A Prophet Among You

26/246

How God Reached the Prophets

Nowhere in the Bible is there an exact description of how God proceeded to give the prophet the revelation He wanted conveyed to the people. The concept we form is the result of incidents and descriptions which reveal to us the way God must have worked in the majority of cases. APAY 57.2

A pattern for the giving of a prophecy is found in the early verses of the book of the Revelation. Here are the steps or agencies through which the revelation came to the prophet and eventually to the people. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.... John to the seven churches which are in Asia.” Revelation 1:1-4. APAY 57.3

This was a revelation which was given— APAY 58.1

By God (the Father)to Jesus Christ,
By Christto His angel,
By Christ’s angelto John,
By Johnto the seven churches.

Descriptions given elsewhere in the Scriptures fit well into this pattern except in one detail. The question may be asked immediately, What about the part played by the Holy Spirit? Does not Peter say that “holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”? 2 Peter 1:21. The work of the Spirit is not mentioned in the Revelation passage. Is this not something different from what has taken place in the experience of the other prophets? It would appear that the place of the Holy Spirit in the giving of prophecy is so fully presented in other portions of the Bible that there was no necessity for presenting it again in the introduction to the Revelation. But lest there be any mistake as to the source of the message he is bringing, John immediately goes on (Revelation 1:4, 5) to express a salutation from the Father (“Him which is, and which was, and which is to come”), the Holy Spirit (“the seven Spirits which are before His throne”), and the Son (“Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness”). Thus it appears that the Spirit must be closely connected with each step in the giving of the prophecy. APAY 58.2

Of the members of the Godhead, Christ is the One entrusted with the responsibility of seeing that the planned communications reach man. Since the entrance of sin, all communication from heaven to man has been through Christ. He is the link between earth and heaven, the ladder on which the angels ascend and descend. John 1:51. Obviously the message would not need to be guarded while it was in Christ’s hands, but as soon as it passed from the divine being into the hands of a created being, even though that created being was an angel, it would need special attention and protection. It seems that in the transfer of the message from the angel to the prophet, the Holy Spirit was present to safeguard the transaction. APAY 58.3

“He sent and signified it by His angel,” appears to indicate that there was a particular angel through whom Christ carried on this ministry. It is interesting that the only angel whose name is given in the Bible is mentioned in connection with the giving and explanation of prophecy. In fact, the only times he is called by name are in connection with the giving of prophecies. Only two of these, however, are communications to an individual who is recognized as a prophet. In Daniel 8:16 the angel was instructed, “Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.” Later, after the prophet had prayed for enlightenment, he commented, “Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” Daniel 9:21. Other messages given by Gabriel are recorded in Luke 1:19, 26. It appears that Gabriel served in a special way as a messenger. It is logical to conclude that he is the one referred to as “His angel.” APAY 59.1

The office of the Holy Spirit in the giving of prophecy, and His close relationship with Christ is made prominent in the passing on of the communication to the prophet. Numerous statements describe the action of the Holy Spirit as He prepared the prophet to receive his message. The prophets clearly recognized the working of the Spirit in their experience. They emphasize how they speak the Spirit’s message rather than describe how the Spirit gave the message. A few describe the coming of the Spirit to them, as is exampled by the one who recorded Saul’s experience. “And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.” 1 Samuel 10:10. (Italics supplied.) “And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa.” 2 Chronicles 15:1, 2. Ezekiel speaks of this experience more frequently than do any of the other prophets. “And the Spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.” Ezekiel 2:2. “Then the Spirit took me up.” Ezekiel 3:12. “So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away.” Ezekiel 3:14. “Then the Spirit entered into me, ... and spake with me.” Ezekiel 3:24. “The Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem.” Ezekiel 8:3. “And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord.” Ezekiel 11:5. “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:1. Speaking of the last days, Joel quotes the Lord as saying, “I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” Joel 2:28. John tells how the Revelation came to him. “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.” Revelation 1:10. APAY 59.2

Some of the physical and mental results of the coming of the Spirit upon the prophet will be studied a little later. The prophets clearly recognized the power that controlled them at the time they received a divine revelation. Their experience was real to them, fully as real as their ordinary everyday activities. There was no question regarding the source of their revelations. APAY 60.1

What happened when the Spirit of God came upon a prophet and gave him a communication from heaven? “Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Numbers 12:6. The experience of Daniel at the time of what must have been one of his last visions gives an insight into what happened in the reception of a vision by one prophet. In the third year of Cyrus, Daniel was beside the river Hiddekel. Daniel 10:4ff. While the prophet was there he saw in vision a glorious being who had come to speak to him. The description of the being is similar to that given of Christ in other passages. Daniel was accompanied by a group of men, but they did not see the vision, although they were aware that something unusual was taking place, and they ran to hide themselves. Daniel then describes in detail his reaction to the appearance of the heavenly being. APAY 60.2

“Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of His words: and when I heard the voice of His words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.... And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, and said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.” Daniel 10:8-19. (Italics supplied.) APAY 61.1

