What is a seer and how is a seer distinguished from a prophet? The Bible shows us they are the same …but different.
What is a seer? What’s the difference between a seer and a prophet? Do prophets see visions? And if they do see visions, does that make them the same?
I came across the term “seer” as I was looking into the differences between dreams, visions, words and pictures.
I wasn’t too sure of the answer, so I did my own research, which revealed there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Experience As A Seer
I didn’t know until relatively recently, but I have some experience of being a seer.
I do hear God’s voice on a regular basis, but just as much, I “see” what he is doing.
In other words, I receive words, pictures and sometimes, visions and dreams from him.
Seer Of Jesus
On one such occasion, I had a vivid dream about Jesus.
I saw him on the cross, at the moment of his death. He let out a cry and died, and at that moment, I saw an explosion of power in the spirit realm. All the colours of the rainbow were released and moved outward from him.
The explosion issued from what I can only describe as a sudden split between Jesus and the rest of the Godhead. At that moment, his life was ripped away from his heavenly Father and from Holy Spirit.
I didn’t understand this at the time, but I now see that God is life and there is no death in him. So, when Jesus died, he was cut off somehow from the rest of the Trinity.
I wouldn’t want to begin to understand the theology behind this, and I don’t know if there are proper biblical grounds for such thinking (so don’t quote me on it!).
The important thing is what the Lord revealed to me through: From that explosion, there was a wave of power that reached out into the whole universe and also through the whole of time.
Seeing Is Believing
When I woke up, this dream had a profound impact on me. I thought about it for days and I ended up asking an artistic friend to paint it as a picture. You can see the results in the featured image for this article.
I ended up using the painting for a sermon in church, a few weeks later.
Although it came through a dream, I saw something in the spirit realm. Something that had a profound impact on the world.
For me, it explained and described how it could be that Jesus’ death on the cross hundreds of miles away and 2000 years ago, could reach across both distance and time to make a difference to people today.
What Is A Seer? – Definition
A quick Google turns up the following when I look for a definition of “seer”:
A person of supposed supernatural insight who sees visions of the future.
That makes sense, but surely that’s not much different to a prophet?
I think there is a bit more to it than that.
If I was to define seer, then it would be someone who knows what God is doing, and is about to do, in the heavenly realm and here on the earth.
They know this primarily through watching their Lord, through seeing him go about his work, from a place of intimacy.
What Is A Prophet? – Definition
Again, a quick look at a definition of “prophet” turns up the following:
A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.
Or:
A person who predicts what will happen in the future.
But to me, a prophet is simply someone who shares messages from God with one person or many people.
Those messages reveal and convey God’s purposes, intentions and heart for the people involved.
The messages may be told in pictures and visions, but the prophets hear God’s voice, just as much as they see what he is doing.
Biblical Seers
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all saw visions of God’s throne, in which they looked upon God himself and learnt profound truths about his nature.
Daniel famously saw powerful visions of the end times and of the climactic events in the nations, that would one day lead up to Jesus’ birth.
These dramatic encounters between the prophets and their heavenly king remind us of his lordship. They remind us of his complete control over history and the ongoing story of the world in which we live.
Each of these men heard God’s voice, but what they saw in his presence forms the main body of how we remember them. They were seers.
Conclusion: What Is A Seer?
A seer is a prophet who sees visions.
They see what God is doing and revealing, rather than just hearing his words.
So a seer is a prophet, but a prophet isn’t necessarily a seer.
It’s not that a seer doesn’t hear God’s voice, or that a prophet doesn’t see him in the spirit. It’s more that each role has an emphasis, a tendency towards one or the other.
For some people, it may be obvious whether they are a prophet or a seer. For others, the line between the two may be more blurred or unclear.
As I said at the beginning, they’re the same, but different!
But this brings me to another important question:
- If a seer “sees” what God is doing and a prophet hears, what’s the difference between a prophetic word and a vision, beyond the obvious?
- And what’s the difference between a vision, a picture and a dream?
I’ll explore the answer to those questions in more detail, next time.
