Prophecy is speaking for God. A prophet doesn t necessarily tell the future, but he always tells the truth. Very few of of today s self-appointed prophets tell the truth. They say what their constituencies want to hear, in accordance with the scripture that says that people will take to themselves false prophets who prophesy to their liking. It s a universal human failing that we must always be on guard against.
People use prophecy to confer themselves with wisdom, authority, and significance.
These are Gnostic values. In Christianity, wisdom is given only in the measure that is needed, authority belongs to Christ alone, and the significance of our lives is measured by our service, not our conspicuousness. I notice that most modern prophets and teachers are bereft of any concern for Christian service aside from the acts of speaking and teaching. Jesus saved us so we would serve, not so we could relax. We have enlisted in the Army of the Lord, we have not won the Readers Digest Sweepstakes.