Should A Prophet Always Wear Pants at Passover?

 Should A Prophet Always Wear Pants at Passover? - by Bill Perkins- https://compass.org/should-a-prophet-always-wear-pants-at-passover/ God’s Prophets But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved bythe Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2Pet. 1:20-21 There is only one thing that separates the Bible from all the other books in the world — and that’s the numerous prophecies scattered throughout the scriptures. Roughly 30% of the Bible’s verses contain prophetic proclamations. And every prophecy has come true exactly as written, word-for-word. “Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” Is. 42:9 So if past prophecies have been fulfilled word for word, we can be assured that future prophecies will be fulfilled word-for-word. God uses prophecy to prove He is God as no one knows the future except the Creator God of the universe. Only He can predict the future with 100% accuracy. These amazingly specific proclamations are inspired by the Creator God of the universe and transmitted via mere men. They prove the rest of the Bible is also true and canbe trusted. All of it. Throughout history, God chose His prophets for this special role. They were usually revered but often despised if the message from God was negative. Jesus held the Jews accountable for murdering God’s prophets through the years. During Jesus’ last week, two days before His crucifixion, He stood in the Temple addressingthe Pharisees saying: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! Matt. 23:37a In fact, the entire Matthew 23 chapter shows the disdain Jesus (God) had for the state of Israel at that point in time. The Jewish leadership had grown into a legalistic governingbody that missed the entire point of God’s calling. Jesus followed His statement with this concluding thought that’s a quote (in caps) from Psalm 118:26: “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” Matt. 23:39 Jesus was confirming He was allowing the Jews to aimlessly wander around the globe, often persecuted, for 2000 years… while allowing the Believers in a new time period, anew dispensation we refer to as the Church Age to become His new worldwide emphasis/focus. Back to the subject of God's prophets… If you claimed to be a prophet you immediately received special privileges because of your position. So Satan sometimes had fake/false prophets claim the status. So God setup a way to determine if the prophet was a true prophet from God. When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously;you shall not be afraid of him. Deut. 18:22 It’s a pretty simple test — if a prophet said one single thing that did not come true, he was a false prophet, not speaking with inspiration from God. And the penalty forbeing a false prophet was being stoned to death. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.You may say in your heart, “How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously;you shall not be afraid of him. Deut. 18:20-22 Therefore, if a prophet went his entire life with everything he prophesied coming true, his recorded prophecies were saved and are part of the Old Testament scriptures wehave today. Some of the more well-known prophets were: Abraham- Gen. 20:7 Moses- Deut. 34:10 Samuel- 1Sam. 3:19-20 David- Acts 2:30 Elijah & Elisha- 1Kings 19:15-16 Jeremiah- Jer. 1:5 John the Baptist- Matt. 11:9-14 Jesus (before He was resurrected)- John 7:40 Pants for Passover? And of course there’s Isaiah, who proved to be a most unique prophet. He was the most quoted prophet in the New Testament, 65 times. In Isaiah’s day, roughly 745 to 685 BC, the leaders of Israel were beginning to think Egypt was a country to look up to (Is. 30:1-5; 31:1-3). So God had Isaiah go naked forthree years to signify how He would allow the Assyrians to strip and shame the Egyptians. And the LORD said, “Even as My servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot three years as a sign and token against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away thecaptives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.” Is. 20:3-4 Naturally, I wonder how Isaiah wearing no clothes worked when he and his wife had people over for dinner. That had to be a bit awkward. Or at Passover, when he and his familyshared a lamb. I bet no one wanted to sit where he just sat! Don’t you think his wife would eventually say something like “Isaiah, can’t you just put on some pants for Passover?” Isaiah would probably respond- "Hmmmm...., I don't wear pants, I wear a robe. Isaiah's wife- "Well, one day some guy in Coeur d'Alene will need the alliteration of "pants and Passover," and robe just won't work. (I deleted the rest of this make-believe conversation as it got way out there! 🙂 Prophecy in the New Testament The role of prophet in the New Testament is much different from the prophets’ role in the Old Testament. And He [Jesus] gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,to the building up of the body of Christ; Eph. 4:11-12 Strongs' definition of prophet: 4396. profh/thß prophetes, prof-ay´-tace; from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet: — prophet. The prophet that Jesus raises up to equip the saints is not like the prophet in the Old Testament. Strongs' definition says the Greek word used for “prophet” has the connotationof “gifted speaker.” Truly we have all heard men teach the Bible who we knew were gifted by God. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edificationand exhortation and consolation. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies [a God-gifted speaker] edifies the church. 1Cor. 14:2 So New Testament prophets were gifts to the church from Jesus to provide edification, exhortation, and comfort. We don’t need prophets today to add to scripture. The fact is, in the Church Age God says we have everything we need to know in the pages of the Bible and nothing can be added. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; Rev. 22:18 Today, born-again Believers are “in Christ” and therefore we have the Holy Spirit illuminating scripture to us. The more scriptural truth we learn, the more discerning andthe less deceived we are. God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of allthings, through whom also He made the world. Heb. 1:1-2 Those living from sinful Adam up until the cross had no permanent indwelling of God's Spirit. A new day had dawned. In the chart below, the pink arrows represents the HolySpirit, the red arrows represent Jesus. False Prophet Test in the Last Days But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Masterwho bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2Pet. 2:1 And just like the test for genuine prophets in the Old Testament, we too have a test to make sure our Bible teachers have at least the most basic foundation correct. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know theSpirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is alreadyin the world. 1John 4:1 If you deny Jesus is God, you’re in big trouble, no matter what good intentions you have. Think Mormon. Summary God PROVES He is God via the prophecies in the Bible being 100% accurate. The prophecies prove the rest of the Bible is also 100% accurate. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2Tim. 3:16 So we can depend on every word in the Bible to be exactly what God wants us to have. So when we read about the fascinating details of the Rapture in 1Thes. 4, we have a tendency to stop at verse 17. But we need to keep reading through the next verse: Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1Th. 4:18 So knowing about the great exodus of Believers leaving this earth is a comfort to us. Through scripture analysis we know God’s close to releasing His wrath on an unsuspectingearth. But He promises Believers will be removed before the wrath begins. We don’t know how close we are to our fateful exit. It could be days, weeks, months or even a few years. But we’re closer than we’ve ever been! Until that day, use us, Lord! CQLJ! BP I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about. Psa. 3:6