Is new prophecy done? If it is, what about that verse in Acts? - By Elizabeth Prata

Found here. Our comments in bold.

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It's only a couple of weeks ago we looked at Ms. Prata's shortcomings. Well, she's back.

This is simply Bad Bible Teaching. There is no other way to describe it. Ms. Prata creates doctrines based on supposition and assumption, denies the plain words of Scripture, and invents an entire fantasy scenario in an attempt to find a workaround for Joel's prophecy, quoted by Peter.

This is dismal. We have had reason to question Ms. Prata's Bible competence in the past, but we no longer need to do so. The matter is now proven.

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Is prophecy happening in today’s era? If not, then what about the verse in Acts that says it’s ongoing?

Invariably, when I say that no one is hearing from God now because the Bible is finished and His word is His ‘voice’, people rebut with unscriptural comments like “But I hear from God,” or “Acts 2 says prophecy isn’t done.” (Neither are unscriptural. The first is an abiblical comment, the second is a biblical comment, which can be true or false. The second comment is the matter under discussion and has yet to be examined, so we shall not permit Ms. Prata to presume her premise.)

Everything we need to know about the revelation God wanted us to know, is in His word. That also means, prophecy is not happening at this point in time, either. (Ms. Prata connects the Bible to continuing prophecy with no explanation. So we will explain. Ms. Prata thinks that prophecy is "authoritative," i.e., on the same level as Scripture. So contemporary prophecy, if real, would need to be included in the Bible.

There is no biblical basis for this concept. In fact, much prophecy is mentioned in the Bible without being recorded there. So Ms. Prata's assertion is false, which means contemporary prophecy is not excluded on these grounds.

We discuss this idea here.)

 God is not giving extra-biblical, new revelation to people to speak to individuals or to churches. (Ms. Prata repeats herself. This is the matter to demonstrate. You know, from the Bible.)

And invariably, the ‘whatabout’ people come back with a verse in Acts 2:17-18,

‘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 YOUR OLD MEN WILL HAVE DREAMS;

AND EVEN ON MY MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS

I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT IN THOSE DAYS,

And they will prophesy.

A convention in the Bible is that in the New Testament, when you see all-caps, the New Testament writer is directly quoting a passage from the Old Testament. In the Acts 2:17-18 case, it’s from Joel 2.

The verse continues with the following, and read closely,

AND I WILL DISPLAY WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE

AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW,

BLOOD, FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE.

20‘THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS

AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,

BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES.

21‘AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.’

This prophecy from Joel rolls out in stages. (Agreed.)

Yes, the LORD is pouring out His spirit on flesh. ("All mankind.")

It happened for the first time at Pentecost, onto Gentile flesh as Jesus begins to build His church. But on ALL flesh (ESV, NKJV, KJV)? Not yet. (Not yet? How does Ms. Prata know this? We can't ascertain, because it's simply a bare assertion contrary to the verse.

We can read for ourselves, Ms. Prata. From the passage we can easily answer some basic questions:

• When is the Spirit poured out? In the Last Days.
• Are we in the Last Days? Yes, we are.  
• Upon whom is the Spirit poured out? On all mankind.
• What will be the result? Prophecy, dreams, and visions for God's people.
• Then what happens? Signs and wonders.
• When is that? The great and glorious day of the Lord.
• What will be the result? Lots of salvations.

These are are plainly seen from the text, but Ms. Prata cannot accept it because it contradicts her doctrine. Therefore, she will try her best to explain it away.

Let's see how she does.)

That will be fulfilled in the millennium Kingdom when all who enter it will be saved people, with the Spirit in them. (What? We've never heard such a fanciful theory! How did Ms. Prata change the Last Days into the Millennium? This is completely unjustified.

What nonsense.)

Warren Wiersbe (Ms. Prata needs the cover of a professional for her weird interpretation.)

comments on Acts 2:17-18,

Peter did not say that Pentecost was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28–32, (What Peter said is a matter of the biblical record. And that was,  

 

Ac. 2:15-16 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel... 

