TESTING THE PROPHETS

LESSON 6 *January 31 - February 6
Testing the Prophets

Memory Text:

“Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good”

(1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21, NKJV).

How did God communicate to His prophets? What are the biblical tests of a true prophet? What is conditional prophecy? Are prophets infallible? Why do we believe that Ellen G. White’s visions and prophetic dreams were from God?

SUNDAY February 1

Dreams and Visions

“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” (Joel 2:28).

In Scripture we learn that God used primarily dreams and visions to communicate with His messengers. Prophetic dreams played an important role in the time of the patriarchs (Gen. 20–41), in the ministry of Daniel (Dan. 1–7), and in the Nativity narratives (Matt. 1:20; 2:12, 19, 22). Visions frequently are mentioned in the writings of the prophets (Isa. 1:1, Ezek. 1:1, Dan. 8:1, Obad. 1:1, Nah. 1:1) and in the book of Acts (9:10, 10:3, 11:5, 16:9, 18:9).

Daniel 7: (King James Version)
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

Acts 9: (King James Version)
10And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

MONDAY February 2

Agreement With the Bible

What is one of the most important tests of a true prophet (Isa. 8:20)? Why should this be so important?

Isaiah 8: (King James Version)
20To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Law (Heb. torah) is the common biblical term for the inspired writings of Moses (Deut. 4:44, 31:9); the testimony refers to the witness of the prophets (2 Chron. 23:11, John 3:32). In other words, what a prophet says must harmonize with what God has revealed already. Though later prophets may reveal additional insights regarding the plan of salvation, they will not contradict what God has said before. God’s unchangeableness (Mal. 3:6) is at stake in His revelations to humanity.

An example of this test of a true prophet is given in Jeremiah 28.

Every true prophet has made the writings of previous prophets the benchmark for his or her own ministry. The same is true for Ellen White. Anyone familiar with her books can testify that she used Scripture profusely. She immersed herself in the Bible and constantly referred to the biblical text, and what she wrote is in agreement with the Bible. Although she was not a theologian and did not write an exegetical commentary on the Bible, her message is in harmony with the message of Scripture.

TUESDAY February 3

Fulfilled Prophecy

The proof of a true prophet lies, in part, in the fulfillment of his or her predictions (see 1 Sam. 9:6, Jer. 28:9, Lam. 3:37). At the same time, though, not all predictions come to pass if the people involved have a change of heart. It’s what is known as conditional prophecy, and it’s important for us to understand.

Jeremiah 18:6-10 (King James Version)
6O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
7At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
9And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

Jonah 3: (King James Version)
4And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

The fulfillment of most prophecies (exceptions are the end-time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation) is dependent on the actions and attitudes of the people concerned. Jonah made the clear-cut statement, given him from God, that in 40 days Nineveh would be “overturned” (Jonah 3:4, NIV). Yet, it never happened. Was Jonah a false prophet? Of course not. Instead, the prophecy was conditional; its fulfillment depended upon how the people responded to the message God had given them.

In the last volume of the Testimonies for the Church, published in 1909, she wrote, “If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 29

WEDNESDAY February 4

Confessing Jesus, the God-man

What was one of the issues John faced in his time; and what does he say is another mark of a true prophet?

1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

One of the problems in John’s day was the question over the human nature of Christ. Was He really flesh and blood, or did He, as some taught, only appear to have a body? To understand and confess that Jesus was truly human became so important to John that he declared it to be a test of a true prophet.

Hebrews 4:
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Acts 4:
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

THURSDAY February 5

The Orchard Test

Matthew 7:
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The context of this statement is Jesus’ warning to the disciples to beware of false prophets (Matt. 7:15). Jesus applied the principle—that a good tree bears good fruit—to the life of the prophets. What kind of fruit do they bring forth? What influence do their teachings have on others

Matthew 7:15 (King James Version)
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves

The orchard test takes time. Ellen White lived and worked for seventy years under the critical eyes of millions of people, largely skeptical, doubtful, suspicious, and in some cases openly hostile. Errors, faults, and inconsistencies were and still are exposed with great satisfaction by her opponents. God alone is flawless; His messengers never are.

Jonah 1
1Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Acts 15:36-39 (King James Version)
36And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do.
37And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

FRIDAY February 6

Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, “The Bible Prophets Wrote for Our Time,” pp. 338, 339, in Selected Messages, book 3; Arthur L. White, “Make It Known to Others,” pp. 60-72 in The Early Years: 1827-1862.

“Again, in his epistle to the Romans, he says: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light’ (Rom. 13:12). . . .

“The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 67.