Quick Q&A: Are there any modern-day prophets? Who are they?

Answer: Right now, the only “prophets” in the world are those in the general sense: those God inspires to warn the world about what the Bible says is to come. We see this reflected in Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

However, as for a “Prophet” (note that capital “P”!) in the sense of someone who receives special communication directly from God that conveys information—such as detailed information about the future—that couldn’t be known from, say, understanding the Bible, no, there is no one today who fits that role. Are there a lot of people who claim to be Prophets? You bet! But when it comes time for the rubber to meet the road with those people, they always fall short. Among other things, the Bible says that a real Prophet has to be accurate in His predictions (see Deuteronomy 18:22) and has to properly preach and teach obedience to God’s laws (see Deuteronomy 13:1-4 and Isaiah 8:20), and, frankly, no current “Prophets” out there fit the bill.

There have not been such Prophets in God’s Church for centuries. Part of the reason is that the Bible—God’s revealed word—is now complete. In the last book of the Bible to be revealed and written down, the book of Revelation, God caps things off: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). Once we had God’s Word written in the Bible, the need for Prophets among God’s people changed. And God is all about fulfilling the need, not giving fancy titles merely for the sake of giving fancy titles.

Still, there may be Prophets to come. The Bible says that that in the final three-and-a-half years before Jesus Christ returns, He will give power to two people who “will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). But currently, as of this writing, there are exactly nada, zilch, zero known Prophets, and don’t let anyone trick you into thinking otherwise. Still, those with other offices among God’s people—Evangelists, Pastors, etc.—continue to warn the world and preach the Word.