Dictionaries :: Prophecy, Prophesy, Prophesying

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Prophecy, Prophesy, Prophesying:

signifies "the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God" (pro, "forth," phemi, "to speak:" see PROPHET); in the NT it is used

(a) of the gift, e.g., Rom 12:6; 1Cr 12:10; 13:2;

(b) either of the exercise of the gift or of that which is "prophesied," e.g., Mat 13:14; 1Cr 13:8; 14:6, 22; 1Th 5:20, "prophesying (s);" 1Ti 1:18; 4:14; 2Pe 1:20, 21; Rev 1:3; 11:6; 19:10; 22:7, 10, 18, 19.

"Though much of OT prophecy was purely predictive, see Mic 5:2, e.g., and cp. Jhn 11:51, prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means, Mat 26:68, it is the forth-telling of the will of God, whether with reference to the past, the present, or the future, see Gen 20:7; Deu 18:18; Rev 10:11; 11:3....

"In such passages as 1Cr 12:28; Eph 2:20, the 'prophets' are placed after the 'Apostles,' since not the prophets of Israel are intended, but the 'gifts' of the ascended Lord, Eph 4:8, 11; cp. Act 13:1;...; the purpose of their ministry was to edify, to comfort, and to encourage the believers, 1Cr 14:3, while its effect upon unbelievers was to show that the secrets of a man's heart are known to God, to convict of sin, and to constrain to worship, 1Cr 14:24, 25.

"With the completion of the canon of Scripture prophecy apparently passed away, 1Cr 13:8, 9. In his measure the teacher has taken the place of the prophet, cp. the significant change in 2Pe 2:1. The difference is that, whereas the message of the prophet was a direct revelation of the mind of God for the occasion, the message of the teacher is gathered from the completed revelation contained in the Scriptures." *
[* From Notes on Thessalonians by Hogg and Vine, pp. 196, 197.]

Prophecy, Prophesy, Prophesying:

"of or relating to prophecy," or "proceeding from a prophet, prophetic," is used of the OT Scriptures, Rom 16:26, "of the prophets," lit., "(by) prophetic (Scriptures);" 2Pe 1:19, "the word of prophecy (made more sure)," i.e., confirmed by the person and work of Christ (AV, "a more sure, etc."), lit., "the prophetic word."

Prophecy, Prophesy, Prophesying:

"to be a prophet, to prophesy," is used

(a) with the primary meaning of telling forth the Divine counsels, e.g., Mat 7:22; 26:68; 1Cr 11:4, 5; 13:9; 14:1, 3-5, 24, 31, 39; Rev 11:3;

(b) of foretelling the future, e.g., Mat 15:7; Jhn 11:51; 1Pe 1:10; Jude 14.