One of the most powerful verses in the Bible is Matthew 5:8, which says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The word ‘pure’ comes from the Greek word ‘katharos’ which has been translated as ‘pure’ (seventeen times), ‘clean’ (ten times) and ‘clear’ (one time). This purity or cleanness of heart is achieved through the logos word which Jesus spoke (John 15:3). The impact of purity of heart to ability to see God is directly related. Another way of putting this point across is that the purity of heart equals purity of vision – (pure heart = pure vision). The ability to see true and pure visions, dreams or hear impressions, thoughts that come from God and His angels is totally dependent on the purity of our hearts heart.
This immediately implies that if the heart is 80% pure, then only 80% of our visions are correct, true and pure; if it is 50% pure, then only half of our visions or dreams or impressions can be trusted. The slightest deviation in purity or cleanness will immediately affect our reception of things in the Spirit realm. Of course, many who see visions or dreams claim 100% purity but unless one is completely like Jesus and God, there is that percentage that is with human bias that affects reception. Thus, the Bible advises that in prophecy, we know in part and we prophesy in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). For this reason, all prophesy has to be judged and when one prophet prophesies, another is allowed to judge (1 Corinthians 14:29). There is no such thing as the infallibility of prophecy (which means that all prophecies delivered is perfect and not subject to correction from God’s Word, by biblical laws and rules, by our conscience and common sense of what is right or wrong); just as there is no such thing as the infallibility of the pope (making him greater than the bible) as all humans are subject to human bias and errors and mistakes. We are exhorted to not quench the Spirit (allow the Holy Spirit and His gifts to work through the body, including the gift of prophecy) and not to despise prophecies; but we must test ALL things and hold fast what is good, abstaining from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22).
In the early New Testament church, the revelation that salvation is by grace without the necessity of keeping Jewish laws was so controversial that the leaders of Jerusalem church had to meet, when the apostle Paul requested a stand on the issue after Antioch church was confused by some from Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-6). At the end of a long debate and fierce discussions, the whole Jerusalem council concluded with the fact that indeed salvation is by grace based on the atonement of Jesus. Their conclusion was based on three things: firstly, the testimony of Barnabas and Paul that God manifest His signs and wonders when the gospel was preached amongst the Gentiles (Acts 15:12); secondly, the agreement of this doctrine with the written word of God (Acts 15:15); and thirdly, confirmation of the rightness and goodness of this doctrine in their conscience (Acts 15:28). The three principles of living testimonies, the written word and being in line with good conscience is vital to the analysis and discernment of all claims of reception and hearing from God. Without this safeguards, the devil will lead people astray to weird and strange practices that are completely against the Bible and against the good common sense and conscience of people.
It is possible to be completely deceived through visions, dreams and impressions just as Old Testament false prophets have been deceived. Jeremiah warns against prophets who prophesy from false visions and divination in the name of God (Jeremiah 14:14). He states that the prophets who were against him had seen false and deceptive visions, thus misleading the people of Israel in what they should do during the Babylonian captivity (Lamentation 2:14). Even in Ezekiel’s time when Israel was at the end of its Old Testament glory, the princes governing her were after dishonesty gain (greed and covetous) and the prophets seeing false visions and receiving lies, claiming ‘Thus says the Lord’ (Ezekiel 22:27). In reality the people were being oppressed, robbed, mistreated and impoverished (Ezekiel 22:29). Even Moses, himself, instructed that if a dreamer of dreams arises or a prophet arises, and even if their prophesied sign or wonder comes to pass but they turn from the truth of God’s law and God’s word, that such should be put to death (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). The basic premise is that God has already given us His commandments and spoken though His Word and voice, and God does not contradict Himself in advising people to worship false gods or break His established commandments (Deuteronomy 13:4). God has given us His written word in the Bible, and He has given us a conscience to know what is right or wrong, and He has given us a common sense pf life testimony and experience to discern belief systems that line up with true reality and the practical things of this life.
It is possible to live in the realm of the Spirit and receive things from the Spirit, yet through lack of experience and discernment end up guiding and leading people in the wrong way and direction, probably because of imperfect reception and wrong interpretation. Paul was nearly misled, misdirected and misguided by people who had true real experiences in the Spirit. He was told by them through the Holy Spirit NOT to go up to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4). This contradicted Paul’s own personal guidance, conscience and visions which he had received from the Lord Himself (Acts 20:22-23, 35-37). When a true prophet called Agabus prophesied that Paul was going to be bound and imprisoned, even Paul’s own companions told him NOT to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:10-12). Agabus did NOT tell Paul NOT to go to Jerusalem, he only told Paul what would happen there (Acts 21:11). Paul already knew what was going to happen to him and so the message was a confirmation to him (Acts 20:23). In the end, Paul was allowed to pursue what he had discerned from the Lord and it was God’s perfect Will for him to go and actually be imprison. For it was through his prison ministry that Paul had opportunity to testify before kings and governors, as it was revealed in the early days of his conversion (Acts 9:15-16; 23:11). The ways of God are not the ways of man and God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. It was God’s method and plan to have Paul testified in chains as a witness of the gospel and the truth of who Jesus is. Just as God was the One who planned for Joseph to meet the butler in prison before his promotion to be Prime Minister to Pharaoh (Genesis 39:21; 40:9-23; 41:9-45).
In the light of all these it is good to give good advice for both sides of the matter: to those receiving prophecy and to those giving prophecy.
