Steps to Life

Prophecy Seminar

Session 20: Gifts of the Holy Spirit

In our last lesson, we read that we should "not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).

We noticed an example of a modern work of the spirit—that of speaking in tongues—and we noted that in the modern tongues movement, people from all different religious persuasions, whether Catholic, Protestant, or Spiritualist, all claim to be led by the Spirit and all have manifestations of the Spirit which causes each of them to believe that they are true. Yet it is very evident that they cannot all be true. They cannot all be led by the same spirit.

Thus the Bible says to "test the spirits." Feelings and emotions are never given as the test. Rather, the Bible says that if we go by physical senses, by feelings and emotions and external circumstances, we will be deceived.

Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

2 Corinthians 11:13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

The test the Bible gives is: Do the spirits speak according to God’s law and His Word? God’s Word is always to test the validity of spiritualistic manifestations. Spiritualistic manifestations never test the Bible, but true spiritual gifts can help us understand the Bible.

Isaiah 8:19 "And when they say to you, ‘Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,’ should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

Yes, the Bible tells us to test the spirits, but it never tells us to disregard genuine spiritual gifts.

John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19 A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will love also."

The Holy Spirit was given to the church. We must not despise the workings of the Holy Spirit. We must test every spirit, but we must accept what is true. The reason God asks us to test the spirits is that there are true spiritualistic manifestations. In fact, one reason Satan sends counterfeits is to confuse us and to get us to reject the true manifestations of the Holy Spirit when they do come. If we were to reject all manifestations of the Holy Spirit, we would do just what Satan wants us to do. The Bible says to test the spirits, not to reject the spirit. Let us be intelligent about the Holy Spirit. Here are Paul’s counsels about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

A Study of 1 Corinthians 12–14

1 Corinthians 12:1 "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant."

:Let us be intelligent about these gifts of the Holy Spirit," Paul says. Paul then proceeds to teach us about the true gifts of the Spirit. Before looking at what Paul says, let us find out who he is talking to. It sometimes helps us in understanding a passage of the Bible to know who the prophet is writing to.

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."

Paul is talking to the body of Christ. What is the body of Christ?

Ephesians 1:22 "And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Colossians 1:24 "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church."

So, Paul is talking to people who are members of Christ’s body, the church. In fact, he is even more specific, he says he is talking to baptized members of the church. He furthermore makes the point that there is only one true body of Christ—only one true church.

1 Corinthians 12:12 "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."

So, Paul is talking to baptized church members of the true church in Corinth, and he tells them, "Don’t be ignorant about spiritual gifts. I am going to tell you some things about spiritual gifts so you won’t be ignorant about them." Now here is what Paul told those church members about spiritual gifts. First, he said, there are different gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are not all the same.

1 Corinthians 12:4 "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."

Next, Paul says, these gifts are given to you to make you a blessing to the church and to others. Each of you, Paul says, speaking to the baptized members of the church, has some gift of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:7 "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all."

Paul then enumerates some of the different gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given to the church.

1 Corinthians 12:8 "For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues."

When God’s true church has become unified and has put away its sins, as happened at Pentecost, then each member of the church becomes endowed with a special gift of the Holy Spirit when he is baptized.

Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Now, Paul says to the Corinthians in chapter 12, these are gifts of the Holy Spirit that God gave to each of you when you were baptized. Remember, these are gifts, and when you receive a gift you don’t decide what that gift is, but the one who gives the gift decides what the gift is. Otherwise, it is not a gift. The Holy Spirit gives you the gift and He, not you, decides what particular gift you get.

1 Corinthians 12:11 "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills."

Now, Paul says, just because the Holy Spirit has given different gifts to different members of the church, don’t suppose that your gift is better than some other person’s gift. No, Paul says, it is the same Holy Spirit that gives each gift. Different church members are given different gifts so as to make a complete and well-balanced church, and each gift is needed.

1 Corinthians 12:12 "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many."

Just imagine, Paul says, what your physical body would be like if every part were just the same.

1 Corinthians 12:15 "If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?"

Just imagine a whole drawer full of eyeballs! What a grotesque sight that would be. That would not make a body, would it? The eyeballs need the face, hands, feet and all the rest of the body. Or, just imagine a whole basket full of tongues all wagging at you at the same time. You know, that is what a lot of people think the church should be, just a lot of tongues. No, Christ’s body is whole and complete and symmetrical. Anyone who wants everybody to be a tongue has the body mixed up. You know, how many tongues are there in the body anyway? There are two feet, two hands, two eyes, two ears, but only one tongue.

