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.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
About Jesus
55-0612 §30
Here not long ago, a man met me, he said, "Brother Branham, I've tried to search your ministry, your teaching, but there's only one thing,"---and this a full Gospel brother---he said, "there's only one thing that you make a mistake in." He said, "That is: talking about an Angel." Said, "That's God." He said, "There's no angels of the New Testament. Angels was of the Old Testament." Said, "Daniel had angels, and so forth, that followed him, and the old prophets and so forth. But in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit...
Earnestly contending for the faith once delivered
56-0419 §21
Now let's go back to the beginning and find out what kind of a faith the saints had. And then compare it with that, with what we're taught then we have some general conception. Then if we can find out what the faith was and that faith becomes a living article right here, not in 1956, but this night, here in Spindale, then it becomes the same faith that was back there, living, acting, everywhere like it was then, we'll really contend for it then, because the Scripture says. The first time we were called saints, of c...
Things that are to be
65-1205 §34
...es all the time. And the apostle Peter was one of those fire brands that preached, and so forth. And Paul was more scholarly like, more of the ... like the prophet or something, and set back and... See, Moses wrote the first four books of the Old ... which he wrote the Old Testament. The rest of it was the laws, and Kings, and Psalms, and so forth, and what someone wrote of the prophets. But Moses wrote the laws, the first four books of the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. And then, Paul wrote th...
A True Sign that's overlooked
61-1112 §18
And now, in St. John the first chapter and the sixth verse we read these verse ... or, this verse. St. John the first chapter and the sixth verse: And there was a man sent from God, whose name was John ... a man sent from God, whose name was John. And in Ezekiel 24:24, I wish to place this scripture in, tying it from the Old Testament, to the prophets, to the New Testament, so that you'll understand it's all the way through from Exodus, the beginning to the end. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all tha...
Paradox
61-1210 §115
The whole thing is a paradox, God moving amongst His people. Do you believe that? Let us bow our heads for a word of prayer. God, now for over an hour, about an hour and ten minutes, we have stood here speaking of past and present events, of how the Holy Spirit dividing them, Lord, as the Word of God has so graciously did; showing that the very God of heaven, who lived in the old days, in the same form and the same way lives today. The same wonders, and the same power that was upon the prophets of old, that was upo...