In 1 Corinthians 14:1 Paul says, “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy” (Gk.). Most people regard prophecy merely as a foretelling of future events. According to this understanding, someone predicts the future and concludes his speaking with the words, “Thus saith the Lord.” For example, in 1963 some prophesied that a great earthquake would cause Los Angeles to fall into the ocean. Prediction, however, is not the primary meaning of prophecy in the Bible, especially in the New Testament.
In the Bible to prophesy has three meanings. First, it is to speak for someone, to speak on behalf of another person. When one prophesies in this way, he speaks not for himself, but for someone else. Hence, someone may be called upon to prophesy for the Lord, that is, to speak on the Lord’s behalf. Second, to prophesy means to speak forth, to declare. In the Bible a person may not only speak for God, but he may also speak forth something of God. Third, to prophesy is to foretell, to predict. Therefore, the three meanings of prophesy are to speak for, to tell forth, and to foretell. However, the meaning of foretell is not the primary meaning.
Let us use the book of Isaiah as an example. Isaiah 1:3 says, “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” What kind of prophecy is this? Certainly it is not foretelling. Rather, it is a declaration, a speaking forth something that is of the Lord. The same is true of Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” This word is a declaration, a telling forth. It is not primarily a foretelling of a future event. Of course, in the book of Isaiah there are a number of instances of such foretellings or predictions. Nevertheless, most of the book of Isaiah is either a speaking for or a telling forth. Only a relatively small portion of the book consists of foretelling. Thus, the content of the book of Isaiah illustrates the fact that the primary meaning of prophecy is not prediction, but declaration and speaking on behalf of another, especially on behalf of the Lord.
As we preach the gospel, we may prophesy in this way. We may say to a group of unbelievers, “Friends, you must believe in the Lord Jesus. Otherwise, you will be eternally lost.” To speak in this manner is to prophesy in the sense of uttering something of the Lord and on behalf of the Lord. To preach the gospel, therefore, is to declare something of the Lord and to speak on behalf of the Lord. Such preaching may contain an element of prediction—for example, the prediction of eternal loss for those who refuse to believe in Christ—but such prediction is not the main element. In a general way, we can say that whenever we speak regarding the Lord or for the Lord, we are prophesying. How different this is from the common and traditional understanding of prophecy!
If we intend to be scriptural in a comprehensive way, we need to accept the biblical understanding of prophecy. To prophesy is not to gossip or to speak for ourselves. Furthermore, it is not to speak forth something of ourselves. On the contrary, to prophesy is to speak for the Lord and to speak forth something of the Lord. As we have pointed out, such speaking may have the aspect of prediction. One who speaks for the Lord may say, “The Lord Jesus is faithful, available, near, and dear. Whenever we call on Him, He immediately comes, and we have the deep sense of His sweetness. But if we do not practice calling on the name of the Lord, our daily living will be pitiful.” To speak in this way is to prophesy.
In 1 Corinthians 14:31 Paul says, “For ye can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted” (Gk.). If prophecy were mainly a matter of predicting the future, how would it be possible for all the saints to prophesy? But we all can speak for the Lord and utter something of the Lord. Even the new ones and the young ones can prophesy like this.