What is prophecy? What does it mean to prophesy? These words may conjure up images of white beards, fortune-telling, and frantic soothsayers picketing about the end of the world. In recent times, prophecy has been used to interpret modern events and to make juvenile predictions. That said, prophecy in the Old and New Testaments is meant for the encouragement of believing communities.
Prophecy is found throughout Scripture. It comes through visions, dreams, and God’s own self-revelations. Christians believe that prophecy is possible because of God’s transcendence and rule over the world. According to Christian tradition, the Old Testament Scriptures foretold of Jesus Christ, and that in him, God was ultimately revealed. Additionally, prophets and prophetesses, of both the Old and New Testaments, spoke often of a coming kingdom that would be shaped by justice, peace, and love. Even more imaginative, they prophesied that the world’s political systems would be entirely controlled by this just and loving God. Yahweh would one day set up a kingdom and enjoy perfect union with humanity.
If you ever read prophecy, you will find it laden with symbolism and cultural allusions understood by the original audience. In order to appropriately understand it, it is best to start with studying the features of the prophetic genre. Nevertheless, I will make two generalizations, maybe unwisely, about the prophetic genre to help us understand its purpose. First, a major theme of prophecy is to awaken the listener to the reality of God’s control over the universe. Secondly, it is used to stoke a sanctified imagination by peeling back the curtain of one’s perceived reality, so that the listener sees the unseen spiritual realities that rule the universe.
A good sci-fi movie is completely immersive; it draws upon human fears and challenges our cultural expectations as we begin to imagine an alternative world. Scriptural prophecy operates in this way, even more powerfully, for the believing community. Likewise, I want to encourage your believing community with three realities found in prophetic literature.
First, when we read the prophetic Scriptures, we can begin to imagine a new future. This future will be governed by God in perfect love and justice. The Christian community then is hopeful because they have seen the unseen spiritual realities that shape the cosmos. Our imagination is enlivened to envision a future of complete peace, love and eternal union with God. Prophecy, then, instead of invoking fear of the future, gives us hope that God is powerfully bringing about his plan.
Secondly, prophecy offers the believing community an imaginative vison of God’s beauty. The prophetic words give us holy silhouettes for cultivating a godly imagination. In these silhouettes, we glimpse God’s glory and are drawn to his magnificence. As a result, we are inspired to forsake all other loves in order to be rightly related to ultimate beauty, God himself. In prophetic literature we see God and the world as they truly are. Prophecy, like lightening, strikes us with the reality of our own frailty and God’s majesty. Like a painting that draws you into its scene, the words of prophecy invite us to behold his true beauty.
Thirdly, prophetic literature gives Christians a vision for a new heaven, new earth, and a new kingdom. In prophecy, we are enchanted by the images of a new and perfect world. These strange words invite us to participate in a new world order. As we meditate on the prophetic kingdom, we can imagine how our own acts of love and mercy correspond to this hidden kingdom. Once our eyes are opened to the reality of God’s coming kingdom, we can’t help but see his rule and reign in what we do. Philosopher James K. A. Smith, in his book Desiring the Kingdom, has reminded the Christian community that they will talk of strange visions and participate in peculiar practices. Dr. Smith helps us understand that Christians will look like exiles, aliens, and pilgrims in a world that doesn’t understand their ultimate allegiance to a new king. Through the prophetic word, we can imagine the new heaven, new earth, and a new kingdom, while living in its growing brightness.
As a Christian community, prophecy encourages us to reflect our new kingdom ethic to the world. Prophecy gives bold visions of an embodied community of love, mercy, and justice. In the book of Revelation, we are shown the meeting of heaven and earth where God and humanity live in perfect unity. Therefore, prophecy envisions a new future and gives us new hope for the world. Prophecy invites us to imagine new ways of living that correspond to these new and hidden realities. Now we look in a glass dimly, but prophecy helps us imagine his face through the fog.
Published in the Edmond Sun: Sunday Sermon 2/23/19