The Gift of Prophecy

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Referring to the latter days, Jesus in Matthew 24:24 warns of false prophets. Of course you can’t impersonate someone who is not real, so obviously Jesus recognized that the gift of prophecy would still be given out in the latter days. Joel 2:28-31 also tells us there will be those with the gift of prophecy in the last days. Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us the gift of prophecy is given to the church as long as we are growing up in Christ. So if we believe the Bible, we need to believe that there will be prophets after the Bible was written, because that’s what the Bible says.

A prophet doesn’t have to write in the Bible to be a prophet. John the Baptist, Miriam, Anna and several other prophets never wrote anything in the Bible.

Also, being a “lesser light” doesn’t mean one is not a prophet. In Daniel’s day, he was the lesser light, being compared to Moses who was the greater light of his day. Daniel had to pass the same test in his day, that every prophet has to pass in their day.

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20 NKJV

Following this same principle, In Acts 17:11 folks were searching their Bibles to see if what Paul said was so. Even though Paul wrote several books in the Bible, he was still the lesser light in his day pointing to the greater light, which in his day was the Old Testament. (Daniel was a lesser light in his day, but was found to be in perfect harmony with Moses and became a part of the greater light in Paul’s day.) In Acts 17:11. Paul was testifying about Jesus (Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10 tell us prophecy is testifying about Jesus) and pointing people to the greater light, which was the Old Testament. So today someone with the gift of prophecy will testify of Jesus while pointing people to the greater light which is God’s Word.

While many today scoff at the idea of modern-day prophets, Paul warns,

Do not despise prophecies. 1 Thessalonians 5:20 NKJV

Instead he tells us to

Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 NKJV

When a parent tells their youngest child, “Go tell your older brothers and sisters to come inside for dinner,” the older siblings can’t say, “We don’t have to obey you! Your’e our youngest sibling. You are nobody!” Even though they are the youngest, they have been sent by the parent. If the kids refuse to obey, they are not disobeying the youngest child. They are disobeying the parents. It is the same with prophets. If we reject a modern-day prophet just because they are just “one of us,” we are actually rejecting God and continuing the spirit of the Jews of whom Stephen asked, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute! See Acts 7:52.

As Paul said, we need to test the prophets to see if they are in harmony with the greater light which is the law and established testimonies of Jesus, i.e. the Scriptures. See Isaiah 8:20. Prophets also need to be tested to see if their lifestyle is in harmony with Jesus. See Matthew 7:15-23. Predictions must pass with 100% accuracy. See Jeremiah 28:9. If we find a prophet who passes the test we can claim the promise,

Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV

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The Gift of Prophecy — 8 Comments

Phil van der Klift on May 15, 2018 at 5:21 pm said:

Thanks for raising this potentially important and relevant topic/issue.

A couple of questions for opinion:

1) Is the criteria of fulfillment of predictions essential for a person to be a prophet? That is to say, do all prophets make future predictions or can a prophet be someone who calls people back to the greater light? What is the biblical perspective/precedent on this?

2) Do we actually believe/allow that God may send a further prophet or prophets to the church in 2018 and beyond - or was Ellen White the last one?

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- Maurice Ashton on May 15, 2018 at 8:53 pm said:
  
  A study of the OT minor prophets shows them as calling the nation back to God rather than predicting the future. Perhaps that should be considered their major activity. I am reminded of a number of occasions recorded where people were filled with the Holy Spirit and started to prophesy and I wonder if they all started foretelling the future or it was just a term for enthusiastically showing their faith.
  
  Regarding your second question, I am not a prophet so whatever I say had to be taken as conjecture. Whether God will raise another prophet or not is an open question. Once again we should not dismiss the Biblical model of minor prophets who delivered a short message at an appropriate time, rather than a major message to influence the whole church. I like to think that God often works and speaks in rather ordinary ways, rather than putting on a dramatic show to gain attention. Maybe we are seeing visions and dreaming dreams as the Bible predicted, but we are not acting on them. That would be a sad misuse of prophetic talent.
  
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  - Donald Litchfield on May 16, 2018 at 6:53 am said:
    
    A question comes to my mind; Would the members of the SDA Church recognize a prophet if God would send one to us or would we be so stuck with Ellen White that we would not listen. How could we properly prepare for such an event so that we might be ready to receive truth--even "new light"? Have we really accepted the message of Ellen White yet?
    
    How would we treat a modern day prophet should he/she appear? Have we already been sent any prophets since Ellen White?
    
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    - Maurice Ashton on May 16, 2018 at 5:50 pm said:
      
      I think that the OT experience is that either people did not recognize them as prophets, or alternatively treated them very badly.
      
      On the other hand, some of the OT prophets that ended up having their work published in the Bible had some pretty weird behavior. I doubt that we would have believed them either. The lesson we can probably learn is that God uses a variety of ways and people to get his message through to us and that we probably need to be better listeners.
      
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Robert Whiteman on May 16, 2018 at 5:39 am said:

Why would God send another like Ellen when few regard her messages and most act as if they were never given? Also, she stated: "I am no prophet". Her work was much broader, and was sufficient. Does God need to repeat Himself? Until we follow all He has given us to follow, there is no need for further messages. (example: Ellen stopped receiving/giving testimonies on dress reform, because most members refused the light given. Christ cannot lead when there are no followers.)

We have been given great privileges, yet it is shocking that few have bothered to take advantage of them. God has spoken, but will I listen? Every baptized member is accountable for all the light they have not accepted or neglected to seek from this end-time messenger. Most are also lacking in understanding the Bible. (Just listen to the comments/questions in SS classes anywhere you go. Ellen wrote that few know what they believe and most cannot provide Bible support.)

I just asked someone who had sent a very long letter to all the members to chastise their "unbelief" (toward a wayward teaching promoted by the sender) if they had ever read the Testimonies to the church. They replied "no". The very nature of their letter showed this lack and their answer to the question verified it.

God has no further light for any who do not follow the light already given. Yet in His great mercy, he always provides those calling for reform(as with prophets and apostles), which will eventually swell into the Loud Cry.

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- Inge Anderson on May 16, 2018 at 3:24 pm said:
  
  Robert, you asked,
  
  Why would God send another like Ellen when few regard her messages and most act as if they were never given?
  
  When you put it that away, the answer is simple: God is still the same God as when He sent prophet after prophet to His ancient people - even when they stoned the prophets!!
  
  As for Ellen White saying, "I am no prophet," it has to be taken in the context of her society where there were a number of "prophets" cropping up. A prophet is one who speaks for God, and it may never involve foretelling the future. The way she describes herself as "more than a prophet" actually fits a biblical prophet, but it was "more" than the people in her society were thinking of when they said "prophet."
  
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Daniel Obeng on May 16, 2018 at 10:38 pm said:

God has given His gifts to individuals in the church according to the strength and ability of individual church members in support of the gospel propagation. The gift of prophecy that kicks against the prophetic views given to the church by God is not from God. But any gifts of prophecy that edify the already possessed gifts of the prophecy is from the Lord. 1 Cor.12 verses 4 -

There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.

7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.

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Bette Roebuck on December 8, 2021 at 5:03 am said:

To me, definition is everything. The comments were definitive. Breaking down the word prophecy: pro means agreement with, belonging to, and for. Phecy means to tell.
So, a prophet would be someone who who tells others what is in the Bible past and future and can explain it to the hearer so he or she will agree and comply. The giver will use the gifts God has imparted to them through the Holy Spirit ; such as, the gift of healing, the gift of wisdom, and so on. I loved all the comments.

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