Weekly Article

Questions and Answers: Where are the Miracles? Where are the Prophets?

Weekly Article 12/02/05

by the Rev. Matt Kennedy

Church of the Good Shepherd

This week I was asked yet another great question by Ed Habicht:

“There were so many miracles in the bible but why don't they happen anymore? And what about prophets? There are so many prophets in the bible, where did they all go?”

There are several answers to this common and very important question. I'll try to approach it in sections:

•  When considering the frequency of miracles it is always helpful to remember that the bible records accounts of events that occurred over the course of thousands and thousands of years. The events seem closer together in time because we read about them in one book. But many people in the Old Testament lived their whole lives without ever seeing a miracle. Your statement that you haven't seen any miracles in your lifetime is one echoed by millions of Israelites past who lived and died without witnessing a great miracle.

•  God is not a magician. He does not perform tricks to impress. The miracles in the bible always have a purpose. Namely, they serve to validate or vindicate a prophet or a prophetic utterance. Moses, for example, was given a rod that turned into a snake whenever he cast it to the earth. God gave him this rod to validate his leadership and his message. If any doubted that God sent Moses, the rod served as a tangible demonstration of that fact and vindication of his words. Likewise, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ long with his miracles accomplished (among many other things) the same purpose. Jesus' resurrection vindicated his claim to be God's Son and validated his claim that his teaching came directly from the Father.

•  People in the days of Moses and Jesus did not posses the full revelation of God. We, on the other hand, have the words of Moses and all the prophets, kings, priests, disciples, apostles, and Christ himself written down in one book. Human beings, writing under the superintending Spirit of God, have written down the divinely inspired words of the prophets and apostles validated by the miraculous power of God in the past in the book we call the bible.

•  So what? Well, if: 1. The life and teachings of Jesus and his followers represent the ultimate and supreme revelation of God (and it does), and 2. The purpose of miracles is to validate revelation (as it is), should it really be any surprise that miracles and prophecies on par with what we read about in the bible are somewhat less common today?

•  The full Word of God, Jesus Christ, has been revealed already. We, today, possess his all-sufficient self-revelation in the words of the bible. While there is a place for miracles today, there is no need for miracles.

•  Having said that, I would dispute the claim that miracles and prophets are, in an absolute sense, no more. While the Jesus and his apostles have given us God's ultimate and supreme revelation, God still speaks and he still dwells with his people through his Holy Spirit. While there will be no more revelations and miracles on par with or that can rival those in the bible until Jesus returns in his glory, God does still act.

•  If you go back read the article I wrote a few weeks ago on spiritual gifts or, better yet, if you go read chapter 12 of St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, you will note that there are people in the church today with the power to heal and the spiritual insight to know the will of God in specific situations. There are also people who have the ability to speak to God in special prayer languages and to discern the presence of demonic power. These are miraculous or supernatural gifts that are still present today. I have personally seen all of them at work through various people in various churches. I have even seen some of at work in people here at Good Shepherd.

•  The primary difference between the miracles and prophesies in the church today and the miracles and prophesies you read about in the bible is that the miracles and prophesies today hinge on, depend upon, and flow directly out of the revelation already given through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. They do not signal a new revelation, but are further manifestations of the revelation we read about in the New Testament. They simply provide further validation to the words and witness of Christ and his apostles. This is so important I'll say it again: the gifts of the Spirit are not given to validate a new word from God or a new truth from heaven. Rather they flow out of and point back to the New Covenant and are consistent with the revelation already given in the New Testament.

•  This is why we are told by Jesus (Matthew 7:15; 24:4, 24), Peter (2 nd Peter 2), Paul (2 nd Tim 3:1-4:5) John (1 st John 4:1-5:3), and Jude (the whole book) never to take any new word or teaching to heart, even if accompanied by a miracle (Matt 24:4), unless it is consistent with the revelation of God through Jesus Christ contained and completed in the New Testament.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.” (Galatians 1:8)

False teachers always claim “prophetic” authority or say that they are delivering a “new revelation” from God when in fact they are simply contradicting the full and sufficient and true revelation of God in Christ as revealed in the bible.

One further word about prophesies. The office of prophet consists of two distinct roles. The first is foretelling. Prophetic foretelling is the act of conveying or passing along previously unknown information about what God will do in the future. The standard for testing someone who claims to have this gift is twofold. First he or she must be 100% accurate. All that is foretold must come to pass. Second, what is foretold must be consistent with all that has already been revealed in the bible. True foretelling prophecy cannot contradict the bible because God does not contradict himself. Foretelling is a rare gift these days because God has revealed what he will ultimately do in the future through the scriptures.

The second role of the prophet is forthtelling. Prophetic forthtelling is quite common. Forthtelling is not telling the future, but proclaiming and teaching the revealed truths of God. Preaching and teaching are two ways that this second role of the prophetic office is still exercised today. The test for forthtellers is the same test given to all teachers and preachers: is his or her teaching and preaching consistent with the bible?

Well, I hope this answers your question sufficiently. If not, please feel free to respond with another. That goes for everyone so please let me know any questions you might have.

Until next week's article, may God bless you all.

Matt+