Prophetic Disillusionment in the Christmas Story
“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Luke 7:23
In 2003, I began to hear God’s voice and experience His presence in an entirely new way. I was like Dorothy landing in Oz—suddenly, everything was in color, alive with meaning. I have never been the same.
It was incredible to hear God’s voice and experience His presence. However, I soon discovered a dark side to this new superpower. As I grew in confidence in hearing God’s voice and made important decisions based on what He was saying, I sometimes found my expectations dashed. In fact, often the first thing to happen would be the exact opposite of what He told me!
Prophetic disillusionment is the disappointment of hope or expectation based on a prophetic utterance. For those who are seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit, it is an occupational hazard. In my case, I found myself becoming angry with God in a way I had never experienced before I heard His voice, spinning into despair, and questioning His character and nature.
Prophetic disillusionment can occur for many reasons. Perhaps the simplest is that the prophetic word is false, or not really from God. People who gave away all their possessions because they thought Jesus was returning last Tuesday are an example of this—they are disillusioned because it was a false prophecy.
However, prophetic disillusionment also occurs with true prophetic words. This applies to the prophetic promises of Scripture and to the words God speaks to us personally or through others. Learning how to navigate it is a key to persevering in our walk with God. I have seen hundreds of people walk away from their callings or even completely shipwreck their faith due to prophetic disillusionment. It is a faith-killer.
Thankfully, the Scriptures are full of people successfully (and unsuccessfully) navigating prophetic disillusionment.
Somehow, I didn’t notice the patterns in Scripture until I began experiencing it in my own life.
For instance, I never found it strange that God told Joseph he would be a ruler, and all his family would bow down to him, and then he spent the next thirteen years as a slave and prisoner. Of course, to Joseph, this was very strange and created a powerful sense of prophetic disillusionment. He had to persevere in faith through many years of the exact opposite of what God had spoken prophetically. As Psalm 105:19 says, “until what [Joseph] had [prophesied] came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”
John the Baptist: Disillusioned Prophet
Perhaps no Biblical character exemplifies prophetic disillusionment more than John the Baptist. He is the first to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. And yet, at the end of his life, about to die in prison, he asks, “Are you the [Christ], or shall we look for another?”
In Luke chapters 1-2, the Christmas narrative, we have a total of eight prophetic encounters that prophesy the future greatness of John the Baptist and Jesus. Two of them are specifically about John.
Luke records angelic encounters, notable external confirmations and signs, prophetic songs, and prophetic words from righteous men and women like Anna and Simeon.
At face value, these encounters leave us with the overwhelming impression that a new “golden age” is about to dawn upon Israel. National revival under John and a new Solomonic age under Jesus, the heir of David, are on the horizon. The rich oppressors are going to get what they deserve, and God will remember his promises to Abraham. With the heir of David on the throne, things are looking up for Israel.
Luke 1-2 makes total sense when viewed through the lens of the Old Testament. However, on its own, it leaves us almost entirely unprepared for the dark turn the story will take as John is beheaded and Jesus is crucified. The only hint of anything bad is in Simeon’s prophecy to Mary that “a sword will pierce your own heart…” Hopes for national revival and a new Solomonic age in Israel are also dashed in the near term—instead, the temple will be destroyed and the nation scattered (Luke 21).
These passages also leave us mostly unprepared for the best parts of the gospel story, that Jesus will rise from the dead and actually leave earth, ascending to the right hand of the Father, sending the Holy Spirit on all who believe so that the good news about His rule and reign can go to all nations (Luke 24, Acts 1).
The Prophecies of John: Luke 1:11-21 Gabriel’s Prophecy to Zechariah
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
Examining John’s Prophetic History
First, we should note that this prophetic word is high-level. It involves a face-to-face angelic encounter and has multiple, independent supernatural confirmations.
A woman who has been barren and is past child-bearing age suddenly becomes pregnant as predicted.
Zechariah becomes mute until the child is born, then suddenly begins to sing prophetic songs once the child is named.
If any of us had an encounter like this, we’d write a book about it.
But what is predicted about John? Does it come to pass? Is the word true?
He will be a joy and delight to his parents (check)
Many will rejoice because of his birth (check)
He will be great in the sight of the Lord (check)
He will be a Nazarite, drinking no wine (check)
He will be filled with the Spirit before birth (check)
He will turn many back to the Lord (check)
He will go before the Lord in the Spirit and Power of Elijah, preparing a people for the Lord (Malachi 4, check and check)
Every single prediction is soon fulfilled in John’s life. In other words, this is a completely accurate prophetic word.
Luke 1:67-80: The Song of Zechariah
Next, let’s examine the prophetic Song that Zechariah sings about the future of his newborn son.
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn[c] of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit[d]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
Going point-by-point, we see:
God is raising up a horn of salvation for Israel, in remembrance of his covenant with Abraham, to enable them to serve him in holiness and righteousness without fear. (Check, but maybe not as expected)
John will be called a prophet (check)
John will go before the Lord and prepare a way for him (check)
He will give God’s people knowledge of salvation and through the forgiveness of sins (check)
He will fulfill Malachi 4, preparing the way for the “sun of righteousness” to shine (check)
Just reading the list of predictions, it’s clear that everything Gabriel and Zechariah predict happens in the gospel of Luke, with one possible exception on the “national salvation” front. And yet, clearly, key information is missing. Nothing is said about “the bad stuff” in John’s life.
