It stands for Latter Rain Movement.
I C.
THANKS.
There is a validity to the Scripture about the latter rain referring to Holy Spirit's extra outpouring in our end time era.
I don't know about the movement as such. I don't keep up much with such things.
I have a very strong conviction that WHEN ANY GROUP--MUCH MORE SO ANY MOVEMENT--GETS TO BE A YEAR TO A YEAR AND A HALF OLD--IT STARTS TO DETERIORATE, perhaps even get flakey and certainly more fleshy. Most of the time, I think this is due to raw humanness and satan's skills in polluting through such channels. Doesn't usually have much to do with the pure essence of a move of God. But pride and turf and grandstanding and trying to 'wind up The Spirit' in the flesh--what nonsense that is!--and then people are off on slippery slides to far too often horrid things.
THIS HAPPENS IN EVERY CHURCH AND ORGANIZATION OF ANY OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND STUDY I'VE EVER HAD OR MADE. Some would have you think it only happens in Pentecostal etc. circles. Nonsense. It happens IN EVERY HUMAN GROUP--AND ESPECIALLY RELIGIOUS GROUPS--AND PERHAPS ESPECIALLY IN GROUPS GIVEN TO PRISSINESS, PRIDE, ETC.
God has provided ways to prevent it. But Christians, including most Christian leaders very rarely follow the Biblical model enough and certainly fail to require their members to follow the Biblical model enough to prevent such.
There's plenty of redemptiveness in the healthy operation of the Gifts of The Spirit WITH CONFESSING ONE TO ANOTHER ETC. and SUBMITTING ONE TO ANOTHER when fitting in fitting ways. But humans are too often too arrogant, fleshy, selfish etc. to follow that pattern. So, we get excesses, out of balanced stuff that likely started focused on God and His Spirit's directions but far too quickly fell into the ditch of various errors.
BTW, I hope to get posted as soon as I can get to finishing the html coding--a lot of excerpts from chapter 2 of YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHECY. You might look for it and pray that Holy Spirit will have His way with the reading of it.
Blessings,
NOTE: Typically in presentations on this topic on FR, naysayers will scream that the Pentecostals etc. have no scholars nor scholarship to show for themselves in their midst or produced by them. Of course, this has usually and historically been mostly hogwash. The excerpts from this text and certainly the references included demonstrate abundant rich and high quality scholarship. I won’t hold my breath for an apology! LOL.
INCREASED INTEREST IN PROPHECY
A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The LORD GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
Amos 3:8
• A REMARKABLE COVER and lead story appeared in the January 14, 1991, issue of Christianity Today. Caricatured on the front cover in striking pose, an acclaimed modern prophet stands on a jagged rock over-looking a city. The wind whips his tie and flowing cape as he stretches forth his left hand dramatically while grasping a Moses-like walking staff firmly in the other. The caption proclaims. Seers in the Heartland. 1 [Michael G Maudlin, “Seers in the Heartland, “ Christianity Today 35 (January 14, 1991), pp. 18-22
In his opening page announcement of the lead article, managing editor David Neff says: "If, in the 1960s, you had said someone had 'a prophetic ministry,' you would have probably meant that person offered a radical social critique—and had an abrasive personality, long hair, and love beads. Say 'prophetic ministry' today, and people will think you mean someone speaks a word from God."
We live in a time when people desire—and desperately need—to hear from God. It is natural, therefore, that Bible-believing Christians are looking seriously at the gift of prophecy and the ministry of prophets. Is this ministry available and valid? The inquiry is legitimate since prophetism runs throughout the Bible.
The Importance of Prophecy p 26
The underlying, basic question is this: How does God speak to His people? Christians hear Gods voice through His written Word, the Bible. God also uses counselors, circumstances, impressions, answered prayer, even human conscience. Most Christians experience such guidance at one time or another. In Bible days prophecy stood as probably the most usual way of hearing God’s voice. Prophets and prophecy were an important part of God’s Old Testament agenda as well as part of Christ’s agenda for the early Church life.
A refreshing contemporary realization of this ancient biblical practice is now taking place, with many churches discovering that prophecy can be a wonderful and meaningful enhancement of today’s church life.
