Your Sons & Daughters Shall Prophesy - Prophetic Gifts Today In The New Testament Church

Mind: How Did Prophecy Come to a Prophet?

attention, restored his vision and recommissioned him to service (1 Kings 19:1-18). The voice changed the man! Some prophets appear in the Scripture with no explanation about their calling or manner of prophecy, whereas others are described as hearing a voice, seeing a vision, gushing forth a prophecy or having an ecstatic expe rience. Here is a random sampling: • Ahijah confronted Jeroboam on a country road, declaring that God would make him king over ten of the tribes (1 Kings 11:29-39). We know nothing of his call and only a few of his activities. • Amasai, who is not specifically called a prophet, had "the Spirit come upon" him and gave a short prophetic ode to David (1 Chron icles 12:18). • Azariah went out to bring prophetic guidance to King Asa (2 Chron icles 15:1-7) because "the Spirit of God came on" him. • Huldah spoke forth a prophecy spontaneously to the king's delega tion that had come to call on her (2 Chronicles 34:22-28). We know nothing of her beyond this, although it appears that she was well known. • Isaiah had a profound calling in which he heard God's voice, saw His throne and experienced the touch of "a burning coal" (Isaiah 6:1-7). • Daniel was thrust into prominence because he and his friends prayed to receive the king's forgotten vision with its interpretation. This came to Daniel "in a night vision" that he simply recounted (Daniel 2:19). • Amos says that "the LORD took me from following the flock and the LORD said to me, 'Go prophesy to My people Israel"' (Amos 7:15). All are gripped with a conviction that they have been handed an assign ment by almighty God to deliver a message for Him. Who can answer the question of how a person hears the voice of God? It just happens-and when the word comes it cannot be denied. The Bible gives little detail about either the calling of His prophets or the prophetic process in their lives. But since nothing human or mechanical will produce it, the unknown details are not as essential as we might think. One simply waits for His voice. Once as I was walking through the long underground tunnel at Los Angeles Airport that connects the arrival gates with the main terminal, I heard a voice boom out, "Reverend Gentile, please meet your party at the baggage claim area" at the very moment that I was walking beneath one 77 ■