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WRITTEN
PROPHECIES: A
QUESTION
by
Cecil M.
Robeck,
Jr.
A
Survey
of the Practice
OF AUTHORITY
“All modem
prophecy fixed and finished
objective ‘revelations’ of
neo-pentecostalism.”1 Walter
Chantry,
an
argument formed, Dispensational,
is
spurious!
God’s truth has come to us in a revelation.
We must not
accept
the new Thus
goes
the
argument
of
as the “… rule
the reformers who
responded faith, Scripture ” and ecclesiastical scriptural”
Classical
pentecostals
which has often been echoes in Re-
and Restorationist circles. The canon of Scripture, composed
of sixty-six divinely
inspired
books has been
given
of faith and life.”2 This was the affirmation
to Rome’s claim to coordinate rules of
understanding objective
revelation.
provided by
tradition,
with their battle
cry,
“Sola
charismatics have
normally
and
protestant
made the same affirmation as the reformers did with
respect
to their
of the role of
Scripture.
Indeed, pentecostals
regarded
the Bible as their “all sufficient rule for faith and
practice.”3 few
groups,
while
affirming
the
inspiration
Bible,
have affirmed the New Testament as
providing
“the
only
rule for
It is a
fixed, finished, and and charismatics alike have
A of all
sixty-six
books of the
lWalter J. Chantry, Signs of the Apostles (2nd ed; Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust. 1976, 37.
2The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1.2.
Gospel,
3 While wording may vary, this concept is held by the Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Churches of God in Christ, International Church of the Foursquare
Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Churches, Open Bible Standard Churches, Pentecostal Churches of God, Pentecostal Holiness Churches, and the United Pentecostal Churches.
Cecil M. Robeck. Jr. is Director of Student Affairs at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. California. Cecil is a Ph.D. candidate at Fuller, as well.
26
1
government
and
discipline.”4 pentecostal
and charismatic tradition in their understanding
Yet,
it can be said that the
majority
of
groups
seem to lie within the Reformation
of
Scripture.
Roman Catholic charismatics, however, are still
loyal
to the Roman
position. They
hold to the
inspiration protestant counterparts,
of the Church.”5 However, Roman Catholic
Scripture.
It is not and
prophesying eous manifestation
of the same
sixty-six
books as their
as well as Protestant
and
and how it relates to
but
they
also believe in the
“teaching authority
pentecostals
charismatics seem to hold to the same basic under- standing
of what constitutes the
gift
of prophecy,
the
ability
to
preach,6 although
at times
preaching
seem to
overlap.7
It
appears
of God’s
grace,
received
as a vision, at other times as impressions
Spirit through
a Christian, in the
language
of those intended to hear the
word.8 It comes as a word
spoken
to a
specific
situation. Its
it is
given
to the
community
rather to be a
spontan-
by revelation, (sometimes or thoughts) and
spoken by the
encouragement
of faith and consolation
and charismatic circles there
appears
which exists between
tradition. The role which con-
prophetic
purposes vary,
but
essentially “… for their
upbuilding
and (I
Cor.
14:3).”9
Similarly,
within
pentecostal to be a common
recognition Scripture
temporary prophetic
Scripture.
of the
relationship
and the
on-going prophetic
utterances fill is subservient to that role filled
by The
contemporary gift
of prophecy
falls under the
authority
Prophecy, n.d.), 2; Church
4″Twenty-nine Important
Bible Truths”
(Cleveland: The Church of God
of
Minutes of the 56th General Assembly of The Church of God (Cleveland:
of ‘God Publishing House, 1976), Supp., 6.
5″How Should We Respond?: An Interview with Kevin Ranaghan.” New Covenant 7:8 (1978), 10; Bruce Yocum, Prophecy (Ann Arbor: Word of Life, 1976), 90-91.
of Theology (1978),
56.
60scar Cullman, Early Christian Worship (Studies in Biblical Theology 10, London: SCM Press Ltd., 1953), 20-21, R. B. Y. Scott, “Is Preaching Prophecy?” Canadian Journal
1:1 (1955), 11-18; Dick Mills, “The Gift of Prophecy.” Logos Journal 8:4
Panagopoulos, ed., Prophetic
7E. Earle Ellis, “Prophecy in the New Testament Church-and Today.” in J.
Vocation in the New Testament and
Today (Novum Testamentum
Supplement 45; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1977), 54-57.
Robeck,
8For an understanding of the gift of prophecy in the New Testament see Cecil M.
Jr. “The Gift of Prophecy in Acts and PauL” Studia Biblica et Theologica 5 (1975), no 1:15-38, no 2:37-54.
, .
9 All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version.
– 27-
2
of
Scripture,.10
Roman Catholic charismatics also subscribe to this understanding
of the
way
in which
Scripture
and
prophetic
oracles relate to one another.ll
Reformed Christians, like Walter Chantry, are aware that
pente- costals and charismatics claim that the infallible
Scripture
and con- temporary prophetic
oracles’are not to be
equated
in terms of their authority.12 Yet,
there are
practices
in which
pentecostals
and charis- matics have
indulged
or are
currently participating
which send forth a confusing message
as to what
they
do believe. While there is the
de jure claim that
Scripture
holds the ultimate
authority,
there are de
facto practices
which
appear
to
deny
that claim.
Indeed, Chantry’s
remark that those who attend
pentecostal/charismatic meetings “…
are more elated over the words of the
twentieth-century prophets
than over the inscripturated
words of Christ and his
apostles”13
is all too true. It
may very
well be the case that this state of affairs can be traced to the misuse and/or abuse of
prophetic gifts by
those who
practice
them. One practice
which has contributed to this confusion is the
publication
of written
prophecies.
Prophetic
oracles have been recorded in written form for millennia. They
form a substantial
portion
of the Old Testament Canon.14 A number of them are
preserved
in the New Testament Canon as well. 1
5 Because
prophetic activity appears
to have been
widespread
in the
early Christian
community,
it should come as no
surprise
for us to find that
‘
lOCecil M. Robeck, Jr. “The Gift of Prophecy and the All-Sufficiency of Scripture,” Paraclete 13:1 (Winter, 1979), 27-31; Donald Gee, Concerning Spiritual Gifts (Springfield: Gospel Publishing House, 1972), 53;
John Stevens Kerr, The Fire Flares Anew: A Look at the Now Pentecostalism (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1974), 90.
