Ever Increasing Faith - 16. The Gift of Prophecy
by Smith
Wigglesworth
In 1 Cor. 12:10, speaking of
the diversities of gifts by the same Spirit, Paul writes, "To another
prophecy." We see the importance of this gift from 1 Cor. 14:1, where we are
told to follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that we
may prophesy. We see also that he that prophesieth speaketh unto man to
edification, and exhortation and comfort. How important it is then that we
should have this gift in manifestation in the church in order that the saints
might be built up and made strong and filled with the comfort of God. But with
this as all other gifts we should see that it is operated by the Spirit's
power and brought forth in the unction of the Spirit; so that everyone who
shall hear prophecy, as it is brought forth by the Spirit of God, shall know
that it is GOD who is bringing forth that which is for the edification of
those who hear. It is the Spirit of God who takes of the deep things of God
and reveals them, and unctionizes the prophet to give forth that which is a
revelation of the things of God.
Utterance in prophecy has a real lifting power and gives real light on the
truth to those who hear. Prophecy is never a mind reflection, it is something
far deeper than this. By means of prophecy we receive that which is the mind
of the Lord; and as we receive these blessed, fresh utterances through the
Spirit of the Lord the whole assembly is lifted into the realm of the
spiritual. Our hearts and minds and whole bodies receive a quickening through
the Spiritgiven word. As the Spirit brings forth prophecy we find there is
healing and salvation and power in every line. For this reason it is one of
the gifts that we ought to covet.
While we appreciate true prophecy, we must not forget that the Scriptures warn
us in no uncertain manner concerning that which is false. In 1 John 4:1 we are
told, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are
of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." And John
tells us how we can tell the difference between the true and the false,
"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; but this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come." There are voices
which seem like prophecy and some have got into terrible darkness and bondage
through listening to these counterfeits of the true gift of prophecy. True
prophecy is always Christ-exalting, magnifying the Son of God, exalting the
blood of Jesus Christ, encouraging the saints to praise and worship the true
God. False prophecy deals with things that do not edify and is designed to
puff up its hearers and to lead them into error.
Many picture Satan as a great, ugly monster with great ears, eyes and a tail;
but the Scriptures give us no such picture of him. He was a being of great
beauty whose heart became lifted up. He is manifesting himself everywhere
today as an angel of light. He is full of pride, and if you don't watch he
will try to make you think you are somebody. This is the weakness of most
preachers and most men-the idea of being somebody! There are none of us who
are anything, and the more we know we are nothing, the more God can make us a
channel of His power. May the dear Lord save us from all these pride
side-lines they are the devil's traps. True prophecy will show you that Christ
is all in all, and that you are in yourself less than nothing and vanity.
False prophecy will not magnify Christ but will make you think that after all
you are going to be some great one. You may be sure that such is inspired by
"the chief of the sons of pride."
I want to warn you against the foolishness of continually seeking to hear
voices. Look in the Bible. Here we have the voice of God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
and hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son. Don't run away with
anything else. If you hear the voice of God it will be on the line of the
Scriptures of truth given in the inspired Word. In Rev. 22:18, 19 we see the
danger of attempting to add to or take from the prophecy of this Book. True
prophecy, as it comes forth in the power of the Spirit of God, will neither
take from nor add to the Scriptures, but will intensify and quicken that which
already has been given to us of God. The Holy Ghost will bring to our
remembrance all the things that Jesus said and did. True prophecy will bring
forth things new and old out of the Scriptures of truth and wall make them
living and powerful to us.
Some may ask, "If we have the Scriptures, why do we need prophecy?" The
Scriptures themselves answer this question. God has said that in the last days
He will pour out of His Spirit upon all flesh, "and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy." The Lord knew that in these last days prophecy
would be a real means of blessing to us, and that is why we can count on Him
giving us, by means of the Spirit, through His servants and His handmaids,
true prophetic messages.
I want to give you a warning concerning listening to voices. I was at a
meeting in Paisley in Scotland and came in touch with two young women. One of
them wore a white blouse but it was smeared with blood. They were in a great
state of excitement. These two girls were telegraph operators and were
precious young women, having received the Baptism in the Spirit. They were
both longing to be missionaries. But whatever our spiritual state is we are
subject to temptations. An evil power came to one of these young women and
said, "If you will obey me, I will make you one of the most wonderful
missionaries that ever went out." This was just the devil or one of his agents
acting as an angel of light. One of these young women was captured immediately
and she became so excited that her sister saw there was something wrong and
asked the overseer to allow them to be free for a time.
