New Covenant Prophecy (6) Prophets to the Nations

I agree with Dan McCollam that we should not appeal to the old covenant when prophesying to the nations. It was a covenant with the children of Israel. The modern nations have never agreed to the terms of the old covenant, so they are not accountable to it.

However, we need a clearer understanding of the role of the Prophet to a Nation. This is a different role from the prophet speaking to people or to a church. As Dan says, the latter should be imparting courage, strength and comfort to the body of Jesus so they can take hold of their earth-shaking destinies. They should be imparting courage, strength and comfort to transform the world with kingdom realities. They should be releasing the grace that transforms the earth with a message of reconciliation, because the role of the church is reconciliation (2 Cor 5:17-19).

The role of a prophet to a nation is different. I have described it more fully in Prophet to a Nation. 1 Cor 14 is directed to prophecy in the church. If we apply it to prophecy to nations we will get a limited view. To understand the role, we need to learn from the OT prophets, but do it with careful discernment.

Nations and their leaders have a strong tendency to turn away from God, so they often need warning and correction. Christians living within them need a clear trumpet sound, so they know what they should do.

If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound,
who will prepare for battle? (1 Cor 15:8).

If a Christian prophet is called to bring prophecies to their nation, they must make a transition to the different level of operation. They must not bring spiritual warm fuzzies when the nation really needs a clear trumpet call. The should be answering the following questions.

• What is going on in this nation?
• What are the spiritual powers of evil planning to do?
• Has the season changed?
• What are the signs of a turning point?
• What do the people of the nation or its leaders need to do to turn things around?
• What is God doing in the nation?
• What do the people of God need to do, to be a part of what the Lord is doing?

A calling to speak to the nation will be rare. Most prophets will function as an elder in a Church and only a few will become a Prophet to the Nation. We should not confuse these two roles. Most prophetic people will never get beyond the ordinary role of elder in their Church. Those with a ministry in a Church should not presume to be a Jeremiah or an Amos. God will need to much work in their lives, before they are ready for this difficult task.