11 Yocum, Prophecy, 112; “How Should We Respond?” 10.
12Chantry, Signs of the Apostles 25.
13Chantry, Signs of the Apostles 23.
14The Former Prophets (Joshua through 2 Kings) and the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, jeremiah. Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets) comprise 21 or 39 books in the English Canon. Much of Daniel is an anthology of apocalyptic visions (Dan. 7:1-12:13. Examples
of other prophetic oracles may be found in 2 Chr. 20:37 & Ps. 16:8-11.
examples
include: Matt. 24:3-25:46; Mark 13:1-37, Luke 1:67-79; 21:5-36; Acts 10:9-21: 13:2; 21:11; probably 2 Thess. 2:3-4, 6-12; possibly I Thess. 4:15-18, and the book of the Revelation (see particularly Rev. 1:3; 22:10, 18-19).
‘
-28-
3
visions16 and prophetic oraclesl7 were
often written down and circulated throughout
the Christian
community
for centuries.18
R. Gerlad Culleton, in his book The
Prophets
and Our Times has collected nearly 150
“prophetic
texts”
extending
from the Fathers of the early
church to the
present.19
While it is clear that not all of these texts would be considered as
genuine prophetic
manifestations as they have been defined in this
paper,
a number of them do fit that
description. This would seem to indicate at the very least that the practice of writing visionary
revelations and
prophetic
oracles for wider distribution is both an ancient and
continuing
one. Yet it is a
practice
which at times has provoked
and continues to elicit some serious
practical
and
theological discussions in various
quarters
of the Church.
Among
the
early publishers
of
prophetic
oracles in Pentecostal circles were the editors of the
Weekly Evangel,
later called the Christian Euangel,
and
finally
named the Pentecostal
EvangeL
Between
January 29, 1916
and October
2, 1920,
the editors of this official
weekly organ
of the Assemblies of God
published
for
general
circulation
nearly
two dozen visions,20 dreams,21 verbatim prophecies,22 and interpretations
16`ghepherd of Hermas, Vision 1.1-4.3; The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas 1.3 ; 2.3; 4.1-2; Epistle Concerning
the Martyrdom of Polycarp 5, 12; Tertullian, Treatise on the Soul 9.4; Cyprian, Epistle 2.1; 7.3-6; 9.4;
Treatise 7.19; Pontius, The Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop
and Martyr 12; Epiphanius, Panarion 49.1.
17Ignatius, To the Philadelphians 7; Origen, Against Celsus 7.7-10; Tertullian, On the Veiling of Virgins 17.3; On Flight in Persecution 9.4; Cyprian, Epistle 68.10; 8.4; 55.1; Epiphanius,
Panarion 48.2, 4, 10-12; Didymus, On the Trinity 3.41.1 1
lBCyprian, Epistle 7.7; 78.2; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 5.18.5.
19R. Gerlad Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times (2nd Rev. ed; Taft, CA; Rev. Gerald Culleton, 1943).
20Mrs. T. C. Todd, “A Vision,” Weekly Euangel 126 (Feb. 12, 1916), 11; Mrs. A. B. Wray,
“A Vision and an Important Message,” Weekly Evangel 164 (Nov. 11,1916), 3; S. E. Lura, “A Vision in the Heavens,” Weekly Evangel 207 (Sept. 15, 1917, 15; Marietta Davis, “A Vision of the Abyss,” Part 1, Pentecostal Evangel 344-345 (June 12, 1920), 6-7 ; Part 2, 346-347 (June 26, 1920), Part 3, 350-351 (July 24, 1920) 6-7.
2lMrs. J. C. Miller, “A Dream,” Weekly Evangel 125 (Jan. 19, 1916), 6; F. A. Graves, “The Quaker Girl’s Dream,” Weekly Euangel 126 (Feb. 12. 1916), 11; B. S. Moore, “A Dream of Christ’s Coming,” Weekly Evangel 195 (June 23, 1917), 2; Florence Personeus, “A Dream with a Timely Meaning,” Pentecostal Evangel 328-329 (Feb. 21, 1920), 9; Flora E. Williams, “A Dream Vision,” Pentecostal Euangel 360-361 (Oct. 2, 1920), 9.
22Miss M. McCarthy, “God’s Message to the Nations: A Prophecy, Part 1,” Christian Evangel 298-299 (July 26, 1919), 3; Part 2, 300-301 (Aug. 9, 1919), 6; Parts 3 and 4, 302-303 (Aug. 23, 1919), 6-7; “The Coming Outpouring (A Message Given in Prophecy),”
Christian Evangel 298-299 (July 26, 1919), 6 ; “Prophecy Given After Heavy Storm of Rain,” Christian Euangel 306-307 (Sept. 24, 1919), 7; “Prophetic Vision of the Lord’s Second Coming, The Great Tribulation, and the End of the World,” Part 1, Pentecostal Evangel 338-339 (May 1, 1919), 1-3;
Parts 2 and 3, 340-341 (May 15, 1920), 6- 7.
-29-
4
of tonues.23 Some were even re-issued in tract form for wider distri-
bution.24
Explanatory circumstances
or the
way
in which
they
notes
by the
editors of the
Evangel
which outlined the
under which these
prophetic
words had been
spoken,
the purpose
for which they were
being published,
were to be received by the reading public were few.25 In most instances the word was
published
without
comment,
sometimes
anonymously.26
of the circumstances
the
message
under which the
itself, and/or
an
interpre- by
the
person
who had submitted
to the Twentieth
As Century
Occasionally
an
explanation prophetic
word was
received, tation of its
meaning
were included the item for
publication.27
Editorial
policy apparently prophetic
might
be
expected,
outpouring
the
Trinity, appeared
Council
meeting
which
rejected
allowed freedom of expression through
words,
and these oracles covered a
variety
of
subjects.
several made reference
of the
Spirit.28
One
vision,
said to
support
the doctrine of
in the
Evangel
one month
following
the General
the
teachings
formally adopted
a trinitarian statement.29
oriented visions and/or
prophecies
to have
brought
about a sizable
controversy
to have
suggested
meeting.
