And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.” (Revelation 22:6)

Fascinating descriptions of God abound in Scripture, of which this is one. A few observations will highlight the significance of referring to the Lord as “the God of the spirits of the prophets.” First, the book of Revelation is a prophecy, and thus John writes as a prophet. From an earthly viewpoint, prophets are to be highly honored, but they are simply a tool, often without any significant qualifications. John had been a businessman carrying on the family trade (fishing). Yet God raised him up to be a divine mouthpiece to convey the great picture story of end-times prophecy. The honor, therefore, goes to the God of the prophet, rather than the human instrument. Remember, God can speak through a donkey (Num 22:27); He can bring praise out of rocks (Luke 19:40). So He can use any human as a prophet. The point is that the focus is on God, the author of the prophecy.

Further, He is the God of not only the prophets, but also “the spirits of the prophets.” Paul uses that phrase in speaking of order in the church: “The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:32–33). He controls and directs His prophets. In the worship service of the church, there should be order and control in how things play out; those speaking on behalf of God are under both God’s control and self-control. In other words, worship is not a completely unleashed experience where a prophet loses all control of his utterances, as some in certain factions of Christendom believe. Prophetic utterances don’t require the prophet to go into a hypnotic or even a completely passive mode. His conscious awareness and self-control work together with and are brought under the control of God, who is the “God of the spirits of the prophets.”

Too often today Christians seek an instantaneous and overwhelming emotional experience of God’s presence in their lives, some sort of spiritual manifestation to prove God is real in this physical, tangible world. We believe God is at work, but most often we see His work in His orderly communication through those who speak on His behalf. He speaks to us through preaching, Sunday school or small group teaching, books, and even our brothers and sisters who speak life and grace into our lives.

Lord, I believe You speak to me through many different mouthpieces. Because it is You who speaks, I am listening.