Prophetic Context

One of the works empowered by the spiritual gift of prophet (New Testament style) is the interpretation of current events based on something the Spirit is speaking to the prophet, either through some Scripture, or some not yet written word that He is speaking to the prophet.

Frequently, when a person is sharing with another person something that they believe they have been shown connecting an event and a Scripture, the sharer is accused of taking the Scripture out of context. Nobody seems to be beating Matthew for doing that in what we have marked off as chapter 2, verses 7-15. There, he wrote that Hosea quoted Yahweh in his writing (11:1-7) as having said, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

In Matthew, it is said by him to have been written to describe Jesus being called back from Egypt after the death of Herod. In Hosea, it is said to be referring to Israel, who sacrificed to baals, burned offerings to idols, and refused to repent.

Our rules for applying Scripture to life do not include how to test whether a prophet is properly announcing a word from the Lord. We need to start understanding how to test such work, because we are going to be dependent on it when things really get difficult.

The deepest darkness has not yet come upon the earth. We have not yet shined at our brightest (Isaiah 60:1-5).