Dr Paul Allen

It’s never been easier to step into the role of a would-be prophet, to stand in the long line of men and women over the ages called to “speak truth to power.” Social media has amplified the ability to speak out on any number of issues—to expose the hidden corners of injustice, to rail against the abuses of the strong against the weak, and to point out the flaws in institutions and the people who lead them. Much of this prophetic sensibility is good. As a result of people expressing critique or concern, we’ve seen institutions and individuals move toward health. We’ve seen rot exposed and expunged. We’ve seen repentance and restitution. The ability of more people to speak out can lead to greater awareness and accountability in the church. Heartless Prophet But there’s always the danger of having a prophetic voice without a prophet’s heart. When this happens, we sound less and less like Jeremiah, passing on the Lord’s command through tears (“Return, you faithless children!”) alongside th...

The story of Elijah running before Ahab in 1 Kings 18:41–46 is a strange and spectacular portrayal of the power and victory of the one true God over Baal and of the humility and gospel ministry of God’s prophet. Yet if we focus our attention solely on Elijah’s girding up his loins and running the seventeen miles from Mount Carmel to Jezreel by the hand of Yahweh, we will miss Elijah’s running first to God in prayer, and thus we will fail to learn what the “man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17) has to teach us about prayer. Recall that this story takes place immediately on the heels of the contest on Mount Carmel between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Yahweh had proven stunningly that He is the only God of heaven and earth, and in so doing, He had brought repentance to the idolatrous hearts of His rebellious people.  The drought that Israel was suffering as a result of its idolatry could finally end, for that idolatry had been dealt with decisively by the execution of the prop...

When we read the prophets, we are often in pearl-hunting mode. The vast bulk of the prophets feels like a confusing, murky mess, but every now and then we’ll stumble across an encouraging verse such as “in quietness and in trust shall be your strength” (Isa. 30:15). Or perhaps we’ll come across a spectacular prophecy about Christ: “I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jer. 23:5). But what if the whole of the prophets were profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness? What if every verse of the prophets was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope? Wait, those questions sound vaguely familiar . . . (see Rom. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16). To unlock the whole of the prophets, we must grasp the pattern of judgment unto restoration. This simple three-word phrase captures t...

Throughout the centuries, the book of Isaiah has been a vital source of nourishment for the Church. In fact, in the early church, Jerome (342–420 AD) thought Isaiah’s message so clearly conveyed the gospel that Isaiah “should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet.” The New Testament writers found Isaiah to be a vital source for Christian nourishment, as it refers to his prophecy over 250 times! Handel’s Messiah is infused with selections from Isaiah, as the repeated refrains “comfort ye” and “unto us a son is given” draw from Isaiah 40 and Isaiah 9.  Many who have attempted to read through the book of Isaiah have found the experience to be a bit of a challenge. Its historical context is foreign, its poetry is complex and its organization may at times feel disjointed. These are common experiences of all who set out to study and read Isaiah. Therefore, gaining a sense of the historical context and the structure of his prophecy will greatly help you to better understand Isaiah...

“Now  return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”  — Genesis 20:7 In the drama of the broader story of Genesis 20, we risk missing something quite significant for biblical theology: Abraham is named a prophet. When Abraham sojourned in Gerar, he pretended for the second time that Sarah was his sister. Not knowing this deception, Abimelek took Sarah to be his wife. Abimelech proclaimed his innocence when God appeared to him in a dream and threatened his life. In response, the Lord directed Abimelek to have Abraham intercede for him “for he is a prophet” (Gen 20:7).  God tells Abimelek something about Abraham in Genesis 20, and what he says has a Christological aspect. Abraham the prophet It is important to remember that Jesus was a prophet. The word “prophet” occurs for the first time when God says to Abimelech,...

Paul thought of prophecy at Corinth as something different than the prophecy we see, in Revelation or in many parts of the Old Testament . There, a divine authority of actual words is claimed by or on behalf of the prophets. But the prophecy we find in 1 Corinthians only gives a kind of divine authority of general content. The prophet could err, could misinterpret, and could be questioned or challenged at any point. The prophecy must be judged. The prophecy is of,  a minor kind of “divine” authority, but it certainly was not absolute. In the NT , the counterpart of the OT prophets are the apostles - not the NT prophets. Those who are viewed as divinely authoritative messengers in the NT are most often called not “prophets” but “apostles.” This is significant because if the NT apostles are frequently seen as the counterparts to the OT prophets, then NT prophets might often be something quite different.  If this position is accepted, then changes must be made in the ...