It seemed September,
1917.30
of the New
Issue,
and
Among
the
eschatologically which
appeared,
at least one seems
at the 1917 General Council
that the Lord would return in
Evangel
E. Moody, “A Message Given in Tongues and Interpretation,” Pentecostal 346-347 (June 26, 1920), 8.
(Oct. 2, 1920),
24″Price List of Evangel Tracts” (Tracts #65, 70, 73), Pentecostal Evangel 360-361 1
16.
Prophecy,
25For examples of such a note see Mary McCarthy, “God’s Message to the Nations: A
Part 1,” 3; Marietta Davis, “A Vision of the Abyss,” Part 1, 6 ; “Prophetic Vision of the Lord’s Second Coming.” 1.
26So, “Prophecy Given After a Heavy Storm of Rain,” 7; W. E. Moody, “A Message Given in Tongues and Interpretation,” p. 8.
Message,”
2 7 So, Mrs. J. C. Miller, “A Dream,” 6; Mrs. A. B. Wray, “A Vision and an Important
3.
28″The Coming Outpouring,” 6; “Prophecy Given After A Heavy Storm of Rain,” 7.
29″A Revelation of the Trinity,” Weekly Euangel 166 (Nov. 25, 1916), 3.
30″When Shall We Rise to Meet the Lord?” Weekly Evangel 184a (Apr. 10, 1917), 2; “Will the Lord Come in 1917,” Weekly Euangel 186 (Apr. 21, 1917), 4; “1917 an Eventful
195 (June 23, 1917), 8.
Year,” Weekly Euangel
– 30-
5
The Assemblies
prophecies during
the formative
of God was not
alone, however, in the circulation of
years
of American
Pentecostalism.
McPherson.
included visions and
prophecies,
They may
also be found in the earliest
writings
of Sister Aimee
Semple
In the first edition of her
autobiography,
This Is
Thai
she
as well as
passages
of poetic or blank
and
interpretation.31 Messages
separated examples,
prose
which she claimed to have received
by means of the gifts tongues
The section was titled
“Visions, Prophecies,
in Tongues and
Interpretation,”
and it contained seventeen
each from one to seven
pages
in
length.
This section was
preceded part
that:
by
a short
explanatory
It is a direct operations
these
messages
note which stated in
gifts
and
as when
result of the restoration of these
of the
Spirit
that the
following messages
and visions are recorded. Sister McPherson claims no
authorship
were
spoken through her,
she was
completely under the
power
of the
Spirit
as
though speaking
in
tongues, only
that
they
came in English. Those who were present copied down the
messages
word
for
word as
spoken.32
prophetic
[sic.]
and
Interpretation.”33
In the second edition of This Is Thai the section
containing
these
oracles was retitled “Some
Messages
in the
Spirit-Prophesy
It
was shortened
earlier edition
by
the deletion of five of the
original prophecies
“prophetic introduced
songs.”
In
addition,
during
the mid-1920’s,
from that found in the
or the
explanatory
note which had
entirely.
Church in Los
Angeles
antagonist
of Mrs. McPher-
explanation.” Probably his claim that the “Wording
this section in the 1919 edition was omitted
Bob
Shuler, pastor
of
Trinity
Methodist
and an
outspoken
son,
noted in his book “McPhersonism” the deletion of this “remarkable
of more
significance
to this
study, however,
was
of much of the
prophecy
is
very
much
House, 1919),
3 1 Aimee Semple McPherson, This Is That (Los Angeles: The Bridal Call Publishing
638-685.
32Aimee Semple McPherson, This Is That (1919), 635; italics mine.
33Aimee Semple McPherson, This Is That (Los Angeles: The Bridal Call Publishing House, 1921), 657-688.
– 31-
6
changed
also.”34 A
comparison
of the oracles which are found in the 1919 and 1921 editions of This Is That (this section was omitted
entirely from the 1923 edition), tend
to show that Shuler’s claim was
exag- gerated.
Few
examples
of rewritten
prophecy
can be cited. Those few which exist
appear
to consist of incidental editorial and
typographical changes.35
A brief
survey
of the literature reveals that there were also
periodi- cals in
early
American Pentecostalism which
specialized
in the circu- lation of written
prophetic messages.
Mars. Cora Harris
Macllravy,
editor . of a Pentecostal
magazine
called
Elbethel,
wrote in 1914 of such a periodical
called
Heavenly Messages.
It carried oracles
spoken through an
anonymous
“brother and sister,” and their
messages
were said to have been “…
carefully
and
prayerfully
tried and scrutinized
by many who knew God and had
discernment,
and who were neither credulous nor fanaticaL
They
were convinced that this was the real
gift
of prophecy and that the
messages
were of God.”36 The test which was used to determine their
genuineness
was the test for fulfillment.
Prophetic messages
have not been circulated on a regular basis in the
major organs
of most Pentecostal
groups
since the
early
1920’s. This may
have been the result of a maturing posture
by
the leaders of these groups
toward the manifestations of the
Spirit. However,
the
practice
of circulating
written
prophecies
did not
die,
but rather it was taken over by
various individuals, and smaller
organizations.
One
example may
be cited in the form of Golden
Grain,
the
monthly publication
of the Charles S. Price
Publishing Company.
Under the
editorship
of E. C.
Carvell, prophecies
became a regular feature in the final issue of that
joumal.37 In these
issues,
not one word of introduction or
explanation
was ever
.
34Rev. R. P. (Bob) Shuler, “McPhersonism” (Fifth edition; Los Angeles: Bob Shuler, n.d.), 115. His reference is to the 1923 edition,
but in that edition which was published by the Echo Park Evangelistic Association, Inc., the entire prophetic section was eliminated. Pagination
to the 1923 edition which he cites does not coincide with either the 1921 or 1923 authorized editions.
35 Compare the opening lines of the prophecy entitled “The Voice of the Lord to the Nations and to the Saints” (1919 ed., 644; 1921 ed., 661), as well as “Awake, 0 Earth! Jesus is Coming Soon,” (1919 ed., 640-643; 1921 ed., 658-661).
