What Is
The Spirit Of
Prophecy?
Can We Receive The Gift?
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ… for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” – Rev. 12:17; 19:10
“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matt. 11:15
Table Of Contents
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Introduction |
1 |
| The Spirit of Prophecy in The NT |
5 |
| The Spirit of Prophecy in The OT |
7 |
| The Spirit of Prophecy By Example |
10 |
| Progressive Truth and Sanctification |
17 |
| Private Interpretation |
23 |
| Conclusion |
25 |
Introduction
Within this Revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1-2) we have placed before us the Spirit of Prophecy. In order to discern the immense value of understanding the truth of this subject we will consider a brief point from Revelation 12:17. In this verse we see mentioned a remnant. The first definition of remnant in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is, “Residue; that which is left after the separation, removal or destruction of a part.” This, along with all other definitions of the word shows that a “remnant” is most definitely not “the whole.” The reason why this is so important is because only a remnant have this “testimony of Jesus … [which is] the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). How zealous than we ought to be to have the testimony of Jesus; and how can we have this testimony if we don’t even know what it is?
One thing that stands out clear is that this testimony is His (Jesus’) testimony.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew 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.” – Rev 1:1-2
What better way to learn what this testimony is, than to learn it from the one whose testimony it is. We have already learned from comparing Revelation 12:17 with Revelation 19:10 that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” But now we must ask, “What is the spirit of prophecy?” Let scripture answer:
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” – Rev. 19:10
“And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” – Rev. 22:8-9
To point out a few parallels in the above passages:
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Rev. 19:10 |
Rev. 22:8-9 |
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While this is not the end of the parallels in these passages, this is enough to illustrate the point. According to this, who are the brethren that have the testimony of Jesus? And what is the testimony of Jesus? Ah, there we have it; those who have the spirit of prophecy are called “prophets.” Praise the Lord for the Word of Truth. This particular title (spirit of prophecy) is of course fitting since it is descriptive of what the Spirit does through the prophets, that is, prophesy.
“holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” – 2Pet. 1:21
Now many have different ideas as to when this gift of the Spirit of Prophecy begun and how long it will last. Some believe that this gift is only a latter day manifestation of prophets in the church, while others hold that prophets ceased at the close of the New Testament scriptures. Still others contend that Malachi, John the Baptist, Jesus, or some other was the last true prophet. We must then look to the scriptures to find the truth amidst the rubble of private opinions on the subject. As we seek the Lord on these matters, we can be assured that He will reveal to us many more important truths relative to this subject and as a result of understanding this subject.
Before we go on with the many scriptures on the topic, let us define the word prophet. The Hebrew word for prophet is נב׳א (nâbîy’) and means “spokesman” – Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions. This is from the root נבא (nâbâ’) which means “to speak by inspiration” – Strongs. In other words, a prophet is someone who speaks on behalf of another through the method of inspiration.
Now one may ask, “Why does God need a spokesperson, can He not just tell each one of us Himself?” This is a legitimate question, and one whose answer is found in the beginning. In the beginning God walked in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:8) and spoke personally to Adam (Gen. 1:28); however, after they had sinned, mankind was driven from the Garden and was separated from God (Gen. 3:23-24). We were not though, abandoned.
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:” – 2Chron. 36:15
“I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.” – Jer. 35:15
So it is out Love that God sends prophets. Soon after the fall, we already have record of prophets among the people of God.
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” – Jude 1:14
“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” – 2Pet. 2:5
“Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he [Abraham] is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” – Gen. 20:7
According to these passages, the Spirit of Prophecy was active in the days of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and the line of prophets goes on and on. By the time we get to Moses we see the Lord wanting to speak more directly to His people, but sadly they refuse Him.
“And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” – Ex. 20:18-19
So why is it that the people did not want to hear the Lord directly? Could it be because the Lord is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24) and in their sinful state they could not bear His presence? Are we today in any better a condition? And if the Lord should want to send us a message to help us out of this terrible state, how would He go about doing so?
The Spirit of Prophecy in The New Testament
Now that we see that the Spirit of Prophecy was around since the days of old, we shall turn to the New Testament prophets and see how long it will remain.
