Let's Dive Into Prophecy

If the word prophecy makes you think of fortune tellers, movie plots, or frightening end times charts, you're not alone. Biblical prophecy is something simpler and more important: speaking out what God has already revealed. It isn't fortunetelling. It's forthtelling. And when it's real, it lines up with Scripture, strengthens God's people, and gets confirmed over time.

What is biblical prophecy?

Biblical prophecy is bringing God's revelation and speaking it out. It is forthtelling, declaring God's truth in the present, more than predicting the future.

Pastor Sean Sloan, who preached the weekend message and hosts Beyond Sunday, put it this way: every Spirit-empowered, truth-based message is prophetic. When Scripture is spoken faithfully, you're hearing what can only be known because God has spoken it. That's why preachers carry a sober responsibility. People don't come to hear the speaker. They come to hear God speak into their lives.

Revelation comes through God's written Word and God's spoken word. As Sarah Dawes noted on the episode, a prophetic word you can trust will line up with what God has already said.

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

1 Corinthians 14:3

How did prophecy become fortunetelling?

We drifted the same way King Saul did. We want the authentic, and when God seems silent, we try to manufacture it instead of waiting.

After Saul turned from God and stopped listening to God's prophet, he still wanted a word from the Lord. With the authentic gone, he went to a medium (1 Samuel 28). It usually happens slowly, through one decision after another that dulls your sensitivity to God.

The same drift happens in churches. A real move of God's Spirit can slide into the weird. Because so many people have seen prophecy misused, many believers now avoid it altogether. The better answer to misuse is right use.

What should you do with a word someone gives you?

Hold it, test it, and wait. Don't dismiss it, and don't try to force it to happen.

Mary is the model. An angel told her she would bear the Messiah, and she didn't run around announcing it or rebuild her identity around it.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

God confirms His word. The first test is always Scripture, because God will never contradict what He has already spoken. Then the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called the Spirit of truth, guides you in applying it.

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

John 16:13

Two cautions from the episode are worth remembering. Phrases like "thus says the Lord" don't make something true by themselves. And be careful with anyone who insists on a prophetic title. Pastor Sean shared that as a pastor's kid he had plenty of words spoken over him. Some came true and still encourage him. Others were just silly.

Why does prophecy point to hope?

Because at its core, biblical prophecy is a promise of deliverance. Once you see it that way, it becomes less frightening and more of an encouragement to hold on to.

For many people who didn't grow up in church, prophecy first shows up in movies like Star Wars, The Matrix, or Dune. In those stories, a chosen one will free an oppressed people. A guest on the episode pointed out that this longing for deliverance shows up even in secular stories because every person needs a Savior. The prophetic message of the gospel is that the Savior has come and full deliverance is coming.

That also means reading the book of Revelation with care. John described what he saw using the apocalyptic language his first readers knew, and he wrote to people facing persecution. Be cautious with readings that map every symbol onto today's headlines.

How do you tell true from counterfeit?

You learn the real thing so well that the counterfeit stands out. People who learn to spot fake money do it by handling a lot of real money, not by studying fakes.

Discernment is the ability, given by the Holy Spirit and grown through Scripture and prayer, to tell truth from error. A line often credited to Charles Spurgeon captures it: discernment is knowing the difference between right and mostly right. Most deception isn't an outright lie. It's a twist of the truth, like the serpent in the garden adding one thing to what God had said.

Watch for formulas, too. Pastor Sean described witchcraft as any attempt to manipulate the spiritual world with a formula. That includes Christian versions that promise God must act if you do A, B, and C. True spirituality submits to God instead of trying to control Him.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

What does prophecy look like when it's done right?

Healthy prophecy is rooted in Scripture, serves God's purposes rather than ours, strengthens His people, and is confirmed over time. God doesn't toss one word at you and run.

It also depends on sound teaching. Paul warned Timothy about a time when people would gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear. As Pastor Sean said at the close of the episode, real prophecy is less about the future than about faithfulness in the present.

Common questions

What is biblical prophecy?

Biblical prophecy is speaking out God's revealed truth. It is forthtelling more than fortunetelling, and any Spirit-led message that faithfully speaks Scripture is prophetic.

How do I know if a prophetic word is from God?

Test it against Scripture first, since God never contradicts His Word. Hold it humbly, wait for confirmation over time, and ask the Holy Spirit for discernment.

Is prophecy still for today?

Yes. Prophecy is active today through faithful preaching and through words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort God's people, always tested by Scripture.

How should Christians read the book of Revelation?

With care. John used apocalyptic imagery familiar to his first readers, who were facing persecution, so be cautious of interpretations that map every symbol onto current events.