No, Paul says, we don’t all receive the gift of tongues or any other particular gift, but we all receive different gifts.

Now here is another point Paul makes: Where are the members placed who have received these gifts, and who puts them there?

1 Corinthians 12:18 "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."

Each one who receives a gift of the Holy Spirit is placed within the body, or the church. In fact, as we have already noticed, it is when or after they are baptized into the true church that a person receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Next, as we go down through this chapter of 1 Corinthians 12, we find that Paul repeats himself to make sure that no one misunderstands him; everyone receives different gifts and abilities.

1 Corinthians 12:19 "And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’; nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ "

Paul says, you may think some members are less important than you because their gift doesn’t seem as good as yours, but every gift is needed. There may be someone who is a good teacher, a Sabbath school teacher for example, while someone else is good at helping other people (notice, this is one of the gifts), but she may not be able to teach very well at all. Paul says they are both needed. In fact, Paul says that the more humble gifts should be given more honor.

1 Corinthians 12:22 "No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it."

All members of the church should work together in harmony and love, preferring others above themselves.

1 Corinthians 12:25 "That there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually."

We should honor one another, giving more honor to those with lesser gifts, BUT God HAS set some gifts in the church as special. There are three particular gifts in the church that God has put special priority on, not that the people are more important, but these particular gifts are extra special.

1 Corinthians 12:28 "And God has appointed these in the church: first, apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."

Notice again that Paul says these are placed "in the church."

In the next chapter, Paul goes on to say that the greatest thing we can have, even above the other gifts of the Holy Spirit is LOVE. After dwelling upon love in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul now goes on to say here in chapter 14, verse 1, that we should follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but most of all "that you may prophecy."

1 Corinthians 14:1 "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy."

Summary

Let us summarize what Paul has told us in these chapters:

1. When God’s church has been unified and purified as the church at Pentecost was, God will give everyone who repents and is baptized into it, thereby becoming a member of Christ’s body, a gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. Everyone’s gift is different.

3. Moreover, it is not for us to decide what gift we get, but the Holy Spirit decides.

4. Each person in the church is supposed to work harmoniously together, each complementing the other, to make a perfectly balanced and unified church body.

5. Yet, the most important thing we can have is love. Without love, nothing else matters.

6. We should pay particular attention to the gift of prophecy.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit Today

Now let me ask you, is the church still supposed to have these gifts of the Holy Spirit? Let us look:

Ephesians 4:8 "Therefore He says; ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men’. . . . 11 And He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers."

Here it mentions the primary gifts that are given for the ministry of the church—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. How long were these gifts to remain in the church?

Ephesians 4:11 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

These gifts are to be in the church "till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." According to 1 Corinthians 13:9,10 and Revelation 14:5, that will not happen until Jesus comes. These gifts were permanent gifts Jesus gave to His church. They were always to remain with the believers until Jesus’ second coming.

John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever."

Why were these particular gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) given to the church, and why were they to remain with the church until Jesus’ second coming?

Ephesians 4:14 "That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive."

If there was ever a time when we needed these gifts in the church, it is today when every wind of doctrine is blowing, by the trickery of men and with cunning craftiness.

Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

If ever we needed these gifts that were promised to the church to keep it from being "tossed to and fro. . . with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men," surely it is today. Thank the Lord that these gifts are promised for today. Someone may ask, "including the gift of prophecy?" It is a new thought to many people that God might still have prophets in these last days, but that is the gift Paul told us that we should especially desire (1 Corinthians 14:1).

Look at what Peter says as he quotes from Joel 2.

Acts 2:17 " ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy’. . . . 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

This prophecy received a partial fulfillment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, but it will reach its complete fulfillment in the manifestation of divine grace which will attend the closing work of the gospel. This promise is for "the last days," starting with the disciples and continuing till Jesus comes: "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to those who are afar off," Peter said.

The Gift of Prophecy: An Identifying Mark of God’s Last Church

Not only is the gift of prophecy promised for the last days, but it is one of the special identifying signs God has given in order to help us identify His true church right at the close of time. This is revealed in the prophecies of the book of Revelation.