In both New Testament times and in the contemporary Church, prophecy refers to an inspired spoken message that God brings to a person or a group of people through a Spirit-filled Christian. The Spokesperson is empowered spiritually to declare to a given audience words that have been imparted by divine revelation. This is a supernatural or miraculous happening—a divine communiqué!
The fact that leading magazines and journals carry articles on this subject, and that leading magazines and journals carry articles on this subject, and that popular writers devote time to the subject, indicates a continuing concern and curiosity by Christian readers. 2 [Three examples: Wayne A. Grudem, “Why Christians Can Still Prophecy: Scripture Encourages Us to Seek the Gift Yet Today,” Christianity Today 32/13 (September 16, 1988), pp 29-35; C. Peter Wagner, “The Gift of Prophecy Is for Today,” Church Growth (autumn 1994); Jamie Buckingham, “The Prophet’s Calling,” Ministries Today (January/February 1992), pp.55-63.] As one religious analyst puts it, “Currently there is a fashionable interest in prophecy.” 3 [Mark J. Cartledge, “Charismatic Prophecy and New Testament Prophecy,” Themelios 17 (October-November 1991), pp. 17-19. He also gives a good summary of recent thought.] This new (or is it just updated?) attitude is reflected in the more than three dozen contemporary books on spiritual gifts in my library—a mere sampling of the total literature available.
Coming from a wide range of denominational backgrounds, many of these modern authors believe that the phenomenon called prophecy exists in today’s Church. Well-written and thought-provoking books from unexpected sources and publishers challenge traditional assumptions about the need for and importance of prophecy in today’s Church. 4 [See David Hill, New Testament Prophecy (Atlanta: John Knox, 1979); Graham Houston, Prophecy: A Gift for Today? (Downer’s Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1989); Jacobs, Voice Some feel so strongly about the prophetic renewal that they declare the Church is in an authentic “prophetic movement” today. 5 [See, for instance, Bill Hamon, Prophets and the Prophetic Movement: God’s Prophetic Move Today (Shippenburg, Pa.: Destiny Image, 1990), Vol. 2] F.F. Bruce summarizes the situation well: “The prophetic ministry probably receives greater recognition in today’s Church than it has enjoyed for a long time.” 6 [A comment made by F. F. Bruce in his foreword for Clifford Hill, Prophecy Past and Present (Crowborough, East Sussex: Highland, 1989), p. xii. This excellent, scholarly book argues persuasively for modern-day prophecy.]
The academic community also has experienced a heightened interest in prophecy. Reputable scholars have produced more than a dozen significant books during the past twenty years. 7 [See David E. Aune’s fourteen-page survey of five significant treatments, Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), pp. 1-14.] In addition, a great deal of in-depth, specialized material on prophecy is found in the monographs of the rather exclusive journals produced by theological seminaries, Bible societies and publishing houses. More than one hundred of these scholarly articles contain insights of interest here. 8 [The specific articles used are listed in the bibliography.]
Increased Interest in Prophecy p27
Charismatic circles also have generated a flurry of writings about the prophetic. More than two dozen of these books and pamphlets, some academic and others geared for popular reading, are currently available. All advocate the prophetic ministry in today's Church.
In past years the discussion of spiritual gifts has sparked controversy among Bible scholars and Church leaders, especially over glossolalia or speaking in tongues. The focus today has made a surprising shift from speaking in tongues to the gift of prophecy. Two general positions emerge: the continuance school, which affirms that prophecy and spiritual gifts continue today, and the cessationist school, which denies that prophecy and gifts continued beyond the early Church.
