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

A Profile of the Ancient Hebrew Prophet

recognizing the validity of the charges, hid the ominous tidings in his heart, waiting to see how events would unfold. It happened through Samuel. He was a boy of about twelve when he first heard the voice of God. 17 Previously the young man had had no sense of a personal revelation of God, no special knowledge of the Lord and His word. He simply walked as faithfully as he could, serving as a Levite, "ministering to the LORD before Eli" (1 Samuel 3:1). One night "the LORD called Samuel" (verse 4). Rising from his bed, the lad ran to Eli, thinking the priest had called him. After the second time the startled old man real ized it must be God calling the boy. Once more the Lord called, and Samuel responded as Eli advised: "Speak, LORD, for Thy servant is listening" (verse 9). The awesome message of judgment reiterated exactly what had been given Eli by the unnamed prophet. The next morning the anxious elder summoned young Samuel and insisted on hearing all that had been told him. The woeful message was painful to deliver, but the lad gave the full report carefully and truthfully. Thus Samuel passed the most basic test for prophetic ministry: the abil ity to receive God's message and the courage to deliver it regardless of content or circumstances. Trumpets did not blare or bells ring, but a new period in the history of the Kingdom of God had come quietly into being. "Thus Samuel grew and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail ["Left no word unfulfilled which He spoke through Samuel," Keil and Delitzsh Commentary]. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer sheba knew that Samuel was confirmed ["was found trustworthy, or approved," KD] as a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD. Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel" (1 Samuel 3:19-21; 4:1). A millennium passed. The time arrived to close the old era and issue in the new. The last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets 18 -he who was to introduce the Messiah to Israel-was presented dramatically. Bypassing the high-and-mighty political and religious figures of the time, "the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness" (Luke 3:2). A most unlikely candidate by outward standards for such an important assignment, he was the son of poor, priestly parents who made their home in the hill country of Judea. He was a miracle child, born at a time when it was physically impossible for his parents to have a child. An angel made the announcement to Zacharias the father, who found the news so incredible that the angel had to impose a nine-month silence (an 86 The Call of]ohn the Baptist