(There will be a lot to ponder on in this article, so will try to be as brief as possible. Pls read through it prayerfully. Again, this offers only partial insight into the whole situation).
When the prophetic movement started in the early 80’s almost everything was centered on bringing correction. As a matter of fact, people’s sins would be called out publicly and exposed. On the other hand, the prophets had amazing insight and accuracy. Some were even able to predict world events and personal events to the date. However, at that time their understanding was limited to an Old Testament view of the prophetic only, and it centered on correction and greatly lacked God’s love.
Not only that, the erratic ways of some of the Old Testament prophets were personified. Since this was the case and there was a genuine lack of God’s love, this caused a lot of offense and condemnation in sections of the body of Christ.
Also, several of the leaders in the prophetic movement were exposed to the extremes of legalism firsthand and the extremes of the gospel centered on ‘repentance’ and the bondage that results from striving in the flesh to live holy.
Now, this was the time the church [ not everyone] was running as far as it could from legalism! It was also running away from judgement and condemnation that resulted from mainly a misinterpreted Old Testament view of God’s Holiness and His judgments and the adverse effects of being under the Law.
Teachings on a religious spirit and legalism began to surface. People began to be taught on the love and the goodness of God and the benefits of grace. The word of faith movement had by now taken solid roots.
In those times, the truths they brought forth were very much needed and helped a great many. However, since these truths were propagated mainly by people who were hurt or had suffered under the yokes of legalism and the law they weren’t balanced properly.
Then there arose a group of leaders soon after, who had little or no intention of living according to Biblical standards, and their teachings led to a destruction of the essential Christian doctrines of Repentance, Sanctification by Faith, living Holy, sacrifice…; as they ignored the Holiness of God; His righteous judgments and His call to discipleship.
This led to an abuse of the grace of God and lowering of the standards of Holiness and Righteousness as set in the word of God. It led many in the church to eventually fall into the other side of the ditch, which is lawlessness.
Within the prophetic movement, a counterculture had started already during this time due to the abuses in the prophetic and the hurts that resulted from being under legalism. So, the prophetic movement also started to embrace many of the teachings of the counter cultures (mentioned above) in the church at that time. The same pattern followed; those who were hurt did little to resolve their hurts in private and bring balance to their teachings in public. It led to the next set of leaders who had lower standards using it as a cloak for their lawless lives, propagating these truths to an extreme and at the expense of other truths.
While many found healing and restoration and freedom over a period of time and were greatly encouraged by the prophetic movement and its teachings. Due to the direction of the prophetic along with the rest of the body who were running away from one ditch; it would eventually lead us to the ditch on the other side.
One of the main results of this was that it led to the prophetic movement to turn away from its fundamental and essential role. Not only was their own calling to a higher standard of Holiness ( being set apart) not being fulfilled ; they stopped calling the church to be separate from the world and unto God. They continued to give ‘positive and encouraging’ words as many in the church were on a downward trajectory, veering off track.
Now the church needed those (encouraging words) for a season as many had been under the yoke of legalism and needed to experience healing and restoration. It cannot be stressed enough how vitally important and life changing to many it was but the changing of times wasn’t discerned. What helped one time was now becoming harmful and the prophetic had itself to blame. It had destroyed the foundations that needed to be built on in the next seasons. The foundations of being set apart unto God and sanctification by faith…!
This led to a group of superficial believers trying to operate in God’s power and leaders who couldn’t discern from their own thoughts and desires and God’s thoughts and desires. Eventually this was what led to lawlessness and false prophecies amongst leaders within sections in the body.
This was one of the main reasons for the grace of God, starting to lift off the prophetic movement.
