05/06/2026
EPIGNOSIS OF GRACE
Friday, June 5, 2026
PROPHECY
1CORINTHIANS 12:10 …To another prophecy... (KJV)
In our previous studies, we explained the gift of the interpretation of tongues. We said that tongues can only be understood by the gift of interpretation of tongues by the speaker. Tongues is not a natural language learned or spoken supernaturally. Any unlearnt natural language spoken supernaturally is a miracle and not tongues. Tongues cannot be understood naturally.
Another major matter today is prophecy and prophets. These days, every pastor wants to be called a prophet. Nothing is wrong with being called a prophet. However, we must know the difference between the prophet and the gift of prophecy. The word prophecy is taken from the word that means to prophesy, meaning to speak forth by inspiration of the Spirit, and it is usually on the spur of the moment.
Prophecy is not for a particular person or persons; it is for every believer in Christ. That is, the Spirit of God in a believer is the same Spirit who causes the believer to prophesy. Though there are people called prophets today in the body of Christ, the gift of prophecy is for every believer, just like speaking in tongues.
In prophecy, Joel spoke about this,
Joel 2:28,
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:”.
Clearly, from Joel's prophecy, the gift of prophecy is for everyone in Christ. The gift of prophecy is actually tongues and interpretation of tongues, which is equal to prophecy. It is the operation of these two gifts that forms prophecy.
A prophecy was the way utterances were seen in the Old Testament. Therefore, the Spirit “coming upon” in the Old Testament refers to prophesying. Also, the term Spirit upon in scriptures will be experiential of the things the eyewitnesses saw and observed.
Moses explained that God would want all his people to be prophets (Numbers 11:27-29). It is important to note, however, that today, by virtue of salvation, every believer has the ability to prophesy.
This in itself was a prophecy given by Joel, which was fulfilled in Christ's resurrection from the dead, by the indwelling of the Spirit. This gift of prophecy is different from the office of the prophet. Therefore, there is a need for the believer to understand the difference between a prophet and prophecy.
Prophet is a noun, but prophesy is a verb, meaning the first one is a person and an office, but the second one is a gift which every believer receives at the point of the new birth (salvation).
In Acts 10, while Peter was preaching, the Holy Spirit fell on the audience and they spoke in tongues and prophesied,
Acts 10:46,
“For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God”.
Magnifying God was the in their natural language, which is the interpretation of the tongues they spoke. In Acts 19, they spoke in tongues and prophesied,
Acts 19:6,
“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied”.
The same thing happened on the day of Pentecost; they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Every believer who speaks in tongues by the same Spirit can prophesy or give interpretation to the tongues spoken. This is different from the office of the prophets mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, which shall be explained later in our studies.
CONFESSION: The Spirit of God is upon me and in me. Therefore, I prophesy always.
Additional studies;
Numbers 11:17-29,
1Corinthians 14:5,24,26, 31,
1Corinthaisn 12:4-10