If some self-proclaimed prophet suddenly arose and began drawing crowds with stirring messages, healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing fire down from heaven, and revealing knowledge of your personal secrets—would you believe in him or her? Should you believe? Your ultimate destiny just might be tied directly to your ability to distinguish between true and false prophets. So it’s very important to know what the Bible really says about this timely subject!
1. Does the Bible teach that there will be true prophets in the last days of earth?
“It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17).
Answer: Yes. Both men and women will prophesy in the last days (Joel 2:28–32).
2. Jesus at His ascension placed the gift of prophets in His church, along with four other gifts: apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:7–11). Why did God place these gifts in the church?
“For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
Answer: Jesus gave all five gifts for the equipping of His saints. The equipping of God’s end-time church is not possible if any of these five gifts is missing.
3. In Bible days, was the gift of prophecy limited to men?
Answer: No. In addition to many men who had the gift of prophecy, God also gave the gift to at least eight women: Anna (Luke 2:36–38); Miriam (Exodus 15:20); Deborah (Judges 4:4); Huldah (2 Kings 22:14); and the four daughters of Philip, an evangelist (Acts 21:8, 9).
4. How long were these gifts to remain in God’s church?
“Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
Answer: They will remain until God’s people are all unified, mature Christians—which, of course, will be at the end of time.
