Are the prophets still relevant?

What shall Christians do with the Old Testament, especially the prophets? May we quote them? There seems such a lot of negative words spoken by them which may offend today’s generation?

Let us read what Paul taught his disciple, young Timothy, a Spirit-filled Christian pastor/teacher in charge of a number of churches.

“You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” （2 Timothy 3:15-16)

Briefly I summarize below the keys Paul charged Timothy, and all Christians.

1. Paul spoke of the Holy Scriptures, which include both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Scriptures gave Timothy wisdom to receive salvation by believing in Christ Jesus.
2. Paul also elaborated further. He declared that “all Scripture is inspired by God”. Here he does not differentiate between Old Testament and New Testament. In Paul’s days they had only the Old Testament and letters written by the apostles themselves to the churches. He was referring to the Old Testament mainly.
3. Paul declared that “All Scripture is inspired by God.” There is no dispute about the divine authority of the Scripture, Old (before Christ), and New (during and after Christ).
3. Paul taught that Scripture is relevant to Timothy, the New Testament Christian.
4. Paul taught Timothy the relevance of Scripture: “useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
5. All these are in present tenses. The power of the Scripture to change lives is alive today.
6. What does Old Testament do today when quoted? The same effect as declared above.
7. Were Old Testament verses quoted after Jesus ascended into heaven? Yes. In the first sermon given by Peter after he and 119 disciples were baptized by the Holy Spirit, Peter quoted the Old Testament profusely (Acts 2:14-40). “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.” (Acts 2:41)

Here is a list for those interested to read more.
Old Testament texts from the prophets quoted in the New Testament:
Isa 1:9 Rom 9:29
Isa 6:9-10 Matt 13:14-15, Mark 4:12, Acts 28:26-27
Isa 6:9 Luke 8:10
Isa 6:10 Joh 12:40
Isa 7:14 Matt, 1:23
Isa 8:12-13 1 Pet 3:14-15
Isa 8:17-18 Heb 2:13
Isa 9:1-2 Matt 4:15-16
Isa 11:10 Rom 15:12
Isa 13:10 Matt 24:29, Mark 13:24-25
Isa 34:4 Luke 21:26
Isa 22:13 1 Co 15:32
Isa 25:8 1 Co 15:54, Rev 7:17
Isa 26:19 Matt 11:5
Isa 35:5-6 Luke 7:22
Isa 26:20 Heb 10:37-38
Isa 28:11-12 1 Co 14:21
Isa 29:13 Matt 15:8-9, Mark 1:3, Joh 1:23
Isa 40:6-8 1 Pet 1:24-25
Isa 40:13 Rom 11:34, 1 Co 2:16
Isa 42:1-4 Matt 12:18-21
Isa 45:23 Rom 14:11
Isa 49:6 Acts 13:47
Isa 49:8 2 Co 6:2
Isa 52:5 Rom 2:24
Isa 52:7 Rom 10:15
Isa 52:11 2 Co 6:17
Isa 52:15 Rom 15:21
Isa 53:1 Joh 12:38, Rom 8:17
Isa 53:7-8 Acts 8:32-33
Isa 53:9 1 Pet 2:23
Isa 53:12 Luke 22:37
Isa 54:1 Gal 4:27
Isa 54:13 Joh 6:45
Isa 55:3 Acts 13:34
Isa 55:10 2 Co 9:10
Isa 56:7 Matt 21:13
Jer 7:11 Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46
Isa 59:7-8 Rom 3:15-17
Isa 59:20-21 Rom 11:26-27
Isa 61:1-2 Luke 4:18-19
Isa 62:11 Matt 21:5
Isa 64:3 1 Co 2:9
Isa 65:1-2 Rom10:10-21
Isa 65:17 2 Pet 3:13
Isa 66:1-2 Acts 7:49-50
Jer 5:21 Mark 8:18
Jer 9:23 1 Co 1:31, 2 Co 10:17
Jer31:15 Matt 2:18
Jer 31:31-34 Heb 8:8-12
Ezk 11:20 Rev 21:7
Ezk 37:5, 10 Rev 11:11
Dan 3:6 Matt13:42, 50
Dan 7:13 Matt 24:30, 26:64, Mark 13:26,14:62, Luke 21:27,22:69
Dan 9:27 Matt 24:15
Dan 11:31 Mark 13:14
Hos 2:1, 3 Rom 9:25-28
Hos 6:6 Matt 9:13, Matt 12:7
Hos 10:8 Luke 23:30, Rev 6:16
Hos 11:1 Matt 2:15
Hos 13:14 1 Co 15:55
Joel 3:1-5 Acts 2:17-21, Rom 10:13
Amos 5:25-27 Acts 7:42-43
Amos 9:11-12 Acts 15:16-17
Jonah 2:17 Matt 12:40
Mic 5:2 Matt 2:6
Mic 7:6 Matt 10:35-36
Hab2:3-4 Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11
Hab 1:5 Acts 13:41
Hag 2:6, 21 Heb 12:26
Zac 8:16 Eph 4:25
Zech 9:9 Joh 12:15
Zac 11:12-13 Matt 27:9-10
Zac 12:10 Joh 19:37
Zac 13:7 Matt 26:31, Mark 14:27
Mal 1:2-3 Rom 9:13
Mal 3:1 Matt 11:10, Mark 1:2,Luke 7:27
Mal 4:5-6 Matt 17:10-11