A climate of intense interest in prophetism now exists because of this confluence of mounting popular attention, spiritual activity, scholarly debate and increasing prominence of various books. Wise counsel is given by John W. Hilber: "The issue is not purely academic but is a matter of serious pastoral concern." 9 [John W. Hilber, “Diversity of Old Testament Prophetic Phenomena and New Testament Prophecy,” Westminster Theological Journal 56 (1994), p. 243]
Interest in prophecy is not new. Church leaders always have faced the challenge of reconciling the blessed and often unpredictable breath of the Holy Spirit with the Church's secure, nailed-down traditions and standards. In fact, all the movements within Christendom can be seen from the perspective of the spirit of prophecy versus institutional order. 10 [Stanley M Burgess deals with the tension between prophecy and form in a fine study of the Church from the end of the first century A.D. to the end of the fifth century. The Spirit and the Church: Antiquity (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1984). Also see chapter 15 in this book]
An unrestrained spirit of prophecy always poses a danger of fanaticism and exclusivism. In contrast, dead institutionalism poses the ever-present danger of stifling the breath of God's Spirit. Let us seek the balance that will join the strength of the institution (unity, order and stability) to the dynamic of the prophetic (freshness, spontaneity and life). These two forces become a workable team when the approach is changed from "prophecy versus order" to the positive idea of "prophecy and order."
A belief in continuing revelation (i.e.. God does speak today as well as yesterday) and the validity of prophecy in today's Church need not frusirate us. A harmonious and healthful tension can exist between:
The Church needs balance rather than polarization! It will prove detrimental to gravitate toward just emotional experience or intellectual ivory towers or programmed efficiency ... or to an incomplete biblical position.
A statement of four modern-day approaches to prophecy will help our discussion. My abbreviated summaries naturally reflect my own opinion (#4), but I am grateful for the worthwhile contributions each view has made to the total picture of prophecy in the Church.
1 The Form Critical School and the "I Sayings" ofJesns [author’s bold]
This approach, espoused by some form critics of the New Testament, is hardly known outside scholarly circles, but it has made a significant impact on the discussion of prophecy and the training of ministers.
This theory proposes that Jesus is both the Jesus of history as well as the living Lord in heaven. As the historical Jesus who walked on earth, He did give teaching, some of which was remembered and recorded. AS the Lord in heaven, He possibly spoke through Christian prophets present in the early Church prior to the writing of the gospels. These prophets received and uttered words from the risen Jesus to the congregations. These sayings were then recorded as authentic sayings of the risen Jesus and incorporated into the Church’s written tradition of the recorded sayings of the historical Jesus—even though He actually did not say them while physically on earth. 11 [See M. Eugene Boring, The Continuing Voice of Jesus: Christian Prophecy & the Gospel Tradition ( (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1991), chapter 1. Also see Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity, chapter 9, and “Christian Prophecy and the Sayings of Jesus,” New Testament Studies 29 (1982), pp. 104-112.] Whether or not these prophetic words were really the words of Jesus (or considered to be) is of little consequence, so they say, because they at least reflected the ideas of the early Christians.
Even scholars promoting this viewpoint admit the lack of conclusive evidence, and a number of New Testament scholars remain unpersuaded. 12 I cannot imagine that the integrity of the early Church leaders would have allowed them to mix the actual remembered, recorded sayings of Jesus with spontaneous, prophetic utterances given in the Church and then record them all as the true account of Jesus’ earthly ministry! I appreciate the serious effort expended to explain the Bible and the mystery of prophecy, but take strong exception to any effort to force the Bible into an anti-supernatural mode. [COLOR, BOLD is Quix emphasis. –throughout. Italics used is the author’s emphasis throughout—except that headings were bolded by the author] [12 See Clilfford Hill, Prophecy, pp. 160-185. Also his journal article “On the Evidence for the Creative Role of Christian Prophets,” New Testament Studies 20 (1973-1974), pp. 262-274.]
Bultmann and other liberal German theologians carried this approach to the extreme as they “demythologized” the New Testament, while at the same time using this theory of prophecy to explain the creativity of early Church beliefs. Recorded miracles became merely symbolic stories and the utterances of “inspired” prophets became statements by Jesus. 13 Unfortunately, many ministers have been trained in this approach during seminary studies, which has affected their view of prophecy and how they present the subject to the people. [13 Boring, Continuing Voice, p. 20.]