What Is A Seer? – Your Turn
If you’ve got something to say about prophets and seers, then:
- Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
- Share this post on social media to invite others to the conversation.
Yes. About that moment, Christ dying on the cross… death is swallowed up in victory!! …which I can only imagine would cause a great explosion of grace, truth and faith!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sue.
Yes and amen!
I am a baby in Christ but my anointing is powerful. I too believe I am a seer / but he shows me Prophet as well. I’m so new and enthralled to learn everything, yet be patient enough to appreciate his glory. I am in a healing and deliverance church dying to self so he can increase in my life. I needed you to know I appreciate coming across your page. What a beautiful blessing.
Hi Ally,
Thank you for your kind words!
May you grow in your relationship with the Lord and in your prophetic anointing!
Thank you. Very helpful. I have a friend who is a seer. She speaks out little pictures she has of me while I pray out-loud- like me holding a scroll, or on rainbow steps- all very encouraging.
Thanks Olivia, you’re welcome.
Having a friend like that sounds great! 🙂
Blessings,
Tim
Tim, I believe I am a seer. I have visions and see things before they happen. I am intimate with God and receive instructions from God. I knew of the pandemic before it hit and I have dreamed the end of the world. Except it was real and terrifying and much more than just a dream. I think I am crazy and it is unsafe to share about it. God personally instructs me to do things – it is a long story. I can relate to this except I FELT Jesus’s emotions of pain. I also was gifted with healing powers… am I a seer?
Hi,
Thank you for your comment.
From what you’ve said, it sounds like you may well be a Seer, but it’s best to pray and ask God what he thinks.
If you’re worried about the visions and dreams you have then that’s also something to pray about and ask the Lord what he wants to teach you through them.
You may also find it helpful to share what you see and hear with another Christian believer, so you can pray about it together.
Just try to find someone you know you can trust, who will listen to you and preferably someone who also understands the prophetic.
I hope that helps!
Blessings,
Tim
Hi! I am curious to learn more about what you have send for the end times as I have had multiple of these dreams starting back around 2013 I believe if not earlier. There’s been a series, but the common thread is utter dread. I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy.
Thanks again for your question.
There are things the Lord has shown me about the end times but they’re not for sharing here.
Again, it’s best to ask God about your dreams and ask him to give you his peace about them: remember that even when things are scary, God is still in control!
Thanks for the article, very helpful. I have a different question about whether believers can become possessed? Jesus warned the woman go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you and also mentioned that when the demons leave if the house is empty they can come back in? Just wondering had a weird experience recently. Ty
Hi,
Thanks for your comment and your question.
It’s not really something I have space to answer properly here but I believe that it is not possible for a believer to be possessed.
When a believer chooses to follow Jesus and commit to him, they are filled with Holy Spirit – and darkness has nothing to do with light!
It’s also important to understand the context and what Jesus is really saying when we read the bible:
Where Jesus speaks about the “house swept clean” he may be relating things to the actions of demons but he is really issuing a warning to the scribes and Pharisees who have just asked him for “a sign”.
And to those who he said “sin no more” I think it’s more of a general instruction to change their overall lifestyle, so they won’t end up in the same predicament (rather than being specific to possession, per se).
At the same time, I do think it’s possible for a believer to be oppressed or attacked by the enemy but we are given authority to overcome those attacks, in Christ.
If you want to know more about that, then I would recommend Freedom in Christ ministries: https://www.ficm.org.uk/
Their course can help you to overcome strongholds in your life and experience true freedom in Christ (hence the name!)
Blessings,
Tim
Very interesting, I am a Seer, I always see things in a Vision or something God give me images of pictures. I’m also a Prophetic Writer. But, your article is interesting that a Seer is Prophet but a Prophet is not always a Seer. Thank you for Sharing
Hi Shirley,
Thank you also for sharing!
I’m glad you found it helpful.
