Prophecy and Prophets
Prophecy and Prophets
Prophecy and Prophets
There is a difference between the office of a Prophet and the gift of prophecy. Let’s look at the gift
of prophecy.
1. The gift of prophecy is one of the nine spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 and there are varieties
of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all
things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of
knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts
of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy,
and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another
the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to
each one individually just as He wills.
Ø God wants us to pursue His gifts! He desires to give us His gifts more than we could ever want
them.
4. The gift of prophecy is for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and consolation.
6. Anyone who is saved and receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit can minister in the gifts of
the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:31 You can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be
exhorted.
There are actually three components to any mature ministry. These components include my
calling, my gifting, and my anointing. Let us examine these important elements of fruitful ministry.
Ø We all have multiple callings. For instance, we are all called as saints of God. As saints we have the
identity as ‘holy believers.”
© KRIS VALLOTTON MINISTRIES 2
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2. Our gifts give us our abilities.
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Ø Our gifts give us our abilities. They are not something we are but something we do.
Ø If we try to get our identity from our gifts than we will have a ”performance based” self-esteem.
Whenever we can’t use our gifts, we will feel bad about ourselves.
Ø When we are ministering through the gift of prophecy, the Holy Spirit is using His gift through us.
Ø Whenever the anointing of the Holy Spirit is upon us, our lives suddenly take on purpose. We are
inspired to accomplish something for God.
The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable, but the anointing of the Lord ebbs and flows
according to the relationship we have with the Holy Spirit.
Romans 11:29 The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
1. What is a Prophet?
Prophets are not a gift of the Holy Spirit like the gift of prophecy; instead, Prophets are
Christ’s gift to the church.
Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ...
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as
pastors and teachers.
Ø They are not just gifted people but they are the gift.
Ø The gift they are to the church creates a call in their life to fulfill the responsibility of the office of
the prophet.
Ø The Call as a Prophet – Describes the identity of the one who is called to be a prophet. Being a
Prophet is first something you are rather than something you do.
Ø The Office of Prophet – Describes the governing responsibility of the Prophet. The Prophet is part
of the government of God and therefore has the responsibility to help lead the people. This is the
dimension where the prophet receives his or her mantle.
The anointing stays with the Prophet, but the mantle remains with the mission. Sometimes people
are anointed as a Prophet, but they have yet to receive a mantle (office). Until they receive their
mantle (office) they have no leadership role as a prophet.
Here David is anointed king and the Spirit comes on him mightily.
1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains
yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring
him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was
ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for
this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and
the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and
went to Ramah.
Ø Insight - the ability to understand the root issues in situations, people’s motivations, and God’s
inspiration.
Ø Oversight - the ability to understand prophetic context, ecosystems, service roles and prospective.
Ø The office of the Prophet is a life calling. Most Prophets are called at birth or when they are born
again. The office of Prophet is not something you ask for, but it is the Lord’s choosing.
Ø If you are called as a Prophet, you have the responsibility to develop your gift. Graham Cooke says,
“It takes a minimum of fourteen years for a person to develop into a Prophet after they are called.”
Ø Notice the office of the Prophet is given “until” the church is a mature man in Christ.
Ø The Prophets primary responsibility is to equip the saints with “eyes to see and ears to hear.”
4. Prophets set leaders in their places and release an anointing over them so that they have
the grace to lead.
1 Samuel 15:1 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His
people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.
Ezekiel 37:6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put
breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’” 7 So I prophesied
as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the
bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and
flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me,
“Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
“Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” 10 So I
prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and
stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Ø Ezekiel was not foretelling, but forth telling. He was altering the course of history through his
prophetic ministry.
Ø It may not be other prophets who judge prophetic ministry. It may be the other 5-fold ministers
and saints who judge prophetic ministry.
There is a difference between warnings and judgment. Judgment is a consequence for an action.
Warnings are derived from prophetic foresight into future crisis.
Ø Notice that Agabus’s warning was not related to a consequence for sin.
Ø The Lord is restoring prophetic accountability to world leaders. I believe in the coming years that
every major world leader will have a prophet assigned to them.
Ø These Prophets will both guide these world leaders with foresight and lead them with insight.
G. God is restoring the connection between civil authority and spiritual authority.
3. Prophets develop a prophetic culture that calls out people’s destiny and changes their
hearts into the person they were called to be.
Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has
not the LORD anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? ... 5 “Afterward you will come to the hill of
God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city,
that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine,
flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.6 “Then the Spirit of the LORD will
come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.
1. Prophets have a place and a people of whom they have authority over.
1 Corinthians 9:2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my
apostleship in the Lord.
Sphere
2583. kanon (a straight reed, i.e. rod); a rule (“canon”), i.e. (figuratively) a standard (of faith and
practice); by implication, a boundary, i.e. (figuratively) a sphere (of activity): — line, rule.
Ø Peter was an apostle to the Jews and Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles.
Ø Prophets anoint (call) people into their positions. Apostles commission them.
7. Prophets along with Apostles are the foundation of the church. Ephesians 2:19 So then you
are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s
household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus
Himself being the corner stone.
8. Apostles have the mission from heaven that Prophets come into submission too:
Ø Mission - Apostles have the mission because they are the sent to the will of the Father.
Ø Submission - Apostles carry the authorizing power because they were given the mission. Prophets
must submit to the mission.
Ø You can always tell when you are working under someone else’s mantle because
whenever they put their hands down you start losing.
But accountability only happens in the context of relationship. I cannot be accountable to someone I
never see.
2. Passing mantles.
a. Elijah passes his mantle to Elisha.
1 Kings 19:13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and
stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you
doing here, Elijah?”
Ø Elijah’s mantle is the covering that carries him into the presence of God and perpetuates
the divine nature of the Almighty into the world.
1 Kings 19:19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was
plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over
to him and threw his mantle on him. 20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please
let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back
again, for what have I done to you?” 21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of
oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to
the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.
Ø Elijah says nothing to him. He only throws his mantle over him.
Ø The test is, can you see what can’t be seen so you can do what can’t be done
Ø Elijah gives Elisha another test. Can you obey with perseverance?
Ø You have to take off the old identity to put on the new mantle.
2 Kings 2:14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where
is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here
and there; and Elisha crossed over.
d. Revival ends when our mantle dies with us instead of being passed to the next
generation.
2 Kings 13:14 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the
king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the
chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he
took a bow and arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.”
And he put his hand on it, and then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17 He said,
“Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he
shot. And he said, “The LORD’S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for
you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said,
“Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,”
and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 So the man of God was angry with him and
said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you
would have destroyed it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.” 20 Elisha died,
and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of
the year. 21 As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they
cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he
revived and stood up on his feet. \
Ø When Elisha died his mantled died with him, and therefore the anointing still rested in his
dead bones.
Ø The inability of Elisha to leave his mantle to the next generation is not just the failure of
Fatherhood, but unwillingness for the son to make the sacrifice to get it. Elijah gave his
mantle to Elisha only if would make the sacrifice to see him when he went up.
Ø Joash tries to get the mantle by quoting the same faith confession, but he makes no extra
effort when hitting the ground with the arrows.