What Makes a True Prophet? Understanding God's Divine Council

Many Christians today have misconceptions about biblical prophets, often viewing them as wild-eyed doom and gloom fanatics. However, understanding the true nature of prophetic calling reveals a profound pattern throughout Scripture that validates authentic messengers of God.

What Is a Prophet Really?

Contrary to popular belief, forecasting future events is only a tiny part of what makes a prophet. The primary role of a prophet is to speak for God - to look people in the eye and tell them the unvarnished truth about their relationship with the Almighty.

Prophets were men and women who, at God's direction, confronted their fellow Israelites about their disloyalty to God. They delivered hard truths that people generally didn't want to hear, which is why most prophets faced persecution or death.

The Pattern Begins in Eden

Adam: The First Prophet

The prophetic pattern actually begins with Adam in the Garden of Eden. When Scripture says "they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden," it describes a physical presence - God literally walking and making noise with His feet. This wasn't merely a spiritual manifestation.

Adam and Eve were familiar with God's presence. There was no surprise or shock when they heard Him walking. They had experienced divine encounters before. Once humanity spread beyond Eden, Adam became the one who spoke for God to others, making him the first prophet.

Enoch and Noah: Walking with God

Both Enoch and Noah are described as those who "walked with God." This language expresses divine presence and communication. The New Testament specifically calls Enoch a prophet, describing how he prophesied about God's coming judgment.

Noah also walked with God and spoke for Him, prophesying the coming flood and warning his contemporaries. Tragically, no one listened - a pattern that would repeat throughout prophetic history.

The Divine Council Pattern

Meeting with God First

A crucial pattern emerges throughout Scripture: when God chooses someone to represent Him, the first person they must meet with is God Himself. This isn't about talking to pastors, deacons, or church committees first - it's about having a direct divine encounter.

This divine validation is essential. If someone claims to be called to ministry and their first answer about their calling relates to family tradition rather than a personal encounter with God, their calling should be questioned.

The Patriarchs' Divine Encounters

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had direct encounters with God that validated their prophetic status. These meetings often occurred at sacred places like the Oak of Moreh (meaning "oak of the teacher") or the Oaks of Mamre - locations that became known as holy ground where divine beings appeared.

Abraham was called from paganism to become the conduit for God's truth to the disinherited nations. This calling to declare God's truth to those who don't know Him continues today for all believers.

Classical Prophets and the Divine Council

Isaiah's Throne Room Vision

Isaiah's call provides one of the clearest examples of the divine council pattern. He saw "the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up" surrounded by seraphim. When God asked, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" the grammar reveals both singular ("I") and plural ("us") - indicating God and His council.

Notably, God didn't promise Isaiah success or prosperity. Instead, He warned that people wouldn't listen until their hearts became hard as flint.

Ezekiel's Dramatic Encounter

Ezekiel's call was even more dramatic. Rather than being transported to God's throne room, God and His entourage came down to meet Ezekiel. The prophet saw a stormy wind, great cloud, and fire, with a figure having human appearance sitting on a throne.

When Ezekiel saw this vision, he fell on his face - the consistent biblical response to divine encounters. Scripture never records anyone falling backward in God's presence, which should make us question certain modern "spiritual" manifestations.

Jeremiah's Divine Touch

Jeremiah's call included God physically touching his mouth and placing His words there. God warned Jeremiah not to be afraid of the people he would address, acknowledging the difficulty of the prophetic task.

The Litmus Test for True Prophets

Standing in God's Council

Jeremiah 23 provides the crucial test for distinguishing true from false prophets: "For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear his word?" True prophets have stood and listened in God's divine council, while false prophets have not.

God declares: "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people."

Modern Application

This biblical pattern didn't end with the Old Testament. The same validation applies today. If someone claims to be a prophet of God, the question to ask is: "Have you stood in the council?" If they don't even know what that means, it's time to step back.

True prophets are characterized by being brokenhearted and having worn-out knees from constant prayer. Otherwise, they're usually just angry people trying to advance personal agendas in the modern church.

Life Application

The pattern of divine encounter before prophetic ministry challenges us to examine our own relationship with God. Before we can effectively speak for God to others, we must first meet with God ourselves. This applies whether we're called to formal ministry or simply called to share God's truth as believers.

Consider these questions: Have you had a genuine encounter with God that validates your calling to serve Him? When you speak about spiritual matters, are you sharing from personal experience with God or merely repeating what you've heard? Are you more concerned with being successful by worldly standards or being faithful to God's truth, even when it's unpopular?

Remember that even Jesus, by worldly standards, wasn't "successful" - He had only 120 people waiting in the upper room after His resurrection. The measure isn't numbers but faithfulness to God's calling and truth.