Blessings,
Tim
Tim, thank you for your post! I believe I am a seer. Ever since I was a little boy, I have had my eyes opened to see demons (something visible to me, but invisible to everyone else), had dreams of the future, seen other events, had my spiritual senses activated in the vision realm, and had my thoughts influenced or had certain kinds of thoughts come to me (more like thought impressions). It was not until I got saved that I started to see angels and I heard the audible voice of the Lord call me by name too.
Hi Daron,
Thanks for your comment, it certainly sounds like you are a seer!
I’m so glad that the Lord has taken your gifting and updated it so you see angels.
May they always encourage you!
Blessings,
Tim
Hi, I was told by a prophet that my gift is to seer in the spirit and in visions and dreams, I do get a lot of visions and dreams, sometimes I don’t know how to interpret them. But I am drawn to prophets and I am hungry for spiritual food. I’m still learning.
So what exactly does this make me.
Hi Kay,
Thanks so much for commenting.
It does sound like you are a seer because they are characterised by visual revelations, like lots of visions and dreams.
Check out the rest of the site for more info! 🙂
Greetings to you ✨ I’m so glad I came across this post because I was having the hardest time trying to decipher the difference between the two.
I believe I may be a seer. I’ve had a few instances of seeing something happen before it actually happened. One specific moment was about 2 months ago. My coworker was distraught about her ex boyfriend being hospitalized due to an accident. Long story short she wasn’t allowed to see or talk to him, so she was really upset because she just wanted to know if he was okay. A few days after hearing this story I was on my way into work and I had a quick vision of her crying and leaving work saying they were finally going to let her see him.
I thought I was daydreaming, but it was so clear what I saw. Still, I brushed it off. About 15-20 minutes after arriving to work I began to talk to my co worker. She still didn’t hear any news about her ex. I was skeptical about telling her what I saw because I was afraid of what she would say or think of me. The urge to tell her was stronger than that thought, so I did. Five minutes later her phone rings and she starts crying and frantically gathering her things. Before she left she said, “What are you like an angel or something?” I was speechless because I didn’t know how to explain it either. I just know that it happened before and that moment had confirmed I wasn’t just daydreaming.
She gave me the biggest hug and began to cry again before leaving saying thank you. All I could do was Thank God that He used me to give her that.
After that I began to wonder if I was a prophet or could I just see visions. Then I wondered if there was a difference. I kind of gave up on it until a few days ago. I finally came across this article today and it has helped tremendously. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
Hello, thank you so much for sharing that personal story with us!
It sounds like something that would be good to explore in your prayer times, and ask Jesus how he would like to develop your gift further.
Blessings,
Tim
Prophets ‘see’ the future . Seers ‘see’ the present happening and past .
Hi Mary,
Thank you, that’s an interesting point of view.
I think Seers often see what’s happening now, but it’s a little bit more nuanced than that because I know some Seers who do get visions of the future, too.
Similarly, while there is obviously some overlap between the two roles, and some Prophets have visions of the future, they don’t always see it with their spiritual eyes: they may simply relay what the Lord tells them to (what they hear), rather than being able to see it, as a vision or picture in their mind.
Blessings,
Tim
Hi Tim, Thank you for this information. I started to have dreams and visions all of a sudden, around 8 months ago. However, I really struggle to hear The Holy Spirit when I’m awake. I get all of my answers to my questions/concerns either in a dream or vision not matter how hard I try while Im awake. It can be frustrating. Is this a normal thing? I have a very new relationship with God.
Hello Newcomer,
Thanks for your comment, that’s a very good question, and I can appreciate it can be frustrating.
In my experience, I have met many more people who hear God or see pictures while they are awake, than those who receive dreams from him.
However, I have one friend who the Lord speaks to almost exclusively through dreams, and hardly ever hears anything from God while awake.
That said, he has learned to spend time with God, meditating on those dreams.
Hence, he receives the majority of the interpretation and understanding of those dreams in daylight hours, when he can write it down in his prayer journal.
So, be encouraged that you’re not the only one!
I think the best thing is for you to do likewise: write down your dreams and ask God to bring further revelation about them.
