In the beginning, when man was created and placed in the garden of Eden, he could talk with his Creator and with the angels face to face. When sin entered, this privilege was withdrawn. Man became subject to death, and was unable to look upon the wonderful glory of God, or to live in His presence.
(CET 237.1)
But though fallen man could no longer talk directly with God, yet our loving heavenly Father has ever maintained communication with the human family. Through the ministry of holy angels, He has provided for men and women protection from the influences of evil, and help to live in accordance with His will. And through the agency of His Holy Spirit, God has spoken to the hearts of men, and has made it possible for even the most sinful and ignorant to find the way that leads to right-doing and to eternal life.
(CET 237.2)
God has also spoken to the fallen race through chosen human agencies, to whom He has communicated a knowledge of His purpose in visions and dreams. These messengers of His will, have been known as holy men, or prophets, set apart by the Lord Himself for the special work of receiving and communicating truth from heaven to mankind. “If there be a prophet among you,” God declares, “I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Numbers 12:6.
(CET 237.3)
The Holy Scriptures were compiled from the writings of men thus signally honored. To the people living in their days these men bore messages from God; and they also taught spiritual truths and gave counsels and warnings for the church in future times. To “the prophets”“it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you.” 1 Peter 1:10-12.
(CET 237.4)
In The Patriarchal Age
The prophetic gift is not limited to any one age. Early in the inspired record we find instances of its manifestation. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was a prophet. Looking down through the centuries, he saw with prophetic vision the coming of the Lord, and the execution of the final judgments upon the ungodly. Jude 14, 15.
(CET 238.1)
To Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob the Lord appeared in vision, foretelling the blessings that would come to their posterity. With them he renewed his covenant, and they were led to look forward to the final reward of the righteous, and to behold the glories of that heavenly city whose Builder and Maker is God. Hebrews 11:10.
(CET 238.2)
Moses, who was chosen of God to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage into the land of Canaan, was a mighty prophet. Predicting the coming of the Messiah, he said, “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.” Deuteronomy 18:15. God gave many revelations to this faithful man; and though the divine glory was not fully revealed to him, yet the word declares that God talked with him “face to face.” Deuteronomy 34:10.
(CET 238.3)
After the children of Israel were settled in Canaan, the influence of the idolaters by whom they were surrounded, turned them from the true God, to the worship of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and also to the worship of graven images made of gold and silver and wood and stone. Thus they transgressed the commandments from heaven that had been given for their own good. The loving heart of God was grieved as he saw the chosen nation led away from their creator and benefactor, into a course of action tending toward ruin.
(CET 238.4)
Amid the general apostasy there were some who maintained their allegiance to Jehovah; and from among these, God chose prophets whom he commissioned to call the people to repentance, and to warn them of the evils that their course would surely bring upon them. “The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place.” 2 Chronicles 36:15.
(CET 239.1)
Prominent among the prophets of Israel were Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. In stirring words they called upon the people to turn from their evil ways, giving assurance that the Lord would graciously receive and bless them, and would heal their backslidings. Some of the writings of these prophets have a special application to the time in which we live. They wrote of things which should “come to pass in the last days,” or in the “time of the end.” Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 12:4.
(CET 239.2)
At The First Advent Of Christ
The last of the Old Testament prophets was Malachi. During the period of formalism before the appearance of Christ, so far as any record exists, there were no manifestations of the gift of prophecy. But prophets were sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, “was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied.” Luke 1:67. Simeon, a “just and devout” man, who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel,” came by the spirit into the temple, and prophesied concerning Jesus, that he should be a “light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Anna, a prophetess, “spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:25, 32, 38. And there was no greater prophet in any age than was John the Baptist, who was chosen by God to proclaim to Israel the advent of “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29.
(CET 239.3)
In the Days of the Apostles
The beginning of the Christian era was marked by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of various spiritual gifts. Among these was the gift of prophecy. In the book of Acts we read of the inspired utterances of Peter, of Stephen, and of others connected with the early Christian church; also of the four daughters of Philip, “virgins, which did prophesy;” and of a prophet named Agabus. Acts 21:9, 10.