36Mrs. Cora Harris Mac Ilravy, “Notice
Concerning the Heavenly Messages,” Elbethet 1:3 (1914), 15.
3′ See for instance, “Prophecies,” Golden Grain 31:6 (Nov. 1956), 19-25; 31 :7 (Dec. 1956), 13-22; 31-8 (Jan. 1957), 16-25; 31:9 (Feb. 1957), 20-25; 31:10 (Mar. 1957), 15-24; 31:11 (Apr. 1957), 17-24; and 31:12 (May 1957), 17-25.
32
7
made,
and the
anonymity
of the
speaker
was total. It was
apparently assumed by the editor that the reader was familiar with such manifestations of the Spirit, and that s/he would know how to make the appropriate judgements regarding
the use of such matters.
Gordon
Lindsay’s organization,
the Voice of
Healing,
was also instrumental in circulating written
prophecies. They published
a volume of Prophecies
for
the Church at the End-Time, said to have been
given by the
Spirit
of
prophecy.38
This
paperback
booklet contained
thirty-two prophecies,
each of which was
numbered, given
a title, and divided into verses.
By
all
appearances,
it could have been a copy of a biblical book published separately
from the remainder of the canon. The one
thing which
distinguished
it from such
booklets, however,
was the fact that it carried an introduction which intended to instruct the reader the role of these oracles for the
contemporary
church.
.
The introduction
reads in
part:
_
These
prophecies
were
given through
the
Spirit
of Prophecy, and
although
addressed to certain
persons, evidently apply
to the whole Church. The fact of their
inspiration
is
apparent from their own internal evidence. No
prophetic
utterance in the New Testament Church, however, is to be
compared
in au- thority
to the
Holy Scriptures,
and indeed it is to be judged
by the
Scriptures.
The
purpose
of the Gift of Prophecy is not to establish
doctrine,
but to
edify
the
Church, and,
with the other gifts
of the
Spirit,
it shares a part in
preparing
the Church for the
coming
of her
bridegroom.
‘
Most of these
prophecies
are not difficult to
understand,
al- though
it is
always
true that
spiritual things
must be
spirit- ually
discerned. It will be noted that
they
reflect a
style generally 9
followed
by
the
Holy Spirit throughout
the
Scrip- tures.39
.
Several statements may be made regarding this introduction. First, it set forth for the reader the relative value of contemporary oracles, and Scripture.
It made
Scripture
the ultimate
authority. Second,
it proclaimed
the
purpose
of the
gift
of prophecy to be one of edification,
.
38No author, Prophecies for the Church At the End-Time (Dallas: The Voice of Healing,
no date), VoL 1, 32 pp.
39 Prophecies for the Church At the End-Time, Introduction.
– 33-
8
rather than the establishment these utterances
which was
recognizable statement
articulated.
Third,
it claimed for by
the
Spirit,
an
inspiration
anonymous,
as have those who
things
must be discerned There is even a statement prophecies
Scripture.
that the
prophecies
are recorded
The
Philadelphia
of new doctrine.
some level of inspiration
on the basis of internal evidence. Yet, here the
is weak, for exactly what this internal evidence was is not
The
speaker
has remained
have
judged
the oracles to be from God. There is an appeal that
spiritual
spiritually,
regarding
contained in this booklet follow a style used by the
Spirit
in
To what this statement refers is
equally unclear,
unless it is
but that
too,
is left undefined. the fact that the
style
of the
in
“King
James
English.”
for the
publi-
in the was twofold. The first
Church
The second was a
theological
Church of Chicago was
responsible
cation of Birger Claesson’s Judgment on Sweden, a series of visions and prophetic messages given
in the
early
1950’s. 40 As
explained foreword of this book, the
purpose
of publication
was
primarily
a sociological one, for it was
published
to inform American Swedish Christians (who constitute the majority of Philadelphia pioneers),
“What shall
happen
to our
people
the Swedes in this
age.”41
reason,
evangelistic purpose
in mind. “If it is not
possible
for Him God to save
many
will be saved from the awful
coming
destruction
all, nevertheless by
His
warnings.”42
for it was
published
with an
sought
to do somewhat the
of
passages
In more recent
days,
David Wilkerson
same
thing
with the circulation of his book, The Vision. Wilkerson stated that the
message
of his book must be dated from
April, 1973,
and that the events described therein
may
be identified as “the
beginnings sorrows,” a period
of testing which will shake the
present generation.43 He made reference to a number of Old and New Testament
which set the
stage
for his reader to understand the biblical
precedent
Ultimately
in the last
days … your young
men shall see visions… ” as the
for
visionary experiences.44 that “…
he
appealed
to Joel’s statement
Edition; Chicago: Philadelphia
40gu.ger Claesson, Judgment
on Sweden: Visions and Words of Warning (First
Book Concern, 1951), 48 pp.
41burger Claesson, Judgment
on Sweden, 4.
42Birger Claesson, Iudgement on Sweden, 4.
Books, 1974),
43 David Wilkerson, The Vision (Old Tapan, N.J.:
Fleming H. Revell Company, Spire
12.
44Wilkerson, The Vision, 6, 7, 9.
– 34-
9
basis
upon
which one
might
understand his own vision to be
genuine.45 His book was a series of visions
outlining
world calamities which he claims to have received during a time
of prayer.46
From all appearances, it seems clear that he intended to
speak
with
prophetic authority.
It is
noteworthy, however,
that David Wilkerson
categorically denied that he was a prophet. He wrote in his
sequel
to The
Vision,
“I am not a
prophet,
and I refuse to allow
anyone
to
put
that
tag
on me. But I am a watchman.”47 Wilkerson claimed to have
spent
months studying
his
Bible,
and the result of his
study
of God’s methods of judgment
led him to
say,
“Now I don’t have to
say, ‘This,
I prophesy.’ I can,
with
confidence, say ‘This
is what God will
do,
based on the record of His Word.’
“48 Thus,
his
perception
of a watchman differed from that of a
prophet.
