The Old Without a doubt, the most crucial difference separating Old and New Testament prophets pertains to their purpose. The purpose of OT prophetic ministry was to communicate divine revelation that would be recorded as the Old Testament Scriptures. God was entrusting over half of His Bible to those prophets! The technical word for this is inscripturation. The New Testament recognizes and affirms this OT prophetic purpose: Jesus (Mt 22:40), Paul (Ro 1:2, 16:25,26NKJV), and Peter (2Pet 1:19-21). (NOTE: Some might say, “Isn’t this equating New Testament prophecy with Scripture-level authority? Are we saying, then, that authentic New Testament prophecies are equal to Scripture?” The answer is No. New Testament prophecy is not equal to Scripture, but the Person of the Holy Spirit who sometimes uses prophecy is. John 4:23,24 explains this concept. Authentic Christian spirituality is defined by both truth and spirit. We are under the harmonious authority of both. Scripture (“truth”) possesses absolute and final authority, as does the very active Holy Spirit (“spirit”) who wrote that very Scripture. They are both always in agreement with one another, both always exercising their absolute and unified authority over us. If and when the Holy Spirit chooses to use prophetic speech, then we are fully accountable to that Spirit, not prophecy per se, just as we are fully accountable to that same Spirit using pastors, counselors, parents, providential situations, and so on. Do we ever ask, “Do our pastors/counselors/etc possess Scripture-level authority?” No. These various mechanisms and ministries, in and of themselves, do not possess Scripture-level authority, but the Spirit using them does. Whatever the mechanism or ministry the Spirit is using to develop us, it is not that thing that possesses absolute authority, it is simply the Spirit using that thing. Likewise, it is not New Testament prophecy that is in full authority over us, but rather the Holy Spirit Himself choosing to occasionally use prophecy. The Old It doesn't take very long for even the surface reader of Scripture to notice the hard-nosed and hard-hitting acidity of the Old Testament prophets. They not only stepped on your toes, they crushed your feet to bring you to your knees! Such righteous indignation was the foreground of Old prophetic ministry. They had a pre-cross prophetic expression. Consider this small, random sample:
New Testament prophecy does not receive or write more Scripture, nor does it replace the existing and completed Scriptures. Paul is stiff on this point (1Co 14:37,38), and John's final words certainly reach farther than just his own book (Rev 22:18,19). In a sense, prophecy has been "demoted" from its colossal OT purpose (inscripturation) to a lesser, more situational purpose (invigoration). This does not negate its awesome power or ability, it only redefines its role in God's kingdom.
OT prophets: ministered infallibly, with 100% perfection
Deuteronomy 18:20 demands perfection as the standard of Old Testament prophetic ministry. So-called prophets would be executed not only for prophesying in the name of a false god, or prophesying incorrectly, but also for prophesying anything God Himself did not initiate, even if it was technically correct (Deu 13:1,2)! God would never demand such a ridiculous standard without also providing a miraculous undergirding for His true prophets to fulfill it.
1Samuel 3:19,20 and 9:6 illustrate this. God Himself ensured that not one of Samuel's prophetic words fell short, and because of his prophetic perfection, all Israel recognized he passed the Deuteronomy 18:20-test. Isaiah 44:26 says the same; that God Himself fulfilled and performed all the prophetic words of His true Old Testament prophets. Jeremiah 1:12 says God Himself personally watched over Jeremiah's prophesying to fulfill it. Because of their unparalleled purpose (establish Scripture), Old Testament prophets likewise possessed unparalleled ministerial quality (infallibility). God Himself guaranteed this by miraculously undergirding their every word.
The New New Testament prophets, on the other hand, are not ministerially infallible. Their prophesying might possess partial or total inaccuracies. New Testament Scripture shows us this. The believers at Tyre prophesied to Paul not to go to Jerusalem (Ac 21:4). This was a partially inaccurate word, because Paul himself felt compelled and bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (20:22 NIV), which he in fact did (21:17). Yet Acts 21:4 says they spoke "by the Spirit". How can both be from the same Spirit? The explanation: the Tyrian believers received a genuine revelation from the Spirit concerning Paul's suffering and imprisonment in Jerusalem, yet they misinterpreted and misapplied the insight to suggest Paul should not go to Jerusalem at all. Genuine revelation...faulty interpretation...faulty application. I'm sure we can all relate.