(CET 240.1)
The apostle Paul had visions of the glory of heaven. See 2 Corinthians 12:1-7. He wrote at length in the twelfth chapter of first Corinthians concerning the gifts of the spirit that were given, not for one age alone, but “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:13. “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:28.
(CET 240.2)
John, the last survivor of the twelve apostles of Jesus, was a prophet. In the closing book of the Bible, he tells of the visions that were given him while he was in banishment on the isle of Patmos. In recording these visions he declares them to be “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;” and he says that Christ “Sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Revelation 1:1, 2.
(CET 240.3)
Disappearance During the Great Apostasy
The scriptures foretell a great apostasy, which even in the days of the apostles had begun to manifest itself among certain false brethren in the church, and which finally was to develop into a “falling away,” and the revelation of “that man of sin, ... the son of perdition,” of whom Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7.
(CET 241.1)
In fulfillment of these predictions, it is a matter of historical record that following the death of the last of the apostles of Jesus, some members of the Christian church began to depart from the simplicity of the truth as taught by Christ; and gradually these church members were led to unite with the world in heathen practices.
(CET 241.2)
As the years passed by, and the church increased in numbers and in popularity, there were many who became less and still less strict in their obedience to Bible teaching, until finally, in the fifth and sixth centuries after Christ, the greater number of those who claimed to be Christians were in reality not living in harmony with the teachings of Christ. For many centuries thereafter an apostate form of Christianity held sway. The truth was suppressed and lost sight of, and ignorance prevailed.
(CET 241.3)
These centuries of apostasy are correctly designated in history the “Dark Ages.” During this time attempts were made to alter or to set aside many of the fundamental teachings of the Bible. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that, in such a time, as likewise in the centuries immediately preceding the first advent of Christ, the manifestation of the gift of prophecy almost wholly disappeared.
(CET 242.1)
Restored in the Last Days
But the scriptures, while foretelling this dreadful apostasy, also plainly teach that just before the second coming of Christ, many will be rescued from the darkness of error and superstition. Once more the earth is to be lightened by the glory of God. The pure truths of the Bible are to shine forth. And in this time of heavenly illumination marking the approaching end of the age, the gifts of the Spirit are again to be manifest in the true church. “It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17, 18; Joel 2:28, 29.
(CET 242.2)
In clear terms the prophet John speaks of “the remnant,” or the last church, as those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. In another passage the same writer gives a plain definition of what he means by the “testimony of Jesus.” When on one occasion John attempted to worship the angel who appeared to him in vision, the angel said:
(CET 242.3)
“See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God.” Revelation 19:10.
(CET 243.1)
Under similar circumstances the same angel said, as recorded in another place:
(CET 243.2)
“See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets.” Revelation 22:9.
(CET 243.3)
The thought expressed is the same in both these passages. In one, however, John’s “brethren” are said to have “the testimony of Jesus;” in the other these “brethren” are called “the prophets.”
(CET 243.4)
Therefore it is the prophets who have “the testimony of Jesus;” and the angel who appeared to John is evidently the special messenger who conveys instruction to all the prophets,—doubtless the angel Gabriel, who is mentioned as having appeared to Daniel. See Daniel 8:16; 9:21. The same angel further said to John, “the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.
(CET 243.5)
Comparing the Bible expression, “the testimony of Jesus,” with the statement of Revelation 12:17 concerning the “remnant ... which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” we conclude that prior to Christ’s second coming His true church will be keeping His commandments, and that they will have the Spirit of prophecy.
(CET 243.6)
The rapid fulfillment of the predictions of Holy Scripture regarding the signs and events which were to mark the closing scenes of earth’s history, is a sure evidence that we are now living in the last days. Therefore a company of Christian people who keep the commandments of God and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ—the Spirit of prophecy—should today be in existence. Where may they be found?
(CET 243.7)