A
prophet
has a sense of
destiny,
and is motivated
by dreams or impressions. A watchman receives his . message by
observing current events and
searching
his Bible.49
David Wilkerson’s The Vision has evoked a
variety
of
responses. While there are those who would
praise
him for his
courage
to
publish and share his vision, others have questioned his wisdom for
doing so,50 been frustrated
by
not
knowing
whether to
accept
his
prophecy
as genuine,51
or have accused him of sensationalist tendencies.
Ralph Martin, a leading
Roman Catholic charismatic
spokesperson,
for instance,
has decried Wilkerson’s
“independent spirit”
and accused him of”…
allowing
a traditional
pentecostal prejudice,
even
hostility,
to the established churches to interfere with what God
might
be
showing him.”52 2
Since 1975, charismatic
groups
have
enthusiastically joined
in the
45 Wilkerson, The Vision, 13.
46Wilkerson, The VLsior4 11.
47David Wilkerson, Racing Toward Judgment (Lindale, TX: David Wilkerson Youth Crusades, 1976,
7.
48Wilkerson, Racing Toward Judgment
8.
‘
49Wilkerson, Racing Toward Judgment, 8.
5ODavid du Plessis, “Persecution for Charismatic Catholics?” New Covenant 3:6 (Jan. 1974),
13.
51″Test of a Prophet,” Christianity Today 18:12 (Mar. 15, 19 7 4), 38-39.
52Ralph Martin, “David Wilkerson’s Vision,” New Couenant 3:6 (Jan. 1974), 12.
35
10
of written
prophecies. Prophetic
words
may
be Orthodox
(“to
be tested and Episcopalian,55
and Roman
active dissemination
found in the
publications
of
Lutheran,53 discerned
by
Orthodox
faithful”),53 Catholic56 charismatic bodies. ranging
from the Full
Gospel national57 to those of the First
Baptist
They may
be found in
publications Business
Men’s
Fellowship,
Inter- Church of Chula Vista, Cali-
‘
fornia.58 One of them has also found its way into David ?Vatson’s I
Believe in the Church.59
the
magazine
has
acknowledged prophecy by noting
that its
paplication specific. However,
he has remarked
The activities of those within two charismatic
special
mention. The first of these is the charismatic
First
Baptist
Church of Chula Vista. Its
bi-weekly publication,
Together, regularly
features written
prophecies.
the existial nature of the
gift
of
groups
are
worthy
of
fellowship
of the
Our
Life Ken
Pagard,
editor of
is normally both immediate and
have a
that “… some
prophecies more
lasting impact
and a more
long-range application. They
become reference points
that need to be
referred
to
again
and
again.
“60
In so
question regarding
arguing
he has raised a significant
the
relationship
1980), 2; 1980),
53Father Michael Scanlan, “Prophecy,” Lutheran Charismatic Renewal 6:6 (June
“Some 1980 ILCOHS Prophecies,” Lutheran Charismatic Renewal 6:9 (Sept.
2, 4.
–
(Jan. 1980),
54″”Prophetic Words from the
1979 Orthodox Renewal Conference,” Theosis 3:1 1
6-7.
(Sept.
55″Prophecies,” South Western Region News (Episcopal Charismatic Fellowship) 1:9 1979), 13.
“Prophecies “Prophecies
56″prophecies
from the General Session,” New Covenant 7:4 (Oct. 1977), 10;
and Sharings from the General Session,” New Covenant 9;5 (Nov. 19 7 9), 21;
from the Conference Session,” New Covenant 10:2 (Aug. 1980), 15.
57,,… It Will Begin in Phoenix,” The Vision (Mar/Apr.. 1980), 2.
10;
(Nov. 18, 1977), 7; Together Through Shirley
Publishing Company, 1978),
58″Prophecy:
Given on September 14, 1976,” Our Life Together 4:39 (Oct. 5, 19 7 6), “A Prophecy: From Bible Study Wednesday, November 9,” Our Life Together 5:43
‘Thus saith the Lord…’ Women’s Bible Study Prophecies,” Our Life
6:2 (Dec. 27, 1978), 7; “Let My Love Perfect Your Love: Prophecy Given
ll?IcCulloch,” Our Life Together 8:18 (Sept. 5, 1980), 11-12. 59David Watson, I Believe in the Church (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
140.
60Ken Pagard, “Three Gifts, or Four,” Our Life Together 6:26 (Dec. 27, 1978), 5, Italics mine.
36
11
between
contemporary prophecy
The second
group worthy
of mention
Covenant
magazine.
In
February, which dealt with the
gift of prophecy. cover as “An
Analysis
of Recent
more as a
prophet
and the canon of
Scripture.
is that associated with New 1978,
New Covenant ran two articles
One of them was billed on the front
Prophecies
in the Charismatic
“… I will be
writing
of
prophecy.
I intend to
Renewal.” In this article, Bruce Yocum
stated,
than as an
interpreter
present,
as
clearly
and
simple
as possible, what we have heard from the Lord.”61 Much of the article consisted
cies
given
between 1975 and 1977 before various charismatic
by
brief
introductory
followed them was a section entitled “What Do
They
Mean?” It
to two
pages
of
exegesis
to determine
They
were linked
together
amounted Church.
of
approximately eight prophe-
groups.
statements. What
their
meaning
for the
Bruce Yocum also
provided
some
helpful
words at the conclusion of the article which reveal his
understanding
general,
and the role which he believes the
prophecies
might play
for the Church. He wrote:
I believe that the
prophecies enough testing
and confirmation
of the
gift
of
prophecy
in
he has
exegeted
in this article have received from mature Christians that I
can
present
them as a true word from the Lord. This does not
exempt
us from the
responsibility
to further test and examine
them,
but it does mean we have to take them
seriously.62
with Kevin
Ranaghan. important
statements
relating temporary prophetic
utterances “… the same level of authority
Mr.
Ranaghan
made several
First,
con-
nor the
teaching
of the does seem
accurately
to
The second article in this issue of New Covenant was an interview
In this article,
to the
gift
of
prophecy.
are not to be understood as
having
as
Scripture
church.”63 On the other hand,
prophecy
“… communicate God’s mind in some
very
crucial areas.”64 Like Bruce Yocum, Kevin Ranaghan
stated that
prophetic
and he articulated several criteria for
testing.
