The prophet's handbook

glory of the God of Israel; Ezekiel, also coming face-to-face with the Lord upon His throne. Then there are Elijah and Elisha, whose handling of God’s power boggles the mind when one thinks of the way the Lord listened to and granted their abnormal prayer requests. And let us not forget Daniel’s legendary visions. As an ongoing part of their profession, these human wonders moved and roamed about the supernatural almost at will. However, the privileged calling did not come without a price—a very high price. These examples were included to show that the prophet‘s anointing is not merely a spiritual, intangible ordeal. There are physical experiences that go with it to evidence the supernatural at work within. Often this evidence goes way past the incidental to produce totally transformative effects in those the Lord entrusts enough to endow so extensively. Another significant example of God’s prophetic upgrade is David’s anointing of power to become the king of Israel. It is widely accepted that although David was a king, he was also a prophet and thus underwent the same preparations as his prophetic predecessors. So, how is it that his anointing for royalty translated into his ability to kill lions and bears before he even fought his first war? The answer is his prophetic upgrade and enhancements. Look at Samson. His anointing also enabled him physically to exhibit superhuman strength. Again and again we see physical strength and might accompanying the anointing to move and rule in the Spirit. Over and over the spiritual, the supernatural, and the natural are interlinked as a network of divine bestowals. New Testament anointing for this office is no less spiritual or powerful. Due to the resident Holy Spirit within, what the Lord does with His prophets appears to emphasize less of the physical and more of the supernatural. However, Peter’s miraculous shadow says otherwise, as does Philip’s literal translation from place to place to preach the gospel. His physical translations recall Elijah, who was known to disappear at will, and Ezekiel, who preached in Jerusalem while exiled in Babylon. Besides these, there is Paul, who understood his unusual capabilities as the power of the risen Christ at work in human vessels. (See 2 Corinthians 4:7.) When it comes to the Lord’s amazing power at work within His ministers and His strength at their disposal, the glory was always meant to go to the Lord. Instead of just being able to perform Herculean feats with their arms and hands, the New Testament offices now tap into the truth behind all those physical displays of the Old Testament: the word of the living God. The New Testament minister simply speaks and God’s Spirit does the work by manifesting or physicalizing any word spoken by him, as Jesus said in John 14:10. The Prophet as God’s Thinker