Silencing the Prophetic

The establishment often finds the prophetic disturbing and tries to shut it down, but they cannot silence the Holy Spirit. Jezebel tried to kill the prophets, bit she was not able to silence them. Obadiah had hidden a hundred prophets. Miciah was at work in the city (1 Kings 22). Jezebel used intimidation and fear against Elijah, because they are powerful weapons against prophets. He turned and ran, and hid in a cave surrounded by self-pity, but the Holy Spirit did not give up. Once God got Elijah out of his cave, he was able to hear the Spirit’s voice and complete his work, appointing a successor and anointing a new king. Ahab and Jezebel were both killed in fulfillment of prophetic words. The OT prophets got the job done, despite the opposition.

In the same way, the church can push the prophets down, but it cannot silence them. If the pastors will not carry the prophet’s message to the church, the Holy Spirit can find other ways to get it to the people. The priests tried to silence Amos, but God got his word to the people. The King tried to shut up Jeremiah, but his word got through.

Prophets are responsible for the words that God gives them. If the prophetic word does not get to the people, they cannot just blame the pastors as an excuse. Hostility from the pastors does not absolve the prophet of responsibility to speak. It requires them to press into the Spirit to find how he wants the word delivered. If he can speak the original world, he can explain how he wants it disseminated.

Jezebel silenced Elijah for a time, but she could not silence the Holy Spirit. When Elijah came out of the cave and listened, the Holy Spirit provided a another way to get the word out. Elisha was anointed and he sent a young man to anoint Jehu who would destroy Jezebel (2 Kings 9:1).

I suspect that too many prophets are sitting in their caves feeling that their ministry is finished, because they have been rejected by the church, when God has work for them to do. Sharing words with prophetic people, especially those who are still hiding in a cave is not the fulfillment of the prophetic calling.