Summarized, the experience was like this: APAY 61.2

1. A glorious being appeared to Daniel. APAY 61.3

2. The prophet lost his strength and fell to the ground in a deep sleep. APAY 61.4

3. Despite the sleep, he heard the voice of the angelic being. APAY 61.5

4. In the vision, and possibly in physical action, the prophet arose to his hands and knees and then to his feet when the being touched him. APAY 61.6

5. At first he was dumb; but when his lips were touched, he was enabled to speak. APAY 62.1

6. He did not breathe. APAY 62.2

7. Strength was given to him. APAY 62.3

To supplement the story of Daniel’s vision, we may use an item from the record of Balaam found in Numbers 24. Balaam was not a true prophet of the Lord at this time, but God was using him to speak prophetically, and apparently his physical experience resembled that of Daniel. When telling the message that God had given him, he spoke of himself as the one who “saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open.” Numbers 24:4. Twice the mention of the eyes being open during the “trance,” or vision, is repeated. This may have been a part of the experience of Daniel, even though he does not mention it specifically. If so, it is obvious that even though his eyes were open, he saw only he vision. APAY 62.4

Paul speaks of seeming to be “caught up into paradise,” and of hearing “unspeakable words.” It was impossible for him to tell whether he was “in the body” or “out of the body.” 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. APAY 62.5

There is no evidence in the Bible that all of these phenomena always accompanied the visions of every prophet. In fact, they probably did not. Therefore, they cannot be used as a basic test of a prophet’s experience. However, the presence of some of these characteristics do serve as strong evidence that his communications are of supernatural origin. It is unwise to place great emphasis on the physical manifestations in attempting to demonstrate whether or not any individual is a true prophet, for these may be more easily counterfeited than the other evidences called for in the Bible. The Lord has not made these physical evidences the test of the professed prophet, but they must be taken into consideration. APAY 62.6

Visions and dreams. When we return to a study of Numbers 12:6 we notice the Lord’s declaration regarding the ways He revealed Himself to the prophets in ordinary circumstances. “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” No clear line of distinction is drawn between the prophetic vision and the prophetic dream. It is recognized that there are false visions and dreams, but the terms used to describe the true prophetic vision seem at times to be used interchangeably. APAY 63.1

Although there is no discernible difference between the type of subject matter presented to a prophet in a vision and in a prophetic dream, Daniel’s emphasis in chapters 7 and 8 is worthy of careful note. In Daniel 7:1 he tells how he had “a dream and visions of his head upon his bed.” Then three times more in the chapter he speaks of the night vision in these words: “I saw in my vision by night;” “I saw in the night visions;” “I saw in the night visions.” Verses 2, 7, 13. In chapter 8 Daniel speaks differently: “A vision appeared unto me” (verse 1); “And I saw in a vision; ... and I saw in a vision” (verse 2); “when I ... had seen the vision” (verse 15); “make this man to understand the vision” (verse 16); “at the time of the end shall be the vision” (verse 17). The prophet does not explain his reasons for making this distinction between a night vision given him in a dream, and another vision covering much of the same subject matter from a different viewpoint. However, it is apparent that to him the two visions were of equal import and value. The prophetic dream and the vision attended by physical manifestations were revelations of the divine will to the prophet, and one cannot be placed above the other as a method of communication from the Lord to the prophet. APAY 63.2

Daniel, in his vision recorded in chapter 10, tells of being in a “deep sleep,” yet he is able to hear the words spoken to him. He was unconscious of his natural surroundings, but fully aware of what was being shown him and told him in the vision. It was essential, of course, that in some fashion the Lord should safeguard the revelation so that it might not be confused by the interference of other thoughts in the mind of the prophet. The Holy Spirit came upon the prophet and prepared him to receive the vision by closing his mind to any impressions other than the ones to be brought supernaturally. In a sense he was insulated from the world about him so that the Spirit might have free access to his mind. The prophet’s entire attention was focused on what he was being shown. The presence of other persons around him, the pressures and problems of daily living and witnessing for God, war, confusion, opposition, persecution, physical suffering—none of these could affect the prophet’s view or mar the clarity of the picture. The seer must know that what he had seen was all supernaturally revealed, and not an admixture of revelation with natural impressions and dispositions. And, for the Lord’s purposes, it was necessary that the message should be received undistorted. APAY 63.3

At times the prophet was taken in vision from the place where he was to distant localities. His physical body was not transported to these spots, but the things he saw were as real and vivid as though he were present in the flesh and viewing them with the natural eye. Ezekiel describes several such instances. “And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.” Ezekiel 8:3, 4. The rest of the chapter describes in graphic detail the corrupt condition of the temple and many of its priests. So far as Ezekiel was concerned, he was in Jerusalem, walking through the court of the temple, digging a hole in the wall, entering doors, or shuddering at the abominations he saw portrayed. APAY 64.1

Through chapters 9-11 Ezekiel continues to record the events shown him in the vision. Then he comments, “Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the Captivity.” Ezekiel 11:24. Still in vision, Ezekiel was returned to the land of the Captivity. In concept he had traveled hundreds of miles and viewed startling events; in actuality he had not left Babylon. His remark at the conclusion of the vision indicates his recognition of this fact. “So the vision that I had seen went up from me.” Ezekiel 11:24. The book of Ezekiel sheds more light than any other book of the Bible on how visions affected the prophet. APAY 65.1