Hebrews 10:16

Hebrews 10:16

The role of prophets

In Old Testament times, when the Lord God spoke and wished to make His purposes clear, He chose individuals and gave them His words. Prophets, seers, priests and national leaders all heard that voice and carefully recorded the words they were given so that these precious truths could be passed on. Such men and women were highly venerated and were elevated amongst the people as those who had become God’s mouthpieces. In this way we have the Scriptures, or what we call the Old Testament, and we too respect and admire the men and women who had such a close affinity with the Lord.

But, in this verse, quoted from Jeremiah 31:33, the Lord gives prior warning that a day will come when the roles of individual prophets etc will come to an end, instead He will “put His laws in men’s hearts and write them on their minds.” This is talking, of course, about the coming of the Holy Spirit when it will not be necessary for individuals to hear and then carefully record God’s words for others. On a coming day ears will be unstopped, and all believers will hear God’s voice and receive His instructions and His commands. Instead of chosen individuals having access to the Lord God, all who believe will have a direct relationship with Him. The early saints were mediators between men and God but now we have one mediator, and He acts for us all and He communicates with us all. 

Perhaps we don’t realise what a stupendous change this is, Pentecost turned the world on its head and made it possible for those who receive the Holy Spirit to also receive daily and personal instructions from the Lord. Wow! This raises controversial questions; do we need prophets today if it is possible for us all to be in communication with the Lord? Is that why the Holy Spirit’s gifts are not just for individuals but for us all? When we hear mutterings that “he or she has the gift of prophecy” is it not possible that we all have this gift? If we are listening to what the Spirit has put in our hearts and written on our minds, then are we not all blessed with the gift of prophecy and many other gifts too? Paul answers these questions head on when he writes, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Food for thought!

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