Calling it 'fortune telling' makes it sound occultic. It makes it sound like crystal balls and tarot cards. But the Old Testament shows that it is a
Biblical practice to
consult the LORD through a prophet about the future. (is that the norm today?)
Biblical to Consult with a Prophet about the Future
Deuteronomy 18 forbids going to soothsayers, cloud-readers, those with familiar spirits, etc. But it specifically allows going to the prophet. We get plenty of clues and direct accounts of how this functioned. An Israelite could enquire of the LORD as to the location of his father's missing donkeys. Paul did. This was a 'kosher' thing to do. We often see that kings inquired of the LORD before making important decisions that affected the nation, like going to war. Jehoshaphat wanted to ask a true prophet of the LORD instead of Ahab's 'yes-man' prophets that even Ahab did not think were genuine.
There were other legitimate means of getting direction from God-- the Urim and Thummin and dreams. Saul erred in going to the witch of Endor. When God was not speaking to him through prophets, dreams, or Urim, he went to the wrong source. (I Samuel 28:6.) David was using the ephod and inquiring of the Lord, so maybe it still had the Thummin in it. Joshua and the apostles cast lots. Proverbs says the lot falls in the lap, but the decision is of the LORD.
Elijah confronted Ahaziah's messengers when he was injured and sent to ask Baalzebub, the god of Ekron about it. "
Is it not because
there is not a God in Israel,
that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?" (II Kings 1:3.)
If Ahaziah had inquired of the Lord through proper means, that would not have been a sin.
Sometimes the LORD focused on another topic or said something different from what inquirers wanted. Saul wanted to know about donkeys. Samuel addressed that, but Samuel prophesied about other things. The remaining Judeans who inquired through Jeremiah after the captivity started probably did not hear what they wanted to.
The word 'prophet' is used in the NT scriptures to refer to both the prophets in the OT and church prophets. Agabus gave a personal word. God never said it was a sin to inquire of the Lord through a prophet. Nor did He say He would not answer such requests.
Some Charismatics and Pentecostals are too extreme in that they use 'fortune telling' to describe personal prophecies or lining up to be prophesied over.
If someone does line up to get prophesied over, I have no basis for condemning them, judging them, saying snarky things, etc. Prophecy is one of the manifestations of the Spirit given as the Spirit wills for the common good. We should respect the Holy Spirit. We should expect the grace of God that works through spiritual gifts. The scriptures say to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that ye may prophesy. Covet to prophesy. Despise not prophesyings. (Prophesying is not mean one is a prophet)
We were outside a late night meeting in Indonesia with an intention of going home. Some people had found out that my wife prophesied, so they ended up sort of lining up like that. I hadn't seen her flow like that in personal prophesy, but one after another. I didn't know the people so it wasn't a case where I could say, wow, you said such and such and this person is a dentist.... or missionary.
But years later since people have gotten on Facebook, she's gotten some feedback. She prophesied over one young man about his doing ministry and the leadership role he would have. He messaged her and said that when she said that he was a janitor. Indonesia seems a bit more class conscious and people probably have less mobility moving up the ladder for jobs and things like that. But this man was now the head of a Christian non-profit, doing ministry, and he said her prophecies came to pass. Also, she prophesied over a brother who had been put in jail for preaching due to 'blasphemy laws' and he said her prophecies had come to pass.
What I noticed when she was prophesying on that occasion I mentioned is how people were hungry, and she was willing to minister, and the gifting flowed, but I didn't see her flowing in that sort of thing all time.
If you do have a stranger prophesy over you and you do not know the person or if the words have come to pass, you might have a little less to go on as far as evaluating the word. In the assembly, if the church takes an active role in judging/weighing carefully, you also can get that input. One might need to spend a little more time or prayer discerning the word. Some prophecies encourage but do not actually require us to do anything in particular, or tell us to do things we already know we should do.
All scripture is profitable for doctrine, as Paul wrote to Timothy. And there is also a huge Old Testament history about prophesyings. Ahijah the Shilonite prophesied over Jeroboam. One of the sons of the prophets prophesied about Jehu. What kind of prophecy did Saul hope to get through Samuel-- something specific about his father's donkeys and where they were. Samuel had a lot more to say. Think about Nathan's prophecy to David. Read the Kings and Chronicles books.
@SophieT this is an example of Bible-based posts that I make that address the doctrinal aspects of a topic.
I don't know exactly what you mean by Moses serving his purpose. I think we can all agree on that. I also believe what the New Testament teaches about prophesying too. I do not see a contradiction between that and Moses.
Also, if God has not limited Himself in scripture to only confirming what people already know, people have no right to try to do so. There are too many Biblical counterexamples to this idea.
He may also have had a head of vowed hair to turn in at the temple. Maybe that had something to do with James and the elders suggesting his going into the temple to pay the the vows of other men
This verse is a bit more controversial and interpreted different ways. Some people seem to think the 's' should be small.
Acts 21
4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
If Moses had thought that way instead of interceding for Israel when God threatened to wipe them out and make a nation of Moses, what would have happened? What if Hezekiah had thought that way when Isaiah prophesied to get his house in order, instead of praying and having more years added to his life? I'm also thinking about Jeremiah 18.
I use personal experiences and facts to illustrate things. I see Paul doing it in Acts and the epistles.
If you try to tell atheists that the Bible is 'objective' not 'subjective' and that the prophets, etc. when they got revelations, that there was no 'subjective' element to them receiving it, do not ask me to back you up in that conversation. Subjective or objective, what we say and right to should edifying, not discouraging, complaining, or quarrelling.
Was this in response to 'Despise not prophesying.' That is followed by 'Prove all things.' Hold fast to that which is good I think we could both agree that Paul is not saying to test the Bible and see if it is true and reject it if it is not good. He is talking about prophesying there in I Thessalonians 5.
We should not despise prophesying. We should consider them, not just dismiss them out of town. If someone gives a specific personal word over someone else, even if it is in response to asking the one prophesying "Did you hear anything from God about me?" or "Could you pray and ask God if He says anything about X about me?" we shouldn't despise it based on that criteria. The Bible does not condemn such types of prophecies and we see examples of asking for specific answers to questions like that in the Bible. There are numerous Biblical examples of so-called 'personal prophecies', including one post-ascension example.
