Understanding Prophetic Shadows
(week 48/04)
Olubi Johnson
A prophetic shadow is a revelation of things to come shown to us by the Holy Spirit through the shadows or types or examples of scripture:
Hebrews 10:1 NKJV: For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
John 16:13 KJV: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
All scripture is prophetic and contains prophetic truth of God’s will and purpose for all men: individually and collectively as a corporate church both locally and universally:
Revelation 22:19 NKJV: and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Colossians 3:3 NKJV: For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 NIV: We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Ignorance of and neglect of prophetic truth in scripture will lead to either a total or partial abortion of one’s destiny:
Hosea 4:6 NIV: my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Furthermore, even when you have the knowledge of prophetic scriptures concerning your destiny in God revealed to you by the Holy Spirit you still need the input of prophetic utterances and preaching to give you clearer understanding so you can prosper: increase in understanding and knowledge of your prophetic destiny.
The children of Issachar typify prophets:
1 Chronicles 12:32 NKJV: of the children of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,
1 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV: So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
So to understand prophetic shadows you need to:
1. Have and maintain the attitude of the fear of the Lord towards His written Word and His prophets.
2. Pray regularly and diligently in the spirit: in tongues by the supernatural utterance of the Holy Spirit so the Holy Spirit can teach spiritual truths through spiritual words.
3. Do balanced Bible reading as a daily habit so the Holy Spirit can show you what is written of you in the volume of the book.
4. Believe prophetic utterances and preaching God sends to you: they will confirm, clarify and amplify what the Holy Spirit has already been revealing to you through your personal prayers and study of the Word.
As you do these things you will get clearer and clearer understanding of the prophetic shadows written concerning you in the volume of the book:
Psalms 40:7 KJV: Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me
In our article next week, we will see how to fulfill prophetic shadows concerning you.
