With all the confusion in the church today regarding the prophetic ministry, it is important to help God’s people understand the difference between the prophet in the Old Testament and the prophet of today.

Between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, many changes occurred. In the Old Testament, only kings, priests, and prophets had the Holy Spirit (the Anointing) upon them. But now, in the Church of Jesus Christ, all believers have the Holy Spirit within them since He descended on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2).

Today, in the church, the Bible in Ephesians 4:11-13 speaks of five ministries that Jesus gave to the church: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, and Pastor for the equipping of the saints. In the Old Testament, the king, the priest, and the prophet were facing a people who did not have the Holy Spirit within them. But today, the apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, and pastor are leading a people who have the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

• In the Old Testament, the people were led by the prophets. They followed everything the Lord said through the prophets. For example, Israel was practically led in the desert for forty years by Moses and then by other prophets before the coming of Jesus.

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever does not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” — Deuteronomy 18:18-19

In 2 Chronicles 20:20, it is written: “…Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

But today, in the New Covenant, people are led by the Holy Spirit and not by prophets.

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” — Romans 8:14

The prophet can reveal guidance from the Holy Spirit, but it is the Spirit of God who is responsible for leading the believer.

• In the Old Testament, God spoke through His prophets, who wrote much of the Old Testament. But today, God speaks through Jesus. Therefore, all prophets today speak of Jesus by the Spirit of Jesus.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” — Hebrews 1:1-2

This means that in the New Covenant, no prophet can prophesy anything that is not written in the Word. He cannot prophesy a new doctrine different from that of Jesus. That is why the Scriptures are used to judge all prophecies today.

If a prophet prophesies something that contradicts what is written in the Bible, his prophecy must be rejected. That is why in the Old Testament, prophets would say “Thus says the Lord,” but with the coming of the Holy Spirit within us in the New Testament, prophets say: “Thus says the Holy Spirit” (Acts 21:11).

• Since the people of the Old Testament did not have the Holy Spirit, they had to verify the truth of prophecies by their fulfillment:

“But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’ when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” — Deuteronomy 18:20-22.

• But today, we do not need to wait for the fulfillment of a prophetic word to verify its authenticity, because we have the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit and also spiritual gifts like the gift of discerning spirits to know the source of prophecy as soon as it is given. That is why in 1 Corinthians 14:29, it is written:

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.”

So, even before seeing fulfillment today, a prophecy can be judged by the Word of God and also by the elders of the church, those who have deep maturity in the things of the Spirit. In 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21, it is also written:

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”

Nowadays, if you are a prophet or if you have the gift of prophecy, you must understand that people are not forced to accept everything you say. You must let them judge and examine your prophecies. Woe to him who waits for the fulfillment of a false prophecy; he will waste his time for nothing.

That is why all Christians must accept the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many Christians have no fellowship with the Holy Spirit; they live like the people of the Old Testament even though the Holy Spirit is within them. What a waste!

• The last thing I want to say about the differences between the Old Testament prophet and the New Testament prophet is that today’s prophet must manifest the nature of Christ. Many want to be like Elijah or Elisha to call down fire or God’s wrath upon others. Worse, some prophets want to be like Balaam to curse those who offend them. Read this:

“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what spirit you are of. For the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them.’ And they went on to another village.” — Luke 9:53-56

Jesus came to manifest the fullness of God’s love. And He demonstrated this on the cross when He asked God to forgive those who crucified Him. It is not like Moses who commanded the earth to swallow his enemies or Elisha who ordered bears to devour the children who insulted him. But it is written about Jesus:

“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” — 1 Peter 2:23.

Every mature prophet of the New Covenant must walk in love like Christ.

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” — Romans 8:9

This text is an excerpt from the book “UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY AND THE PROPHET” by Joseph André HOUNZ.

Read other excerpts from the author.

Old and New Testaments. Old and New Testaments. Old and New Testaments.

Old and New Testaments. Old and New Testaments. Old and New Testaments.