Do We Have Prophets in the New Testament?
1) Direct answer
Yes. The New Testament has prophets, and God still sets prophets in the Church today. They do not add new Scripture, but they call God’s people back to the written Word, reveal what is hidden, warn, and edify the Body.
2) Scriptural explanation
- God placed prophets in the Church: “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets…” (1 Corinthians 12:28). “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets… for the perfecting of the saints… till we all come… unto a perfect man” (Ephesians 4:11-13). We have not yet arrived at that global perfection, so the ministry remains.
- New Testament examples: Prophets and teachers in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Agabus who foretold famine and Paul’s bonds (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10-11). Judas and Silas, “being prophets also themselves” (Acts 15:32). Philip’s four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:9).
- Order and testing: “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge” (1 Corinthians 14:29). “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). The standard is the Word: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). If a thing is spoken in the Name of the Lord and does not come to pass, don’t fear it (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
- End-time promise: “Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things” (Matthew 17:11; see Malachi 4:5-6). That points to a prophetic ministry before the great and dreadful day of the Lord—a restoring call back to the original Word, not the writing of a new Bible. Revelation 10:7 shows that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished—again, not adding Scripture, but bringing to light what God already gave.
3) Simple clarifying logic
- If Jesus “gave” prophets for the Church “till we all come” to full maturity, then prophets continue until that purpose is fulfilled.
- The same Holy Spirit who inspired prophecy in Acts has not changed. Therefore the gifts and offices He set remain, with the same Bible standard of judgment.
- True prophecy never contradicts Scripture, never leads to sin or pride, and always exalts Jesus Christ and holiness. False prophecy fails the Word test, the fruit test, and the fulfillment test.
4) Reinforcing statement
Now notice, the Bible does not tell us to reject prophecy; it tells us not to despise it, but to judge it by the Word. A true New Testament prophet will point the Bride back to the written Word, reveal the secrets of the heart, and prepare a people for the coming of the Lord.
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Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The great warrior Joshua
55-0119 §2
Someone, as I was telling you, I never finished it, about the little word that someone wrote me--a criticism. Not in this meeting, now; in another meeting. Said, "Reverend Branham, I had lots of confidence in you as a man of God until I heard you say, under your inspiration, that you was a prophet." Well, said, "You don't say it just at that time." Well, that wasn't me saying it then; it was Him. So, argue with Him about it. He's the one. And after all, my dear friend, you know what a prophet is, a New Testament pr...
I will restore
54-0620A §17
And we seen this through the Old Testament, and the New Testament day, winding up, which everything in the Bible by numbers in perfection is three, like: Father, Son, Holy Spirit; justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Spirit; water, blood, Spirit, and all these things. Threes, sevens, twelves, twenty-fours, forties, and fifties is God's numbers. That you understand. Forty is temptations, and fifty is jubilee. And, oh, you understand those by your pastors. But now, if you'll notice, as they wind their w...
Convinced then concerned
62-0118 §97
Now, I read the Old Testament first, and I seen what God was in the Old Testament through those prophets. I come over to the New Testament, and I taken the New Testament. And I found out the same God of the Old Testament was also the same God of the New Testament. Then I took from the New Testament down to the organizing of the early Catholic church, which is about three hundred years, at the Nicea Council when the bishops taken the name of Pope. And the Roman church which took the dogma side, and the Orthodox Cath...
I perceive You are a prophet
53-0614E §20
Now, you couldn't heal them. No other man could heal them. They have to accept their healing as God's free gift to them. He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. Then see, there's nothing at all that you can do towards salvation or divine healing. It's the individual's faith in Christ. Now, to bring up this faith in Christ, there's ministers. That's the most important thing of the day, is a good God-sent preacher. I admire them. And their gift is far beyond anything could be done in a...
The faith once delivered to the saints
55-0501E §22
Now, we couldn't go to the Old Testament, because they wasn't called saints in the Old Testament. They were saints in the New Testament. Therefore, we'd have to begin from the New Testament. Well, then the New Testament was based upon Christianity, which come from Christ. And Christ was the first Administrator of the faith that we should contend for, because it was the faith that He introduced to the world. Christ born, virgin-born Son of God... John was between the law and the dispensation of grace. Luke 16:16 sai...