God Speaks Through Prophets
Many people have a very restricted view of the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is mainly seen in terms of predictions, and the prophets they are aware of are those who have given their names to a number of books in the Bible. The facts are different. God used prophets on a much wider scale than one would think. And prophecy is not only about predictions. It stands for much more.
How does the relationship between Moses and his brother Aaron illustrate the key meaning of the word prophet? Exod. 7:1-6.
The passage of Exodus 7:1-6 highlights the true work of a prophet. Moses, who himself is referred to as a great prophet (Deut. 34:10-12), was assisted by his brother, who served as his spokesperson. "Moses is like God to Aaron, who is like a prophet to Pharaoh. The clear idea is that prophets don't manufacture their own speeches but only pass on what they have heard from God."—Jon Dybdahl, The Abundant Life Bible Amplifier: Exodus (Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press® Publishing Association, 1994), p. 80.
A prophet is a man or a woman who speaks on behalf of God. Those words have authority because the message comes from God, even though the prophet may choose his or her own words to convey that message. God used this manner of communicating with His people quite extensively, as Amos underlined when he stated, "The Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7, NIV).
What does Scripture say about the continuation of the gift of prophecy beyond Old Testament times? Look at the following sample of the New Testament evidence. What do you conclude?
1. Prophets mentioned by name (Luke 1:67, 2:36, Acts 13:1).
2. The abiding gift (1 Cor. 12:28, 14:1-5).
3. False prophets (2 Pet. 2:1, Rev. 2:20).
4. A characteristic of the remnant church (Rev. 12:17, 19:10).
| What has been the impact of the writings of Ellen G. White (who had the gift of prophecy) upon your own life? How has God spoken to you through her ministry? In what ways could you better avail yourself of the blessings of this gift? |
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