Increased Interest in Prophecy p. 29
The task of the early Church prophets was not to create words on a par with the original historical sayings of Jesus, but rather to speak contemporary application of spiritual principles for current situations. I must conclude that insufficient evidence, unprovable theories and an unfortunate lack of understanding of the true nature of the gift of prophecy in the early Church render this a most implausible theory. 14 [See the challenging testimonial critique of the historical-critical method by Eta Linnemann, a reputable scholar who studied under Bultmann and other German scholars: Historical Criticism of the Bible: Methodology or Ideology? (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990).]
2. The Cessationist Approach
This view holds that biblical prophecy in both Testaments became the written biblical record called the Bible. The gift of prophecy made the writing of Scripture an inerrant experience so that the words of the original copies were completely accurate. There may have been, they say, some prophecy for domestic situations for a short while, but it was without error, for the message came in unmistakable clarity.
F. David Farnell, a leading advocate, says: "Current novel attempts at defining prophecy impugn the miraculous nature of New Testament prophecy.... The gift of prophecy played a vital role in the foundational aspects of the Church. With the Church firmly established through the ministry of the first-century apostles and New Testament prophets, prophecy passed from the scene." 15 [F. David Farnell, “When Will the Gift of Prophecy Cease?” Bibliotheca Sacra 150 (April-June 1993), p. 171.]
Cessationists are to be commended for their fervency in protecting the integrity and inspiration of the Bible. God's Word is certainly clear that the Spirit of prophecy did inspire the giving of Scripture. Unfortunately" no acknowledgment is given by cessationists that prophecy could be used in any other way. They make no recognition of other operations of the prophetic anointing (non-Scripture prophecy) that occurred in both Old and New Testaments. 16 [Refer to chapter 14 where I give my basic refutation of the five major arguments for the cessation of prophecy and the interpretation of the five major Bible passages used for the support of cessationism.]
This viewpoint also neglects a most significant reference. Revelation 19:10: "He said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" {KIV). If prophecy was to cease after the scriptural canon was established, would this not mean the cessation of Jesus' voice (through the Spirit) in_the Church?
Although the Greek text supports either "the witness about Jesus" or "the witness by Jesus," 17 it seems likely that this text equates prophecy the Church with Jesus' voice. Jesus' own testimony is maintained in and through His Spirit-filled, prophetic people. We could say, then, that Jesus speaks to the local church not only through the Bible but also through inspired prophecy. I agree with Rick Joyner's comment on this verse: “ALL true prophecy is His testimony. It comes from Him and draws us to Him. It is what He is saying to His church." 18 [17 C. F. D. Moule comments that Revelation 19:10 “seems . . . to identify the testimony borne by Jesus himself as ‘the concern or burden of the Spirit who inspired prophecy.’ . . . There is strong evidence for taking ‘of Jesus’ as a subjective genitive: it is not ‘witness to Jesus’ but ‘the witness borne by Jesus.’” The Holy Spirit (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979), p. 63.] [18 Rick Joyner, The Prophetic Ministry (Charlotte, N.C.: MorningStar, 1997), p.49.]
The Importance of Prophecy p.30
Revelation 19:10 is complemented by Revelation 22:6, which shows clearly that God controls the inspiration of the prophets: “He said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true;’ and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. . . .”
The God who is to be worshiped initiates in the hearts of His people the desire to worship Him. As the Church worships, the Person of Jesus it testified to among them (Hebrews 2:12), and they in turn are imbued with the spirit of prophecy. The Church thereby preserves Jesus’ own present salvation testimony, which brings current application to His recorded words.
[Given the need to excerpt for several reasons, I’m leaving out position #3—the ‘Mediated’ approach as I think it’s a mostly nonsensical bastardized and useless to un-Godly approach.
4. The Historical Continuity Approach
Prophecy given by the Holy Spirit in Old Testament times continued into the early Church and now extends into the contemporary Church. The early Christians felt themselves to be a prophetic people in historic continuity with the prophecy and prophets of the Old Testament. There is not
the slightest hint of disagreement with this thought in the New Testament. Also, the clear tenor of the New Testament is that this supernatural activity was meant to continue throughout the Church age.. My term historic continuity refers to the conviction that the voice of God is heard among His people on a continuing basis.
