In most discussions about spiritual gifts, people turn first to the New Testament, especially to the writings of Paul. And no doubt, the great evangelist had much to say about spiritual gifts. But in this area, as in all others, let us be careful to examine the entirety of Scripture. Spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy, are not simply a New Testament phenomenon. A quick survey will illustrate this point.
• Long before the experience of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Lord promised to give Moses the ability to speak the language necessary to clearly articulate his message (see Exod. 4). This, of course, is the biblical definition of speaking in tongues.
• Later in Exodus, we see the Lord declare of the craftsmen Bezalel that He had “filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” (31:3).
• After Daniel and his friends passed God’s test of loyalty, the Lord gave them “knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Dan. 1:17). Seventh-day Adventists in particular value the harmony of the prophetic gift in both Testaments as we see the amazing parallels between the writings of Daniel and those of John in the book of Revelation.
Certainly other gifts were manifested in the annals of Scripture—Nehemiah’s administration, Rahab’s hospitality, Peter’s gift of healing, etc.—but of all the spiritual gifts the Bible describes, none is more often mentioned and clearly demonstrated than the gift of prophecy. Interestingly, prophets of both the Old and New Testaments, along with Jesus Himself, describe the gift of prophecy as being alive and well among God’s people long after the time of the early church. Note Peter’s citation of Joel 2 as he opened his explanation of the events of Pentecost: “‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.’” From Joel’s inspired perspective, he could say assuredly that the people of God would have the guidance of prophecy in their midst even until the last days.
Notice also that while the Bible continually distinguishes between the God-ordained roles for men and women in the home and in the church, the role of the prophet is and always has been a position which both men and women are appointed to fill (Exodus 15:20; Judges 4:4; 2 Kings 22:14; Luke 2:36).
It is interesting to note that while the true prophetic gift has been a distinguishing feature of God’s people throughout time, Satan has been resisting their efforts through the “ministry” of false prophets. Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke at length against the dangers of such messengers, and Jesus warned of their deceptive practices extending through the final days of earth’s history. Looking back on the history of Israel and looking forward to the work of the Christian church, the apostle Peter clearly states, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” In Matthew 24, Jesus explains Satan’s goal in employing such agents of deception: “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”
Given that the gift of prophecy has been and still remains a valid manifestation of the Spirit of God, and knowing that Satan desires to deceive even the most discerning believers with his counterfeit messengers, it behooves us to take seriously the Bible’s admonition to test the prophets (1 Tim. 5:19-21). To this end, the Bible outlines the following four hallmarks of a true prophet:
• Any future events prophesied must come true (Deut. 18:21-22).
• All prophecies must harmonize with Scripture (Isa. 8:19-20).
• All teaching must affirm that Jesus came “in the flesh” (1 John 4:1-3).
• The Christ-like results of their work must be evident (Matt. 7:15-20).
As outlined in the eighteenth fundamental belief of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we recognize that all of these criteria were met in the ministry of Ellen G. White. And as he has done so often in the past, Satan is now making every effort to thwart the work of this remnant people by undermining our confidence in the prophetic gift. Looking ahead to what I believe are the times in which we are now living, Ellen G. White cautioned, “The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ (Prov. 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.”a
It is my prayer that as leaders and members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we will continue to stand firm upon the Bible truth regarding the gift of prophecy. As we see the final events of earth’s last days unfold, let us not concede one inch of territory to our great adversary, but instead move forward in full confidence of God’s Word and His chosen messenger, Ellen G. White.
a Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, 1:48.
Kameron DeVasher is an associate pastor at the Avon Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in Florida. This sermon, adapted for Elder’s Digest, was presented in May, 2008.
MINISTRY
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PASTOR
In the summer of 2010, Ministry, International Journal for Pastors is publishing a special issue to coincide with the General Conference Session held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The focus of the issue will be the work of pastors— specifically pastors in local congregations.
We are asking church elders, leaders, and members in general if you would be willing to help us with this issue. We would like to receive short statements telling us a little bit about how you view the work of the pastor. What do you appreciate about some of the pastors who have led your congregation? What are your hopes and expectations from pastors? How has your congregation helped a pastor in carrying out the various responsibilities? We would love to hear from you and your fellow members.
Send your remarks to: [email protected] or Ministry Magazine, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 USA
Please share this request with others in your congregation as well. Thank you.
15th ANNIVERSARY
President Jan Paulsen of the Seventh-day Adventist world church commends the Ministerial Association for the Elder’s Digest’s 15th year anniversary issue presented at Annual Council on October 13, 2009, with editor, Jonas Arrais, and Ministerial Secretary, James Cress.