Habakkuk 2:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.

Zechariah 2: God measures and refines.

We read Zechariah 2 from NKJV today. Zechariah 2 New King James Version (NKJV) After speaking good and comforting words to the prophet, God immediately sends a warning of the worship standard He requires. He speaks of Himself as a consuming fire. He speaks of dwelling in the midst of His people.
First, God sees and measures. He has a plumb-line. His words are His plumb-line. 
The remnants of the children of Israel (representing the people of God) had started re-building the temple but halted and procrastinated for twenty years (from the time the remnants returned to Jerusalem and the foundation laid to the time the temple was ready for consecration). In the meantime they built their own businesses, houses, accumulated wealth etc. for themselves. (In the book of Haggai, some Israelites even abandoned their first wives and married foreign women, cheated their employees of wages, tried to cheat God by offering sick and defective animals. in short, they simply did not believe in God.) The two prophets: Haggai and Zechariah were sent by God to warn them and urge them to return to God and resume the building work. Not giving God a mere cheap lip service but really obeying God’s words from the hearts and the following the spiritual leading of the Holy Spirit. For God is the God of glory.

Revelation 11:1

[ The Two Witnesses ] Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

A second point is He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Why does He mention He will be the wall of fire for His chosen dwelling?
Fire refines believers (the people of God). Zechariah 13:9 I will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
Fire eliminates the idols and unclean spirits. Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Fire destroys the evil works of the devil. Deuteronomy 9:3 Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.
Third point: The Lord God Almighty says very clearly He has chosen to take possession of His dwelling and He will dwell in the midst of His people.

John 14:10

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

John 2:21

But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

John 14:17

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

__________________________Zechariah 2

Vision of the Measuring Line

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. ² So I said, “Where are you going?”

And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”
³ And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, ⁴ who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. ⁵ For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”
Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations
⁶ “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. ⁷ “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”
⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. ⁹ For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.
¹⁰ “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. ¹¹ “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. ¹² And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. ¹³ Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

for Thou art my tehillah (praise)

Yirmeyah 17

Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

17 The chattat Yehudah is written with an et barzel (iron pen), and with the tzipporen shamir (point of a diamond); it is engraved upon the luach (tablet) of their lev, and upon the karenot (horns) of your mizbechot (altars);

² Whilst their banim remember their mizbechot and their asherim by the leafy trees upon the high hills.

³ O My mountain in the sadeh, I will give over thy wealth and all thy otzerot (treasures) as plunder, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy territories.

⁴ And thou, even thyself, shalt let go of thine nachalah that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine oyevim in ha’aretz which thou knowest not; for ye have kindled an eish in Mine anger, which shall burn ad-olam (forever).

⁵ Thus saith Hashem: Arur (cursed) be the gever that trusteth in adam, and maketh basar his zero’a, and whose lev turneth away from Hashem.

⁶ For he shall be like the shrub in the aravah (desert), and shall not see when tov cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the midbar, in an eretz melechah (salt land) and not inhabited.

