The times in which we are now living are unlike any the world has ever known. There is an escalation in the intensity of spiritual battle in the heavenlies. Every nation on the planet is caught up in the prophetic unfolding of the end times before our very eyes. In these daunting days, in this prophetic climate, there has been an overabundance of people claiming to have a prophetic word to share, a warning or a decree that they say comes from God.
There is much today that is called prophetic that is not prophetic. So many voices in the world today claim to be prophetic voices, so many people claim to be prophets, but most of these do not even understand the office of the prophet, let alone have the anointing of God to hold such an office.
Many are believers who have simply been misled about the anointing of the prophet, the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet, if they have been taught about such things at all. You need a true understanding of the prophetic realms, and true understanding starts with the safe and secure foundation of the Scriptures.
The second chapter of Joel is often quoted in reference to the gift of prophecy, and rightly so. But there are three things this passage tells us about prophecy that most people miss. Let us take a deeper look at what this familiar Scripture is telling us.
First, Joel 2 declares that prophesying will take place “afterward.” After what? To answer this, you have to look at what Joel said earlier. Joel 1:14 says, “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord, your God.” God is asking His people to seek Him, call on Him and cry out to Him. In Joel 1, God calls His people to intercession, and in Joel 2, He tells them what will come afterward. Intercession gives birth to the prophetic.
Second, in Joel 2:28 God says, “I will pour out my spirit.” He didn’t say pour down. If it was to be poured down, that would mean that He would be pouring it from heaven onto the earth. No, what Joel tells us here reveals that is not the case. Pour out means it’s in your heart already. At salvation, the Lord already filled you with His Spirit. If you are saved, His Spirit is in you. Because the Holy Spirit is in each of us, the prophetic is already in every believer. It is already in you.
Third, God clearly states in verse 30, “I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke,” which is judgment. To understand more about the prophetic releasing judgment, let’s look at the book of Acts. Peter quotes a passage in Joel 2 when he tells the crowd what happened on the day of Pentecost.
We’re living in an exhilarating time for the church. There is no doubt that the Lord is restoring the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe the gifts are about to come into full operation, like we haven’t yet seen, as it was 2,000 years ago or in times past with different moves of God throughout church history. In order to prepare for these exciting days, we are in great need of a better understanding of the realms in which the prophetic anointing operates. Prepare now to plunge into the prophetic with me! {eoa}
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