Music & Prophecy

There is something that I have seen happening through the years in many spirit filled churches that I love.  Some call it prophetic worship, some call it singing the song of the Lord, some call it singing spiritual songs, some call it singing a new song.

In studying the connection between music and the prophetic or the move of the Spirit, I find a multitude of scriptures. I know that this is something that should be a part of our worship services.  In the times of David, they had prophetic, spiritual led praise, worship and music going continually. Below are some of the scriptures I have found on this subject. If you know of more, let me know so I can add to my notes.

1 Samuel 10:4 – And it will happen when you have come there to the city that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instruments, a tambourine, a flute, and a hap before them; and they will be prophesying.  Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

The prophets were traveling with their instruments.  They were walking along playing music and prophesying.  A musical atmosphere can set up a prophetic atmosphere. The Spirit of God flows in music.

2 Kings 3:15 – When the minstrel (instrumentalist) played, the hand and power of the Lord came upon Elisha and he prophesied.

The music inspired the prophet’s gift in him.  Music can inspire a move of the Spirit and the gifts within a person to be manifest.

Psalm 22:3 – But You are holy, O You Who dwell in the praises of Israel.

Music creates an atmosphere.  God dwells in (inhabits) the atmosphere of praise.  He actually inhabits our praise. The presence of God is IN the praises; He is IN the music. Our praise brings Him on the scene.  Praise manifests His presence.  If you need the reality of God in your life, begin to praise Him from the depths of your heart. He will fill your praises and manifest Himself to you.

Psalm 49:3-4 – My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heard will give understanding.  I will incline my ears to a proverb; and will express my riddle on the harp.  I will draw out or loosen my speech, hard questions or dark sayings on the harp.

David was singing with harp accompaniment, and it was bringing forth the wisdom of God from his heart.  Music will many times inspire and loose the wisdom of God within me, from my heart into my mind.

There is wisdom from God always available to me.  The Spirit of God dwells in my heart and will make it known to me.  Music can be a great tool to loose it.  It can be a medium through which He flows to make His wisdom known to me. Music is a tool or medium that will lead me into the spiritual realm. There is an atmosphere released in extended, heart-felt praise and worship that I can’t do without.

1 Samuel 16:14-23 – David’s anointed music drove out the evil spirit that was harassing Saul.

Isaiah 30:31-32 – The voice of the Lord will shatter Assyria with His scepter.  He will strike them down.  Every stroke the Lord lays on them with His punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps as He fights them in battle with the blows of His arm.

God’s wrath is here being executed upon His enemy to the sound of music. There are times in prayer, praise and worship, that mighty things take place. Enemies are defeated, and strongholds come down. Intercession accompanied with music by skillful, spirit-led musicians is very powerful.

1 Chronicles 15:16-17, 22 (TLB) – King David also ordered the Levite leaders to organize the singers into an orchestra, and they played loudly and joyously upon psalteries, harps, and cymbals. Heman (son of Joel), Asaph (son of Berechiah), and Ethan (son of Kushaiah) from the clan of Merari were the heads of the musicians. The song leader was Chenaniah, the chief of the Levites, who was selected for his skill.

1 Chronicles 16:4-6 – And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals;  Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Chronicles 16:39-42 – Meanwhile, David stationed Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the Tabernacle of the Lord at the place of worship in Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. To offer burnt offerings to the Lord upon the altar of burnt offering continually, morning and evening, and to do all that is written in the Law of the Lord which He commanded Israel. With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.  With them were Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should sound aloud, and instruments for accompanying the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were to be at the gate.

They were chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord with instruments accompanying the songs of God.

1 Chronicles 25:1-7 – Moreover, David and the commanders of the army set apart for the service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps and cymbals; and the number of those who performed their service was: Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun with the harp, who prophesied in giving thanks and praising the LORD. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth. All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer to exalt him according to the words of God, for God gave fourteen sons and three daughters to Heman. All these were under the direction of their father to sing in the house of the Lord, with cymbals, harps and lyres, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the direction of the king. Their number who were trained in singing to the Lord, with their relatives, all who were skillful, was 288.

They were set apart to prophesy with musical instruments. And they were TRAINED in singing to the Lord and were skillful.  They prophesied with musical instruments (including percussion).  They sang accompanied by the musical instruments for the service of the house of the Lord.

There should be training for every worship team on singing to the Lord and prophesying with musical instruments. This is nothing weird.  To prophesy is to speak or sing by inspiration.

2 Chronicles 29:25-30 – And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.  So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

The music was connected with Gad, the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet. Prophets and the prophetic connected with music.

When the burnt offering began, then the song of the Lord also began accompanied by the instruments. They sang praises to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer.  They sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

1 Chronicles 9:33 – These are the singers, heads of the fathers houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers and were free from other duties; for they were employed in that work day and night.

There were those whose job was singing praise and worship day and night. I can’t think of a better occupation unless it it to teach the word of God.

Spirit-led, Spirit-filled music is not just spoken of in the Old Testament.

Ephesians 5:18-19 – And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit. Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,

Be filled with Spirit.  When you are filled, you will speak out to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices and instruments, making melody to the Lord. This is a picture of New Testament worship.

Colossians 3:15-16 – And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.

Let His Word have its home in your heart, dwelling in you in all its richness, teaching, admonishing and training one another in spiritual things – with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. The word can be spread through song. Teaching, exhortation, admonishing should come forth accompanied by music in our New Testament churches.

Psalm 119:54 – Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. Singing the Word is important.

Psalm 32:7 – You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance.

Surrounded with songs of deliverance. There is a place in worship where the presence of the Lord is strong and deep and deliverance is there for the taking. This is how I feel when sitting in worship at Bethel Church in Redding. Every worship service I have experienced there (about 15-20) takes you to a deep place in the Spirit where you can see and hear and know things and take new freedom and deliverance.  Another church we attended that reached this place in worship just about every week was Grace Fellowship in Tulsa, which we attended for two years while going to Bible school. We were involved in the music here and learned much.  They had not only rehearsal for the songs for Sunday, they also had teaching in music theory and teaching on worship and music from the Word.  From what we learned here, when we pastored, we had a once a month praise and worship/believer’s meeting where inspired songs and the presence of the Lord flowed freely.  I am so hungry for this kind of move of the Spirit again!

They sang a new song (Revelations 5:9; 14:3; 15:3). A new song is a song that has never been sung before.  It is a song inspired at the moment.  This should be part of our own personal worship and a part of corporate worship.

1 Chronicles 25:7 – So the number of them with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eight-eight.

They were instructed in the songs of the Lord and were skillful. People in these days need to be instructed and taught in these things.

Nehemiah 12:46 – For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

There was continual worship with singers and musicians in the days of David, continually offering songs of praise and thanksgiving.  This is something that should be happening in these days also. The Lord desires again raise up the tabernacle of David and rebuild it in these days.

Amos 9:11-12 – In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, the fallen hut or booth, and close up its breaches; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the nations that are called by My name, says the Lord Who does this.

Acts 15:16-18 – After this I will come back, and will rebuild the house of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its [very] ruins, and I will set it up again, so that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been invoked, says the Lord, Who has been making these things known from the beginning of the world.

There is something about inspired worship that will cause the rest of men to seek the Lord.

Lord show us our place in this and show us how to prepare and become skillful on our instruments in flowing with the Spirit in music and songs of the Lord. Your ways are beyond our ways and your thoughts higher than ours.  I set myself open before you to hear and take heed to you – so that I might take my place in the area of music in playing and in teaching.