“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” – 1Cor. 12:28
“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known….Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” – 1Cor. 13:9-12; 14:1
Is that which is perfect come? Certainly not! Then if that is the truth, the Spirit of Prophecy remains.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” – Eph. 4:11-13
So there we have it, that which is perfect (1Cor. 13:9) is the “perfect man”, even Jesus Christ. Are we all come into the unity of the faith? Are we come into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? If we are not, then the Spirit of Prophecy remains.
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1Cor. 1:4-8
How different is the testimony of scripture from the private ideas of men. It is no wonder than that we are told to:
“Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” – 1Thess. 5:19-21
We are naturally told to prove all things for the reason that not all things are true. Christ himself said,
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” – Matt. 24:24
Where there is a false, there must be a true. Can the Devil counterfeit something for which there is no truth?
The Spirit of Prophecy in The Old Testament
So far we have learned from the Scripture of Truth that the Spirit of Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus by the Holy Ghost and through the prophets in all generations, from the beginning till the end. What we shall see in this section is the testimony of Jesus through the Old Testament prophets concerning the role of prophets, as well as the perpetuity and necessity of this gift.
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” – Amos 3:7
From this key text, we not only learn that the role of prophets is to reveal the secret things of God, but also that the Lord will not do anything unless he reveals these secrets to His prophets. Stated another way, “If the Lord is doing anything, He will reveal it through His prophets.” Or “If the Lord is revealing anything through His prophets, He is doing something.” Conversely “If the Lord is not revealing anything through His prophets, He is doing nothing.” For this reason:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish:” – Prov. 29:18
Therefore, when the Lord is speaking, we know He is acting. What a comfort and a cause for rejoicing!
“Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:” – Jer. 7:25
“Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.” – Jer 29:19
“I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.” – Jer. 35:15
“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.” – 2Chron. 20:20
“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.” – 2Chron. 36:15-17
The day that prophets cease from among us is the day that we perish for a lack of knowledge (Prov. 29:18; Hos. 4:6). Indeed it is by the prophets that the Lord speaks to us and thus preserves us.
“I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.” – Hos. 12:10,13
“Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.” – Hos. 6:5
We have now seen that the Lord speaking to us through His prophets is heaven’s law and order. The Lord is very caring and wants to make sure there is no guess work for those of us in the last days who may doubt this truth. For this reason He made sure to make specific prophecies in addition to the general principles in His Word.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” – Joel 2:28-29
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.” – Mal. 3:1
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:” – Mal. 4:5
The Spirit of Prophecy By Examples
“Now,” says one, “I have the spirit of prophecy. It’s right here in my Bible. That’s all the prophets I need.” Is that so? I suppose the Jews in the time of Christ could have easily said the same thing. “I have the Torah and the Prophets, what more could I need?” While at the same time not realizing that they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17) and in need of everything the Lord has to offer. If having the Bible is having the Spirit of Prophecy then why does Rev. 12:17 make a distinction between Christians who have the Spirit of Prophecy and those who do not? Don’t all Christians have the Bible? Furthermore, if it was just the written word than why is there need for anything beyond the writings of Moses? Yet he himself foretold of prophets to come (Deut. 18:18). We have also seen from the Bible that the Spirit of Prophecy started before the Bible and extends beyond the time of the Bible. What then makes the difference between having the Spirit of Prophecy and not having the Spirit of Prophecy? Let us see what the Bible has to say:
In the days of Jacob and his son Joseph (both prophets), Israel prospered in the land of Goshen. After a time though, they both died off and prophets ceased for a time among the children of Israel. As a result the people perished (Prov. 29:18) and suffered under the yoke of Pharaoh (Ex. 1:11). In His great mercy, the Lord rose up a prophet named Moses to deliver Israel out of Egypt and take them to the land that He promised their fathers. This story of perishing without prophets and deliverance with prophets is the story of God’s people from beginning to end. In fact, one may ask if there was ever a time in the Bible where the people had a successful revival and reformation with no living prophets among them. As we continue, we shall see the answer. Let us start with the period just after Moses, namely, the period of
The Judges
“And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.” – Judg. 2:18-19
As we shall see, this is the pattern in the time of the judges, and yes throughout all time.