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshis h  (Jonah 1:3a). Jonah began prophesying early in the reign of Jeroboam II of Israel. About thirty years before Jeroboam II came to the throne, God had allowed the Syrians to devastate northern Israel (2 Kings 13:7). In the years that followed, during the reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoash, God continued to punish Israel at the hands of the Syrians and Moabites (2 Kings 13:17–20). God chose to grant relief, however, when Jeroboam II became king, and in accordance with Jonah’s prophecies, Jeroboam made the kingdom a mighty power once again (2 Kings 14:25–27). It soon became apparent that Jeroboam II was not going to be any more faithful than his fathers had been. Jonah knew that God would bring more judgments upon Israel. But God came to Jonah and told him something he did not expect: God sent him to preach judgment against Assyria. What was going on here? Notice in 2 Kings 14:27 that “since the LORD had not said He would blot...

Jesus, the angels, and Paul mention clouds in connection with Jesus’ return (Luke 21:27; Mark 14:62; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:17). As Jesus’ ascension to the Father was marked by clouds that hid him from the sight of the disciples, so his return could be accompanied by literal clouds as well. However, if the clouds are literal, Jesus’ return would be an event in a particular region: if Jesus’ return took place in the city of Jerusalem in Israel, accompanied by clouds, his return could be witnessed only in that city, nowhere else. The explanation that satellite technology makes a worldwide viewing of Jesus’ return is technically correct, but it is inadequate as an explanation for what Jesus, the angels, and Paul could have meant and what his readers could have understood. When Paul writes to the Thessalonian believers that “we who are still alive and are left” will meet Jesus “in the clouds” (1 Thess. 4:17 NIV), he does not seem to understand the “clouds” as a meeting point above a part...

Prophet Elijah, Russian Orthodox icon from first quarter of 18-th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jesus of Nazareth , who was a Prophet , mighty in deed and word ( Luke 24:19). A prophet speaks for another. Throughout redemptive history, God called prophets to speak to His people. Jeremiah , Elijah , Elisha, and others proclaimed judgment to the rebellious, comfort to the penitent, and promises to the children of God . In every instance, the prophets spoke by God’s authority, not according to their own wisdom. They served as God’s mouth-pieces. God communicates to the prophet, and the prophet in turn proclaims the message to the people. God said that Jeremiah would be His mouth as he spoke to the nation (Jer. 15:19). A prophet, therefore, always speaks in the name of God (Deut. 18:18–19). Unlike a teacher who expounds on the Word of God , but who is not given direct revelation himself, a prophet is inspired by God. Anyone who receives direct revelation from God is a prophet. Tha...

Deuteronomy 8:18, Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, 1901 Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Ye shall walk after the LORD your God , and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." ( Deuteronomy 13:4 ) This verse seems out of place, for it is tucked into a passage dealing with false prophets : instructing the people of Israel in ways to detect one who would lead them into false worship. The penalty was death, "because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt " ( v. 10 ). The purpose was both purification and example, for "all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you" ( v. 11 ). The chief test of a prophet was not his ability to perform signs and wonders ( v. 1 ). Elsewhere the test of total, lifelong accuracy was applied. "Wh...

Moses Sees the Promised Land from Afar, as in Numbers 27:12, by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Moses speaks to the children of Israel, as in Deuteronomy 31:1, illustration from "The Boys of the Bible" by Hartwell James, published by Henry Altemus Company, 1905 and 1916. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Moses stained glass window at St. Matthew's German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charleston, SC. Franz Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany represented by the studios of George L. Payne of Patterson, New Jersey 1966. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Moses speaks to Israel, as In Deuteronomy 1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Childhood of Moses, as in Exodus 2:1-10, illustration from a Bible card published 1900 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Moses Pleading with Israel, as in Deuteronomy 6:1-15, Bible card published 1907 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:25,20:1-17) Русский:...