First notice with me what the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy is called in the book of Revelation (and throughout the Bible).

Revelation 19:10 "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Note this point carefully: The "spirit of prophecy" is called the "testimony of Jesus." In prophecy we have to understand the symbols used in order to understand the prophecy. In the Bible, the term "testimony of Jesus" refers in a special sense to the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is how Jesus testifies to His church—this is how He sends messages to it.

Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

Now notice what the two identifying marks are of Jesus’ last true church just before His second coming. The true church must have both of these identifying marks or it cannot be the true church.

Revelation 12:17 "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

From our study of Revelation 12, we learned that after Jesus went to heaven, the great dragon, "called the Devil and Satan" (verse 9), poured out his wrath upon the church. The church was forced to flee into the wilderness for 1,260 years, after which the Beast power was to receive a deadly wound. After the 1,260 years, how would the woman, God’s true people, be identified? The Bible identifies the Beast power very clearly. What are God’s identifying marks of His church?

Does God identify the church by some particular name? No, the Bible does not give us a name that we might identify the true church—every church would be called by that name if He did. Would it be by some physical organization that dates back to antiquity? No, organizations can become corrupted. How, then, can we identify God’s last-day remnant people? God gives us two unmistakable signs so that anyone who is really searching might know His true church. Here it is in Revelation 12:17. Let us look at it word by word, identifying each symbol as we read it.

"And the dragon (Satan, Revelation 12:9) was enraged with the woman (God’s true people, Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16), and he went to make war with the rest (from the Greek word "loipo," which means remnant, or residue, or remaining ones—the last part) of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (the spirit of prophecy, Revelation 19:10).

Let us go through that verse again, now, replacing the prophetic symbols with what they literally mean:

"And Satan was enraged with the church, and went to make war with the last part of its offspring, who: 1) keep the commandments of God; and 2) have the spirit of prophecy."

What are the two identifying marks of God’s last-day church? They are these:

1. It will keep the commandments of God (which means ALL the commandments, James 2:10).

2. It will have the Holy Spirit’s gift of prophecy in its midst.

Friends, if a person is going to be serious about joining God’s last true church, he or she is going to have to search until he or she finds a church with these two characteristics.

The Spirit of Prophecy is the Completion of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 1:4 "I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The thing about the Corinthians that made Paul thankful was not that they had the gift of tongues, but that the "testimony of Christ (the spirit of prophecy) was confirmed in" them. This "gift" made them COMPLETE so that they would "come short in no gift."

"But," someone asks, "why do we need the gift of the spirit of prophecy today? We have the Bible. Why do we need the gift of prophecy if we have the Bible?"

Paul answers that in the next verse.

1 Corinthians 1:8 "Who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul is very plain: "The testimony of Christ (the spirit of prophecy) was confirmed in you. . . (and Christ) will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." This gift was to be confirmed in the church until the end, so that Jesus could have a "blameless" people ready to meet Him when He comes the second time (see Revelation 14:5).

The reason for a prophet in the last days is not to add to the Bible, but to bring about a reformation and to help people live according to the Bible, so that God might have a "blameless" people on earth.

In Jesus’ day the scribes and Pharisees said, We have Moses and the Old Testament prophets; we don’t need anything else. But Jesus said, "If you (really) believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). Thus it is today. If people really believe the Bible, they will accept a true prophet when God sends one, for the Bible says that God will send a prophet for these last days. They will be very careful about accepting a prophet, for the Bible says there will be many false prophets, and that every gift of the Spirit should be tested according to the Bible testimony.

A Reformation Prophet

God wrote the Bible through prophets, but not all the prophets wrote books in the Bible. Some prophets were called strictly to bring about a reformation. These prophets had all the authority of any of the other prophets who wrote books in the Bible, but God used them for a different purpose. Some of these reformation prophets even wrote books for local applications which, though also inspired, were not included in the Holy Scriptures (see 2 Chronicles 9:29).

One of the greatest of the reformation prophets who ever lived, who himself never wrote anything in the Bible, was Elijah. Elijah worked all his life, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring about a reformation. The work and ministry of Elijah was so great that he came to represent the work of reformation. Thereafter, when God sent a reformation prophet, he was called an Elijah prophet, for that was the work Elijah did. John the Baptist was one such prophet.