⁷ Baruch hagever asher yivtach baHashem (Blessed is the man that trusteth in Hashem), and whose mivtach (confidence) Hashem is.

⁸ For he shall be as an etz planted by the mayim, and that spreadeth out her shorashim (roots) by the brook, and shall not fear when chom (heat) cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be anxious in the shenat batzoret (year of drought), neither shall cease from yielding p’ri (fruit).

⁹ The lev (heart, mind) akov (is deceitful) above all things, and anush (incurable [in wickedness]); who can know it?

¹⁰ I, Hashem, search the lev, I test the kelayot (kidneys, i.e., most inward parts), requiting to every ish according to his drakhim, and according to the p’ri of his deeds.

¹¹ As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth osher (riches), and not by mishpat, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a naval (fool).

¹² A glorious high kisse from the beginning is the place of Mikdasheinu (our Beis HaMikdash).

¹³ Hashem, the Mikveh Yisroel, all that forsake Thee shall be put to shame, and they that turn away from Me shall be written down in ha’aretz, because they have forsaken Hashem, the Makor Mayim Chayyim (Fountain of Living Waters).

¹⁴ Heal me, Hashem, and I shall be healed; hoshi’eini (save me), and I shall be saved; for Thou art my tehillah (praise).

¹⁵ Hinei, they say unto me, Where is the Devar Hashem? Let it come now.

¹⁶ As for me, I have not hastened away from being a ro’eh (shepherd) to follow Thee; neither did I lust for the woeful day; Thou knowest; that which came out of my lips was before Thee.

¹⁷ Be not a mechittah (terror) unto me; Thou art my refuge in the Yom Ra’ah (Day of Evil, Day of Disaster, Day of Doom).

¹⁸ Let them be ashamed that persecute me, but let not me be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed; bring upon them the Yom Ra’ah, and destroy them with mishneh (double) destruction.

¹⁹ Thus said Hashem unto me; Go and stand in the Sha’ar Bnei HaAm, whereby the melachim of Yehudah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the Sha’arei Yerushalayim;

²⁰ And say unto them, Hear ye the Devar Hashem, ye melachim of Yehudah, and all Yehudah, and all the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, that enter in by these she’arim (gates);

²¹ Thus saith Hashem: Be shomer over your nefashot, and bear no massa (burden) on Shabbos, nor bring through the Sha’arei Yerushalayim;

²² Neither carry forth a massa (burden) out of your batim (houses) on Shabbos, neither do ye any melachah (work), but keep Shabbos set apart as kodesh, just as I commanded Avoteichem.

²³ But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ozen (ear), but made their stubborn neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive musar (discipline).

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently pay heed unto Me, saith Hashem, to bring in no massa (burden) through the she’arim (gates) of this city on the day of Shabbos, but keep the day of Shabbos holy, to do no melachah (work) therein;

²⁵ Then shall there enter into the she’arim (gates) of this city melachim and sarim sitting upon the kisse Dovid, riding in chariots and on susim, they, and their sarim, the Ish Yehudah, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and this city shall be inhabited l’olam (forever).

²⁶ And they shall come from the towns of Yehudah, and from the places around Yerushalayim, and from Eretz Binyamin, and from the Shephalah (Lowlands), and from the har (hill country), and from the Negev bringing olah (burnt offering), and zevach (sacrifice), and minchah (grain offering), and levonah (frankincense), and bringing todah (thank offering), unto the Bais Hashem.

²⁷ But if ye will not pay heed unto Me to keep the day of Shabbos holy, and not to bear a massa (burden), when entering in at the She’arim of Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbos; then will I kindle an eish in the she’arim thereof, and it shall devour the fortresses of Yerushalayim, and it shall not be quenched.

Two Prophets' Shana Tova Greetings

Zechariah 12:10-14

10 “Then I will pour out a Spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me Whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only Son. They will grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn Son who has died. 11 The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

12 “All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives. The clan of David will mourn alone, as will the clan of Nathan, 13 the clan of Levi, and the clan of Shimei. 14 Each of the surviving clans from Judah will mourn separately, and with the husbands separate from their wives.

