The gift of prophecy is one of God’s special gifts extended through the Holy Spirit to the human family (1 Cor. 12:4-11). This gift is also called “the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17), which is defined by the same inspired writer to be “the spirit of prophecy” (19:10).
God’s purpose in providing and bestowing the prophetic
gift is to re-establish and maintain communication
with man, who has been estranged and separated from
Him through sin. This gift operates through prophets
by means of visions, dreams, inspiration, and
revelation.
The product, prophecy, is a divine
message from God to the human family.
The great Book called “the word of God”
(Heb. 4:12) and the “Holy Scriptures”
(Rom. 1:2) came to mankind through the
gracious operation of the prophetic gift
(2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).
The prophetic gift is not the message
itself, nor is it the gospel or
the Bible; rather, it is the method,
the process, the means by which
the divine message comes from God to man. It is an essential and inseparable part of the
great plan of redemption.
The gift, therefore, dates back to the day when the Lord
resumed communication with Adam after his banishment
from Eden. This gift has never been withdrawn; it is still
God’s abiding gift to the human family. Through this
channel, He has been revealing Himself and giving His
messages to the world ever since our first parents left
their Eden home.
There have been periods, some short and some long,
when the gift has not been manifested in “open vision”
(1 Sam. 3:1), but the gift has never been permanently
withdrawn. At such times as God has deemed best, the
manifestation of the gift has reappeared, and, through the
medium of visions and dreams, prophets have brought
divine messages to the Lord’s needy people.
In this issue of Elder’s Digest, you will find, among
other relevant topics, a special emphasis on both the 20th
Anniversary of the Elder’s Digest reaching that historic
landmark in 2014, and helpful information regarding
the “gift of prophecy.” The year 2015 marks the 100th
Anniversary of Ellen G. White’s death. We honor her
memory, ministry, and legacy to the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. Enjoy your reading!
