Spirit of Prophecy—a Window into Encountering God
I. GOD DESIRES TO ENCOUNTER US: JOEL 2:28-29
" 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also
on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days."(Joel 2:28-29)
A. Joel reveals a fascinating desire in the heart of our God that was not understood by the people of his day. God
desires, and has always desired, to personally encounter His people. From the beginning of creation, it was His desire to
interact and fellowship with us in a very real way. This hasn’t changed in anyway at all, however the method or the way in
which He has chosen to manifest that desire has.
1. Pre-Fall – man enjoyed a direct, interactive relationship with God in the garden, in which man was free from sin and
the veil between him and God didn’t exist. There wasn’t any reason for man to think it was unusual in anyway to speak to
and hear directly from God.
2. Post-Fall – the nature of man’s relationship with God was suddenly and drastically changed. The once consistently
enjoyable and fascinating relationship between God and man was broken because of disobedience—sin. The way in which
God would now interact with His people would temporarily be changed until the return of Christ, whereby God would restore
full fellowship with the resurrected saints. This would then culminate in the eternal age to come where all His people would
forever be in a complete relationship with Him.
B. Prophetic promises—Joel begins by saying “it shall come to pass.” This is a guarantee that God’s intentions/desires
to encounter His people would surely happen. I love the certainty of His promises, especially this one. God was giving us
hope that He truly desires to be interactive with us.
1. Promise to pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh – The word “all” refers not to all human beings without exception but t
o all classes of human beings without distinction. This promise is spoken twice emphasizing it as an absolute reality to
occur.
2. Promise to release the spirit of prophecy – both male and female believers will prophesy. It should and will be a
normal thing for God’s children to prophesy as part of being filled with the spirit in a prophetic community—the church.
3. Promise to give revelatory experiences – Dreams and visions will and should be a normal function of spirit filled
living. The ‘realm’ of the spirit will be opened up to all His children.
II. PROPHETIC PARADIGM SHIFT—JOSHUA OR MOSES MINDSET
" 16 So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the
elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand
there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and
will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it
yourself alone."…"24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the
seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. 25 Then the LORD came
down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon
the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they
never did so again. 26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of
the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone
out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said,
“Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his
choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” 29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous
for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”
(Numbers 11:16-17, 24-29)
A. I love this passage as it prophetically reveals and foreshadows God’s intentions in raising up a prophetic family.
B. Joshua mindset – Joshua’s attitude was mistaken as he reported to Moses his displeasure when he heard that
Eldad & Medad, who weren’t at the ‘anointed ceremony’ and ‘commissioning service’, were also included in this prophetic
outpouring. His attitude was not discerning at all, rather it revealed the exclusive arrogance in his heart. This type of
mindset tends to be exclusive with the ‘anointing’ of God, and usually caters to the gifted person, bringing an undue exaltation
to a select group of individuals. This creates much of the class distinction between believers.
C. Moses mindset – he was truly visionary in his understanding of the generosity of God. He rightly understood that God
ultimately wanted to have all his people operate in the Spirit. His insight foreshadowed Joel 2:28-29. This mindset, especially
important in leadership, sees into the character of God and draws from that source of love and generosity and looks for ways
to empower the many by an attitude of generosity and inclusiveness.
D. Instead of the ‘man of God with faith and power for the hour’, God desires to raise up a family of children who can
all operate in the power of the Spirit. Paul emphasized this point.
"5 I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied…31 For you can all prophesy one
by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged."(1 Corinthians 14:5,31)
E. God is raising up all the ‘Eldad’s and Medad’s; those who were on the outside and participated in the flow of God.
He is raising up the anointed many rather than the exalted few.
III. THE OUTPOURING—TWO REALITIES AS ONE FLOW
A. Fascination – In Joel, we see that the outpouring was primarily prophetic in nature. When the outpouring of the Spirit
came, it opened the ‘realm of the Spirit’ to us, which would be a doorway to enter into fascination and excitement in God.