There is no mention that John would be arrested, imprisoned, and beheaded.
There’s no mention in these specific prophesies that Israel (as a whole) will reject the ministry of John and the Messiah.
There’s no mention that the Messiah will be killed and the Temple destroyed.
Israel’s national salvation, prophesied in Zechariah’s song, seems to be postponed into the indefinite future.
If John were reviewing his prophetic history, going over the words spoken over him by his father, reviewing the notable miraculous encounters of his life, he would not have the information needed to predict these negative events. For that reason, it is no wonder that John suffers from prophetic disillusionment regarding Jesus. He was expecting it to look a certain way:
“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Luke 7:20
Jesus knows that his ministry is causing prophetic disillusionment, not only for John, but also for many others who are expecting a conquering, not a suffering Messiah. He responds:
“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight…the dead are raised…and blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Luke 7:22-23
Jesus does not argue for his Messiahship; he references the prophetic Scriptures about the Messiah, allowing John to make his own decision about who He is. Prophetic disillusionment in light of Jesus’s surprising behavior is such a massive danger; Jesus proclaims a blessing over anyone who can overcome it.
“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Luke 7:23
Jesus knows that He is a stumbling block, a rock of offense to the natural mind. And yet, still at the end of Luke, the resurrected Christ lovingly scolds his disciples for failing to see that everything has happened according to prophecy:
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27
It seems that Jesus alone was able to rightly parse the prophetic Scriptures, discerning that the Messiah must first be rejected, suffer, and die before rising from the dead (Isaiah 53, Daniel 9). So, as those desiring to honor God’s prophetic words with faith, while avoiding the pitfalls of prophetic disillusionment, what can we learn from the story of John?
We Prophesy in Part
All prophetic words are necessarily “partial”. This is not because God is trying to hold out on us; it is a fundamental limitation of speech. There is no way for God to tell us everything that will happen, any more than we can narrate exactly what has already happened on a given day. All speech is in some sense a summary. We need to keep in mind that what God is saying is true, even if we are only seeing a portion of the truth. We need to have faith in what God is saying while also being humble about what we do not know.
Ground yourself in God’s nature
God’s activity, often predicted in prophetic words, is always changing. He is always “doing a new thing.” However, His nature is constant, never changing. If you want to be steady in the midst of God’s activity, establish your soul deeply in His nature. Sink your roots into the goodness of God. Even if what is happening makes no sense according to your prophetic understanding, He is good, and His love endures forever.
Count Trials as Joy
No matter what God has spoken over your life, you can expect it to be tested through trials. In fact, the bigger the prophetic promises, the larger the trials you can expect to face. The Biblical authors make it clear that trials are an essential part of the life of faith.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
In many cases, the trials associated with prophetic promises are what give us the maturity to steward what is promised. There is no maturity in Christ without trial. So, count it all joy.
Add Truth to Truth (Love the Word of God)
John was left confused by Jesus because he did not know that the Christ had to suffer, be rejected, and die. Jesus was established in His mission and calling, even though no one else saw it, because He didn’t just lean on prophetic words spoken over him (Luke 1-2); He also knew all the prophetic Scriptures. This was based on a lifetime of passion for God’s word (Luke 2:46-47). It should be said that loving God’s word not only teaches us what God will do, but it also acquaints us with His ways.
Jesus will offend us to reveal our hearts
The Lord knows how to pick a fight. We see Him do it with Pharaoh to bring deliverance to His people. We see Him do it with the Pharisees by healing on the Sabbath. When the Lord intentionally offends us, He is not doing it maliciously; it is to give us an opportunity for repentance, an opportunity to exercise greater faith, and an opportunity to know him more. As was once famously said, “God will offend the mind to reveal the heart.”
Human Agency Affects Prophetic Timing
While God knows the future perfectly, that does not change the fact that human beings have agency. How we receive the Lord when He shows up affects what happens. What if Herod had repented at the preaching of John instead of imprisoning him (Luke 3:19)? What if the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had repented and welcomed Jesus instead of murdering him (Luke 19:44)? What if the crowds had responded like Nineveh to the preaching of Jesus, instead of just seeking after signs, healings, and bread (Luke 11:32)? All the promises in Luke 1-2 about the Messianic Kingdom will be fulfilled when the Lord returns. But a simple reading of the text indicates the leadership at the time had an opportunity to welcome them in their generation. God will do what He says regardless, even if no human being agrees with Him. However, human agency affects what happens and when. As Jesus said, “You will not see me again until you say, ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Prophetic Disillusionment is not the Final Word
God is faithful. If you are having prophetic experiences like John or Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-3) or simply trying to live righteously in an evil world (Psalm 73), you will experience prophetic disillusionment. Press into the truth of what God has spoken, both by the Spirit to you and through Scripture. Test the prophetic promises you have received and hold onto the good ones (1 Thes. 5:20-21). Most of all, keep in view the ultimate hope. Jesus is coming. The one who entered our world as a baby is returning with the clouds to make all things new and make us like Him. This is our hope, if we remember his words:
“Blessed is the one who is not offended at me.”
Thank you Jonathan, Merry Christmas to you and your family. You quoted someone as saying “God will offend the mind to reveal the heart.”
May I ask whom you are quoting?
Great quote!
Really good.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas to the Fam. :-}