Prophets: Old Testament vs New Testament
What's the difference?
Ephesians 4:11
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”
The difference between Old Testament prophets and New Testament prophets …
1. The Operational Source: External Visitation vs. Permanent In-Dwell
OT Prophets: The Spirit of God came upon them for moments of release, visitation, or specific assignments. They operated from an external conduit of power because the New Birth had not yet occurred.
NT Prophets: The prophet operates from a permanently indwelt vessel. Their prophetic insight streams from constant, internal union with the Holy Spirit.
2. The Legal Framework: The Mosaic Covenant vs. The New Covenant
OT Prophets: Their primary legal framework was the Mosaic Law. They functioned as spiritual attorneys enforcing a national, conditional covenant. Their warnings were tied directly to national blessings, curses, physical captivity, and adherence to external commandments.
NT Prophets: They operate under an unalterable, finished covenant of Grace. They do not point men back to a system of animal sacrifices or national borders, but to the finished work of Christ and the spiritual reality of the Kingdom.
3. The Target of the Message: A Nation vs. The Ekklesia
OT Prophets: Spoke primarily to a physical, geopolitical nation—kings, princes, and the nation of Israel as a collective earthly populace.
NT Prophets: Speak primarily to the spiritual government (the Ekklesia)—foundational alignment, building up the body of Christ, directional guidance, and strengthening local assemblies (Ephesians 2:20, 4:11-12).
4. The Mandate: Prosecution/Judgment vs. Edification/Equipping
OT Prophets: Heavily weighted toward confrontation, exposure of national sin, issuing divine subpoenas, and pronouncing immediate temporal or catastrophic judgments if repentance did not occur.
NT Prophets: The foundational mandate is to build up, mature, and position the body for works of service.
Read about the historical drift,
& how the Church lost Apostles & Prophets.
We must isolate the office of the prophet in the New Testament from a spontaneous word of prophecy in a service:
1. The Distinction Between the Gift and the Office
The Gift of Prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:3): Spoken by any believer yielding to the Spirit in a gathering, primarily functioning to build up, encourage, and comfort the local assembly.
The Office of the Prophet (Ephesians 4:11): A foundational, fivefold government assignment. A person standing in the office carries a structural mandate from the King. They are not just tossing out encouraging thoughts; they are architects and watchmen.
2. The Heavy Dose of Correction, Calibration, and Warning
To properly “build up, mature, and position the body for works of service,” a true New Testament prophet must carry a heavy measure of correction and warning—especially in today’s compromised, lukewarm religious landscape.
A structural wall cannot be straightened without pressure.
A foundation cannot be laid or corrected without exposing where it is cracked or built on the wrong material.
If a prophet only ever comforts and never corrects, they are functioning more like a chaplain than a governmental officer of the King.
In today’s “church” world—where compromise is dressed up as tolerance, and the fear of man has replaced the fear of the Lord—an operational prophet in the office is desperately needed precisely because of that corrective, uncompromising edge. They break down religious systems, call out spiritual drift, and force the Ekklesia back to biblical order so the body can actually function as an authorized governing force rather than a social club.
NOTE: Lubbock, TX has been labeled the “Hub City.” Don’t think this label wasn’t influenced by the Holy Spirit for a purpose. Lubbock is the “Hub City for the Fivefold Ministry.” Lubbock is “the Hub” for those who desire to align with the government of the kingdom of God and the Ekklesia (His governing council). Apostles & Prophets will be trained and equipped to function in the current day’s atmosphere. Evangelists, Pastors, & Teachers will be trained and equipped to understand HOW to flow together, and with the Apostles & Prophets, within the divine plan of Christ, who gave these gifts to the church for His purpose. These Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, & Teachers will flow out of the “Hub City” into all the world to every nation.
—Bishop Dennis Davis
Christian Fellowship International
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