings us back to the issue of new covenant prophecy
--- The book of Hebrews begins with, "God, AFTER THAT He
spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions
and many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,
whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He made the
world." (Caps for emphasis only.) Notice that the Old
Testament prophetic ministry is a thing of the past. It is no
longer required. We have passed out of the shadow into the
reality. We can now hear Jesus for ourselves.
The redemption revelation in the Old Testament came in bits
and pieces, by way of the prophets. What they had in part, we
now have in fullest measure. The Father no longer speaks to us
by way of the Old Testament prophet. He speaks to all His
children in and through His Son. Thus we hear Jesus say to
unbelievers, "But you do not believe because you are not
My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will
never perish." (Jn10:26-28)
The entire book of Hebrews has an underlying theme of Jesus
being 'better than.' Listen to the following Scriptures: (The
word 'better' will be in caps.)
Heb 1:4 - “…having become as much BETTER than the
angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”
(1:4)
Heb 7:19 - “… (for the Law made nothing perfect), and
on the other hand there is a bringing in of a BETTER hope,
through which we draw near to God.”
Heb 7:22 - “.. so much the more also Jesus has become the
guarantee of a BETTER covenant.”
Heb 8:6 – “But now He has obtained a more excellent
ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a BETTER
covenant, which has been enacted on BETTER promises.”
Heb 9:23 – “Therefore it was necessary for the copies
of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but
the heavenly things themselves with BETTER sacrifices than
these.”
Heb 10:34 - “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and
accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that
you have for yourselves a BETTER possession and a lasting one.”
Heb 11:4 – “By faith Abel offered to God a BETTER
sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony
that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and
through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” (The
better sacrifice had to do with faith alone.)
Heb 11:16 – “But as it is, they desire a BETTER
country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
(This is our home city, the Jerusalem from above.)
Heb 11:35 – “Women received back their dead by
resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their
release, so that they might obtain a BETTER resurrection…”
(The resurrection of the righteous.)
Heb 11:40 – “… because God had provided something
BETTER for us, so that apart from us they would not be made
perfect.”
Heb 12:24 – “… and to Jesus, the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks BETTER than
the blood of Abel.” (Abel’s blood called for vengeance.
The blood of Jesus proclaims grace, mercy, and peace, when it
is sprinkled on the heart of a believing one.”
So what is one of the primary issues concerning prophecy in
the new covenant. It is simply this --- The ancient prophets,
the Lord Jesus, and the apostolic writers all warned us
against a particular danger in the last days, which wold be
that of seeking after so- called prophets. Jesus said that the
day would come when you would hear, "Lo, Christ is
here." Or, "Lo, Christ is there." He said do
not go to them.
I realize this seems heavy, but we need to press it a bit
further. Paul said in the latter times many would depart from
the faith, giving attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines
of devils. Peter adds, "But false prophets also arose
among the people, just as there will also be false teachers
among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies
... in their greed they will exploit you with false
words..." The apostle goes on to say that this will be a
major temptation area for God's people. (Cf. 1Pe2)
Without pointing to anyone in particular, let me simply ask
a question --- Why would any believer need to go to someone
else for a prophetic word from the Lord, when we know the Lord
Jesus Christ in a personal way? This is the bottom line issue
in the new covenant. Is He not your personal Lord and Savior?
Hear again how the new covenant is described by the prophets
of old:
"For this is the covenant I will make with them ...
they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, and everyone
his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all will know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be
merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins
no more." (Cf. Heb8:8-13)
"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit in you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your
flesh and give you a heart of flesh [tenderness]. I will put
My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes ...
so you will be My people, and I will be your God." (Cf.
Ezek36:25-28 - This is prophetic both of the new covenant for
the church age and extends to the second coming where Israel
turns to the Lord Jesus.)
None of what I have shared precludes the gatherings of
God's people into flocks. The gathering of flocks is first of
all a gathering to Jesus. He is always in the midst of the
gatherings of His flocks. (Cf. Gen40:10) Actually the Lord has
ordained the flocking of His people for the purpose of their
own growth, fellowship, and protection.
Before I leave off let me share something that Moses said.
When Joshua became concerned because two of the elders were
prophesying in the camp, but had not gathered with the other
elders, Moses said this in reply; "Are you jealous for my
sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the
Lord would put His Spirit upon them!" (Num11:29)
Thank you, Moses. That which you wished as come to pass.
Gods new creation, new covenant people are a prophetic people.
We all have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us. We all have
the testimony of Jesus, and this alone is true prophecy.
I'll leave off my part for now. Feel free to make a
contribution to the study. Ask questions. Offer insights.
Blessings,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web:
http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace
of God; that no root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)
Hebraic-Foundations is an online email conference which provides studies as well as offers
open discussion on the Biblical Christian. Its special emphasis is towards
the pre-325 A.D. Church.
To subscribe send an email to Hebraic-Foundations-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Once you've subscribed, messages should be sent to Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com.
Or you can subscribe by filling out the form below.
(Special note - This forum is not for Yahwists or Sabbatarians, or for
any who view the term 'Christian' in a derogatory way. Membership is
considered upon completion of a questionnaire.)
|
