1 Samuel 2:30 *“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests...[31] The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age*".
*CONDITIONAL PROPHECIES* (a)
Our opening text is the story of how God rejected Eli and his descendants and banished them from priesthood eternally. God made a promise that their branch of Levi will serve as priests forever (Ex 29:9,40:15, Numbers 25:13).
Eli descended from Ithamar, one of Aaron's surviving sons. God had previously established a perpetual covenant of priesthood with this ancestral house but He changed his mind on Eli and his descendants because they dishonoured him. Does God change His mind?
In this series, I want to address an issue that has bothered some believers and prophets. There are believers who received a prophetic word through a servant of God. However, due to its delay in fulfilment, they quickly tag the prophet "fake".
Some prophets also heard from God clearly about an issue. They declared it boldly as instructed by the Lord but they became cold and confused when there was no fulfilment of what they said. Some began to doubt if they truly heard God.
Neonates in prophetic ministry who are not trained in these things can abandon that aspect of ministry and keep their mouths shut for fear of being tagged fake. If you are called into the prophetic, please don't abandon your ministry.
You only need to learn how it works from a scriptural standpoint. That is why you need a sound knowledge of the word and submit to the ministry of a proven bible teacher to keep you in check.
All prophetic predictions fall into two categories basically:
(a) Conditional
(b) Unconditional.
#.*Conditional Prophecies*
*A conditional prophecy is a type of prophecy whose fulfilment hinges on certain conditions for it to be fulfilled. They are not cast in stone. Often, when men who receive the prophecy fulfill their part, God will fulfill His word*.
Some prophets who give prophecies do not understand this. They come out boldly to say "Thus saith the Lord" and some will even say, "If this prophecy doesn't come to pass, God did not send me". When I hear prophets who speak like that, I know they are ignorant and proud.
As someone gifted by God to see and hear into the realm of the spirit, before declaring a word openly, ask the Lord If there are conditions to be met for the prophecy to be fulfilled. One thing I know is that God will reveal it to you.
Oftentimes, the zeal that comes with receiving a word from God makes the receiver impatient to press further to know the nature of the word received from the Lord. This is where some prophets miss it.
You don't impress people with "Thus saith the Lord". It requires knowing the nature of what the Lord has said and the conditions attached to its fulfilment. Be patient to press further into God before declaring a prophetic prediction.
When next the Lord open your eyes to see or open your ears to hear and it is predictive in nature, ask the Lord If there are conditions attached to it or not before declaring it to those concerned.
To the recipients of prophetic predictions, don't be quick to call God's messenger "fake" If the word hasn't come to pass. Humbly go to God and ask If there are conditions to be met for its fulfilment
I receive wisdom to handle the prophetic in Jesus name.