I hope that helps.
Blessings,
Tim
Goodevening Tim I trust you are well I have some insight on the difference between a Prophet and a Seer so I hope this helps…… so a Prophet is a person who hears God meaning to bubble up in there spirit then speaks out in faith what he or she hears also a true Prophet in office don’t need to hear of the holy spirit to speak a word they can just open there mouth and declare things and it will happen….. a Seer on the other hand is a Prophet who’s function is more of visions , dreams, 3 heaven encounters, pictures and they operate in a high level of discerning of spirits they even sense in the body when angels are around and can see them on a regular basis aswel as demons….. they see hidden things and mysteries…… on that note you have to remember that not all who sees in the spirit are Seers just like not all who hears are prophets and Seer can also be and evangelist an Apostle also operates as A Seer but they are not called to the office of a prophet and office of a seer there’s a difference so people are getting it confused nowadays calling themselves prophets and seers but the only have the gift of discerning of spirits and word of knowledge which also comes with the ability to see I hope this helps and somes things up for some people thanks Tim..
Hi Grant,
I think you make some interesting points there, although I’m not sure I agree with all of them.
For example, I don’t think any Christian can speak a prophecy apart from the Holy Spirit, whether they are a prophet in office or not. The prophet’s entire role centres around them relaying what they hear from God (i.e. through Holy Spirit) to other people.
Similarly, while I agree that not everyone who sees in the spirit is a seer and not all who prophesy are called to the office of prophet, I think there is more of a spectrum than simply being called to the office or not.
Some people only prophesy using the gift of prophecy occasionally, and there are others who exercise the gift more frequently.
Still others, like myself, use the gift enough to have a ministry, but aren’t necessarily called to the office of prophet.
I feel that the Lord considers me to be a prophet because he has given me a ministry in teaching others about the gift, without me having to be in an office.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Blessings,
Tim
Thanks Tim — I’ve been a Christian for about 37 years. I see from your answer to Kay, “[seers] are characterised by visual revelations, like lots of visions and dreams.” that I am NOT a seer (even tho I’m visually gifted (IQ Test)). I get impressions (lots of diffent ways) about what He is doing with the church, the future and sometimes with individuals. I often hear that “still small voice (Isaiah 30:21). Also, sometimes I say things to people that I wasn’t thinking and they turn out to be true. I used to have lots of end of the world dreams before I became a Christian, but I believe that was just a symptom of C-PTSD. I don’t have them any more. I’m one that doesn’t believe the office of prophet is at work today, so do you have any idea how to scripturally charactize my gift?
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for your comments and your question.
I have to be honest, and say that I believe that the office of prophet is alive and well in God’s church today.
However, different Christians have different ideas on what the office of prophet actually is, and that’s something that can’t really be answered in a comment on a blog post!
That said, whatever you believe about the office, I hope that you believe that the spiritual gift of prophecy is available today, because that is the only explanation I could find for your gift in scripture.
If you don’t believe that prophecy is for today, then I think you would have a hard time trying to find something else in the Bible which could describe what you experience.
I think the important thing here is to ask God for him to illuminate his word to you, and reveal the full truth of the matter to you.
Blessings,
Tim
Thanks Tim, for the thoughtful reply. Since I wrote to you, I saw an article that said they also don’t believe that the “office” still exists, but that sometimes God uses certain individuals in certain instances to prophesy. I guess that’s as good an explanation as any. I was thinking perhap what I’ve been experienceing was “word of knowledge” or “word of wisdom” but I’m unclear what those are also. Thanks again.
You’re welcome Stephanie,
Yes, that does sound like a good explanation (although I also believe that the gift of prophecy is increasing – along with the other gifts – as we approach the end times, according to Peter’s prophecy in Acts 2… but that’s another story!)
Words of knowledge and wisdom are slightly different to prophecies, although they kind of overlap.
Hence, I tend to see them all as “prophetic gifts”, if that makes sense.
If you’d like to know more about them, I have another article you might like to read here.
