The prophet's handbook

will pay the price to stand in it. Subordinate prophets fit three categories: new or novice, trainer or moderately equipped, class-or realm-assigned. Of the three, the first two are candidates for promotion. The last one is class-or realm-assigned because it is a God-ordained subordinate position. Other types of leadership prophets come under the heading of apprentice prophets. Their duties, though significant, revolve around serving a senior prophet to gain the experience and confidence needed to execute the ministry. Subordinate prophets have less authority within their assigned area. However, they are vital to the organization and are no less valued by God than the chief prophets they serve. Elijah and Elisha are examples of the chief/subordinate relationship. Moses and Joshua are another. Samuel with his school of prophets, as well as Elisha after Elijah’s departure, are two more. Peter, James, and John over the remaining twelve apostles and Paul are additional examples. While some prophets are loners, isolated for special, divine dispatches for which they were created and prepared, most prophets have an ordained chief within their territory whom they are assigned to serve. Scripture and history show that more prophets served in companies than alone. This current independence and alienation from one another, aside from being contrary to Scripture, is detrimental to God’s overall prophetic mission. If there is no established school or study group for a subordinate prophet to serve under a chief prophet, then he or she should seek other credible means of getting trained and becoming accountable. As Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah (meaning that he served him) and Gehazi served as assistant to Elisha, in like manner, contemporary prophets need to put in their time under their designated chiefs. The time can be as long as twenty years or as brief as three months. The decision, however, is God’s, not man’s. Three years, though, appears in Scripture to be the reasonable minimum amount of time a subordinate should expect to serve. However, it seems that prophets are not thoroughly equipped until they serve ten years. Fifteen to twenty years appears to be the norm. Prophetic Classes Identified The eight prophetic classes operate within the ten prophetic realms listed below. They show the human field of duty assignments the prophet is likely to be placed in.

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