The spirit of prophecy was meant to give us a window into the very reality and existence of God (John 17:3;
1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
1. I believe the greatest longing in the human heart is to see God face to face. The Catholics call it the Beatific Vision,
where those in heaven experience the immediate presence of God—the face-to-face reality. The power of dreams, visions,
visitations, and other revelatory experiences give us mere glimpses into the Glory of God.
"9 … “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has
prepared for those who love Him.”"(1 Corinthians 2:9)
2. The fullness of an experiential, face-to-face reality in God is our eternal destiny that we have access to right now
through the Holy Spirit; however, in this age we see in part into this eternal destiny.
"12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as
I also am known."(1 Corinthians 13:12)
3. Theophanies (God encounters) and other visionary experiences in scripture should be our gazing ground to ask the
Holy Spirit to reveal to us what we read in the word to become a reality to us. This awakens hunger in us to see into the
realm of the spirit, and the Holy One who loves us (some examples - Genesis 28:10-12; Exodus 19:18-25; 34:1-9;
Judges 6:11-24; Ezekiel 1; Daniel 7, 10; Matthew 17:1-8; Revelation 1:9-20).
B. Holiness of heart – Ezekiel characterizes the outpouring of the Spirit as it relates to the interior workings of the
heart, which is meant to bring about holiness of heart, or obedience to God’s ways.
"26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."(Ezekiel 36:26-27)
1. The same Spirit that allows us to taste the age to come with experiences in God (i.e. dreams, visions, encounters,
etc.), also desires to establish in us His very nature, so that we can become more like Him.
2. Transformation of our inner man, which is taking on the very nature of Christ, is the work that the Holy Spirit does
in us.
"29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
firstborn among many brethren."(Romans 8:29)
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT’S INTENT ON REVEALING THE DEPTHS OF GOD
A. It is the Holy Spirit’s delight to reveal the being of God to us. He loves to make known His beauty, the pleasure of His
love over us, and the hope of our future; however, we must believe that He wants to do this, of which faith is at the core
when approaching God.
"6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that
He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."(Hebrews 11:6)
B. We have no innate knowledge of God in ourselves, it is necessary that the Holy Spirit gives us revelation, by way
of understanding in the word, or other types of revelatory experiences that would only compliment the scriptures. It is His
main function as He aligns us with truth.
"9 … “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has
prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. … no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received… the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely
given to us by God." (1 Corinthians 2:9-13)
1. We have not even begun to understand the life of God within us, much less the eternal reality awaiting us. It hasn’t
even entered our minds at all. This amazing reality will be for us to discover forever.
2. The Holy Spirit reveals to us what God is like, our identity as friends and lovers of Him, our present predicaments,
and our future hopes. This has been freely been given to us to know—it is our inheritance to receive. One of the ways this
is revealed to us is through prophetic activity, opening our senses to the spirit realm (Daniel 7; Revelation 4:1).
V. A PROPHETIC COMMUNITY—THE RAISING UP OF FRIENDS
"15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called
you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."(John 15:15)
A. God is looking to raise up a family of affection that will be mutually intent on living devoted lives of love towards
God and each other. This is cultivated through the process of our individual journeys; however, it is vitally important how
we cultivate or nurture our inner life, that our journeys embody a maturing intimacy.
B. A new wineskin is emerging that is calling forth friends who live as a prophetic community, where all can move in the
realm of the spirit. This wineskin, in which the prophetic anointing will reach its highest measure, will flow from the well of
devotion to God. A normative life of prayer, depth in the word, fasting, and giving, will provide the context for friendship
with God and counteract an overemphasis on giftedness.
C. The end-time church will have no option but to draw very near to God, or get swept away in the storm of deception
that is about to break-in upon the globe. Friendship or intimate partnership with God will become increasingly more crucial
as world events crescendo bringing forth the man of sin, who will operate in such power that many in the church will turn
to away from the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Receiving understanding in the word and prophetic revelation will be
necessary to navigate through this.
"17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts
come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."(Revelation 22:17)
1. The end-time church will be secure in her identity walking in the knowledge and expression of intimacy with God, of
which a life of prayer will be central to this reality.
