Does True Prophecy still Exist?
By: Nathan Timothy Handoko
Tags: Prophecy, God, Faith, Christianity, Christian

This is not a post on defending a stand as a cessasionist or non-cessasionist. Though I have my own perspective on that, I am here testifying my experience on receiving a prophecy, that has helped shape my faith, understanding and spiritual journey.

As I was growing up, at the age of 15, I’d heard too many prophesies which did not eventually happen. For example, a pastor said that my family was going to receive a red car, or this and that would happen. Truth be told, they never happened!

Hearing so many false prophecies, I became very skeptical toward all prophecies (except for those mentioned in the Bible). I took them with enormous doubt.

How do we know if a prophecy is from the Lord?

The next time we hear about a prophecy, here is what the Bible says how we can know if it is from the Lord.

And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’ — when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18: 21–22, ESV)

Yes, we will know it by its fruit: whether it happens or not. Here is another apt example from Jeremiah where false prophets made seemingly good prophecies (hope, abundance, security, etc.), contrary to God’s will. This phenomenon is still widely happening today.

Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’ (Jeremiah 23:16–17, ESV) I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. (Jeremiah 23: 21, ESV)

The point here is not to disregard them or to abandon them completely. After all, Paul already reminded us in 1 Thes 5:20–21 not to despise prophecy, but to test everything. In fact, he also told us to “earnestly desire to prophesy”.

So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:39)

My experience on receiving a prophecy

Here is my experience that in one way or another, helped shape my faith in Christ.

I was 15 years old when my family held a regular prayer meeting at home with a group of about 15 people. In one of the sessions, the pastor made a prophecy that a boy in the room will receive a scholarship.

I was the only boy in the room.

Initially, I did not think too much about it because I had subconsciously regard it as false, just like what many other prophesies I’ve heard. Fast forward a few weeks, my high school announced an agreement with another school overseas. They are offering full scholarships for a few selected students to study there. As a background, I was living in a third world country, so studying overseas is generally deemed as a great option as it offers a better education system and higher standard of living.

At this point, I was a bit surprised that things are starting to unfold according to the prophecy. However, I thought that this may just be a coincidence. After all, it is not impossible for such a coincidence to happen.

Did the prophecy come true?

I still remember during the selection day, I was having a headache that I needed to take some painkillers. See? The prophecy can’t be right. That thought had crossed my mind.

In the afternoon, the result was announced. The candidates were all gathered in a classroom. The school principal held two types of envelope: big for those who got the offer, and small for those who did not get the offer.

It was a very suspenseful moment, not only because it will shape my future, but also because it will prove whether God is real. At that moment, I told God that this is a test whether God is real. Surely, if he has spoken through a prophecy, it must come to pass, otherwise, he is not real. Yes, of course at that moment I somehow disregarded the possibility that the pastor was an impostor.

I received the big envelope.

I was relieved that God is real, rather than happy because I got the offer.

The impact on my life

This helped build my faith that God is real and alive. Not only through knowledge and belief, but also through experience. I know that we can’t build our faith solely on experience, as it can be both too subjective and misleading. However, experiencing God is different than being told or taught about God. Truly, experience complements whatever head knowledge we possess.

This also shook my perception and skepticism on prophesies. True prophecies indeed still exist in the modern age, and in fact I experienced one. From this moment onwards, there have been countless examples of how God answered my prayers, whenever I prayed earnestly. This has shaped my faith and conviction, and I can boldly affirm and testify that God is alive and working in our lives.

Conclusion

No doubt, there are still many false prophecies and false prophets out there. Everything needs to be tested. Nevertheless, I hope my testimony may open up our minds that God is indeed real and alive, not just in our intellectual realm but in our very lives.