The
prophetic ministry is to hold things to the full thought of God, to his
original intention, to his plan and purpose, as it centres on the sovereign
will of God. Therefore the prophetic ministry may be seen as a reactionary
thing. We find often in the Scripture that the prophets arose as a reaction
from God to the course and drift of things amongst his people. They called the
people back to God, back to the Law and the basic foundation of the covenant
people. They declared anew the will of God. They pronounced anew the mind of
God as it already had been done by prophets before them. The prophets always
brought into clear view again the thoughts of God.

The
prophets of God stood in the midst of the stream, the fast rushing stream of
culture, religion and politics. They were standing like a rock and the course
of things broke over them. They challenged and resisted that course. Their
presence in the midst of the stream represented God’s mind as against the
prevailing course of things and the political correct opinions.

We find
that in the Old Testament, the prophets usually came into their ministry at a
time when things were spiritually bad and anything but according to the will of
God. The prophets arose when the state was evil, things were confused, mixed,
chaotic, in times of much deception and falsehood. Here we see the things to
which the prophetic ministry relates: the full, original and ultimate purpose
of God in and through his people.

People
often confuse parts of the purpose of God with the whole, and emphasise phases
to the loss of the whole. They are confusing means and methods and enthusiasm
and zeal with the exact object of the Lord. Therefore so many fail to recognise
that God’s purpose must be reached in God’s way and by God’s means. The way and
the means are just as important as the purpose. We cannot reach God’s ends just
anyhow, by any kind of method that we may employ. Our own human ideas, programmes
or schemes may never take us to God’s end. God has his own way and means of
getting to his ultimate end.

Through the
building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness we come to understand that God’s
thoughts extend to the smallest detail of his purpose for his dwelling-place,
for his people. We can never fully realise the purpose of God except as the
very details are according to the mind of God. In the building of the
Tabernacle God did not leave single detail, a peg or a pin’s point, a stitch or
a thread, to the mind of man. Moses, the prophet, ensured that everything was
built according to the heavenly pattern.

The
prophetic ministry is to present God’s full, original and ultimate purpose, as
it is according to his heart, and hold it like that for God. The prophetic
ministry is to interpret the heart of God in all matters concerning the purpose
of God. The prophetic ministry is to bring all details into line with the will
of God and make the purpose of God govern everything. Thus the prophetic ministry
is to bring about a restoration of all things according to the heart of God and
bring everything in harmony with his secret plan and purpose in Christ.