Blessings,
Tim
Hi Tim — I was praying this morning about this and the Lord gave me these verses that I think are the answer to thisquestion. It’s not the office of Prophet that we are experiencing now, it’s what the Lord promised He would do in the last days. (Acts 2:17,Joel 2:28)
“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
And your young men will see visions,
And your old men will have dreams;”
YSIC, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Apologies it’s taken me a while to reply to your latest comment, I had some family matters that needed seeing to.
I agree that Acts 2:17 is part of what we’re experiencing now, although I still stand by my previous comments re the office of prophet and I think that the modern day office is part of the same increase Peter prophesied.
However, as also mentioned previously, different people have different ideas on what the Office of prophet really means: I would be interested to hear your thoughts on it!
Blessings,
Tim
Hi Tim, I agree with teachings that say the office ended when the original apostles died. I think the Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John, as well as the other prophets like Joel, Daniel, et. al. was all God meant us to know about what would happen in the last days. Perhaps those He gives the gift to will be able to help get across to the church how to deal with what’s ahead and already been prophesied? Hope all is well with you and your family. In the grip of His grace, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks again for your reply (a bit speedier than I usually manage!).
If prophecy is only about the future, then I can understand your position regarding the office of prophet, particularly with regard to the end times.
I think you’re probably right that God doesn’t really want or need us to know more than is already revealed in scripture about the end times, we already get ourselves too tangled up about it, with just a little bit of knowledge!
On the other hand, I think that prophecy is wider and greater than simply looking to the future and it goes beyond the end times and eschatology.
Much of what the Bible prophets did was to speak to God’s people about coming judgement, about God’s promises, to warn them when they strayed from the truth, performing miracles and healings when needed, and all in addition to anything they may have foretold about the future.
From that perspective, I think the office of prophet is still alive today, albeit not in the same way as biblical prophets, like John the apostle and writer of the book of Revelation.
Those in the office of prophet today are usually given a specific task to do or assigned a specific location, group or organisation to prophesy to, by the Lord.
Their role is not to add to what the Bible says or to modify it, but to apply the truth God speaks through them by the Holy Spirit, to those they are sent to (which will, of course, have to be tested against the Bible itself).
For example, I believe that Martin Luther King was one such prophet, and God used him to shake up the attitudes of people of his day, but also to create a legacy that still speaks to us today.
I think he was assigned by God to the office of prophet, it’s perhaps just a different kind of office to the one I’ve heard some Bible teachers describe.
Blessings,
Tim
Hi Tim – I also have been experiencing what you said about speaking to God’s people about coming judgement, about God’s promises, to warn them when they’ve strayed from the truth (if they’re willing to listen, which the majority of the time they don’t), and to advise them how to apply the truth God speaks through me by the Holy Spirit as well as the other things I mentioned at first. To date, I’ve never been used as God’s instrument in any miracles that I’m aware of.
I would also say a hearty AMEN to your comment, “we already get ourselves too tangled up about it, with just a little bit of knowledge!” I’m starting to suspect a lot of these prophecy ministries and conferences are milking the church in order to sell books instead of offering tangible ways to help them navigate what’s coming. The church is getting too overwhelmed with all this knowledge coming at them and no way to deal with it.
In the grip of His Grace, Stephanie
Thanks Stephanie,
It certainly sounds like God is using you to bless people with the prophetic gifts!
I can’t speak to prophetic conferences because I haven’t been to many of them.
However, I think the church as a whole needs a lot of help with the spiritual gifts, and the gift of prophecy, in particular, because I believe it is the mature use of those gifts that will help us to navigate the times we live in.
That’s what I founded this website to do, so I hope that you are finding it helpful – and practical – in your life. 🙂
Blessings,
Tim
Yes, I’ve found it very beneficial and I did read that article also. Thanks for sharing your gift with me. Blessings, Stephanie
You’re welcome!
I’m glad you found it helpful.
Blessings,
Tim
Thanks for this eye opener
You’re welcome!
Thanks for your wisdom
You’re welcome!
Blessings,
Tim