Agabus also prophesied partially inaccurately in Acts 21:10,11. Paul was indeed arrested, this part was accurate, but he was not arrested by the Jews and handed over to the Romans by them. Verses 32 and 33 (and 23:27) tell us Paul's life had to be forcibly saved by the Roman soldiers, who rescued him from the abusive Jewish mob who would have torn him to shreds and killed him.
Paul joins Luke in his cognizance of New Testament prophecy's potential fallibility. In 1Corinthians 14:29, he tells believers to judge, evaluate carefully, and thoroughly sift prophetic words that are spoken. The Greek word here for "judge" is diakrino, which literally means "to sift and separate (krino) through and through (dia)". It is the same Greek word for "discerning" in 12:10. The point being, some prophetic words might have some inaccurate or fleshly elements that need to be discerned and discarded. In 1Thessalonians 5:19-22, Paul says exactly this, telling the baby church to separate the good from the bad in prophecy, while remaining open and positive towards prophetic ministry in general.
OT prophets: possessed absolute authority
This absolute authority connoted their prophetic word was the final authority from God in all of Israel--it was to be obeyed without hesitation or question. There were no ifs, ands, buts, whys, howevers, or therefores. There was no personal testing, evaluation, or "praying for confirmation" when a genuine prophet of Yahweh prophesied. If he/she was attested as genuine, then his every prophesied word was divine law (Deu 18:18,19, Isa 8:20, Jer 6:19). When necessary, these prophets manifested superhuman miraculous powers to enforce their authority and protect their mission (Num 16:1-35, 1Sam 12:18, 1Ki 13:1-6, 20:35,36, 2Ki 1:10,12, 5:20-27, Eze 11:13). There are several specific passages emphasizing this absolute authority.
The prophet Moses said if anyone did not fully obey a true prophet's word, God Himself would hold that person fully accountable (Deu 18:15-19, esp v19). The prophet Samuel said that to disobey the prophet's word was equal to the sin of witchcraft and idolatry (1Sam 15:22,23), both of which were punishable by death (Lev 20:6,27, Deu 13:6-11). An unnamed prophet caused King Jeroboam's hand to instantly wither because he tried to arrest him after he prophesied (1Ki 13:1-6); the same prophet instantly restored the king's hand back to life just moments later. The prophet Elijah's absolute authority is seen in his commanding the people to seize and slaughter eight hundred-fifty false prophets (1Ki 18:40); we also see it in his calling fire from heaven to destroy two companies of soldiers who tried to arrest him while he prayed (2Ki 1:10,12). His prophetic word could literally prohibit or permit rainfall for years on end (1Ki 17:1).
A man was killed by a lion because he disobeyed a simple prophetic request from a prophet (1Ki 20:35,36). Gehazi and all his descendants were sentenced to leprosy forever because he lied to the prophet Elisha (2Ki 5:20-27). An unnamed prophet told King Amaziah that God would destroy him because he ignored his prophetic advice (2Chr 25:15,16). The prophet Isaiah told Israel that merciless divine breaking (judgment) would come to them because they rejected his prophetic word (Isa 30:12-14). The prophet Jeremiah declared that he personally possessed God's wrath to pour out all over Israel (Jer 6:10-12,17-19). The prophet Ezekiel actually killed a person simply by prophesying (Eze 11:13)...now that's absolute authority!
Once again, this absolute authority accompanied the Old Testament prophets to safeguard the establishment of the Old Testament Scriptures. Without such authority, Israel would not recognize and canonize their writings as truly Holy Scripture. With this authority, however, it was undeniable that the Most High God had indeed called them to author His written Word.