The utterance
words should be
tested,
must be
61Bruce Yocum, “He Has Not Spoken in Secret,” New Covenant 7:8 (1978), 4.
62Yocum, “He Has Not Spoken in Secret,” 9.
63″How Should We Respond?” 10.
64″How Should We Respond?” 11.
– 37-
‘
‘
12
consistent with
Scripture
and the
teaching
of the church. One
might
also expect genuine prophecy
to come
through
a person who is a mature and fruitful Christian whose use of the gift in the
past
has
proven
trust- worthy. Finally, any predictive
word of prophecy must have
applied
to it, the test of fulfillment.65
Kevin
Ranaghan
also commented on
why
these
prophecies
were put
into
print. They
were
published
“… because it’s
important
that people
know about them.66 In contrast to the
purpose
for which Claesson and Wilkerson had
published
their visions and
prophecies,
the prophecies
in New Covenant were not intended to be used in
any evangelistic effort,
for
“people
first need to know Jesus and enter the life of the
Spirit;
then
they
will be in a
position
to receive
prophecy correCtly.”67 Rather,
these were
prophecies
which had been
given
to charismatic Christians “… within the church who are hearing God’s word to the church.”6g In a sense, then, it is up to them to use discretion in the
way
these
messages
are shared with the church as a whole.
The Problems
In this
survey
of written
prophecy
within the
pentecostal/charis- matic
tradition,
at least two
problems
have surfaced which beckon further elaboration. The first relates to the reader’s
ability
to test the oracles which have been
put
into
print.
There is a sense in which the ability
to test the
prophetic
word has been
impaired
once an oracle has been
placed
in a written
form
and
widely
distributed The
ability
to discern true
prophecy
from false
prophecy
seems to have both trans-rational and rational
components. Trans-rational,
it
may appear almost as an
existential,
intuitive sense that all is not as it
may
other- wise
appear.
It is a divinely given sense which enables the detection of the source from which the
prophetic
word arises.69
Rationally,
one can ask
specific questions regarding
the
speaker (Is
s/he a mature and fruitful Christian whose use of the
gift
in the
past
has
proven
trust-
65″How Should We Respond?” 10-11.
66How Should We Respond?” 13. 67″How Should We Respond?” 13.
68″How Should We Respond?” 13.
69
Henri Martin, “Discernment of Spirits and Spiritual Direction,” Sister Inno- centia Richards, trans, Discernment of Spirits (Collegeville, Nlinn.: The Liturgical Press, 19 i 0),
104.
– 38-
13
forth in Scripture? [or
(Was
the
prophetic
word
or guidelines set
with what we
worthy?),
the method used
by
the
speaker
spoken
in such a manner as to conform to the standards
in Roman Catholic
circles,
the
teaching authority of the church?], and the message
itself
(Is
it consistent
know to be
the revealed will of God?).70 Once a prophetic word has been
it is largely the rational
component
published
determine its genuineness.
The
question prophetic
or
group
of
individuals,
of discernment that must
when
analysing
with
specific
of context is of utmost
importance
words.
Prophecy appears
to be
given
with an existential value in mind. It is given
through
a specific
individual,
to a specific, individual
at a specific place, and a specific time. Within that context it may be said to have a
specific message
value.
Agabus,
for
instance,
foretold a famine which Luke declared to have been fulfilled
during
the
reign
of Claudius Caesar
(Acts 11:27-30). That
message,
recorded in written form and
passed
on to later
prosperity
in one sense.
to act
upon
the
message.
Yet its
meaning
within the
context
in which it was
originally
Those who live nineteen
have
without
taking
note
has become
meaningless centuries later are
powerless was
extremely important given.
If
contemporary primarily
an existential have been decontextualized? of the Sitz-im-Leben originally addressed,
manifestations of the
gift
of
prophecy
value, what becomes of their value once they
If
they
are
published
out of which
they
arose and to which
they
were
how
may they
benefit another
person
in any other situation? Is one to assume that because God chose to
speak through
an individual at a specific time, in a specific place and to a specific situation
that the word
spoken
was intended
to have
equal validity
and
authority
infor-
Agabus, ualization
for all the Church, or for all time?
Based upon
the
example provided by
to be the case.
Thus,
the de-context-
word
strips
it of certain
mation which may be necessary to help those who read it, understand its
this would not seem of
any prophetic
applicability
to their own situation.
too is a
question contextual
esseptial
in this
regard. It,
most
The
question
of anonymity is of equal
importance
of
context,
but it is more
specific
that the
general
problem.
Based
upon
our
survey
of written
prophecies, of the oracles which are circulated in written form are given anony- mously.
The word is simply
reproduced
or a time is recorded which indicates when the word was first
spoken.
In
and sometimes a title is given
it,
7°Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., “How Do You Judge Prophetic Utterance?” Paraclete 11:2
(1977) 12-16.
39
14
is the
speaker
ever identified when the oracle is written
few instances
down and
published.
The
question
“Should anonymity reign where discerned?”
biblical standards
to be raised under such
circumstances,
words
from the Lord
then, is are to be
of
to His
adequately
a
knowledge
reader of one criterion
The
question
of
anonymity
Can such a situation be said to enable the
application
of
testing?
How can our Lord’s admonition disciples
that the
prophet may
be known
by his
fruit
(Matt. 7:15-20) be
invoked if the
prophet
is unknown? To
deprive
the reader of
of who has
spoken
the
prophetic
by
which the
prophetic
goes
further than the
speaker
in many cases. It
applies
also to those who would make initial
judgments
the
genuine
character of
prophetic informed that the
prophecies
these
persons person
who
prophesied, readily
how to
respond
word seems to
deny
the words
might
be tested.
oracles.
upon Very
often the reader is
by people,
like the one does not know
being
distributed have been submitted for testing
to one or more
anonymity persons,
and have been determined
to be
genuine. d 1 Yet,
because these
are
presented anonymously,
to the word in
print.
