The Prophetic Word Confirmed

"Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began," - Luke 1:67-70

Before God's hand ever accomplishes His work, He first speaks His prophetic Word so that we have His divine signature that it is Him doing the work. As the prophet Amos says, "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

Once we hear the Word spoken, we must patiently wait for God to fulfill HIS WORD in HIS WAY and in HIS TIME. Since faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, we must believe that a promise made by God is as good as done.

James puts it like this, "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:7-8)

As we go into this Christmas season, ask yourself what is it that you are waiting for? Is your faith based on what God has spoken or what you have imagined or wished for. If the source comes from God, then you can be sure of this:  God speaks His Word, then performs His Word, and He always CONFIRMS His Word when all is said and done!

May we remember the words of Job in our time of waiting...
"I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You" (Job 42:2). Jesus is the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies spoken about Him and He is the ultimate purpose of the prophetic Word.

So what is a prophetic word?

A prophetic word is when something is declared which can only be known by divine revelation. It is like a mystery being revealed or history being given before it has ever happened. It is not always predictive in telling the future but it is always true in what it is declaring with a confirmation that follows.

The Apostle Peter says, "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

Even in the days of Moses, God was raising up people who would not only hear His prophetic word but who would speak His prophetic word. In Numbers 11, Joshua complained to Moses that there were two men, Eldad and Medad, who were prophesying in the camp and not in the tabernacle. But Moses answered, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’S people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (Acts 11:29)

This was a foreshadowing of the fact that God would one day pour His Spirit on all men and women in the Church to be able to prophesy in a way that builds up the body of Christ by bringing edification, exhortation and comfort to others in Christ (1 Cor. 14:3).

Today, we who are filled with the Holy Spirit can bring a prophetic word in a timely manner to a person or congregation that points out something relevant in the Word or that points to Jesus who is the revelation of the Word. Paul says, "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged" (1 Cor. 14:31)

For when all is said and done, we are to give all of our worship, attention, and adoration on Jesus. "...For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev. 12:10)