The New New Testament prophets, on the other hand, have a lesser and different type of authority: relative authority. New Testament prophecy is not the indisputable final authority, as Old Testament prophecy was. The completed Scripture is now the supreme law of God's people (1Co 14:37,38, 2Pet 3:15,16, Rev 22:18,19). All New Testament prophecy is to be screened and tested by the hearers--tested for divine authenticity (1Co 14:29, 2Th 2:1-3, 1Jn 4:1-6), tested for agreement with Scripture (1Co 14:37,38), and tested for the accurate/good, and if necessary, sifted for the inaccurate/bad (1Th 5:19-22). New Testament prophecy, then, is accountable to Scriptural, personal, and governmental evaluation. Such comprehensive accountability signifies its demotion in the area of authority. We no longer see that "do-or-die-without-question" badge the Old Testament prophets wore.
Though New Testament prophecy has divinely-instituted boundaries and error potential, it nonetheless possesses a relative authority. This authority is relative to the authenticity and accuracy of the prophesied word, and, possesses authority over its situational target only. In other words, prophecies (or portions of prophecies) that are found to be genuine, possess authority only over the intended recipient (particular person, group, church, nation, organization, etc...). Paul had no obligation to obey the prophetic directive at Tyre since it was found to be partially inaccurate (Ac 21:4,17, 20:22). On the other hand, the Antiochan church was under all divine obligation to obey the word spoken there, because, after fasting and prayer, the directive was proven to be bona fide (Ac 13:1-3).
Herein is where Old and New Testament prophecy greatly differ. Attested Old Testament prophets and their prophecies did not need to be re-tested every time they uttered; authenticity was assumed once they were attested as genuine (1Sam 3:19,20, Isa 44:25,26). If the prophecy came from an attested prophet, the word was to be immediately and indisputably accepted by all Israel, or God would hold the rebel severely accountable. New Testament prophecy, though, demands testing to happen every single time a message is prophesied, no matter who the communicator is or how respected he/she might be (1Co 14:29, 1Th 5:19-22, 1Jn 4:1-6). Once confirmation has been attained (immediately or eventually), then that individual or group is accountable to that word, and that word possesses authority over them and only them.
In summary. Old Testament prophecy possessed a theocratic, absolute authority over all God's people, was not subject to continuous testing because of its perfect quality, and was above/over God's people. New Testament prophecy possesses a relative, situational authority, is subject to continuous testing because of its fallibility, and is therefore in submission to God's people.
OT prophets: external revelation
For example, God spoke to them in a direct audible voice, dictating exactly what to say and write. Sometimes He showed up in human or angelic form and spoke as two friends would. Sometimes He sent angels to appear on His behalf and dictate a message. Sometimes He spoke through dramatic physical visions, telling them simply to write exactly what they saw. Though He did reveal Himself and inspire Scripture in a few other, more subtle ways (guided observation, subconscious inspiration, etc.), external revelation was still the main form of Old prophetic revelation. The Old Testament is covered with such easy-to-not-mess-up revelatory encounters. The prophets did not always understand all of what they were encountering (Dan 8:27, Lk 10:24, 1Pet 1:10-12), but what they did encounter was easy enough to communicate without errors. This explains, in part, how the Old prophets were enabled to minister with 100% infallibility.
The New God communicates with New Testament prophets, in general, through internal revelations. The messages typically come in more subtle ways from deep within. Certainly God might/does speak externally when He desires, as in a physical vision (Ac 2:17,18, 9:10-16) or angelic appearance (Heb 13:2), yet I refer to the typical and most predictable form of divine communication in the New era. Ephesians 1:17,18 shows us this.
New prophets perceive the Lord no differently than the average Christian--internally. Ephesians 1:17,18 is a key passage in this regard. Paul's prayer was that all Christians would experience the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, the eyes of our hearts being enlightened (Colossians 1:9 reiterates this). In other words, internal revelation. He wrote to the Christians at Ephesus, which included the prophets (4:11). This suggests a certain norm and form of divine communication. (Again, God might/does speak externally, but I refer to the typical means Ephesians 1:17,18 suggests.)
illuminated Scripture.....2Ti 3:16, Heb 4:12; see also Lk 24:45
impression (sudden sense or understanding).....Ac 15:28, Ro 8:16, 1Co 2:16
compulsion (persistent conviction or "burden")...Php 2:13, 1Co 15:10
intrusive words/phrases.....Ac 8:29, 10:19,20, 13:2, 21:10,11
In the Old era, the Lord came to the prophet from outside (external revelation); in the New era, the Lord comes through the prophet from the inside (internal revelation). Once again, this is because the Spirit of wisdom and revelation now indwells the Christian, and therefore, He communicates with them from His residence within.