To those receiving prophecy, it is good to
- have an open heart and mind to hear all prophecies given, positive or negative, in case one misses hearing something that God wants to bring to one’s attention (1 Thessalonians 5:20)
- not limit the reception of prophecy to any one person or group or any other bias, for God can speak through anyone, even a donkey who saved the life of a diminishing prophet (Numbers 22:28-33). Balaam later became an ex-prophet rejected by God because of his greed for money (Numbers 31:16; Deuteronomy 23:4; Jude 1:11)
- examine all prophecies by the written word of God and by the spoken word of God. All prophecies will NOT contradict the Bible nor will it contradict God’s original spoken word and direction that He has already given to you. Just as the Written Word cannot contradict itself, the Spoke Word cannot contradict itself
- understand that all prophecies are in part and delivered in part, thus one should never depend on prophecy to direct one’s own personal life but rather use it for confirmation of what one has already received from the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:3)
- differentiate between the prophecy and its interpretation and application. For all prophecies can be misinterpreted and misapplied leading to the opposite direction of what God intends (Acts 21:4, 12)
- know that every prophecy has its time for fulfilment and one must not ‘try’ to fulfill the prophecy through self-effort, resulting in an Ishmael which brings more trouble and disharmony (Genesis 16:2, 15-16; 17:18-19).
- understand that at the end of a person’s life, each person is accountable for his or her own actions at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). We cannot blame anyone for the decisions we make in our own lives, which is why we cannot depend on any prophet even any man or woman of God to direct our lives and make the decision for us.
To those giving prophecy, it is good to
- know that we are only instruments whom God used to help comfort, exhort and edify another person in their walk with God in this life (1 Corinthians 14:3). The purpose of all prophesy is to help and not to condemn or judge, especially to bring the recipient to grow closer to God and worship God (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)
- deliver personal prophecy personally and not proclaimed it to everyone on the housetops. Nathan delivered the judgment of God to David personally (2 Samuel 12:1-15). The biblical pattern for correction, if evidential sin is present without doubt, is one to one, two or three to one, then only to the whole church (Matthew 18:15-17).
- understand that the best prophecy is delivered without interpretation and application. The best interpretation, contextual wise, is done by the individual recipient for the prophecy is but one small part of an individual’s decision making, and only the individual knows how to add the true prophecy to his or her personal life decisions which they must answer to God for themselves at the judgment seat of Christ. Agabus, who is one of the foremost prophets of the New Testament, knew how NOT to interpret NOR apply the prophecy; he only delivered in exactly as God gave it, without addition or subtraction (Acts 21:10-11; 2 Peter 2:20-21).
- know that in the New Testament, everyone has the Holy Spirit unlike the Old Testament; thus, New Testament prophets only confirm and do not direct (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 8:11; 1 John 2:20).
- deliver a prophecy with the love of God present otherwise it does not profit either prophet or recipient (1 Corinthians 13:2; 14:1).
- submit the prophecy to other prophets to judge and also to the thorough examination by the written Word of God (1 Corinthians 14:29; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Having considered all these points, the final question is how do we become more and more accurate (reached 100% of clarity and accuracy) in our hearing from God? It is obvious that there is a process of growing in prophecy as we grow in all other areas of our lives (1 Corinthians 14:29-33). Those who are prophets need to grow and learn together with other prophets in submitting to one another, knowing that others can hear God as clearly as one hears God, if one considers oneself a prophet. There is also such a thing as learning to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:31). The word ‘the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets’ means that the reception and delivery of a prophecy by a prophet is subject to standard common respect and protocol within the control of the free will and free choice of the prophet’s spirit and soul. No prophecy should be used as authority over another person’s free will and free choice or of an organization established by God or man. Prophecy never tells another person what or what not to do, it only offers a small part of revelation to the recipient who then must digest and incorporate what is received into their lives in their own way.
The path to growing in the accuracy and purity of prophecy is clear-cut in the Bible:
- Growing in God’s love is the key to growing in clarity and accuracy of the prophetic word (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). One day we will reach 100% love exactly like our Lord Jesus has, then we will speak forth the prophetic Word in the purest form, such that our words can be exactly like our Lord Jesus, full of life and spirit (John 6:63).
- Growing in humility is a second key to receiving God’s spoken word accurately. True humility is being completely nothing and empty of all self, including self-serving, self-consciousness and self-promotion. Out of this emptying of our self and nothingness without Jesus, will arise the greatest manifestation of Christ into each of our consciousness until our words are like Jesus’ word, full of spirit and life (John 6:63).
- Growing in accountability is a part of learning to prophesy. The essence of ‘learning to prophesy’ requires that one submit one’s prophecy and hearing to another who is more experience and more accurate in the handling of God’s spoken and written word (1 Corinthians 14:31). There was respect for each other in the three-fold offices in the Old Testament, and the sons of Asaph, under the direction of Asaph, prophesied according to the order of King David (1 Chronicles 25:2). They were also submissive under their more experienced fathers Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun (1 Chonicles 25:. And Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun were in turn subjected to the authority of the king (1 Chronicles 25:6).
- Growing in the anointing releases greater and greater measures of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all. The anointing doubled from Elijah to Elisha (2 Kings 2:9-10).
This present generation needs true prophets and apostles to arise and bold speak forth God’s Word. In the midst of many voices of men, the world needs the voice of God delivered by brave men and women to change and transform this age into the age of the Glorious Bride of Christ, rising as a Bride and Temple to be inhabited by the fullness of God’s presence with glory and might and mercy. Amen.