  

"This" is the rushing wind [vs. 2], the tongues of fire [vs. 3], the filling of the Holy Spirit [vs. 4], and tongues [vs. 4]. "This" is what Joel envisoned. "This" is what Joel was talking about. Peter offered it as proof of the Last Days.)

 

because the signs and wonders predicted had not occurred. (Now we shall throw it back at Pastor Wiersbe: Where does it say that all this must happen at once?)  

 

When you read Joel’s prophecy in context, you see that it deals with the nation of Israel in the end times, in connection with “the Day of the Lord.” However, Peter was led by the Spirit to see in the prophecy an application to the church. He said, “This is that same Holy Spirit that Joel wrote about. He is here!” Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. (There we are. Joel's prophecy applies to the Church in the Last Days. We are in the Last Days right now. Therefore, logically we should be seeing prophecy, dreams and visions. We also should expect at some point to see signs and wonders in the heavens.)

The sky hasn’t turned vaporous, the sun hasn’t been dimmed, and the moon hasn’t been turned to blood. (Well, we still wait for this.

That it all must happen right away is mere speculation. But there is no reason to assume this apart from Ms. Prata's conflicting doctrine. Joel certainly didn't tell us that, and the fact that Peter regarded the prophetic expression of Pentecost tongues to be evidence that Joel's prophecy came to bear, and here even Peter didn't expect to see blood and smoke.

If the verse doesn't tell us that this is all simultaneous, and Peter didn't expect it, we must conclude that Pastor Wiersbe is wrong.)

We conclude that the Joel reference to women and men prophesying is going to occur at the very end of the end of the age, along with the other signs. (The verse says "Last Days," not the "end of the age." Ms. Prata is desperate for an alternative.)

The Spirit being poured out on SOME flesh (not all flesh) (The verse says "all mankind," and there is no Bible verse that says "some flesh.")

was merely a glimpse of the power and events to come. (Where in the Bible do we see this incrementalism? Well, nowhere. Ms. Prata's position is at odds with the clear Bible teaching.)

As one commenter illustrated, the signs at Pentecost were like lightning on the horizon, showing the distant power to come. Prophecy isn’t happening now. Neither are visions. (This is the matter to demonstrate, not just reassert. 

Ms. Prata is a cessationist, who doesn't believe in contemporary prophecy or miracles. But she just told us that prophecy and miracles will happen at the end of the age. If this is so, how will cessationists at that time accept it? They would reject any revelation apart from the Bible. They would object on the very same grounds Ms. Prata is using today?)

One other minor rebuttal. When people say that God ‘would not save people and then be silent all the time’ I remind people to remember the “400 years of silence” after Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, concluded. (This is false. God was not silent for 400 years. It is true there were no prophecies recorded, but that doesn't mean God was silent. In fact, God speaks all the time to sustain the universe [Hebrews 1:3]. We explain the 400 years here.)

Romans 12 describes the use of the given spiritual gifts in the New Testament times. The word to ‘prophesy’ is used (as a verb). In that verse it means something different that (sic) receiving new information and turning around and speaking it to the people. (Oh. So Ms. Prata will now redefine prophecy...)

At the John MacArthur Daily Bible we read,

“Romans 12:6-8 describes the general categories of spiritual gifts. These come to us “according to the grace given”-undeserved and unmerited. The gift itself (1Co 12:4), the specific way in which it is used (1Co 12:5), and the spiritual results (1Co 12:6) are all sovereignly chosen by the Spirit completely apart from personal merit (1Co 12:11).” (Interesting, but irrelevant to the topic.)

“Prophecy.” This Greek word means “speaking forth” and does not necessarily include prediction of the future or any other mystical or supernatural aspects. (Prophecy is just speaking? Then why call it prophecy?)

Although some prophets in Acts did make predictions of future events (11:27-28; 21:10-11), (Dr. MacArthur walks it back.)

others made no predictions but spoke the truth of God to encourage and strengthen their hearers (15:32; vv. 22-31).” (Predictive prophecy and encouragement are only parts. Direction and instruction on the will of God is another:

Ac. 13:2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Ac. 15:28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements...

