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Some Basics About Prophecy (Endnotes)

1. Throughout this book, “God” refers to God, “the Lord” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, and “LORD” is the English translation of the Hebrew “Yahweh,” which is the personal name of God used in the Old Testament. In some places it has been difficult for me to decide whether to use “God” or “Lord,” because they both give revelation and both inspire prophetic messages. To use only “God” or only “Lord” is to exclude one, but to use “God or the Lord” seems too wordy. By using “Lord” many times in this book, I have tried to recognize the Lord Jesus as head of the Church, and recognize the fact that he does inspire prophecy. I am certainly not trying to dishonor God in any fashion, but recognize that “…He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him” (John 5:23b). Close

2. For an explanation of “revelation,” see Appendix D: “Revelation: What It Is and How It Is Received.” Close

3. “Yahweh” is the personal name of God. It first occurs in Genesis 2:4 and then more than 6,000 times in the Old Testament. It is translated “Jehovah” in some versions, but in most versions it is translated “LORD.” The word “lord” is a general title for any lord, master, owner, or overseer. In contrast, “Yahweh” is God’s personal name; it is not a title or general term. Always translating “Yahweh” as “LORD” is very much like always calling someone “Sir” or “Mister,” and never using his real name. In the contest between Yahweh and Baal, this distinction becomes very important, because in Hebrew, “Baal” is both the name of a specific pagan god and a general title meaning “lord, owner, husband, ruler.” Translating “Yahweh” as “LORD” in this context can reduce the contest to simply which “lord” will be the one worshipped by Israel. Close

4. “The Holy Spirit” (capital “H,” capital “S”) refers to God. At the time a person becomes saved, he is given God’s divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Because God is holy (Isa. 6:3), and God is spirit (John 4:24), His nature is “holy spirit.” Throughout Christian history, much confusion has been caused by not understanding the difference between the Holy Spirit (God, the Giver) and holy spirit (the gift, the divine nature). The gift of holy spirit inside an individual cannot be detected by the five senses. However, it can be “manifested,” brought to light. Prophecy is one of the nine manifestations listed in 1 Corinthians 12. For more on being born again and the difference between the Holy Spirit and holy spirit, see Mark Graeser, John Lynn, John Schoenheit, The Gift of Holy Spirit: Every Christian’s Divine Deposit (Christian Educational Services, Indianapolis, IN, 2005), see all of Chapter One, “God’s Divine Deposit In You.” Close

5. People have argued for centuries about what makes someone a “Christian.” Biblically, a Christian is one who has obeyed Romans 10:9. He has confessed Jesus as his Lord and has believed that God raised him from the dead. At that time God places the fullness of holy spirit, His divine nature, in the person, and he becomes a Christian. Going to church, doing good deeds, being immersed in water, believing in God, etc., are all good works, but they do not make one a Christian because they do not result in his having the fullness of holy spirit sealed inside him. A Christian has holy spirit on the inside, and thus can hear from God. For more information, see Becoming a Christian: Why? What? How? by Christian Educational Services. Close

6. The NASB translation of Proverbs 29:18a says, “Where there is no vision, [i.e., no revelation from God], the people are unrestrained….” The phrase “are unrestrained” does not quite communicate the full meaning in this context. The Hebrew word means, “let go, let alone” (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew And English Lexicon). It is used of “uncovering” someone or something by taking off clothing; making naked; and “letting go” of wise counsel by refusing or ignoring it. When people walk without God to the end that there is not prophetic vision, they are, in effect, “let go” by God. At that point, of course, many of them follow their fleshly desires and act in an unrestrained fashion. However, some “perish” (KJV), some “become demoralized” (NAB), and of course, without God’s provision and covering, they are all “naked” (YLT) and exposed to the tricks and traps of the Adversary. Close

7. These verses in Isaiah 41 make the point that idols cannot tell the future. God is contrasting these idols, which cannot tell the future, with Himself, who can, and shows Himself to be the true God by doing so. The fact that idols cannot tell the future exposes them as false gods. Scripture says we should know God is God because He accurately foretells what is coming in the future, which of course, He does. This one clear evidence for God’s existence exposes the folly of those people who refuse to believe in God. Close

8. These words are defined in the Glossary, and more will be said about them later. Close

9. The NIV says the slave woman had “…a spirit by which she predicted the future….” Although this was true, a spirit of divination can give all sorts of detailed information about people, not just their future. Usually, it is this detailed information that “hooks” people into following the advice of the demon. The actual demon in Acts 16 was “a spirit of Python,” (Greek text), the Python spirit being the symbol of Apollo, and the spirit inhabiting the Oracle at Delphi in Ancient Greece. Close