Elijah2come

Some people falsely believe that there cannot be contemporary prophets. There are basically three arguments these people use:

First, there have not been any prophets lately. Therefore, many people assume that God has stopped calling prophets. However, we must remember that in all of the thousands of years spanned in the Bible there have only been a few prophets. So it is not surprising that there have not been any prophets for a while. After all, there was not a prophet for every generation in the past. So likewise, there is not a prophet for every generation now. Also, God may be having a period of darkness, where there are no prophets for a while. Read about what we may have been going through lately:

Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read."
(Isaiah 29:9-12)

     Secondly, many people believe that God talked directly to people in the past, but today we have the Bible to instruct us. It is therefore assumed that God no longer needs to talk directly to people. But this argument falls apart quickly when you consider that the prophets also read scripture. There always was scripture, with the only exception being Moses. There was less scripture because the prophets wrote more of it -- but God talked to them through scripture just as we use scripture today.
     But, many people believe that since Jesus came there is no longer a need for God to talk directly to us since Jesus is the "word" made flesh, and so they believe that God only speaks to us through the Bible. Often, these people quote from the book of Hebrews:

But notice that it says "he has spoken"! This is a reference to when Jesus was on earth in the flesh, before He ascended (went up to heaven). While Jesus was here in the flesh, he could discuss topics with those around him in the same way that you can talk with any person. But notice how Jesus talks with us after his ascension to heaven. Jesus talks after His ascension by sending his message to a prophet (Revelation 1:1-2). Also, since the Book of Revelation was written after Jesus' ascension, clearly there was a prophet after Jesus came and rose!
Also, if God no longer talks directly with us, then what is the use of prayer? Prayer is listening and talking! No Christian would say that God no longer guides us personally. Many Christians testify that they can hear God's voice and direction. God is more than just words in a book, He is a living and personal God. God wants a relationship with us. God still talks with us today!

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
(Revelation 22:18-19)

Many people believe that this warning is a statement that the Bible is complete and that there cannot be new scripture. The assumption is that if there is a prophet then there will be new scripture, which according to them, is impossible. Part of the problem with this argument is a false understanding of what scripture is -- but I will talk about that later. Also, many people do not understand how our Bible came to be.
     The Bible did not exist when the book of Revelation was written. There were only separate books. It wasn't until much later that these separate books were bound together into one Bible. That is why the parts of the Bible are called "books," because they are individual texts that had later been grouped together for convenience. So the warning at the end of the book of Revelation could not have referred to all of scripture, since they were not yet bound together. Also, it is important to point out that the warning concerns "this book of prophecy" and not "this Bible". The warning is only about the prophetic book of Revelation, and not about all of the historical, instructional, and other prophetical books of the Bible.
     Also, this same warning is found in Deuteronomy!

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.
(Deuteronomy 4:2)

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
(Deuteronomy 12:32)

According to the same false logic, only the five books of Moses would be valid -- most of the Bible would be heresy! This is not so. Clearly, these warnings do not prohibit new scripture!
What is scripture? The idea that there cannot be new scripture is based on a false understanding of what scripture is. Scripture is a record of events (past and future) and instructions from God. It is a holy record, but only a record. It is documentation. Scripture is a preserving of the Word of almighty God. Scripture is directed and created by God himself -- but it is a record. If a prophet were to do something, anything, then surely that would become documented. An account of the event would be written. Think about this fact -- when Jesus returns He will do great things. The things that Jesus will do will be written about and documented. All of this documentation would then become part of the historical record, a part of scripture; just like any of the historical books of the Bible are records of events that took place. It just seems both reasonable and plausible that there can be new scripture.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
(Romans 12:6)

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
(1 Corinthians 12:28)

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
(1 Corinthians 14:1)

Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
(1 Corinthians 14: 39)

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
(Acts 2:17-18)

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers
(Ephesians 4:11)

Finally, the definitive word on whether there can be a prophet today comes from the
book of Revelation. The book of Revelation speaks clearly of future prophets:

Since these witnesses will prophecy after the book of Revelation was written -- the last book in our scripture -- it must be possible for there to be prophets!
God can call a prophet today!