It would seem within the New Testament that
gifts
of the
Spirit
for
testing by
members
faith who were known
by
all the other members of the
body. % This
was certainly
true in the church at Corinth, the
congregation
were to be submitted
wrote rather
explicit prophetic
mass communication unprecedented those who
prophesy compounded.
instructions
This situation
raises,
within the
community
of
regarding
to whom Paul the use and
testing
of
which is
gifts (1
Cor. 14:29-33,
37-38).
In a
day
in which a variety of
methods are available and mass
meetings
on an
scale can be
held,
the
difficulty
of
knowing personally
as well as those who have tested written oracles is
It
deprives
the reader of first hand
knowledge
available
only
to those who are close to the
original
situation.
in
turn, another
possible
for those who
speak prophetic
oracle, to speak
to the Church at
large
in that
they
are members of
it,
or is their influence
in which
they
are involved? Bruce
Yocum,
for instance
cular
prophetic
communities
associated
question.
Is it words,
or those who test a parti-
to be limited
to the smaller
7lMac Ilravy, “Notices Concerning the Heavenly Message,” 15; Prophecies for the Church At The End-Time, Introduction; Pagard, “Three Gifts, or Four,” 5; Yocum, “He Has Not Spoken in Secret,” 9; “How Should We Respond?” 11.
i2EUis, “Prophecy in the New Testament Church-and Today,” 52, 57; David Hill, Vew Testament Prophecy (Marshalls Theological Library; London: Marshall, Morgan &
212-213.
Scott, 1979),
– 40-
15
claimed to write as a prophet when he wrote in New Covenant
73 As
a member of the Word of God community in Ann Arbor, his words of prophecy
when
judged by
others of that same
community
to be authentic words of the Lord, are no doubt
acceptable
in that com- munity.
Should his words, as well as the decisions of those who
judged them to be
authentic,
be received and held with
equivalent
value
by other communities? That
is, should the Church of God,
or the Church of God in Christ, or First
Baptist
Church of Chula Vista
accept
these words as
though they
had been
given
and tested
by
those within their own communities?
To be confronted
by the words
of an
anonymous prophet, and/or
an anonymous group
who evaluates these words makes such an
option difficult at best. In terms of Christian
discipline,
Bruce Yocum is responsible
to the Word of God
community,
to the Roman Catholic Church,
and
ultimately
to the Lord of the Church universal. Is there a level at which his
responsibility
to share a
prophetic
word ceases? In what
ways
should
pentecostal/charismatic groups
who are neither members of the Word of God
community
nor the Roman Catholic Church relate to what Yocum and his advisors have asserted to be true?
The case of David Wilkerson’s The Vision
provides
a concrete example
of this
problem. Ralph
Martin stated that Wilkerson exercised an
“independent spirit”
in the
publication
of The Vision.74 The editors of Eternity, taking Wilkerson’s vision at face value, remarked that “… a vision,
unlike a sermon, doesn’t leave much
space
for
dialogue
and
argu- ment.”75
Thus,
one
should
be assured that
proper testing
did in fact take
place prior
to
publication. Yet,
Wilkerson remarked in the intro- duction to The Vision, “I shared this vision with some of my closest friends and associates I presume, those with whom he was in some sort of community and have been warned
against publishing
it.”76 In
spite
of this
fact, however,
it was
published
even after Wilkerson was encour- aged
to do so. At what level does the Church as a whole need to listen to his
message,
or is it free to discard what he has said?
It seems that Wilkerson chose to listen, not to the
judgment
of those
persons
closest to him within the
community
of faith, but
instead, he chose to be held accountable
by the
Lord of the
Church,
thus
freeing
.
‘
°
.
73Yocum, “He Has Not Spoken in Secret,” 4. 74Martin, “David Wilkerson’s Vision,” 12.
z
_
75″Re-View: David Wilkerson,” Eternity 31:1 (1980), 16, 18.
76Wilkerson, The Vision, 12.
– 41-
16
publish. Moreover,
his denial of prophethood held accountable
in his decision to
ap-
words
from the
publication
millennium, particularly
pass
in the manner he has
predicted,
Another
problem
related
him,
at least in his own
thinking,
to
give
his
message
to all who would listen. Thus Wilkerson did show “independence”
his distinction between
prophet
and watchman parently
not shared
by the prophets (Isa. 21:6, 11;
Ezek. 3:17;
33: i ), and
could be viewed as a further
attempt
not to be
within his
community
of faith for the
prophetic he has written. The confusion within the Church% which has resulted
of The Vision will be
present
for the duration of this
if the events he
predicted
do not all come to and at the time he has
suggested.
of
genuine prophecy
in
to the
testing
written form
may
be illustrated from the
writings
of Aimee
Semple McPherson,. It was noted that the 1919 edition of This Is That carried
the statement that the
prophecies “word for word as
spoken. in these
prophecies
recorded therein were recorded
of what was
be
conveyed?
How far
tradition
expression
on each occasion? original prophetic
many things
are
published mine which is to be
preferred? temporary prophetic reaction,
Yet,
there were
changes
which
appeared
in the 1921 edition.
If the
original
version was a word for word
presentation
said, on what basis
were
changes
in the next edition authorized? Does the
prophetic gift
demand
only
that
intentionality
does the freedom of
poetic
license extend? If the word has come as a genuine
word from the Lord, does the
person
who
changes it,
however slightly,
run the risk of
violating
that word? Or is there freedom of
Once one has two recensions of the
word
(and
in the
pentecostal/charismatic
without
dates),
how is the reader to deter-
Is it essential that the reader of con-
oracles resort to the tools of textual,
and
literary
criticisms to establish the certum verbum Dei? Such a
position
would seem to
deny
the
gift
of
prophecy
temporary setting
and true existential undue burden
upon
the reader.
Ultimately
form.
value, or authority,
in its con- and
place
an
of words is an issue
relating
to
authority.
This realization reference to the
publication
each of these issues which relate to the
question discernment and the
ability
to test
prophetic
leads
inevitably
to a second
problem
with
of
prophetic
oracles. What is the relation-
7i Du Plessis, “Persecution for Charismatic Catholics,” 13; “Re-View,” 18 which remarks “So far, Wilkerson’s predictions rank with those of the Eternity ‘prophets’ in 1970…. his most accurate predictions were in those areas that a good trend-watcher would be able to spot.”
