The Prophetic Authority of Humanity
by Nathan Shaw
The first time God appears in the Bible He is speaking Creation into being. Genesis 1 asserts two profound things about God: He speaks and He is good. Adam and Eve were unique in all of Creation because they were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). One of the main purposes of humanity is to display God’s goodness through speaking. This type of speaking is a tremendous privilege. Ancient Hebrew mindset had a profound understanding of this purpose: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21 NET).
The wisdom contained in this proverb is not immediately obvious to modern readers. Let’s unpack the meaning:
- “Death and life” forms what is called a merism.1 A merism uses two contrasting parts of a whole to refer to the whole. Put simply, “death and life” refers to the whole of life.
- “In the power of the tongue” is literally “in the hand of the tongue.”1 The phrase can also mean “in the care of,” “in the authority of” or “in the jurisdiction of.” “In the jurisdiction of the tongue” conveys the government manifested through God’s spoken words in Genesis 1 and the government manifested through the spoken words of those who are created in God’s image.
- In its wider context in the book of Proverbs, “those who love [the tongues] use will eat its fruit” carries the meaning, “those who are wise, strategic and intentional in its use will enjoy its benefits.”
Putting all this together we can clarify the meaning of the verse for modern readers: “The whole of life is in the jurisdiction of the tongue, and those who are wise, strategic and intentional in its use will enjoy its benefits.”
Here are three truths that are all connected:
- Humans are made in the image of God.
- Humans are sovereign free-will beings.
- Humans carry a profound government.
One of the main ways that this government manifests is through the tongue. Proverbs 18:21 highlights the prophetic authority of humans to bring about God’s purposes through the government He has invested in them.
In Hebrew mindset Proverbs 18:21 inspired faith, not fear. Modern readers often misunderstand the verse and use it to promote fear. Paranoia promotes fear. It leads to thoughts such as: “What if I said the wrong thing?,” or, “Have I unthinkingly said something that will have a negative impact on my life?” Paranoia also promotes a hyper-critical attitude. This is the sort of attitude which continually reprimands people for the words they speak. Some even go as far as trying to control everything other people say. Needless to say, this is an exhausting way to live. Rather than micro-managing everyone else’s speech, we are wise to simply harness ours. Those with a mature prophetic authority will inspire humanity to walk in prophetic authority rather than incite fear and paranoia about each and every word used.
Remember “death and life” is a merism meaning the whole of life. “Death and life” doesn’t mean that every word a person speaks brings death or life. Rather, the verse informs us that our tongues can be used in intentional ways to bring forth consequential outcomes that are powerful, prophetic and good. So relax. It’s not about placing every sentence and every word under a microscope. It’s about the intentional use of a person’s tongue to produce good outcomes over the long term. The revelation in the proverb encourages a healthy respect for the government we carry and the power that government has to determine the direction, impact and shape of our lives.
The proverb is not so much a caution about speaking in casual or carefree ways, as it is an encouragement to intentionally use words in positive, powerful and prophetic ways. Many words we speak are neutral—they don’t have a significant impact either positive or negative. For example: “Pass the butter,” or, “It’s raining today.” The issue is not so much the words we speak as it is the government operating through those words. Two people can say exactly the same thing. One person merely speaks words, the other person releases government through those words. Genesis 1 reveals God’s prophetic authority, but it also reveals the prophetic authority of those who are made in the image of God. God created Creation. We create lives and destinies within His Creation. We often don’t realize the prophetic authority we carry!
Speech is a profound gift—it gives us the power to express ourselves. Government is also a profound gift—it gives us the power to shape and establish our lives. There’s a big difference between positive thinking and governmental speaking. Genesis 1 and Proverbs 18:21 are about governmental speaking. When our tongues are harnessed to speak God’s plans they can be used to bring forth all manner of things in our lives. What we have been given surpasses anything given to the rest of Creation, but we get to choose whether or not we use it. As the proverb says, “those who love [the tongues] use will eat its fruit.”
One Bible scholar has commented that “those who love [the tongues] use” designates people who “have an end in view which they reach because they know what language is for and how it can best be used to achieve its purpose.”2 Do you know what language is for and how it can best be used to achieve its purpose? In Genesis 1 the words that God spoke were prophetic, intentional and governmental. God’s image bearers have been given the same privilege.
Genesis 1 is a prophetic word that has the power to awaken humanity to prophetic destiny. You are way more prophetic than you realize. Ask God to teach you how to use words to direct and shape your life. Allow God’s expression to define your expression. Allow God’s government to manifest through your government. By doing this you will give prophetic destiny the opportunity to manifest itself in all its glory. You will simultaneously shape your life and awaken humanity.
1 Bruce Waltke, The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31, NICOT
2 William McKane, Proverbs, Old Testament Library
© 2025 Nathan Shaw.
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