Do We Still Need Prophets?

Why don’t Christians have a prophet like the Mormon Church does? Hasn’t God always operated through a prophet? How can we know what to do in today’s world if God isn’t giving modern revelation? Well, quite simply, we do have a living prophet—His name is Jesus. And in this video, I want to show you what exactly the Bible teaches about modern prophets.

Old Testament Prophets

The Old Testament teaches that God had a special and unique relationship with certain individuals who held the office of “prophet”. Men like Moses, Isaiah, and Daniel had unique roles in Israel—they heard the “Word of the Lord” and would relay those words to God’s people. In fact, Amos 3:7 even goes so far as to say,

“For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)

Whenever God wanted to communicate something to His people, He would speak through these prophets. So, because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever…shouldn’t we expect prophets to give us the Word of the Lord today JUST LIKE they did back then? The answer, from the Bible, is an emphatic NO. Here are three reasons why:

1) Jesus Fulfills the Office of Prophet

In Old Testament Israel, God’s people needed mediators to stand between them and God. These mediators were prophets & priests. Prophets spoke on behalf of a Holy God to sinful people, and priests mediated on behalf of sinful people to God chiefly by offering sacrifices. Today, we no longer need these roles! Why? Because we have JESUS, the greater priest and prophet. Hebrews 1:1 says,

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” (Hebrews 1:1)

In other words, a long time ago (in Israel’s history) God used to speak various messages through various prophets…but in this Church age, God has spoken—definitively—through His Son. Where prophets ONCE mediated on behalf of God, Jesus now fulfills that role! 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says,

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all…” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

2) God’s Spirit is Given to All Christians

Under the Old Covenant, God’s Spirit was specially given to His prophets to equip them for their unique role. But this special giving of His Spirit was extremely limited. At any given time in Israel’s history only a small handful of people were gifted in this way. The rest of the people then, were dependent upon these Spirit-filled men as intermediaries between them and God.

In fact, Moses said that he wished ALL God’s people could have God’s Spirit like that, and be prophets. Numbers 11 records

“But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29)

But now, God’s Spirit is given freely to all Christians! Before Jesus’s crucifixion, He taught His disciples…

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth…The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:16-17, 26).

This promise was fulfilled after Jesus’ ascension on the day of Pentecost. On that day, God gave His Holy Spirit to the men and women waiting in Jerusalem. These 120 Christians immediately began preaching the Gospel in different languages and when the crowd asked what was happening, Peter explained that this had always been God’s plan. In Acts 2:17 Peter quotes the prophet Joel saying,

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” (Acts 2:17).

There are no longer just a few who are Spirit-filled amongst God’s people, because now He gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who hears the Gospel and believes in Christ for eternal life. Ephesians 1:13-14 says,

“When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, [you] were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

We no longer need Prophets in the same way because every Christian has immediate and unrestricted access to God by His Spirit who dwells within us!

3) God’s message is proclaimed by all Christians

God’s chosen messengers in the Old Testament were prophets, and His summary message was that people needed a Savior. Jesus teaches us that God’s message for people today is the good news—the Gospel—that if sinners stop trying to earn worthiness in God’s eyes, and simply place their faith in Jesus…their sins can be forgiven and they can have eternal life. The ones charged to deliver this message of good news? All His disciples! At the end of Mathew’s Gospel, Jesus says,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

This is why the Bible teaches that the last prophet in history was John the Baptist, who concluded his ministry before Jesus’ death.

“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached…”  (Luke 16:16).

Today, God sends His disciples to proclaim His message instead of a small and select group of prophets.

So what’s the point?

We no longer need a man to mediate between us and God because we have Jesus. God’s people no longer have restricted access to Him because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. And the ones tasked with delivering God’s message today, are Christians. Simply put, we no longer have need for modern prophets like the LDS Church has.

If there is no longer a need for modern prophets, then we must ask ourselves…who are these men who claim to be prophets? Jesus warned about false prophets who would LOOK a lot like the genuine thing. We are commanded to “test everything, and hold fast to what is good.” We must test the prophets and apostles of the LDS Church.