?8McPherson, This Is That (1919), 635.
42
17
ship
between
contemporary prophecy
and the canon
of Scripture? Many are the oracles
being
circulated
by
various individuals and/or com- munities which are said to have
application
to a wider
constituency,
or the
larger
Church.79 In each of these cases there is also a recognition that while these
prophetic
oracles have in some
way
a universal
appli- cation, they
are not to be
recognized
as
having
the same
authority
as Scripture. However,
the action of mass circulation seems to
speak against
this latter affirmation.
It is little wonder that those within the Reformed tradition
grimace at the use of
prophetic
words in written form. Such statements as was made
by
Ken
Pagard
that certain
prophecies
“… become reference points
that need to be referred to
again
and
again”80
have a
strongly canonical
ring
about them and it does
represent accurately
the
practice of those who receive written
prophecy.
It seems to be a denial of the claim made
by most pentecostals/charismatics
that
Scripture
is the “all sufficient rule” for faith and
practice.
Which is to have the final authority,
a
contemporary utterance,
or
Scripture?
It has
already
been noted that
prophecy
is often and
large
ex- istential in its
impact
and
meaning.
It is ad hoc
by its very
nature.
Thus, when it is
given
within a
particular community setting, might
it not be the case that its
meaning
is for that
community
at that
point
in time? Agabus’ prophecy
of the
coming
famine was useful to the
congregation at Antioch. It is not useful to us in the same
way.
It
may
be that what separates
most
distinctly Scripture
as canon from
contemporary prophecy
as canon is the
way Scripture
seems to be
applicable
at all levels of the
Body
of Christ,
regardless
of time or location, a realization acknowledged by
the Church for centuries. On the other
hand,
con- temporary prophecy has,
even with its wide dissemination in written form,
a limited clientele and often a
message
with time restrictions. Perhaps
the most that should ever be said of a particular oracle is “this is what we believe God is
saying
at this time to our
community. ”
One
should, then,
never look to an individual
prophetic
oracle
given within a particular community of faith as revealing the mind of Christ to the Church. One
might gain
a sense of that mind
by looking
at a wide variety
of oracles on a
particular subject
from an
equally
wide cross- section of communities. But, is not an
understanding
of the mind of Christ more
easily
and
assuredly
attained
by reading
and
studying
the Scriptures?
.
: .
.
.
79 Prophecies for the Church At the End- Time, Introduction; Pagard, “Three Gifts, or Four,” 5;
“How Should We Respond?” 13.
80Pagard, “Three Gifts, or Four,” 5.
43
18
A
Proposal
From this brief survey of the
problems
which surround the
publi- cation of written
prophecies, it
is easily understood
why
Walter
Chantry and others have taken the
position
that all modern
prophecy
should be treated as
spurious.
His
charge
amounts to a restatement of the question
of where the final
authority rests,
in
Scripture,
or in con- temporary
manifestations of the
gift
of
prophecy.
Pentecostal/charis- matic
praxis
has not
always acknowledged
what
pentecostal/charis- matic
piety
has believed. The
validity
of the assertion that
Scripture
is .. the all sufficient rule for faith and
practice”
has been distorted
by pentecostal/charismatic tradition,
and it
begs
for clarification.
In
recognition
of the
problems
which have been
outlined,
one or more courses of action need to be
adopted.
It
may
be too much to
ask, but a moratorium on the further
publication
and circulation of written prophecies
seems to be in order as a starting point. The
gift
of prophecy is a complex manifestation of God’s
grace
to His
people.
It deserves to be
investigated
more
fully
both
experimentally
and
academically.
With the
pentecostal/charismatic
movement the
experimental approach
has traditionally
taken the lead in such
.inquiry.
It is true that valuable experience
has been
gained
in this
approach,
but the evidence seems to indicate that often we have rushed ahead in our zeal to experience God’s s varied
grace
without
understanding
the
dangers
of misuse and abuse which could have been avoided
by
a
diligent
search of the foundation provided by Scripture. Thus,
it would seem that the
gift
of
prophecy needs further to be
explored by
a
variety
of
pentecostal/charismatic scholars to determine how the
employment
of this
gift
in worship
may more
effectively
be
encouraged
to
bring
about the edification of the Church.
A
period
of
study
on the
subject
should
begin
with the obvious foundation
provided by Scripture,
an
exegesis
and
exposition
of the biblical
guidelines
which relate to this
gift,
an assesment of the
prob- lems associated with the
gift
as it is exercised under various
conditions, and an evaluation of the
implications
of such
practices
as that of the publication
of written
prophecy.
Rather than
having
each tradition within the
pentecostal/charis- matic movement undertake an isolated study on the
subject,
it would seem that our
purpose
would be better served
by remaining
in dialogue with those in other traditions while the
study proceeds.
It is a
study which would benefit from the wide
range
of literature on the
subject which has been
produced
in recent
years. Perhaps
these research efforts could be coordinated
by
the
Society
for Pentecostal Studies which has been
acknowledged by the
Pentecostal
Fellowship
of North America as
.
‘
44
19
its research
couragement
such a study. The Society for Pentecostal
arm. It could
provide consultation, to those within the various traditions
the
understanding
bibliography,
and en-
willing
to undertake Studies need not become a
.
‘
cies for
publication
be
published
continue to be raised. The
authority
central clearing house for doctrine, nor would the individual traditions need to be violated in the process of study, but a unity of effort toward
and resolution of mutual
problems might
be bene- ficial in fostering pentecostal/charismatic unity as a whole.
Until some action like this is taken, the
practice
of writing prophe-
will remain
problematic.
in their current
form,
the
question
of genuine
authority
will
If
prophecies
continue to
of
Scripture
and of
genuine
prophetic
words to the various communities of faith within the
Body
of
Christ will both be diminished because
of the continuance
of a non-
critical
praxis.
The
practice
of all
spiritual gifts
is meant to build
up
the Body
of Christ. Let us see that the
gift
of prophecy is allowed to do this.
– 45-
20
