Agreement With the Bible
What is one of the most important tests of a true prophet (Isa. 8:20)? Why should this be so important?
Law (Heb. torah) is the common biblical term for the inspired writings of Moses (Deut. 4:44, 31:9); the testimony refers to the witness of the prophets (2 Chron. 23:11, John 3:32). In other words, what a prophet says must harmonize with what God has revealed already. Though later prophets may reveal additional insights regarding the plan of salvation, they will not contradict what God has said before. God’s unchangeableness (Mal. 3:6) is at stake in His revelations to humanity.
An example of this test of a true prophet is given in Jeremiah 28. Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would serve the king of Babylon 70 years (Jer. 25:11). A few years into the 70 years, Hananiah the son of Azur claimed otherwise: “In the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord's house . . . with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,” says the Lord’ ” (Jer. 28:1–4, NKJV). Because this was not in harmony with what God had told Jeremiah previously, God gave another message to Jeremiah: “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘. . . This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month” (Jer. 28:15–17, NKJV).
Every true prophet has made the writings of previous prophets the benchmark for his or her own ministry. The same is true for Ellen White. Anyone familiar with her books can testify that she used Scripture profusely. She immersed herself in the Bible and constantly referred to the biblical text, and what she wrote is in agreement with the Bible. Although she was not a theologian and did not write an exegetical commentary on the Bible, her message is in harmony with the message of Scripture.
| Why must harmony with the Bible be our final test of everything moral, spiritual, and theological? Why must we have a final authority, especially in spiritual and theological matters? |
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