Amos prophesied to Amaziah that his wife would become a prostitute in the city, his children would be slain, and he himself would die in a pagan land (Am 7:17)--Amaziah's reward for disdaining the prophet's ministry. Nahum opens his prophetic speech by establishing an angry and vengeful Jehovah, as does Micah and Zephaniah. John the Baptist, though he appears in the New Testament, nonetheless ministered in the last days of the Old Covenant system. Consequently, we see him endowed not only with the spirit of Elijah, but also the spirit of all the Old prophets: hostile preaching and fixation on God's imminent wrath. We see this in his provocative and unsettling word-picture: a razor-sharp ax ready to cut down and burn every unrepentant Jewish soul (Lk 3:9). What is a pre-cross prophetic expression, and, why so harsh?
More than any other ministry type, prophets express the immediate mood of God. The Spirit of prophecy manifests His own mood through the prophet, giving him more than just a prophetic word, but also a prophetic mood that expresses the attitude of God toward the target audience. Therefore, the Old prophets were expressing God's attitude toward humanity (including Israel) in the pre-cross era.
In the pre-cross era, God's holy grudge against sinful mankind was still unresolved. The cross had not yet happened to pacify His anger. Since prophets manifest the immediate attitude of God, they shared in His grudge. From their calling to their death, they carried and expressed this divine hostility--Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah all clearly stated that the hand of the Lord gave them a holy bitterness and anger of spirit (Jer 15:17, Eze 3:14, Mic 3:8,9). Their in-your-face messages, stern demeanor, and super-intense ministry tactics all reflect a pre-cross prophetic expression flowing from an unsatisfied holy God.
The New Praise the Lord for the cross! Thank God with me! Jesus' marvelous act on the cross accomplished much more than we sometimes gather. The sin debt of mankind was fully paid for. Atonement was perfected and provided. The Trinity's holy grudge could now subside and taper. It is finished! triggered an eternal change in God's mood toward humanity, and especially His people. Would not such an epochal event create changes in every aspect of reality, prophecy included?
Ponder the sunny demeanor of 1Corinthians 14:3 in light of the cross...New prophecy strengthens, encourages, and comforts the people of God. Similarly, ponder the prophesying of Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32), or the Corinthian prophets (1Co 14:31), and how they express that sunnier side of prophecy. Contrast this New prophetic aura with that of the bitter-herb savor of Micaiah or Ahijah or Obadiah. In the Old era, righteous indignation was the prophetic foreground, expressing God's pre-cross attitude. In the New, such indignation is the background, His grace the foreground, expressing God's post-cross attitude. See Hebrews 12:18-24...Old prophets expressed the darkness, gloom, and terror of Mount Sinai, New prophets express the joy, redemption, and newness of Mount Zion. (NOTE: This certainly does not mean prophets do not rebuke, correct, and chastise boldly. However, their demeanor should reflect post-cross realities and graces.)
OT prophets: Jewish
Acts 2:17,18 connects prophetic ministry with the global outpouring of the Spirit. Acts 11:27-30 shows prophets bridging the gap between Christian Jew and Christian Gentile. Agabus and his prophetic team travel from Jerusalem to Antioch to declare a coming famine, which resulted in the predominantly Gentile church (Antioch) sending aid to the predominantly Jewish church (Jerusalem/Judea). Acts 13:1-3 shows primarily Gentile prophets commissioning Barnabas and Saul, Jewish apostles, to evangelize the Gentile world. Acts 15:22,32 show Jewish prophets, Judas and Silas, being sent to prophesy to a predominantly Gentile congregation (Antioch). Acts 19:6 shows Ephesian Gentiles prophesying before a Jewish apostle, as does the Tyrian Gentiles in 21:4. We can see Luke's consistent observation in Acts: New prophecy serves as an emulsifier for the global church.
Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 14:4,22 that prophecy is primarily for the church. Even more so, he tells us prophets are essential to the maturation of the church (Eph 4:11-13). Since we know the New Covenant church is multi-ethnic and global, we can see how the New Testament prophetic gift would possess a unique globalizing power. What Moses, Nathan, and Malachi could not do, Agabus, Judas, Silas, and every other New prophet can: unify the nations in Christ.
OT prophets: adversarial relationship with the faith community
Old Testament prophets possessed an adversarial relationship with the faith community. In general, they did not have a peaceful coexistence with the larger Israelite community. There are numerous reasons for this. One, they were God's theocratic representatives in the pre-cross era of divine hostility. Consequently, they were caught in the middle of a tense relationship between God and pre-cross humanity. Two, Old prophets were authoritative enforcers of the Mosaic Law. They were Jehovah's policemen, sin-seekers and heresy-hunters. Thus, they typically incurred the "bad guy" label (Hos 9:7,8, 1Ki 18:17,18, Am 7:10-13, Jer 26:7-11). Three, when they did come across sin and disobedience, they exposed it forcefully and specifically, often calling out names, places, and details. There was no gracious confrontation process we see in the New era (Mt 18:15-17, Tit 3:10). Unless you were as humble as David after Nathan torched him, you simply kept an aggravated distance from these prophets, and they from you.
The New New Testament prophets are not supposed to have an adversarial relationship with the church as the Old prophets did with Israel. They are to have a harmonious relationship with the faith community. There is to be a balanced and compatible co-existence. There are a few reasons for this, correlating with the reasons mentioned above.
One, New prophets are in a divinely-pacified post-cross era, and therefore, not caught in the middle of a tense relationship between heaven and earth. Two, New prophets are not authoritative enforcers of a harsh Old Covenant from Sinai, but anointed dispensers of a joyfully gracious New Covenant from Zion (1Co 14:3,4,31, 2Co 3:7-11, Heb 12:18-24). Three, New prophets might prophetically address sin, but they are not to do so in the Old manner. Prophetic corrections pertaining to individual Christians are to be submitted to the Matthew 18:15-17 process. Prophetic corrections pertaining to elders or church leaders are to be submitted to the 1Timothy 5:19 process. Prophetic corrections (that are serious and non-typical) that pertain to a church or ministry or group are to be privately submitted to the appropriate leadership for consideration and further protocol (1Th 5:12,13, 1Co 16:15,16). This certainly does not negate audacity and boldness in prophetic rebuke (1Co 14:24,25). Not at all. Rather, it simply means the demeanor and presentation possess a genuine spirit of grace.
Corrective prophetic protocol in the New era makes every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:3). In fact, all prophetic initiatives in the New are to make every effort to preserve harmonious relations with the faith community and with all people (Ro 12:18, Heb 12:14).
OT prophets: social separation from the faith community
The New How different is the New! New prophets are to be fully integrated into the faith community. This is fellowship. How can a prophetic Christian fulfill all the "one anothers" in the New Testament if they are not vitally integrated? The Bible tells all Christians to serve one another (Gal 5:13), pray for one another (Jas 5:16), encourage one another (Heb 3:13), teach one another (Col 3:16), confess to one another (Jas 5:16), and on and on. Above all, it tells us to love one another deeply, from the heart (1Pet 1:22). John had very strong words against those who despise fellow Christians (1Jn 2:9-11), or separate themselves from the fellowship (v19). In light of the "one anothers", we can see New prophets are not to be social separatists. (This certainly does not mean prophetic Christians should not have prophetic communities to support and sharpen one another. Such is legitimate and good. We see this is in Acts 11:27, with Agabus leading such a group.)
Remember Hebrews 12:18-24? New prophets do not carry the separatist spirit of Sinai; they carry the joyful assembly spirit of Zion. The curse has been removed from the born-again people of God because of the cross, He can now integrate Himself fully with them (Gal 3:13,14). Prophets no longer need to illustrate the chasm separating God and His pre-cross people, because that chasm is gone! New prophets are to illustrate this new reality through integration, fellowship, and partnership with the church.