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message?

To whom has the Lord revealed His powerful arm?

2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,

like a root in dry ground.

There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance,

nothing to attract us to Him.

3 He was despised and rejected—

a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.

We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way.

He was despised, and we did not care.


4 Yet it was our weaknesses He carried;

it was our sorrows[a] that weighed Him down.

And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God,

a punishment for His own sins!

5 But He was pierced for our rebellion,

crushed for our sins.

He was beaten so we could be whole.

He was whipped so we could be healed.

6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.

We have left God’s paths to follow our own.

Yet the Lord laid on Him

the sins of us all.


7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,

yet He never said a word.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,

He did not open His mouth.

8 Unjustly condemned,

He was led away.

No one cared that He died without descendants,

that His life was cut short in midstream.

But He was struck down

for the rebellion of my people.

9 He had done no wrong

and had never deceived anyone.

But He was buried like a criminal;

He was put in a rich man’s grave.


10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush Him

and cause Him grief.

Yet when His life is made an offering for sin,

He will have many descendants.

He will enjoy a long life,

and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in His hands.

11 When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish,

He will be satisfied.

And because of His experience,

my righteous servant will make it possible

for many to be counted righteous,

for He will bear all their sins.

12 I will give Him the honors of a victorious soldier,

because He exposed Himself to death.

He was counted among the rebels.

He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

End Times Prophets: When should one not raise the dead?

Today’s message is for watchman who sees and hears from the Lord and ministers as prophet at times. The watchman had not been easy for sometime over the issue of when to raise a dead. Does every dead need to be raised? Is it automatic?

On the fateful day when the old man died suddenly but peacefully, he was urged to ask the Lord for guidance. He received two set of verses respectively.

The first one answered his question of where the man’s spirit was. The answer was in Song of Solomon 1:4 “The King has brought me into His chamber.” The second one was in answer to his question of what to do next as they had been praying for his resurrection for sometime to no avail. The answer was in Ecclesiastes 8:8 “None of us can hold back our spirit from departing. None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death.”

It was quite clear that the old man’s spirit was already with the Lord Jesus and it was his time to leave this world. However, the prayers for his resurrection went on for quite sometime until his wife said she heard from the Lord that he wanted to take him with Him. The wife agreed to let go finally. The wife also confessed later that she had heard the Lord spoken twice prior to the death of her husband, once on a previous day, during the Sunday worship and once on the morning of Monday (on which evening the man passed away). The Lord told her on both occasions that He wanted to take her husband away soon and urged her to love him(as they had an estranged relationship).

Why was then the watchman woken this morning at 12.30am to pray? Why was he shown the verses below, all about the appointed death of men? Why was he shown particularly the warning: “And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead” ? (Deuteronomy 18:10-13)

The Lord then showed him the requirement of a prophet is to receive the words of God correctly and faithfully pass on to the people. He was led to read Numbers 22-23, all about the prophet Balaam, who proclaimed, “I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” (22:38) “I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth.” (23:12) “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?” (23:26)

So the watchman repented for all who were involved in praying for the resurrection of that old man that day (who continued and persisted even after the Lord had spoken and given him the two set of verses after he had enquired). He shuddered to think that doing otherwise would be viewed as carrying out all those abominations as warned in Deuteronomy 18:10-13!The story of Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22:21-33) meeting the angel of death was frightening. No wonder he had to gulp down a huge glass of red juice proclaiming the blood of Jesus when he went home on that fateful day.

He has learned another valuable lesson: Listen to the Lord Jesus and obey His words without doubting.

The Lord is indeed merciful in waking him up to tell him the truth and correct him at length this morning (12:30am to 2:45am)!

Bible verses———————————————–
New Living Translation

Genesis 49:33 33 When Jacob had finished this charge to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and joined his ancestors in death.

Judges 2:8 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110.

1 Samuel 28:3 3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and allIsrael had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from theland ofIsrael all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.

Deuteronomy 18:10-13
Holy Living
10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 18:15-22
True and False Prophets
15 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled atMount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’

17 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. 20 But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’

21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

Footnotes:
1.Deuteronomy 18:16 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.