Luke 1:17 "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Notice what Jesus called John the Baptist.

Matthew 17:11 "Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Elijah truly is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."

John the Baptist was symbolically called Elijah, because he was a reformation prophet. But because he was a reformation prophet and did not write anything in the Bible, was he therefore any less of a prophet than any of the other prophets? Jesus said that he was "more than a prophet. . . . Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:9–11).

If God sent an Elijah prophet to prepare the way for Jesus’ first coming by bringing about a reformation and leading people back to obedience to God, does it not seem possible that He would do it again before Jesus’ second coming? Before the Flood God sent a prophet; before Jesus’ first coming He sent a prophet; does it not seem reasonable that before Jesus’ second coming He will again send a prophet? In fact, He has promised to do so.

Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."

Notice: This is specifically referring to "the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." That is specifically Jesus’ second coming.

Don’t Quench the Spirit by Despising Prophecy

Paul gives a very straight testimony. Accepting or rejecting a prophet is not a "take it or leave it" situation.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 "Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good."

Can we "quench the Spirit" by despising prophecy? I need not remind anyone that the sin against the Holy Spirit is a very serious one. The accepting or rejecting of a prophet is a serious matter. God does not want us to accept a false prophet nor to reject a true one.

If God sends a prophet, it is for one purpose. It is because HE LOVES US and wants us to be saved. For the true Christian, there is nothing more wonderful than to hear the beautiful voice of Jesus speaking His messages to us through His prophets. That is why we like to study the Bible. We want to find out what God has to say to us. We trust Him, and know that His way is always best.

But, Be Careful

It is because the gift of prophecy is so important that Satan does everything he can to keep people from hearing what Jesus has to testify to them. Satan has a wonderful plan that really works: Whenever God gets ready to send a messenger, Satan sends out a number of false messengers. He figures it this way: By sending out a great number of counterfeits, people will either be so disgusted with prophets that they will reject the whole idea of prophets, or they will be so confused they will never find the right one. He wins either way.

Thus, whenever God gets ready to send a messenger, Satan always tries to confuse the issue by sending out counterfeits. In fact, the counterfeits themselves suggest that there is a true messenger somewhere that Satan is trying to cover up.

So Paul says: Do not quench the Spirit by despising prophecies, BUT "test all things" and when you find the true prophet, "hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:19–21).

How do we test the validity of someone with a spiritual gift? How do we know whether the gift is true or false? There are several tests the Bible gives, and a true prophet must meet every one:

1. A true messenger from the Lord must speak according to God’s law. A true prophet can never teach people to break God’s law but will always teach people to keep it. James 2:8–12; I John 3; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 12:17; Romans 8.

Isaiah 8:20 "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

2. A true messenger from the Lord will call attention to the Bible, as Jesus and the apostles did. He or she will exalt Jesus Christ as the great center of attraction.

Luke 24:27 "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

Acts 17:11 "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

2 Timothy 3:15 "And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

3. They will not contradict or change anything that is in the Bible. Their message will always be in harmony with everything in the Bible.

1 Corinthians 14:32 "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

4. They will bear good fruit.

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. . . . 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

5. They will make predictions that will come to pass. Jeremiah 28:9; Deuteronomy 18:22.

6. They will acknowledge that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. I John 4:1–3. This is a critical test that most "prophets" cannot pass.

7. They will have visions and dreams. Numbers 12:6; Daniel 10:1–17.

Finding the True Prophet Predicted for the Last Days

Let us look at different prophets that have emerged over the last hundred years or so.

In Boston there is a so-called mother church, a church that has been raised up by a prophetess named Mary Baker Eddy. She wrote a book entitled Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

Someone may say that she couldn’t have been a true prophet because she was a woman. Well, being a woman or a man was never a test of a prophet for there were many true women prophets in the Bible.

Exodus 15:20 "Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron. . ."

Judges 4:4 "Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time."

Luke 2:36 "Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel. . ."

Acts 21:9 "Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied."

Being a women is not a test—there were many true women prophets—but if we apply the other tests we find that Mary Baker Eddy could not be considered a true prophet, for she did not uphold the Bible or teach according to the Bible. She did not believe in the Ten Commandments, in Jesus’ atonement, or in the literal return of Jesus. The Bible was not her guide in life.

