The Keeping of the Law and Blessings
We don’t have more prophets today because of our failure to obey the law. When God’s people disregard His commandments, He sends no guidance. However, when they show willingness to obey His commands, He sends a prophet to assist, encourage, and guide. Let’s see the Bible evidence:
“The law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord” (Lamentations 2:9).
“Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients” (Ezekiel 7:26).
“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth” (Jeremiah 26:4-6).
“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law” (Proverbs 29:18).
End Time Prophets
Based on Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-32), the Lord promised to send prophets at the end of time to guide His church. To attack God’s work, the devil will also send false prophets (Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24). That’s why we must be prepared to test the prophets by the Scriptures (Isaiah 8:19, 20; 2 Timothy 2:15), heeding their counsel only if they are genuine and rejecting them if they are counterfeit.
In the early church, “the manifestation of the Spirit” was given “to every man to profit” (1 Corinthians 12:7). Various gifts were in evidence, such as “the word of wisdom,” “the word of knowledge,” “faith,” “healing,” “working of miracles,” “prophecy,” “discerning of spirits,” “divers kinds of tongues,” and “the interpretation of tongues” (verses 8–10).
The events of Pentecost were but a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prediction. The prophecy is to reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace which will attend the closing work of the gospel. God knows when prophets are needed to wake people up, warn them, and turn them to Jesus and His Word. He sent a prophet (John the Baptist) to prepare people for Jesus’ first coming (Mark 1:1-8). And He will again send prophets to prepare the church for His second coming.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
