Unlike speaking in "tongues", prophesying is of immediate benefit to those listening, for the upbuilding, encouragement and consolation of congregation members. For these reasons, Paul the apostle preferred one to prophesy than to speak in a "tongue". Unless one had clearly translated afterwards, (having through prayer received its understanding), what he had received (through indiscernible sounds: a "tongue") would have been of benefit to no one at all. (See Page 848A).

Furthermore, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:6: "…what good would I do you unless I spoke to you either with a revelation or with knowledge or with a prophecy or with a teaching?" By inspiration from God, Paul was saying that these things were also conveyed to individuals through indiscernible sounds (tongues), and that an individual needed to pray to God for its discernment and understanding. (1 Cor 14:13-19). This is so that it could be conveyed to the minds of those hearing, in an understandable way. (V.16). In Daniel 9:24 it conveys how the Messiah Christ Jesus would and did "imprint a seal upon vision and prophet". This has all been fulfilled. Through prophesying and tongues we have been given the meanings of many revelations, when they were fulfilled, whether certain scriptures have yet to be fulfilled, and what prophecies are currently undergoing fulfilment.

The following words and their meanings are from the Oxford Dictionary:

REVELATION: Disclosing of knowledge to a man by Divine or supernatural agency,
                             revealing of some fact.

PROPHECY:      Faculty of a prophet as the gift of prophecy; prophetic utterance;
                             foretelling of future events.

PROPHESY:       To speak as a prophet; foretell future events; expound the Scriptures.

KNOWLEDGE: Knowing familiarity gained by experience (of person, thing, fact,);
                             person's range of information. Theoretical or practical understanding
                             (of subject, language etc).

TEACHING:       In verbal senses, especially what is taught, doctrines, as the teachings of
                             the church.

In the foregoing ways the Word of God came through men, and further explanation and teaching of it to women should be done at home by male persons only. The written Word of God did not come through women at all. (1 Cor 14:34-36. See Greek T). Nor are women that have been taught permitted to teach or exercise authority over men at all. (1 Cor 14:36,37. 1 Tim 2:11-14). Women slaves did prophesy, in accordance with Joel's prophecy, at Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost in 33 CE. But not one word has been scripturally recorded from any maidservants of God of an inspired teaching for benefit. The reasons are given. (1 Tim 2:11-14). And as a further warning as to why, read Revelation 2:20-24.

Anyone can attempt to foretell future events, but few do so according to Divine inspiration from God. Correspondingly, for men to assemble and attempt the 'calling' of anointed ones at such a gathering, is of the same spirit of disobedience as trying to repeat, but in an uncanny way, the Spirit of God at Pentecost. (1 Tim 4:1). Only God Himself calls His sons, individually by His Spirit. It cannot be achieved by mere men through their desire and ambition, as was the case among members of the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses at their assembly at Cedar Point, Ohio, in 1919. At this assembly they falsely tried to duplicate the true manifestation of the pouring out of God's Spirit at Pentecost in 33 CE by telling hundreds present at that meeting: 'All of you are anointed'. Nor was their 'calling' of people to that meeting, at that time or any other, an indication of God anointing them personally as members of Christ's "body". Nor is the decrease in the number of these apostate teachers through death an indication that they were once of God's anointed remnant. What their lying signs and portents indicate is their apostate teachings. (Ezek 13:13-23 NWT).

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