De-/Re-Mystifying the Prophetic

(Being a bald individual, I felt obliged to use this particular image, the title of which I'm sure is, "You don't mess with a bald prophet!")

In an interview, Noam Chomsky was asked whether he read the prophets. He responded:

"The word 'prophet' is a very bad translation of an obscure Hebrew word, navi. Nobody knows what it means. But today they'd be called dissident intellectuals. They were giving geopolitical analysis, arguing that the acts of the rulers were going to destroy society. And they condemned the acts of evil kings. They called for justice and mercy to orphans and widows and so on."

To a great degree he is right, and the view of this atheistic philosopher may be more reflective of the Scriptural notion of the prophet than that of many in the church--and certainly is more informed.

The idea of prophesy and prophets is obscure. However, Scripture uses the term/idea liberally throughout--from Genesis to Revelation--and with ease. A reader of Scripture would likely assume that one ought to have great familiarity with such people--a working category! Do we?

Prophet is a word with Greek origins meaning to speak/bring forth. (Pro = forth, phete = bring.) I'll get more into the nuances of this later.

When we see the word "prophet" in the Old Testament, it is the translation of two primary Hebrew words: navi and ro'eh/hozeh.

Navi is, as Chomsky said, obscure. Some say it means "bubbling" up or "bear" (as in fruit). Either way, the emphasis seems to be on something "emerging from".

One recalls Jeremiah's statement that, "his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." [20:9]

Most agree that navi denotes being a mouthpiece or spokesperson. (Aaron is called Moses' navi, because he spoke on Moses' behalf.)

Ro'eh and hozeh both mean "seer", which is a straightforward nounal version of the english verb "to see".

It could be that these are two different things (i.e., the "seer" and the "speaker"), but they are more likely two sides of the same coin. On the one hand, one sees or receives. On the other, one transmits.

New Testament writers lump all such usages under the more general term "prophet". This Greek term was also used in Greek literature, and always applied to those who spoke on behalf of the gods.

So what's the point? The NT writers took for granted the ongoing existence of such people--even giving them an indispensable role in the life of the church--yet most Christians either have no category for the prophetic.

Bear the following passages in mind:

"But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.'" [Acts 2:16-18]

"(He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," [Eph. 4:10-12; see also 1 Cor. 12:10, 28]

"Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation." [ 1 Cor. 14:1-3]

"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good." [1 Thes. 5:19-20]

We see in these few passages that prophecy is to be a ubiquitous reality bestowed upon all segments of society (among those who have received the Spirit), a normative role within church leadership, something to be pursued because of it's great value and something to be tested but never despised.

I suggest that these (and many other passages) would never lead anyone to believe that the gift of prophecy had ceased, and that in fact it plays a crucial role in the continued vitality of the church.

But how do we recognize this gift? How do we relate to it? How do we pursue and earnestly desire this gift? How do we avoid quenching the Spirit through despising the prophetic?

If your interest has been piqued, check back. I intend to pursue this series for a few posts.