Should We Believe the Prophets?

One of the hallmarks of the charismatic movement is believing God still speaks through apostles and prophets. Yet how do we know which prophets to believe? Some have given “personal prophecies” in exchange for a “love offering.” For many, this practice has discredited prophetic ministry.

Then there are the flat-out wrong prophecies. Remember those who prophesied never-realized Y2K disasters? And since a prophet I respected prophesied Rudy Giuliani would be president in 2008, I’ve been skeptical of presidential prophecies.

Yet last year, several prophets declared an unlikely candidate named Donald Trump would be elected. The prophets were right, despite what the polls said.

After years of despair among Bible-believing Christians as we watch the culture become more and more ungodly and the persecution of Christians rising, there now seems to be a wave of optimism. But is this wave based merely on a sense that the left’s corruption and evil policies have been temporarily slowed? Or that Trump believes in American exceptionalism and wants to “Make America Great Again”?

No believer should look to a political leader to single-handedly turn things around. None of us who love Jesus should make Americanism an idol. Instead, we should ask what God is saying and what our part is.

A largely unknown “Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders” has gathered each fall since 1999 to seek God for what He is saying for the new year. They function as an Acts 13:1-3 group in which the Holy Spirit releases a prophetic word to the group as opposed to the exclusive word of any one prophet.

They have released a 14-page report covering everything from the economy to terrorism to revival. They call 2017 the “Year of Breakthrough.” After reading so many doom-and-gloom predictions, I wondered if things could possibly be so positive: reformation, the conversion of prominent liberal celebrities, healing of racial divides and financial prosperity in the body of Christ. Yet a year ago, who believed Donald Trump would be president?

Here are a few highlights of the report. Go online here to read the entire prophecy. Judge it yourself.

• “Just as the summer of love in 1967 changed the landscape of a generation, so now, 50 years later, the world will see the face of Christianity in a new light [in what is called] ‘The Love Revolution.'””
• “The greatest harvest of souls the earth has known is upon us. Hundreds of thousands will be saved. The Middle East will experience a revival.”
• “The wind of the Holy Spirit is going to blow with new renewal movements arising in the youth upon centuries-old churches. “
• “Social media will be the Gutenberg press in this reformation.”
• “Youth who have seemingly crashed in the past season into being part of the ‘hard left’ with liberal, humanistic agendas will suffer great disillusionment. But if the church will reach out to them in this time of lost dreams, they will be saved and become part of the most powerful move of evangelism and discipleship their nations have ever known.
• “Corruption is going to be exposed in the media. … New, anointed news anchors will come to the forefront who will be unashamedly believers and they will experience great favor.
• Washington, D.C., will be ‘ground zero’ for the exposure of corruptions … whistleblowers will come out in droves … collusion between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies will be exposed in surprising ways.”
• “The U.S. economy will be the safe refuge for investments around the globe.”
• “Churches of the nation will rise up and systematically work to eliminate poverty. This will impact the inner cities greatly.”
• “The nations who align against Israel will find themselves becoming more economically challenged in the coming days. … Israel will become a flashpoint among the nations. There is a confusion of the nations that will take place and an accelerated polarization of light and darkness.”

The Bible says we know in part and we prophesy in part. Believers are to test all things and hold fast to that which is good. Thank God for saying this is a year of breakthrough. Each of us must determine what God is saying in this hour and how we will respond.

Be sure to leave your comments and share it with others who may be interested in what these prophets say about 2017. {eoa}