Before turning to the prophetic office, one further question deserves a hearing: should there be a fourth?
It can be suggested that a four-fold office would be a more balanced way of approaching the work of Christ, complementing Prophet, Priest and King with ‘Servant.’1D. T. Williams, ‘The Four-Fold Office of Christ’, Expository Times 100 (1989), 134-137.
He does not simply testify to the truth. He is the truth. He is both the Prophet and the content of the prophecy.
The Case for a Fourth
The proposal does promise better symmetry. The idea of prophet neatly balances that of priest — one acting for God towards man, the other acting for man towards God — while the idea of King is neatly balanced by that of Servant.
While Williams’ article is less than convincing at points, he does succeed in reminding us of three things: the importance of the Isaian servant figure as an anticipation of Christ’s sufferings (Isa 52:13–53:12); the notion of identification with those served, which pervades both the Isaian image and the ministry of Jesus (his baptism, for example); and the fact that Moses, who provides one of the earliest anticipations of the other three offices, is also referred to as the servant of God (Num 12:7; Deut 34:5).
Prophecy Is Not What You Think
Turning to the first office, a preliminary correction is needed about what ‘prophet’ actually means in Scripture:
‘When we encounter prophets on the pages of Scripture, we may associate them with pop-culture references … But prophecy in the Bible is of utmost seriousness. It is God’s primary way of communicating with his people and the source of Scripture itself. Prophets speak on God’s behalf and with his full authority. … Jesus himself is the ultimate prophet, not only in the New Testament but in all of Scripture.’2Eric J. Tully, ‘Prophet,’ in Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament [DNTUOT], 635, 638. Tully’s article is an excellent survey as well as a valuable analysis. More broadly, see Beeke, Reformed Systematic Theology, 2:926-87; Robert Letham, Work of Christ, 91-104; Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, 453-56.
Listen to Him
The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Word to humanity. He is God’s Spokesperson — the One whom Moses and the voice from the cloud both direct us to hear.
‘Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you”’ (Acts 3:22). ‘Behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”’ (Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35).
Christ is ‘the Prophet,’ linked to the Messiah (John 1:21, 25), as was widely recognised by the crowds on a number of occasions (John 6:14; 7:40).
His prophetic identity is precisely what Luke’s Gospel unfolds in its opening chapters, introducing Christ as the one who takes up and fulfils the office of Messianic Prophet foretold by Isaiah (61:1-2), anointed and empowered by ‘the Spirit of the LORD’ (Luke 4:16-21), ‘to proclaim good news to the poor … liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (vv 18-19).
Continuity, Then Surpassing
This office did not begin with Jesus of Nazareth, nor does it end in mere continuation.
Christ speaks for God in continuity with the long line of Hebrew prophets — indeed, it was ‘the Spirit of Christ in them[the prophets of the Old Testament] … who predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories’ (1 Pet 1:11).
Read that verse slowly. The Spirit at work in Isaiah and Jeremiah was his Spirit. He was speaking through them about himself, centuries before Bethlehem.
Yet he also surpasses, supersedes and fulfils the prophetic office — as he is also ‘superior to angels’ — for ‘in these last days,’ God himself spoke, and speaks still, in Person by his Son, ‘whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he created the world’ (Heb 1:1-2).
Rooted in Deuteronomy
This surpassing fulfilment does not sever Christ’s prophetic office from its Old Testament roots. It grows directly out of them:
‘The idea of the great Prophet to come can be found back in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18. The one to come would speak the words of God and reveal the character of God. Clearly Jesus saw himself as a Prophet (Luke 4:24; 13:33). The parable of the wicked tenants portrays the only son in continuity with the servants who went before him (Matthew 21:33-46). He does not speak on his own authority, instead he speaks the words given to him by his Father (John 3:34; 7:16; 8:28). In Mark’s Gospel, the prophetic word frames the ministry of Jesus (Mark 1:15 and 14:62). The New Testament reflection on the ministry of Jesus also clearly articulates this revelatory function (Hebrews 1:1; John 1:18). There are at least two significant differences in the prophetic ministry of Jesus. Firstly, he does not simply testify to the truth, he is the truth (John 14:6). He is both the Prophet and the content of the prophecy. Secondly, and in a related way, he prophesies his own suffering, death and future exaltation (Mark 8:31; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). Add to these two differences Jesus’ own declaration: “The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good news of the Kingdom of God is preached …” (Luke 16:16; Matthew 11:13).’3Thompson and Doyle, ‘The Work of Christ,’ 5.
The Difference That Changes Everything
Those two differences repay attention, because they mark where the category breaks open.
Every prophet before him pointed to something. Jeremiah pointed to coming judgment and a new covenant; Isaiah pointed to a coming servant. The message and the messenger were distinguishable — you could reject the man and still, in principle, receive the word.
With Christ that distinction collapses. He is both the Prophet and the content of the prophecy. To reject him is not to reject a messenger while retaining the message. There is no message left over. Reject him, and you reject his message, for his message is about what God is doing in and through him.
And the second difference is stranger still. He prophesies his own suffering, death and exaltation — which means the prophet is also the subject of the prediction, and its fulfilment.
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- 1D. T. Williams, ‘The Four-Fold Office of Christ’, Expository Times 100 (1989), 134-137. ↩︎
- 2Eric J. Tully, ‘Prophet,’ in Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament [DNTUOT], 635, 638. Tully’s article is an excellent survey as well as a valuable analysis. More broadly, see Beeke, Reformed Systematic Theology, 2:926-87; Robert Letham, Work of Christ, 91-104; Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, 453-56. ↩︎
- 3Thompson and Doyle, ‘The Work of Christ,’ 5. ↩︎