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The Abiding Gift of Prophecy

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Revelation the Ultimate Purpose

The real, ultimate purpose of the prophetic gift—its prophet, vision, dream, and inspiration—is a revelation of God and His purposes to men. “I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Numbers 12:6. When this takes place, a revelation is made, as expressed in the following scriptures and comments: AGP 34.2

“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29.

“All things in the mind and purpose of God are inscrutable secrets to men until God reveals them. That He is pleased to make such revelation He gives the assurance, ‘Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.’” Amos 3:7.

“Besides this external or objective revelation, there was an inward revelation given in the mind of man. In this case the Deity possessed the man, inspired him, and spoke through him.” “Dictionary of the Bible,” James Hastings, art., “Prophecy and Prophets,” p. 107.

For example, we read as prefacing the full instruction regarding the Flood and the building of the ark: “God said unto Noah,” Genesis 6:13. AGP 34.3

Again, “The Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect…. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him.” Genesis 17:1-3. This would appear, at first thought, to be a personal, visible appearance, and a direct oral conversation. Yet it may have been in a vision, for we have a similar statement in the fifteenth chapter; but there it is plainly stated that the interview was in a vision: “After these things the word of the Lord AGP 34.4

came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram.” Genesis 15:1. However, in the eighteenth chapter it is clearly recorded that angels came to Abraham in the form of men, partook of food, and revealed to him God’s purpose to destroy the city of Sodom. AGP 35.1

Thus it appears that at times the Lord, and also angels, came to prophets in person, and held oral conversation with them when they were in their normal state. But the general method, the one used more than any other during the many centuries of human history, has been through visions and dreams. AGP 35.2

From the evidence thus far considered it seems certain that the prophetic gift was imparted and set in operation just after the Lord had made known His merciful decision to give man, whom Satan had ruined, a chance to be redeemed. Genesis 3:15. We can easily believe that Adam and Eve were not long left in the unutterable sorrow into which they had been plunged, without a message from God. AGP 35.3

Thus we are led to the inescapable conclusion that the prophetic gift was chosen and ordained of God for the benefit of all the world, and for all time. It belongs to the church today, as much as in the ages gone by, and is sorely needed. AGP 35.4

The Bible, the greatest and best of all books, came to the human race from God through the prophetic gift imparted to men of His choosing. The conception of the prophets regarding the divine product given to the world through them is clearly and truthfully presented in the following statement: AGP 35.5

“The Bible writers do not conceive of the Scriptures as a human product breathed into by the divine Spirit, and thus heightened in its qualities or endowed with new qualities; but as a divine product produced through the instrumentality of men. They do not conceive of these men, by whose instrumentality Scripture is produced, as working upon their own initiative, though energized by God to greater effort and higher achievement, but as moved by the divine initiative and borne by the irresistible power of the Spirit of God along ways of His choosing to ends of His appointment.” “The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,” Vol. III, art., “Inspiration,” pp. 1479, 1480.