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3 |
4 |
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6 |
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Sin |
Bondage |
Crying Out |
Prophet |
Deliverance |
Prosperity |
Prophet Dies |
sin |
Note: As you read through Judges you will see that the judges are sometimes referred to as prophets or it will say that “The Spirit of the LORD came upon” so and so.
The question under consideration at the present is, “At which point in this cycle is the Spirit of Prophecy made manifest, and at which point does it become inactive?”
Othniel:
“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.” – Judg. 3:7-12
Ehud:
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD…. But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab…. And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.” – Judg. 3:12,15; 4:1
Deborah:
“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time…. So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan…. Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying, Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves…. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” – Judg. 4:1-4, 23-5:2; 6:1
Gideon:
“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years…. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;… Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon…. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.” – Judg. 6:1,7-8; 8:28,33
Jair:
“And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts, and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, and was buried in Camon. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.” – Judg. 10:3-6
Jephthah to Abdon:
“And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon…. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon…. And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead. And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters, whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem. And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years. And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel. And he had forty sons and thirty nephews, that rode on threescore and ten ass colts: and he judged Israel eight years. And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites. And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.” – Judg. 10:6-7; 11:29; 12:7-13:1
Samuel:
“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.…Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa. And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.” – 1Sam 7:3-4,13; 28:3-7
This same pattern is also seen with the prophets after the judges:
Zechariah and Haggai:
“Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” – Ezra 4:24
“In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,… Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?” – Zech. 1:1,5
“In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,… Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.” Hag. 1:1,12
“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.” – Ezra 5:1-2
Well, at which time was the Spirit of Prophecy made manifest in all these examples? When did the Spirit of Prophecy again become inactive (no longer manifest)? I’m sure you can see it was when the Lord raised up the prophet that it was manifested and when the prophet died that it became inactive. Can we honestly and scripturally say that the Spirit of Prophecy is a book or books of ink and paper? Can we see that it is anything but what it is in truth? So then, according to the scriptures, what does it mean to have the Spirit of Prophecy? Simply this, to have the Spirit of Prophecy is to have Jesus giving His testimony by the Holy Ghost through a living prophet.
Progressive Truth and Sanctification
The fact that the Bible is teaching that we are to expect more prophets is letting us know that God has more to say to us.
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” – Prov. 4:18
In some of the previously quoted scriptures we saw the purpose for the gift of prophecy in the church laid out. Please notice the following stated purposes.
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” – Eph. 4:11-13
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1Cor. 1:4-8
The coming to fruition of these things is also called sanctification in the scriptures.
“ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” – Acts 26:18
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Rom. 10:17
Since we are sanctified by faith, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word, and since the word of God comes through prophets it is easy to see how the Spirit of Prophecy being active in the church has a direct and inseparable connection to perfecting the saints, coming into unity, sanctification, and all things resulting therefrom. This truly is the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6). And what is the Gospel?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” – Rom. 1:16
How is the power of God revealed?
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” – Rom. 1:20
The truth that the power of God in relation to faith is revealed in creation is also spoken of in the Epistle to the Hebrews:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” – Heb 3:1-3
We understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God because God speaks and it is so.
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” – Gen. 1:3
“For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” – Ps. 33:9
“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” – Matt. 8:2-3
“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel…. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” – Matt. 8:5-11,13
What we are seeing is that the word of God is not at all like the word of man. God “calleth those things which be not as though they were.” (Rom. 4:17) If man does this, he is a liar, but when God does this, He is the Creator in the very act of creating. The reason for this is that it is impossible for God to lie (Tit. 1:1-2; Heb. 6:17-18). So when he speaks of those things which are not as though they were, they are.
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” – 1Thess. 2:13
To emphasize the point, it is the word of God itself which does the work. So why is this important in regards to the subject of the Spirit of Prophecy? Just this, we are sanctified (made righteous) by faith (Heb.11:7) and faith is believing in the Word of God and depending on the Word itself to do that which it says. And since the word of God always comes through the Spirit of Prophecy, when we cut off the Spirit, we cut of the Word, and thus faith and righteousness, and are then left in our sins, as that which is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). What a dark, miserable, and hopeless condition. But that is not what we want. We want the Righteousness of Christ, and what is the righteousness of Christ?
