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[INFJ] Profile of the Prophetic person = INFJ?

S

Sniffles

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INFJs are often compared to the Biblical prophets. Much of the literature Ive read concerning the Prophets does seem to confirm this comparison.

Here's an example of such. Here R. Loren Sandford provides a general overview of the common characteristics found within people who have "prophetic" abilities( Sanford does correctly make a distinction between a 'prophetic' person and an actual Prophet).

You can read the entire piece here:
A Profile of the Prophetic Person by R. Loren Sandford - Vox

Here are some interesting excerpts that I wish to bring attention to.

Prophetic types are usually eccentric personalities who have experienced more than their share of rejection because they do not think, feel or even act like normal folk. Not only are they misunderstood by others, and even by their families and intimate loved ones, but they are seldom understood even by themselves. Like so many things prophetic people face internally, this lack of self-understanding passes when maturity comes, often with the help of good counselors, but I do not think I know of a prophetic person who has not experienced it.

As eccentrics, we prophetic people ask questions about life and faith that do not seem to matter to others and, in pondering these questions, we often find ourselves off in a dream world somewhere while the rest of the world passes us by. We are looking for answers and seeking the deep meaning of things and we find ourselves incapable of settling for shallow or easy answers. The quest often consumes so much of our awareness that we seem disconnected, even aloof, from other people. Life seems to hold a different set of meanings for us than for regular folk.

Because of this lack of things to hold in common, people sometimes have trouble relating to us as friends and peers. For instance, when all that matters to me is the spiritual significance of the next natural disaster, it can become difficult to join others in their excitement over last Sunday's victory for the local professional football team. Being prophetic can enforce a profound sense of loneliness and isolation. Normal folk do not know how to relate.

It goes further. Prophetic people live as forerunners. They are usually one step ahead of the rest of the body of Christ. When other people are down and out, the prophetic person may already be rejoicing in the blessing to come. Or when others catch up and find the joy and the blessing the prophet saw coming, the prophet has already moved on and now grieves over the failure and apostasy that will form the essence of the coming days.

Prophetic personalities often have little consciousness of what might be seen by others to be weird behavior and they may tend to communicate in ways that neither they nor others fully understand. John the Baptist wore camel skin and ate bugs! Hardly normal behavior! Ezekiel dug holes in the city wall and carried his travel baggage around all day just for people to see (Ezekiel 12). And that was nothing compared to Ezekiel 4 where he built a toy city in the public place, and then laid down by it for the better part of 430 days. If that were not enough, he had himself tied up with ropes. He did all of this just to proclaim the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the population into exile. "Normal" people would never entertain such instructions as coming from God.

True prophetic people who have not yet fully made peace with the calling and its consequences can therefore seem crusty at times. They can appear to be angry and defensive because they are geared up and prepared in advance for your negative response. They have been lied about, misunderstood and misrepresented and it hurts.

What may seem to be pride can therefore actually be simple defensiveness. What appears to be a hard and arrogant exterior can conceal a gentle and wounded heart of love. Those who would nurture prophetic people must work to see past this defensive and even offensive exterior. My own family has fought a long battle against a pattern of always gearing up for a fight.

Prophetic people are often over-serious about life and themselves and may have real difficulty just laughing and playing. Some discover their calling late in life, having had no inkling beforehand, but many are born with a crushing sense of destiny. From the earliest childhood they live under a sense of urgency.

This sounds very much like something an INFJ could relate to. I know I can. Who else agrees with me?
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
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Hey, thanks. This is a great finding.

*bookmarks*

I'd say that if there is a type for prophets it must be INFJ. Intuition is the absolute necessity and feeling makes it stronger, since INTJ would rationalize intuition, thus canceling the "prophesy", or changing it into science.

But the circumstances must be right for their type to turn into a prophet. They need to have very religious background to turn their visions into religious prophecies. I also think they must be "broken" somehow to make the eccentricism come out. Maybe they have lost everything or had a burnout or something.
 

murkrow

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I think any NJ is going to relate to this.

The Ni function is prophetic.

NTJs see what's going to happen and know why, NFJs know what's going to happen and don't care why.
 

SillySapienne

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50583831.Kentingcamping016.jpg
 

Venom

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how would this apply to the ENFJ? INTJ? they have Ni as well....so is the INTJs prophecy going to simply be less spiritual in nature? the ENFJs prophecy going to be more secondary to socail cues?
 

murkrow

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INTJs are going to have a much harder time being accurately prophetic until they've really come to terms with their capabilities.

The introverted lifestyles they tend to lead is going to keep them away from the sort of Te stimulation necessary for them to really develop their prophetic capabilities, but I think that in the long term an INTJ could be just as prophetic as an ENTJ.

ENFJs make great career counselors and things like that, isn't that somewhat prophetic?

Anyway, I think ENTJs will often show the same prophetic ability as an INFJ.
 

SillySapienne

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Hmm, I wonder if there is any bias going on in this thread.

*ponders*
 

murkrow

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How dare we be aware of our own strengths?!



EDIT: sorry...
 

Haphazard

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The most prophecy you're going to get out of an INTJ is 'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

What type do you reckon Howard Beale is, Mad Prophet of the Airwaves?
 

Werewolfen

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I have an experience I will always remember when I was 5 years old, my Granny and my Dad were in the kitchen, my Dad sitting at the kitchen table , I jumped in my Dad's lap and just blurted out not even thinking "You're gonna die soon".....one week later when I was waiting for my Dad to pick me up from my Granny's, my 2 Uncles and Aunt pulled in the drive way and came in to tell my Granny my Dad had been killed in a truck wreck, she was too shaken and screaming to remember what I said the week before, but she only talked about that one time after that. When I was a kid growing up , I would hear knocking at the door ... go to the door and open it, no one would be there, go back in front of the TV and a few minutes later...hear knocking at the door , go to the door and then someone would be there, I'd ask them "did you just knock a few minutes ago? " No they would say- that happened many times, and also, had quite a few instances of hearing the phone ring a few minutes before it actually would ring. I had a lot of nightmares when I was a kid, when I got older like 10,11 years old a lot of that stopped> the nightmares, hearing things a few minutes before they happened, ect. I don't have any "special power"- as in "accurate to use at will" , I can feel others emotions just like the INFJ write-ups say, I am a true blue INFJ but nothing special about me, I am a strong believer in fate and destiny , I find prophecy interesting.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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INFJ's are also psychic. Research states that the INFJ have limited shape-shifting abilities as well. My Spidey sense tells me they possess the majority of superpowers available.

Kiersy said:
This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.
 

SillySapienne

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I think any Ni or Ne dom would be prone to being psychic or experiencing psychic phenomena.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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I think any Ni or Ne dom would be prone to being psychic or experiencing psychic phenomena.
Perhaps we should have a Ni vs. Ne prophetic/physic show-down? We can see whose predictions come true. :harhar:
 
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