The Dead Letter

What does it mean to be a prophet? What does it mean to prophesy? I believe that we can state:

To be a prophet is to be a light.

From this footing we can go on to declare:

To prophesy is to kindle a fire.

Many, if not most, view a prophet as a fortuneteller on steroids. I believe this misses the point. A prophet brings light. To prophesy kindles a fire. Or:

A prophecy is life.

That light is the life of men. God declares, ” Let there be light.” Prophecy becomes an integral part of creation.

What is history? It is a record of those things that have been accomplished. It is an order of those things that are past. It is that which is done. So, we can then state:

History is death.

Let us briefly compare death and life.

Why does this matter? Well, if you read the average commentary, it will tell you that the Bible consists of one third prophecy and two thirds history. The problem is that this is to say that the Bible is one third life and two thirds death. Why is that a problem?

Haggai says that light isn’t life to history, rather, history shrouds light. If any part of the Bible is only history, that part shrouds the light of the whole scripture. And on this hand is that dead letter that Paul warns us about. This is the scripture that becomes a rulebook on how to play the game called Christian. This is the scripture that condemns. This is the scripture that brings death.

On the other hand, notice that the points contained under the heading of life are all Spirit attributes. The Glory of Kings notes that the Holy Spirit is The God Who Is, and this is another indicator of that position. It is this Spirit that brings life. For it to be possible that the whole scripture bring life, the whole scripture then needs be prophecy.

The introduction to this blog, What’s It All About, mentions that when scripture is read in a prophetic light, it confers upon the scripture a meaning that you would not have otherwise noted. And it is in this secret place where a dead letter of regulation and conformity becomes a living word of freedom and personal experience.

Next posting we will take this a bit farther.

Note: Some will have remembered that God is not only He Who Is, but also He Who Was, and was is in the death category. Also notice absolute, among others. Interesting, isn’t it. Your mission is to explain this before I do.