Section 7
element of the divine life that is wrought into our being inwardly and which gives us some skill or ability. Let us now consider the gifts of grace in life in more detail.
Prophecy
If you consult various versions and transla tions of Romans you will find that most of them agree that prophecy in Romans 12 does not mainly denote prediction. Even in the Scripture as a whole, the word prophesy does not mainly mean to predict. In both the Old and New Tes taments to prophesy means: (1) to tell for, that is, to speak for others; (2) to tell forth, that is, to speak things forth; and (3) to foretell, that is, to predict, to speak things before they happen. The whole book of Isaiah is a book of prophecy. It is not only composed with foretellings, but the more with tellings forth and tellings for. It is true that Isaiah does contain some predictive prophecies, but the majority of the oracles and utterances in that book are the speaking forth of the prophet on behalf of God.
Hence, the meaning of the word to prophesy is mainly "speaking for" and "speaking forth." What is prophecy? It is the speaking for God under His direct inspiration. In his Word Studies