The Gift of Prophecy (The Role of Ellen White in God’s Remnant Church)

The patriarchs as prophets

The Hebrew word nabi (prophet) refers to a person whom God has called to communicate His messages to humankind. Nabi is related to the ancient Babylonian verb nabu, “to call.” In Babylon the king was repeatedly addressed as “the one called (nibit) by the great gods.” ⁴ Thus, a prophet was someone who had received a divine call and who was generally an independent religious and charismatic figure. “He had no hereditary claim to the office, nor could he appropriate the title of nabhi‘ by virtue of political appointment.” ⁵ GP 22.3

We don’t usually think of Noah as a prophet, but Scripture says he walked with God (see Genesis 6:9) and received messages from Him (see 6:13, 14; 7:1; 8:15). Noah was about 480 years old when God announced that He was going to destroy the earth with a flood (see 6:3; cf. 7:6). Heeding God’s instructions, Noah built a ship in which he and his family were saved (see 7:7, 13; 1 Peter 3:20). However, Noah did more than simply build an ark to save his family, for 2 Peter 2:5 says that he was “a preacher of righteousness.” For 120 years he warned his fellow citizens of the impending catastrophe, but only a few believed and were saved (see 1 Peter 3:20). GP 22.4

Not much is known about the prophet Enoch. He also walked with God, Scripture says, and he was translated to heaven without dying (see Genesis 5:24). In Hebrews 11 he is listed among the heroes of faith, and Jude mentions the tradition that Enoch proclaimed the Second Coming and God’s judgment on the ungodly (see Jude 14, 15). GP 22.5

The first person called a prophet in the Bible is Abraham (see Genesis 20:7). After he told Abimelech, king of Gerar, that Sarah was his sister, and after Abimelech had sent for her, God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and threatened to destroy him if he came near Sarah. When Abimelech protested that he had acted with ” ‘a clear conscience and clean hands’ ” (20:5, NIV), God said to him, ” ‘Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live’ ” (20:7). GP 23.1