I was listening to a tape of Art’s about prophetic speaking, in which he states that prophetic speaking must be preceded by Godly seeing, a “seeing as God sees.” I remember him also saying that priestliness must come before propheticness. I remember reading a passage on how the priests had there ears touched with blood. So I am wondering allowed if priestly sanctified listening precedes, proper seeing which precedes prophetic speaking. Which are all forms of death. Would it be an exaggeration to say that prophetic speaking is crucified speaking? In the sense that it must come out of death and resurrection and can itself often be a death?
Hi Aaron. I just finished an answer to a question that came up on the word ‘apostolic’. I’m sending you that since it reflects on your question here as well, as your own concluding remarks also anticipate very well.
It is significant that many of the prophets were also priests. I used to say that unless the prophet is first priestly in his identification with ‘the blind, the ignorant, and the out of the way’ (Heb 5:2), as one who feels the infirmity of the weak (Heb 4:15), his ‘propheticness’ does something more than break the rock; it breaks the bones. Therefore a prophet that is not first priestly can become a liability to the church, because he misrepresents the character of Christ who did not “quench the smoking flax, or break the bruised reed” (Isa 42:3; Mt 12:20). Zechariah shows that Christ (“the branch”) will be a priest upon His throne (Zach 6:13). Priestliness is the necessary pre-qualification for purity of the kind of authority that reflects the character of divine rule (2Sam 23:4; Ps 72:4, 6, 12-13).
The exercise of true prophetic authority assumes a depth of priestly identification. Thus it is that only one that has been processed through tribulation to become priestly (reflected in a brokenness of identification with human weakness) can be entrusted with true prophetic authority, which is far more than accurate preaching or even accurate prediction. Such authority comes by being “in touch” with God as God, which puts one in touch with man as man. This is why the prophets of the OT and the apostles of the NT were not only faithful to ” root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down …” But also to build, and to plant. The first four belongs to the office of the law, and the last two belongs to the ministry of the gospel. A true gospel in balance with the whole counsel of God is hard to come by, just as true apostles and prophets are hard to come by. It seems to me that our only safe hope to recognize and distinguish the true from the false, is to deeply and truly know the Lord. This means we are personally exercised in the laws and patterns of His ways in our own lives. Otherwise, even our estimation and evaluation of what would count as “fruits” will be just as faulty as our knowledge of God. So, once again, the burden is on the priesthood of every believer.
Sincerely, Reggie