“O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.” – Micah 6:5
“…And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken? And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” – Num. 23:19
The Righteousness of the Lord is His inability to lie. In other words it is His Truth, His Word, His Law (Ps.119:172; Isa51:6-7; 1John 5:17; 3:4). They are Spirit (Rev. 19:10), they are Life (John 6:63). What stark contrast between the Word of God and the word of man.
“ For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth… I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,” – Isa. 62:1,6
For somebody to hold their peace is for them to be silent. Here though, God says that He will not hold His peace, He will continue to speak. Why? So that our righteousness (Christ’s Righteousness) will go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. To obtain a better understanding of this verse, we’ll take a quick look at Matthew 25. This chapter contains the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five of whom were foolish. The five wise virgins had oil in their vessels as well as in their lamps (Matt. 25:4) whereas the foolish only had oil in their lamps. Without going into much detail we can see that the oil represents the Spirit/Truth (1Sam. 16:13; 1John 5:6). The oil in the lamps is the oil (truth) presently burning (presently lighting our way), whereas the oil in the vessels represents truth in reserve which is to lighten our way at some future point. Bringing this back into the context of Isaiah 62:1 we see that the Lord will keep on speaking to us so that we will always have present truth, “as a lamp that burneth.”
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” – 2Pet. 1:12
There is a such thing as “present truth” and it’s about time we all know what it is today. And how are we to know save through the very method the Lord has used from the beginning; the Spirit of Prophecy. When we come to the place of realizing and admitting that we have repeated the errors of our forefathers and have done only that which is right in our own eyes (Judg. 17:6), that we truly are “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17) and in need of everything. Then and only then will we exchange our righteousness for Christ’s righteousness, our word for His Word, our fables for His ever-progressing Truth.
“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” – Isa. 55:6-11
When we heed the above counsel and receive the straight testimony of the True Witness; when we receive the correct understanding of the Spirit of Prophecy, we will see that our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6) and we will finally be saved from our private opinions of what constitutes truth.
Private Interpretation
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” – 2Pet. 1:19-21
It goes by without much notice, but private interpretation is the one sin above all others in the church that perpetuates unrighteousness. Why is this? By beholding, we become changed (2Cor. 3:18). Therefore if we are beholding a perversion of the truth, rather than the truth itself, we become changed into that image. Our conception of truth, and thus righteousness, will define who we are and what decisions we make. Praise the Lord that He has decided to continue to send us His truth revealed through his prophets (Amos 3:7) so that we are not left to our own private opinions.
“And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.” – Gen. 40:8
Some feel that we should all be able to interpret the Bible as we please, but…
“Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?” – 1Cor. 12:29
We have all been given different roles in the church. One major aspect of a prophet’s role is to reveal the hidden things of God (Amos 3:7). Should we follow our own devising, or should we follow the Word of the Lord through the Spirit of Prophecy? Consider the following passages:
“Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you. I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.” – Isa. 41:21-29
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” – Prov. 3:5
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” – Jer 17:5
Conclusion
The preceding information can be summarized in the following points:
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The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy
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The Spirit of Prophecy was in existence from the beginning of time and will continue on until the second coming of Christ
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Heaven’s Law and Order is for God to speak through prophets
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Without living prophets God’s people perish
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We are sanctified by truth and thus the continual unfolding of truth through the Spirit of prophecy is the method through which God designs to bring us to perfection.
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Interpretations belong to God who reveals His secrets through His servants, the prophets
All of this leads us to the answer of our initial question, “What is the Spirit of Prophecy?”
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The Spirit of Prophecy is the Testimony of Jesus by the Holy Ghost and through a living prophet. Or, the Holy Ghost speaking through a living prophet.
Now, the decision is up to you. Will you receive the love of the truth or will you turn a blind eye to the plain Word of God?
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” – Isa. 60:1
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:19
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” – 2Thess. 2:10-12
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” – Isa. 55:1-3
That we may all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ
written by
Trent Wilde