Ac. 15:32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

Ac. 21:8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

Dr. MacArthur is lying to us in order to preserve his doctrine.)

“The evidence does suggest, however, that in the first century, before the New Testament was complete and the sign gifts had ceased (1Co 13:8; (Nope. We explain "the perfect" here. And the phrase "sign gifts" is not found in the Bible.)

2Co 12:12; (This is about Paul's apostleship.)

Heb 2:3, 4), (This refutes Dr. MacArthur. Odd that he would choose it.)

this word may have had both nonrevelatory and revelatory facets. ("May?" He's basing his doctrine on speculation? What?)

In its nonrevelatory sense, the word “prophecy” simply identifies the skill of public proclamation of the word of God (1Co 14:3, 24-25; 1Pe 4:11). (Sigh. Let's quote only the first reference, since the other two do not speak to the point:

1Co. 14:3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.

"Prophesies" is the Greek word prophéteuó, which means, to foretell events, divine, speak under inspiration, exercise the prophetic office... 

Not only is this same word used in Peter's Joel quote, it also is used about Isaiah:

Mk. 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “`These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 

Did Isaiah simply possess the "skill of public proclamation of the word of God..." or was he actually a prophet?

The word is also found here:

Ac. 11:27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 

Apparently these men were only speaking words. 

Further, "the public proclamation of the word of God" is not prophéteuó, it is kérussó, to herald. Heralding is not prophesying, and it is not teaching, It is the public proclaiming of the Gospel.

"Teach" is the Greek word didaskó, nearly always refers to teaching the Scriptures (the written Word of God)... 

 

Preaching and teaching are different things. For example:

Mt. 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Jesus spoke in two distinct ways here, teaching and preaching. He taught biblical knowledge (didaskó), and He preached the Gospel (kérussó). The two are not the same. And neither are 

prophéteuó.

Both Dr. MacArthur and Ms. Prata are substantially mistaken.) 

“According to the proportion of his faith.” Literally, “the faith,” or the fully revealed message or body of Christian faith (Jude 3; 2Ti 4:2). The preacher must be careful to preach the same message the apostles delivered.” (Astonishing. Apparently pastors are prophesying when they preach a sermon. This is a convoluted departure from the plain teaching of Scripture.)

In other words, as the canon was being completed, the prophetic new revelations dwindled. ("In other words?" What? There is nothing in the above quote that describes this. Ms. Prata pulls it out of thin air.

There is no indication of revelation dwindling in the Bible.)

The same happened with the healing gifts. (No, it didn't.)

You may remember in 1 Timothy that young Timothy did not ask for miraculous healing for his stomach troubles, Paul simply advised him to take a little wine for them. Medicinal healing was suggested, not miraculous healing. (Why is this? Scripture is silent on why. Ms. Prata thinks healing was dwindling, but this incident does not tell us this. In fact, we don't know why Paul told Timothy this. He may have wanted to be with him in person [1Ti. 3:14] in order to heal him.

Ms. Prata is creating a doctrine from what the Bible doesn't say. This is simply bad exegesis.)

1 Timothy 5 was written in about 62-65 AD, thirty years after the crucifixion. Revelation direct from God to individuals was slowing down, (No, it wasn't. We simply offer our own undocumented rejoinder.

Ms. Prata is not making a biblical argument, she's speculating based on what she thought might have happened or didn't happen. This is not how we determine doctrine.)

and concluded in around 92AD when John the Revelator penned the last New Testament book. That book ended with the command in chapter 22 that anything added to or taken away from that book will rain down curses upon the person doing it. (We agree that the canon is closed. This has nothing to do with prophecy.)

Do not feel marginalized nor jealous when it seems people around you, or your favorite platformed teacher seems to be having regular conversations with Jesus. They aren’t. They are puffed up without reason. (Colossians 2:18). They will be dealt with severely by Jesus. Be glad you aren’t hearing from God! Cling to His written word only. You will be blessed.