2. The unity between the church and the spirit will not only see the highest expression of purity in her belief and
practice, but a proliferation of prophetic activity will be a common experience in this prophetic community.
D. God wants to change our identity from just being ‘gifted servants’, into being intimate friends with Him. Under the
under the old covenant, God would speak His heart primarily through the prophets who were a specially chosen by Him,
whereas under the new covenant, with the outpouring of the spirit, God would give the spirit to all so that we could all hear
what is on His heart. God wants to show us what He wants to do. He loves to share with us His thoughts and actions. The
only designation to hearing His heart is to have the Holy Spirit within.
"7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing (intimate partnership), Unless He reveals His secret (His thoughts) to
His servants the prophets (N.T. counterpart, the prophetic community)."(Amos 3:7)
"19 …“Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for
whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner."(John 5:19)
"27 My sheep hear My voice (as Jesus hears the Father), and I know them, and they follow Me (as Jesus only
did what the father showed Him)."(John 10:27)
VI. POSSESSING A TENACIOUS PURSUIT FOR PROPHECY
" 1 Pursue love (intimacy with God and each other), and desire (press in through prayer) spiritual gifts, but
especially that you may prophesy (operate in the Spirit).…3 But he who prophesies speaks edification and
exhortation and comfort to men.…he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I wish you all spoke with tongues
, but even more that you prophesied…"(1 Corinthians 14:1-5)
"31 For you can all prophesy one by one (permission for all to prophesy), that all may learn and all may be
encouraged."(1 Corinthians 14:31)
"39 Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy,…"(1 Corinthians 14:39)
move in the prophetic anointing. Although we all have different gift-mixes and callings, we were all meant to hear, see, and
operate in the Spirit, regardless of calling. If we don’t believe that this is true for us, we will not experience some of the
inheritance that is freely given to us now. Permission gives us personal confidence at the core of our belief structure.
1. Confidence – I have found that the number one reason people are weak in giving prophecy is a lack confidence
that they are hearing from God. The question that always arises is, “was that God or not?” What typically happens is that
we wait for some huge revelation of some kind before we believe it was God. The small whisper upon the heart or the faint
phrase in the mind is often the voice of the spirit.
2. Fear – the risk of failure can be crippling, coupled with the fact that you may not be really hearing from God. So much
personal doubt surrounds moving in the spirit. The enemy knows this and so he strikes at our hearts and minds with
accusations stirring our fears.
B. Pursuit – God really wants us to pursue the things of the Spirit. He really does give to those who ask. The first step
is believing that it is for you, then we begin to ask the Lord to open our ‘senses’ to the spirit realm. We exercise our desire
through prayer. Below is a very basic list of ways we may encounter God in the spirit realm.
1. Seeing – we ask the Lord to open our eyes to ‘see’. For those of us who haven’t experienced this yet, we can come
to Him and ask for spiritual sight. What does this mean exactly? It’s the realm of seeing in dreams, having visions both
internal and external, and also includes seeing angels and/or the demonic realm.
2. Hearing – we ask the Lord to open our ears to hear His voice. It includes the external audible voice of the Lord or
angelic realm, and the inner voice that is recognizable, usually in the whisper or small faint voice, as if it was in the back of
your mind.
3. Feeling – we ask the Lord to allow us to feel His presence or nearness. You may feel any number of things such as
external feelings of pressure on your body (like an energy), either cold or burning sensations, weightiness (which may cause
you to kneel or fall down), or you may feel a literal wind or breeze around you. Internally, your emotions may go from
sobbing to laughing or deep inner awareness of peace and solitude.
4. Impressions – the most basic and easiest way to stay ‘spiritually alert’ is to ask the question, “Lord what are you
saying or doing, show me” in our daily walk with the Lord. Faint impressions are by far the most common manifestation
we experience as believers. However, if we don’t ask what God is wanting to say or do, we will probably miss out on many
opportunities that help us grow in our ability to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.