I’m continuing to look at Danny Silk’s book “Culture of Honour”. Last time, we looked specifically at Danny (and Bethel’s) understanding of who apostles are. Here, I want to have a look at what he says about prophets. Silk writes:
The next vital piece in the government of a revival culture is the role of the prophet. This is the next piece of the plumbing that pipes Heaven to earth. The foundation is incomplete without the presence of the prophetic anointing. God emphasizes the vitally important role of the prophet throughout the Scriptures:[1]
As we have already seen, the Bethel worldview is that our job is to bring about heaven on earth and so, the church becomes the place, environment where this happens whilst leaders are the funnel through which it happens. I guess they are comparable to Jacob’s ladder (seen at a different Bethel). Apostles are the first connection in the pipeline, prophets follow.
Success is built through the value we maintain for the prophetic voices in our environment, because our prosperity comes through our agreements with Heaven’s culture, and the prophets clarify the reality of that culture for us and invite us to enter it.[2]
So, the prophet’s role is to help bring the culture of Heaven here. There are two things we might want to pause and reflect on here. First, what do we mean by “Heaven’s culture.” My reading so far of Bethel literature suggests that primarily this is seen to be the spectacular supernatural, sings and wonders or miracles and healings. Secondly, the aim is “prosperity”. We will wantg to keep an eye out for where that word is taking us, what is meant by it. At this stage though, the suggestion that the aim is “our prosperity” should at least have our antennae on alert.
Silk says that:
Apostles keep us believing, but prophets keep us expecting that God is coming. The dynamic ways in which God speaks to the prophet, including dreams, visions, and trances, create awareness of God’s involvement with us. These supernatural tools introduce an infusion of sensitivity toward Heaven’s activity and plans.[3]
This leaves us with some questions. Is it only in these wats that God comes, God shows up? Traditionally we have talked in terms of The Word, Communion and Baptism as “means of Grace”. In other words, we expect God to show up in these seemingly very normal things.
Silk concludes:
The prophet and the apostle can get along famously because both are looking into Heaven and recreating what they see there on the earth. They should work together like a bow and arrow seeking the same goals. Doubtless, this is why they are the foundation of the New Testament church.[4]
How do we see what is in heaven? Silk and Bethel argue that it is through these people with a special gift to see into heaven and recreate it here. It is worth noting that Scripture says nothing of this kind of function. Indeed, the Apostle Paul makes only one reference to getting a glimpse into heaven of that kind of vision type but refuses to speak much further about it.[5] We of course have John’s vision in Revelation but that is intended to show the big picture of what God is doing through history on earth rather than to give a blueprint of something to recreate. Surely though in terms of knowing what heaven is like, we have all that Scripture tells us and particularly we have Christ himself who came from Heaven. We should not be looking for something extra or different.
Silk’s understanding of both apostles and prophets is different to what we see in Scripture. This is true whether we think of capital A and P Apostles and Prophets who reveal Scripture or wider roles. Prophets in Scripture simply pass on what God tells them. We are told that “the spirit of prophecy is Jesus.” In other words, it’s job is to point us to him.
Silk uses Bible words and indeed words that other charismatics will recognise but I would submit that he means something quite different by them.
[1] Silk, Danny. Culture of Honor: Sustaining a Supernatural Enviornment: Sustaining a Supernatural Environment (p. 65). Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
[2] Silk, Danny. Culture of Honor: Sustaining a Supernatural Enviornment: Sustaining a Supernatural Environment (pp. 65-66). Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
[3] Silk, Danny. Culture of Honor: Sustaining a Supernatural Enviornment: Sustaining a Supernatural Environment (p. 66). Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
[4] Silk, Danny. Culture of Honor: Sustaining a Supernatural Enviornment: Sustaining a Supernatural Environment (p. 67). Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
[5] Silk, Danny. Culture of Honor: Sustaining a Supernatural Enviornment: Sustaining a Supernatural Environment (p. 67). Destiny Image. Kindle Edition.
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