We find another prophet that came about the same time. Those who follow this prophet have their headquarters in Salt Lake City. They are a well organized and industrious church and have many good qualities, but their prophet, Joseph Smith, does not teach according to the Bible either. Furthermore, He placed His own works above the Bible. The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints tests the Bible by the works of Joseph Smith (and throws out whatever does not agree) instead of vice versa. Much of Joseph Smith’s teachings sounds very good, but he contradicts the Bible. Either you accept what he says or you accept what the Bible says. You cannot accept both because they contradict each other.

Joseph Smith says that the Father Himself appeared to him and told him that the Sabbath had been changed. The Bible says that no one has seen the Father at any time (John 1:18). Furthermore, the Bible says that God does not change (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17). That is why we can test the prophets according to the Bible, because God does not change, and what He has said in the Bible cannot be changed.

Why did Satan work to raise up false prophets during the last century? Because he knew from prophecy that God was about to send some kind of a special messenger around the year 1844—a messenger, like Elijah, to help people get back to following what the Bible says. Therefore, Satan sought to send counterfeits beforehand to confuse people and prevent them from finding the true messenger.

A Messenger From the Lord

There was another person who was a messenger. Some people believe her to be a messenger from the Lord. Her name was Ellen G. White. Contrary to the other prophets who arose, she did not set herself up above the Bible or try to detract from it in any way. She did not seek to be a messenger from the Lord, nor did she cherish the name of prophet, though she acknowledged that the Lord had designated her a special messenger. Her work was to call people back to the Bible, and to following what it says. She did not come to bring new truth, but to help bring a reformation as Elijah did and to help prepare the way for Jesus’ second coming.

Contrary to the other prophets who started churches, she did not start a church, but was merely one gift within the church. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church is the only last-day church that was not started by one individual. It was not the brainchild of some aspiring leader who desired followers of himself. It was a spontaneous development of many people of various gifts, from various churches, all brought together into one movement. Many people believe this to be a development that God organized in order to spread His last-day message to all the world. Jesus said that the gospel was to go to "every nation, tribe, tongue, and people" (Revelation 14:6). The gift of prophecy was merely one of the gifts God used to establish His last remnant church. I believe that Ellen White is the only modern-day prophet who fulfills all the Bible requirements of a prophet, but you will have to search it out, and pray about it for yourself.

A Brief History

Let me give you a short history of this lady that millions of people consider to have been a messenger from the Lord. Ellen White was born in Topsham, Maine, in 1827. She had but a third-grade education because of an injury early in life that left her so sick she was not expected to live. She was so sick she was unable to hold a pen steadily and was unable to learn to write, until God raised her up and commanded her to be His messenger. She was very reluctant, but the Lord had called her. With that humble beginning, she wrote more words of counsel than any other woman in history—well over 100,000 manuscript pages of counsel, prophecy, encouragement, and messages from the Lord. It appears that in her, the following words of God were fulfilled:

1 Corinthians 1:27 "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence."

She was just five-foot two and expected to die, when the Lord called her at seventeen years of age, but she faithfully ministered unto the Lord for seventy years until she died in Saint Helena, California, in 1915. During her lifetime she spoke to crowds of over 25,000, without a microphone, and could be heard clearly and distinctly by all.

Through her, God sent messages to help organize and perfect a movement that was to circle the globe in a relatively short period of time. Through her He gave encouragement, reproof and warnings as needed.

The Result of Her Work

God is seeking to raise up a people to finish His work. The counsels and messages from Ellen White were invaluable in establishing the world-wide work of historic Adventism in these last days. Could it be that God sent a messenger to help get it organized? Why not, did He not do so in Bible times? And have the gifts of the Holy Spirit not been promised to the church?

The work of Ellen White was not to add to the Bible or to supersede the Bible. A modern prophet could never be used to establish doctrine. Rather, all doctrine must be based upon the Bible. But, as before Jesus’ first coming, so He has promised to send another Elijah messenger to help prepare a people for Jesus’ second coming.

The Bible says that when Jesus comes we must be "without spot and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14). It also says that before Jesus comes Satan will come down with terrible deceiving power so that if it was possible he would deceive even the very elect (Revelation 12:9–12; Mark 13:22). Could it be that God, in love and mercy, has communicated special messages to us today so that we might be able to discern the wiles of the enemy and be ready for His soon coming?

Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."

2 Chronicles 20:20 "Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."

Let me invite you to prayerfully study some of her writings. Millions of people of all faiths have enjoyed her works. I would like you to study them, not just for a good source book, which many people of all faiths admit, but study in order to see if the Lord might have even inspired what she wrote. I would like you to read the introduction to the book America in Prophecy. This is one of the books she wrote to help us understand the conflict between truth and error in these last days. It is truly one of the most inspiring books that has ever been written, and has brought hundreds and thousands of people of all faiths to the foot of the cross and to conversion. I have had personal friends who were converted to the Lord just from the reading of this book. As you prayerfully read it, see if you don’t hear the voice of Jesus speaking to you. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).

Investigate

Yet, let me warn you of one thing. The Bible says, "the dragon was enraged. . . and he went to make war with. . . (those) who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17).

Listen to this, and mark it carefully: If God has sent a message or a messenger for these last days, then Satan is going to fight with prejudice.

Thus is was when Jesus came. People never received the truth about Jesus by going to the priests and Pharisees to find out what they thought about Him. The priests and Pharisees had many "proofs" why Jesus was not the Messiah. The ONLY people who ever accepted Jesus as the Messiah were those who came and heard Him for themselves.

Paul says that the Bereans "were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

Let me deal with one false concept about the work of a prophet. Some people have supposed that everything a prophet says must be original. That was not true with Jesus. Jesus quoted from many authorities of His time, but by divine grace He picked out the true from the false. The golden rule, for example, was a paraphrase of a statement by Rabbi Hillel given almost a century earlier. Much of the Lord’s prayer is from an earlier Jewish ritual prayer known as Ha-Kaddish. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul quoted from the Greek poet Menander who lived three centuries earlier. Ellen White was a deep student of history, believing that God expected her to learn all she could. Thus, she at times quoted from other sources, as she explains in the introduction to America in Prophecy.

Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). This is the reason for the spirit of prophecy in these last days. Jesus loves us and wants us to be happy—eternally happy. He wants us to be healthy and happy in this life, and He wants us to recognize the deceptions of Satan for these last days so that we will be ready to go to heaven when He comes. Jesus wants us to be saved. He wants to live with us throughout eternity. He loves us. That is why He has promised to again send the precious gift of prophecy to the church for the last days.

The Final Test

After all the other tests, Jesus finally gives us the ultimate test of a true prophet. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). If you find Ellen White disagreeing with the Bible in any place (and not just one person’s interpretation of the Bible, of course), lay her aside, she is a false prophet. But if she meets all the Bible tests, then listen for the voice of Jesus speaking through her to you as you read. I might give my own personal testimony, that I have heard that voice speaking to me through her works.

Sample Statements

Permit me to share a couple of typical statements from the pen of Ellen White:

"The people of God are directed to the Scriptures as their safeguard against the influence of false teachers and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. Satan employs every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible; for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions. At every revival of God’s work the prince of evil is aroused to more intense activity; he is now putting forth his utmost efforts for a final struggle against Christ and His followers. The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.

"Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?" America in Prophecy, p. 572.

Let me close with some beautiful statements of counsel and encouragement from her book The Ministry of Healing:

"We are never called upon to make a real sacrifice for God. Many things He asks us to yield to Him, but in doing this we are but giving up that which hinders us in the heavenward way. Even when called upon to surrender those things which in themselves are good, we may be sure that God is thus working out for us some higher good.

"In the future life the mysteries that here have annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings. . .

"God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him. . .

"Many who profess to be Christ’s followers have an anxious, troubled heart because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him, for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender they cannot find peace. . .

"Worry is blind and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. ‘No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly’ Psalm 84:11.

"Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet"—pp. 473-481.

There are hundreds of pages of counsel and encouragement such as these that God has sent to bless your life and help you to be ready for His soon coming. Her favorite theme was the life and ministry of Christ. Never will the love of Christ speak so clearly to your heart as when reading her masterpiece on the life of Christ entitled The Desire of Ages. She could speak with meaning and clearness because she had been to those scenes of long ago in vision, and because the Holy Spirit directed her thinking as she wrote.

How can you know? If you search for truth as for hid treasures, the Lord will not lead you astray.

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Last Updated: 06/18/03