If you think direct revelation isn’t still an issue, it is - by Elizabeth Prata (the wrong definition of the wrong word from the wrong verse...)

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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Ms. Prata too frequently appears on our blog, and we have reluctantly concluded she is a superficial thinker who parrots cessationist talking points rather than teach Bible truth. 

In today's post she answers a reader question, but provides a definition of a Greek word from the wrong Scripture. This kind of mistake is not befitting a supposed teacher of Scripture. But doing so serves her cessationist agenda.

She then proceeds on to attempt a novel explanation of Joel's prophecy, quoted by Peter in Acts chapter 2. She fails to even make sense.

This despite expending 949 words here (excluding Bible quotes and the question).

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(...)

Comment: Elizabeth Prata. Re: Beth Moore bus stop miracle. I believe the reason we don’t hear more stories like this is because we quench the Holy Spirit, we (Christians) attack people who claim they have heard from God, just like the ungodly. What makes us different from them. Just because we know everything about the Bible doesn’t make us a follower. We have far too many “Christians” who are tearing down instead of building up the body of Christ. In the end times WOMEN and men will prophesy see visions and dream dreams and He will pour out His Spirit. Just wait for it!!!

This comment has all the markings of the usual talking points of attempted rebuttals to the fact that God isn’t speaking now. 

1. To refute a false teacher is ‘attacking a Christian’. (It is indisputable that cessationist "discernment ministers" regularly go outside the boundaries of civil discourse in their vigorous criticisms of charismatics. We direct the reader to our "scorched earth discernment" tag.)

 2. To point out a false teacher’s false doctrine is ‘tearing them down’. (Discernment ministers too rarely simply "point out" false doctrine, as we have demonstrated in our above-linked tag. They go on the attack against other Christians, and they are indeed destructive.)

3. Misinterpreting Bible verses, usually ‘my sheep hear my voice’ from John 10:27, ‘judge not’ from Matthew 7:1, and Acts 2:16-18‘s quote from Joel 2, as this woman did. (Let's see if Ms. Prata can articulate a "proper" interpretation of these Scriptures. She will try and fail with the Acts Scripture.)

I replied:

Thanks for the comment! I understand what you’re saying about quenching the Spirit, but it doesn’t really mean we have the power to stop the Spirit from doing anything. We don’t have power to ‘douse’ him and we can’t quench Him. The word in Greek is actually grieve, not quench, and it means to grieve or to distress the Spirit- usually by our sinning ways. (The questioner was actually referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:19:

Do not quench the Spirit...

The Greek word for "quench" is sbennumi, I extinguish, quench, (b) I suppress, thwart. Contrary to Ms. Prata's assertions, we can indeed "douse" Him. So she is factually wrong. This is a substantial error.

Ms. Prata referred to the wrong Scripture, Ep. 4:29-30:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The word "grieve" is lupeó, I pain, grieve, vex. So she refutes the questioner using the wrong verse, the wrong word, and the wrong definition. This is why she should not be trusted to accurately teach the Word of God.) 

The reason we don’t hear about these kind of stories where God allegedly speaks personally to people, or directs them here or there audibly, is because He is not speaking now. Moore’s story is either a lie, satanically inspired, or she has convinced herself this delusion is true. (Ms. Prata will explain her stance by citing, but not quoting, Hebrews 1:1-2. And she will offer the typical incorrect cessationist explanation.)

The Bible says Jesus has spoken many different ways in the past, but has in these last days spoken in His word. (Hebrews 1:1–2). (Let's actually quote the passage:

He. 1:1-2 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...

Notice Ms. Prata term-switches. The verse says "Son," but she dishonestly substituted "word." Again, this is not befitting a self-avowed teacher of the Bible. 

The verse is not referring to the Bible, it is referring to Jesus. We agree that the Son is the Word, and the Bible is the Word of God. But the Son, the Word, and the Bible are not interchangeable. The Son exists independently from His titles. His Word exists independently from what has been written down. And what has been written down does not address the totality of what Jesus has said.

And none of this means that He has nothing more to say.

We must consider the context of the passage, including how a reader in the early church would understand what was written. Would such a reader conclude that this the verse is telling him about the final culmination of God's revelation, the Bible? Of course not. There was no Bible back then.

No, the first century reader would understand these plain, direct statements as presented: 

• In the past age, God spoke to their ancestors ["forefathers," that is, the Jews] via the OT prophets
• In the present age, the Last Days, God speaks [the Greek is present tense] directly in His Son, without the intermediation of a prophet

We are currently in the Last Days, so Jesus still speaks. The writer of Hebrews confirms He speaks in the very next verse. He. 1:3:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

We see that His powerful word currently sustains creation.  The word "sustains" is pheró, to bear up, i. e. uphold (keep from falling). He continues to speak, or the universe would fall apart. The word "word" is rhéma, a spoken word, made "by the living voice." So Jesus upholds all things by His living voice, which resounds through the universe. "All things" includes His Church. We are also sustained by his speaking.

The writer of Hebrews was not discussing the cessation of revelation. There is absolutely no hint of cessationist doctrine here. The actual topic is the superiority of the Son over the prophets and the angels. In fact, the entire opening chapter of Hebrews is written to establish the high position of the Son. His speaking is higher than others who previously spoke. It is so high that this Speaker now sits at the right hand of the Majesty.

