Revelation 19:10b
Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The prevalence of false prophecy in our day and age is quite a challenge for believers who are zealous for spiritual gifts. What compounds the issue is the Biblical instruction not to quench the Spirit nor to despise prophecies, but to test all things and to hold fast what is good (1 Th 5:19-21). How then can we tell whether the prophetic in our midst is authentic?
Providentially, our text today reveals a very helpful test for true prophecy, namely, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It means the witness to Jesus inspires all prophecy. In fact, all genuine Christian ministry points to Jesus and comes from Him through the Holy Spirit. Remember what the Lord Jesus said of the Spirit: “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14).
At the heart of genuine prophecy is a desire to honour Jesus. Beloved, what distinguishes true servants of God is their reluctance to usurp Jesus’ glory. They don’t use their gifts to draw attention to themselves but to Christ.
That means every word of knowledge, word of wisdom or prophetic utterance any of us delivers must be driven by the intent to honour Jesus. If anyone operates in any charismatic gifting for his or her own enrichment or glory, you can safely smell a rat. If anyone boasts about their own power and anointing, you must smell a rat. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Pastor Josh