Inspiration/Revelation: What It Is and How It Works

Part I—The Prophetic Gift in Operation

Introduction

Before the entrance of sin, God communicated with human beings directly through face-to-face contact and personal fellowship. With the advent of sin this relationship was ruptured and man was alienated from his Maker. To bridge this separating gulf, God employed as many as seven modalities of communication—the “divers manners” of Hebrews 1:1—as He sought to bring mankind back into a personal relationship with Him. IRWHW 45.1

Prophetic night dreams and “open visions” during the day were the methods God most frequently employed in communicating with men and women of His special choosing who came to be known as “seers,” “prophets,” or special “messengers.” IRWHW 45.2

The lot of the prophet was seldom an easy one, as Jesus intimated by His oft-cited observation that “a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.” ¹ IRWHW 45.3

Seventh-day Adventists believe, upon the basis of biblical evidence ² as well as empirical data, that one “masterbuilder” (1 Corinthians 3:10) of their denomination, Ellen G. White, was the recipient of the gift of prophecy. Solomon averred that “there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), and criticism of the prophets continues to this day. IRWHW 45.4

Misunderstanding also continues concerning the manner in which the prophetic gift operates. Satan has a vested interest in creating confusion as well as rejection of the prophetic gift by the people it was intended to benefit, “for this reason: Satan cannot have so clear a track to bring in his deceptions and bind up souls in his delusions if the warnings and reproofs and counsels of the Spirit of God are heeded.” ³ The “very last deception of Satan” in the Seventh-day Adventist church just before Jesus returns will be the twofold work of (1) destroying the credibility of Ellen White as an authentic, reliable prophet of the Lord, and (2) creating a “satanic” “hatred” against her ministry and writings—satanic in its intensity as well as in its origin. ⁴ IRWHW 45.5

Satan’s “special object” in these last days is to “prevent this light from coming to the people of God” who so desperately need it to walk safely through the minefield that the enemy of all souls has so artfully booby trapped. ⁵ IRWHW 45.6

And what is Satan’s methodology for securing this objective? He will work “ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies.” ⁶ For example, in addition to the two methods mentioned above, satanic agencies seek to keep souls under a cloud of doubt, ⁷ in a hurried state, and in a state of disappointment. IRWHW 45.7

This is Satan’s plan—his goal and his strategy. This minicourse is dedicated to the proposition that he shall not succeed! IRWHW 45.8