These prophets "spoke to our forefathers." That is, they were the OT prophets who spoke to Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, and David, among others. The writer of Hebrews is making a clear point. God has changed His avenue of speaking. This passage is not about the culmination of the communication of God, but rather, the apex of God's revelation to man.)

Beth Moore’s bus stop story isn’t in the Bible, so we cannot know that Jesus said it. The canon is closed, the last word is written and it’s in Revelation. (Yes, of course. The canon is closed. But the canon is not relevant to God speaking. This is another common talking point from cessationists. The train of illogic is as follows:

• Prophecy is new information from God
• New information from God is authoritative
• Authoritative information is on par with Scripture
• On par information must be added to the Bible
• Re. 22:18-19 forbids this
• Therefore, prophecy violates the canon 

There several errors here. First, NT prophecy is not necessarily new information, but rather, often it is the restatement of existing biblical information brought into the contemporary spiritual situation. The prophetic gift restates biblical truths by supernatural means.

Second, NT prophecy is not automatically authoritative. NT prophecy is weighed, and Paul tells us that we prophesy in part [1Cor. 13:9] and see through the glass darkly. The reader can review our extensive treatment of this concept here. 

Third, there is no mention of "authoritative revelation" anywhere in the NT. We find many NT prophets mentioned in the Bible, but none of their prophecies are recorded, except two by Agabus [Ac. 11:28, Ac. 21:10]. Philip's daughters were prophetesses [Ac. 21:9].  Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers [Ac. 15:32], but we don't know what they said. We don't have Paul's letter to Laodicea [Col. 4:16]. Jesus said and did many things not recorded in the Bible [Jn. 21:25].

If all prophecy is definitionally authoritative, why is there so much revelation that is not included in the Bible?

Fourth, and most crucially, there is no Bible verse that says or even hints that prophecy must be added to the Bible. This cessationist talking point is simply made up out of thin air.

Therefore, contemporary prophecy does not violate the canon.)

In fact, people who claim to be adding God’s words to His final word (or taking away from His word) are actually cursed, as Revelation 22:18-19 states.

Yes it’s true the verse from Acts 2 says in the end times people will prophesy, but let’s look at that verse in context. It’s in all caps because it’s a prophecy from Joel 2, (All caps? Who put these verses in all caps, because the Greek doesn't make this distinction? And why does Ms. Prata not include the one phrase in caps [And they will prophesy]?

about the end of the last days,

‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says,
‘THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN WILL SEE VISIONS,
AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS
I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS,
And they will prophesy.

‘AND I WILL DISPLAY WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE
AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,
BLOOD, FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.
‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS
AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES.

We haven’t seen blood and smoke and a sun turned dark, or the sky with signs, have we? No. (Which of course means the Day of the Lord has not come. Ms. Prata's objection is puerile.

But notice what Peter said. "Last Days." Like the Hebrews verse discussed above, the same Last Days. We are living in the Last Days, where the Son speaks instead of the OT prophets. We are living in the Last Days, when the poured out Spirit means that men and women, young and old, will prophesy because the Son still speaks. 

Then at some point there will be signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. Then, finally, that great and terrible Last Day will come.

This is what the passage says, but Ms. Prata doesn't like it because it violates her doctrine.)

Beth Moore’s prophesying is false. That’s because the verse refers to the Tribulation period, which is a resumption of the Old Testament days and God re-focuses on the Israelites (and also pours out wrath on the unbelieving world- the church will have been raptured). (Wow. Undocumented assertions. Let's try to wade through the mess.

It isn't very clear, but apparently Ms. Prata seems to think the events of the Joel prophecy don't commence until after the rapture, when the Great Tribulation begins, and that the Holy Spirit's ministry is directed to Jews. 

So let's line out the muddled Prata version:

• The Church gets raptured first
• Old Testament days resume as God returns His attention to the Jews [The poured out Spirit?]
• there will be signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth
• God judges unbelievers

This does not make sense. Peter quoted the prophecy for a reason, to explain what had just happened. Ac. 2:16:

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel...

Peter tells us that the unusual occurrences they had just witnessed was because of what Joel told in his prophecy. Because the Spirit has been poured out, 

• the violent wind, the tongues of fire, and the tongues spoken by those in the upper room were direct evidence of the Last Days, 
• prophecy, dreams, and visions will manifest among a great variety of people. This is also evidence of the Last Days.
• Then there will be awful signs in the heavens. This is also evidence of the outpouring.
• And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is also evidence of the Last Days.

There is no mention of most of the points raised by Ms. Prata. The rapture is not mentioned, the resumption of Old Testament days is not mentioned, and God's judgment is not mentioned. But for us, the big problem is that the church will be raptured before the rest of the events happen.

Why is this a problem? Well, because most Christians believe that the Restrainer [2Th. 2:6] is connected to the rapture. That is, the Church [and the Holy Spirit with it] is taken away. With the Restrainer removed, the anti-christ can come, which is the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

So how is it possible the poured out Spirit will cause a great move of prophecy and widespread salvation after the Church and the Holy Spirit are gone? Who will prophesy? Who can get saved? How can these things happen without the Holy Spirit?) 

I agree that too many people ‘tear down’ other Christians, as you phrased it. (Now she walks back her previous objection...)

However, identifying a false teacher and warning about her- and Beth Moore IS false- is actually a building up exercise because it protects the flock and strengthens the sheep so they know not to inhale a false teacher’s poisonous food.