Prophecy in biblical times existed on two levels, both of which I feel may be called “inspired.” I would suggest that the Word of God came as:
*God-breathed words such as the prophecy that was inscripturated into the Bible. When God spoke in this manner He bypassed human frailties. Sometimes the prophet himself did not understand the words he gave. Scripture words were inerrant in the original and are God-spoken without possibility of error or need of evaluation. A God-breathed word is literally God’s unquestioned and eternal Word (see my chapter 5). Such prophecy no longer comes since the canon of Scripture is complete.
• Spirit-quickened words, which may be one hundred percent accurate yet are not placed on a par with Scripture. Such words are inspired by the Spirit and use human frailties, but they are not God-breathed words. This is the prophecy that was in the Corinthian church and is in numbers of churches today. It is indeed a word from the Lord for the encouragement of a given audience at a given place at a given time, but it must be tested and approved by the congregation. Paul considered the Spirit-quickened prophecies of the Tyrean believers, for instance, to be a word of God (Acts 21:4), and the unbelievers visiting the Corinthian church meetings accepted contemporary prophecy as authentically from God (1 Corinthians 14). Such prophecy is to be judged for reasonable accuracy (see chapters 20 and 21).
Prophets in both Old and New Testament times uttered prophecies to audiences about domestic issues that were authoritative for those given situations, yet were NOT put on a par with Scripture or deemed universally significant for inclusion in the Bible. [CAPS: Quix] Also note that provision was made in both Testaments to test prophecy, indicating the possibility of one hundred percent accuracy has always been present—but so has the possibility of partial or total inaccuracy. 27 Prophecy for domestic situations is not considered competition with the prophecy that produced the Bible. Such common propnecy, this view advocates can exist today and is an integral part of a church flowing in continuity with the historic past. [27 Scripture itself seems to take in stride certain prophecy that was not fulfilled verbatim and could be classified as inspired or Spirit-quickened but not God-breathed or inscripturated. Agabus’ “thus saith the Spirit” prophecy was fulfilled in meaning but not in minute detail of actual words used (see Acts 21:11, 33).]
Common prophecy, called by some a “now word” or a rhema word” or “a word from the Lord,” is not considered to be on the same level with the esteemed, written, recorded Logos Word of God. Both the New Testament and historical evidence indicate that such commonplace, domestic, community prophecy among trained, spiritual churches can be, and usually is, highly accurate and most assuredly a “word from God.”
This last approach to prophecy is the one I am pursuing in this book.
Key Questions
This study will address the following questions as we proceed:
This study of prophetism works with three periods that overlap somewhat: Hebrew prophecy, New Testament prophecy and modern-day prophecy. We will find that the essential substance of prophecy—God’s voice to mankind—remains unchanged, even though the subject matter, the audience and other details change. In that sense there is historical continuity.
Hebrew prophecy need not be tightly confined to its own time zone, for prophetic activity spills over into the Chruch age. In chapter 9 we will carefully compare and clarify the differences between the use of prophecy in Old and New Testament times. But for now I want to emphasize that prophecy in Christian churches is part of a great, continuing biblical tradition.
It would be a gargantuan task to analyze prophecy and prophets throughout Church history—certainly beyond the scope of this present effort. Examples of authentic prophecy are scattered throughout the entire Chrch age. But, like other spiritual gifts, prophecy has not always been an important item on the agenda of the Church. Often the reporting of the exercise of this gift was biased; thus it is difficult to evaluate. 28 Some periods of Church history are like the four hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments when the prophetic voice in Israel appears to have been stilled. [28 Some interesting references are Bruce Yocum’s chapter 1, “A Brief History of Christian Prophecy,” Prophecy; Jack Deere’s chapter 5, “Presbyterian Prophets” (examples from A.D. 1500s and 1600s), Surprised by the Voice of God (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996); David Pytches’ chapter 15, “Prophecy during the Dark Ages,” and his chapters 16-19, which talk about the French prophets (A.D. 1500-1600), the German prophets (1500s), the Ranters (1500-1700) and the Quakers (1600s), Prophecy in the Local Church: A Practical Handbook and Historical Overview (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1993).]