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“In the 80s and 90s, the prophetic came but it didn’t dominate the space but now it looks like it’s what everybody is talking about. Is part of the script? What is it all about?”
The above is a question an interviewer asked Bishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, General Overseer of Action Chapel International, in a viral video. We transcribed it for our esteemed readers.
Below is Bishop Nicholas Duncan Williams’ answer:
“The prophetic is very relevant today. It is part of the fivefold ministry Jesus gave to equip the saints for the work of ministry and so it is very relevant.
I think one of the areas where there is a lot of confusion and mystery around the prophetic that needs to be demystified is the functions of the Old Testament prophet and the functions of the New Testament prophet.
Because a lot of the prophets we see today are operating mainly Old Testament practices and methods than New Testament because the Holy Spirit came upon three people: the priest, the king and the prophet.
And the prophet was the seer who guided the nations. If you look at Hebrews 1:1, it says “in the days past, God spoke through the Prophets to the Fathers not to the sons but the Fathers to give directions. Now, He has spoken through His Son, Jesus.”
The prophets were seers and they were the guides; they led the kings and the people of God under the Old Testament dispensation. But in the New Testament dispensation, the Bible says that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God” and the Bible says that “the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
So, in the New Testament we are not led by prophets; we are led by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is our guide not the prophet. But under the Old Testament, the prophets were our guide. They guided the kings and our fathers and priests of those times but it’s different in the New Testament.
I think we have not brought clarity to that so that is where the confusion is. Even if you look at the issues of altars, for instance, in the Old Testament, the altar of God was in one particular location and people had to travel and come to Jerusalem, physically.
But today, what we call an altar here – the real altar is our heart. The physical altar is just a point of contact but the true altar in the New Testament is in one’s heart and so I think that we need to properly define the workings and difference between the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Prophets.
If we do not bring that clarity, a lot of people will not even develop their own spirit to get to know the Holy Spirit for themselves.
For instance, few months ago, I was dealing with a situation and I asked one of my sons who is very sharp prophetically, very accurate to pray about it. And he came to me and said that this is what the Lord was saying about the situation.
But I had already had a witness in my spirit and a greenlight to go in the opposite direction so when he came he was very strong about what he believed God was saying and I did not receive it.
I told him that we prophesy in part, we see in part. I said, “son, on this occasion, you missed it because this is what I believe the Holy Spirit is saying.”
So I went ahead with the witness of my spirit, the greenlight I had and it went out perfectly and beautifully so he came later and said “Papa I’m sorry about that” and I realized that if you do not develop your human spirit, through the Holy Spirit within you; to be led by the Spirit, to hear from God yourself, and to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you…
Under the Old Testament dispensation the Bible says “believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established and believe in His prophets and you shall prosper. But under the New Testament dispensation the Bible never says that.
If you look at the synoptic gospels and Pauline revelations through to Revelation, there is nowhere that says have faith in a prophet or have faith in an apostle or have faith in a pastor or an archbishop.
Jesus talked about having faith in God and having faith in the Word (He Himself).
We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God so if we do not define this things carefully, we will misrepresent the whole thing and there will be a lot of confusion.
Again we do not consult prophets for direction. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us. Jesus said in the book of John 14, 15 and 16, He said: “when the Spirit of Truth comes He will guide you into all truth, He’ll show you things to come, He will teach you all things. So the Holy Spirit is our guide today.”
