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. (1 posts)
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.
2009-03-29 16:50:39
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.
A study of the Biblical doctrine of the gift of prophecy is vital for every
Seventh-day Adventist, first, because Adventists accept the Bible as the
inspired word of God, prepared for men through the operation of the gift of
prophecy; and second, because Seventh-day Adventists believe that God has
revived the gift of prophecy in the remnant church through the life and work
of Ellen G. White. It is the purpose of this book to outline the reasons
for, and the function of, the prophetic gift in both ancient and modern
times, so that confidence in the current applicability of the teachings of
the Bible and the Ellen White writings might be increased, and that their
use might be more fully understood.
The subject matter of the book falls naturally into three categories: (1) a
study of the practical working of the gift of prophecy as revealed in the
Bible (chapters 1-9); (2) the second advent movement, and the life and work
of Ellen White in relation to that movement (chapters 10-15); the place of
the writings of Mrs. White in the church today, and a study of some of the
topics on which she has written (chapters 16-24). In the first group of
chapters no reference is made to the Ellen White writings. First the
Scriptural foundation is laid. Then Mrs. White's life and experience are
introduced and Bible tests are applied to her. Finally, her writings are
brought into consideration.
While this book has been prepared primarily for use in college classes in
the Gift of Prophecy, it should be useful to Seventh-day Adventist ministers
and others who wish to make a careful study of the place of the prophetic
gift in the church today. The importance of the subject increases with each
passing year. "As the end draws near and the work of giving the last warning
to the world extends, it becomes more important
for those who accept present truth to have a clear understanding of the
nature and influence of the Testimonies, which God in His providence has
linked with the work of the third angel's message from its very
rise."-Testimonies, vol. 5, P. 654.
Point will be given to the study if certain objectives are kept in mind:
1. To learn the need for and the function of the prophetic gift as a means
of communication between God and His people.
2. To gather from the Bible information concerning the scope of the work and
the lines of instruction given through the ancient prophets.
3. To note something of the characteristics of the men called to this work,
and the individual style of their writings.
4. To discover the experiences that are characteristic of the prophets in
receiving and passing on their messages.
5. To determine the results of various attitudes of individuals and nations
toward the prophets and their messages.
6. To learn how to apply the Bible tests by which we may tell whether a
prophet is true or false.
7. To learn whether the exercise of the gift of prophecy might be expected
to end with the close of the writing of the canonical books of the Bible, or
if we might expect to find the gift exercised in the remnant church in a
manner similar to that in which it operated in ancient times.
8. To discover whether we may reasonably expect that the scope of work and
lines of instruction covered by any manifestation of the gift of prophecy in
the remnant church might be as varied and extensive as such work and
instruction by the ancient prophets.
9. To draw conclusions regarding the responsibility of the
individual members of the remnant church in view of an exercise of the gift
of prophecy among them.
10. To investigate the claims of Ellen White to be a messenger of the Lord
to the remnant church.
11. To apply to the life and work of Ellen White the Bible tests of a
prophet.
12. To consider such portions of the Ellen White writings as are appropriate
for those engaged in the study.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Board of Trustees of the Ellen G.
White Publications, who greatly hastened the preparation of this book by
granting me time to carry out the major portion of the project as part of my
responsibility as associate secretary of the Ellen G. White Publications,
and to Arthur L. White, secretary of the board, for his valued counsel and
constant helpfulness. Thanks is given to the large group of college Bible
teachers, administrators, and others who helped plan the outline for the
book, and who read the complete manuscript and submitted constructive
criticisms. Of this group K. J. Reynolds, J. C. Haussler, and R. W. Olsen
have been especially helpful. The latter gave the book trial in the
classroom by using it in mimeographed form as the textbook for his college
class in the Gift of Prophecy for one year.
Supplementary materials and suggestions for classroom use of this book are
available to college teachers from the office of the Department of
Education, General Conference of Seventhday Adventists, Takoma Park,
Washington 12, D.C.
It is hoped that this book will strengthen confidence in, and increase
understanding of, the function and importance of the gift of prophecy among
God's people in all ages.
T. Housel Jemison.
Washington, D.C.