As she took her into a room, the power of Satan, endeavoring to imitate the
Spirit of God, manifested itself in a voice, and led this young woman to
believe that the missionary enterprise would be unfolded that night if she
would obey. This evil spirit said, "Don't tell anybody but your sister." I
reckon that everything of God can be told everybody. If you cannot preach what
you live, your life is wrong. If you are afraid of telling what you do in
secret. Some day it will be told from the housetop. Don't think you will get
out of it. That which is pure cometh to the light He that doeth truth cometh
to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in
God.
The evil power went on to say to this girl, "You go to the railroad station
tonight, and there will be a train coming in at 7 :32. Buy a ticket for
yourself and your sister. Then you will have six pence left. You will find a
woman in a carriage dressed as a nurse, and opposite her will be a gentleman
who has all the money you need." She bought her ticket and had just six pence
left. The first thing came right. Next, the train came in at exactly 7:32. But
the next thing did not come. They ran from the top to the bottom of that
railroad train before it moved out and nothing turned out as they had been
told. As soon as the train moved out the same voice came and said, "Over on
the other platform." All that night until 9:30 these two young women were
rushed from platform to platform. As soon as it was 9:30 this same evil power
said, "Now that I know you will obey me, I will make you the greatest
missionaries." Always something big! They might have known it was all wrong.
This evil power said, "This gentleman will take you to a certain bank at a
certain corner in Glasgow where he will put all that money in for you." Banks
are not open at that time of night in Glasgow. If she had gone to the street
this evil spirit mentioned, there probably would not have been a bank there.
All they needed was a little common sense and they would have seen that it was
not the Lord. If you have your heart open for these kind of voices you will
soon get into a trap. We must ever remember that there are many evil spirits
in the world.
Were these two people delivered? Yes, after terrible travail with God, they
were perfectly delivered. Their eyes were opened to see that this thing was
not of God but of the devil. These two sisters are now laboring for the Lord
in China and doing a blessed work for Him. If you do get into error on these
lines, praise God there is a way out. I praise God that He will break us down
till all pride leaves us. The worst pride we can have is the pride of
exaltation of self.
Paul wrote at the commandment of the Lord, "Let the prophets speak two or
three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another that
sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one,
that all may learn, and all may be comforted." If you are not humble enough to
allow your prophecy to be judged, it is as surely wrong as you are wrong.
Prophecy has to be judged. A meeting such as this one that Paul suggests would
certainly be the greatest meeting you ever had. Praise God, the tide will rise
to this. It will all come into perfect order when the church is bathed and
lost in the great ideal of only glorifying Jesus. Then things will come to
pass that will be worth while.
Coupled with prophecy you will have the fruit of the Spirit that is goodness.
They were holy men who spoke in prophecy in days of old as the Holy Ghost
prompted them, and so today the prophet who can be trusted is a man that is
full of goodness, that goodness which is the fruit of the Spirit. But when he
gets out of this position, and rests upon his own individuality, he is in
danger of being puffed up and becoming an instrument for the enemy.
I knew some people who had a wonderful farm, very productive, in a very good
neighborhood. They listened to voices telling them to sell everything and go
to Africa. These voices so unhinged them that they had scarcely had time to
sell out. They sold their property at a ridiculous price. The same voices told
them of a certain ship they were to sail on. When they got to the port they
found there wasn't a ship of that name. The difficulty was this, to get them
not to believe these false voices. They said perhaps it was the mind of the
Lord to give them another ship, and the voice soon gave them the name of
another ship. When they reached Africa they knew no language that was spoken
there. But the voice did not let them stop. They had to come back,
brokenhearted, shaken through, and having lost all confidence in everything.
If these people had had sense to go to some men of God who were filled with
the Spirit and seek their counsel, they would soon have been persuaded that
these voices were not of God. But listeing to these voices always brings about
a spiritual pride that makes a man or woman think that they are superior to
their brethren, and that they are above taking counsel of men who they think
are not so filled with the Spirit as they are. If you hear any voices that
make you think that you are superior to those whom God has put in the church
to rule the church, watch out, that is surely the devil.
We read in the Revelation that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy. You will find that true prophetic utterance always exalts the Lamb
of God.
No prophetic touch is of any good unless there is fire in it. I never expect
to be used of God till the fire burns. I feel that if I ever speak, it must be
by the Spirit. At the same time remember that the prophet must prophesy
according to the measure of faith. If you rise up in your weakness, but rise
up in love because you want to honor God, and just begin, you will find the
presence of the Lord upon you. Act in faith and the Lord will meet you.
May God take us on and on into this glorious fact of faith, that we may be so
in the Holy Ghost that God will work through us on the line of the miraculous
and on the lines of prophecy, where we shall always know that it is no longer
we but He who is working through us, bringing forth that which is in His own
divine good pleasure.