Introduction:
The earth that came forth from the hand of the Creator was exceedingly beautiful. Everything was tastefully and gloriously arranged. Wherever the eye rested there were evidences of a Creator�s love and care. There was nothing lacking that could contribute to man�s happiness or well-being. But man rejected all evidences of God�s love for him and chose to follow the tempter instead. This choice placed man in a state of rebellion against his Creator, and God could no longer talk directly with him.

1. By what new means did God reveal His will to men?
Hebrews 1:1; Hosea 12:10__________________________________________________
Note: To sin, God is a consuming fire ( see Hebrews 12:29), and with sin now such an integral part of man himself, he could no longer bear the presence of God. Compare with Exodus 20:18-19.

2. What has God promised regarding His dealings with men?
Amos 3:7________________________________________________________________

3. Prior to the flood, how did God warn the people of that day?
Hebrews 11:7____________________________________________________________

4. Through whom did God call Israel out of bondage?
Hosea 12:13_____________________________________________________________

5. What was the general response of the people to these messages?
Jeremiah 7:25-26__________________________________________________________
Note: All through Old Testament times, God communicated with His people by His prophets. Through them He gave not only warnings and at times, messages of encouragement, but He also revealed a coming Saviour. Not only were these messages generally despised and rejected but the people sank so far into apostasy that the words of the prophets were uncomprehended. Nothing more could be done within the framework of the typical system of sacrifices and offerings. Therefore God stopped speaking to the people through the prophets about 400 B.C. (See Lamentations 2:9; Jeremiah 23:11-16). Only with the coming of a greater light�the coming of Christ�was there hope.

6. What two persons confirmed the fact that Jesus was the Messiah?
Luke 2:25-27, 36-38_______________________________________________________
Note: With the advent of Christ, heaven again seemed open to men, and within the new church, prophesying was again heard. We see that women, as well as men, were blessed with the spiritual gift of prophecy. See also Acts 21:8-9.

7. Just before Christ began His ministry, who appeared?
Luke 1:76; Matthew 3:1-3__________________________________________________

8. For what reason was the gift of prophecy confirmed in the church?
1 Corinthians 1:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-12________________________________________
Note: It is by His prophets that Jesus corrects and instructs His people, seeking to restore them again to His own image.

9. What is another New Testament term for the spirit of prophecy?
Revelation 19:10__________________________________________________________

10. How did Paul tell the believers to regard prophesying?
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21____________________________________________________

11. What happens in the absence of prophesying?
Proverbs 29:18___________________________________________________________
Note: Very soon following the establishment of the Christian church, all direct inspiration and prophesying appeared to cease. Comparing the writings of the church fathers, beginning a generation after the passing of the apostles, one is amazed at the inferior quality of these later writings. It was but the attempt to explain by worldly wisdom, the mystery of the gospel, robbing it of its power. The way was now prepared for the marriage of the church and state, whereby the church sought to use the power of civil government to supply the power it had lost. This was the great apostasy foretold by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. During this period of spiritual darkness, the truth of the gospel was systematically replaced by error and its light was nearly extinguished.

12. Had this condition been foretold in prophecy?
Amos 8:11-12____________________________________________________________
Note: Because of the absence of prophesying during the long centuries of apostasy, many believed that it was a phenomenon of the past and not to be expected in modern times. Based on God�s past dealing with men we can know that an event as significant as the second coming of Christ will be prefaced with special instructions and warnings for the people then living. We are not left to deduction alone in determining this, for the Bible confirms it.

13. Of what did Christ warn His followers to beware in the last days?
Matthew 24:24___________________________________________________________
Note: In His warning about false prophets preceding His return, Jesus implied that there will be true prophets at the time of the end. Otherwise He would simply have admonished them to disregard all prophets.

14. What was prophesied to take place just before Jesus� return?
Malachi 4:5-6____________________________________________________________
Note: While this prophecy applies to the coming of John the Baptist at Jesus first coming (see Matthew 17:12-13), it must find its most complete fulfillment just before the second advent.

15. What two characteristics identify God�s remnant people?
Revelation 12:17__________________________________________________________
Note: This dual sign�keeping all the commandments of God, and having the spirit of prophecy�is found only in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Seventh-day Adventists are unique in that they not only teach obedience to all ten of the commandments, but they are blessed in having the spiritual gift of prophecy in the person of Mrs. Ellen G. White.

16. How may we know if a prophet does not speak for God?
Deuteronomy 18:21-22_____________________________________________________
Note: God has given various tests by which we may identify the true prophets from the counterfeits. Before we can safely accept anyone�s claims of divine inspiration, we must find that they meet all the biblical tests of a true prophet.

17. Does a predicted event taking place prove one�s claims to be inspired of God?
Deuteronomy 13:1-3_______________________________________________________
Note: While false predictions conclusively show a prophet is not of God, false prophets can make true predictions.

18. By what unerring standard are we to test a prophet�s words?
Isaiah 8:20_______________________________________________________________
Note: God never changes. See: Malachi 3:6. What was truth yesterday, is still truth today.

19. Is there any correlation between the life of a prophet and His message?
Matthew 7:15-18__________________________________________________________

20. What three ways does God communicate with His prophets?
Numbers 12:6-8__________________________________________________________

21. What happened to Balaam�s eyes while in vision?
Numbers 24:16___________________________________________________________

22. What happened to the prophet Daniel�s strength in vision?
Daniel 10:8______________________________________________________________
Note: Though without natural strength, we see that when strengthened by the angel, Daniel stood on his feet. See Daniel 10:10-11.

23. What happened to Daniel�s natural breathing during vision?
Daniel 10:17_____________________________________________________________
Note: When God gives a prophet a vision, He may reveal His work through supernatural signs.

24. In rejecting God�s messengers, whom do we really reject?
1 Samuel 8:7_____________________________________________________________
Note: All God�s messages to men are weighted with eternal significance. God never sends us messages which we are free to accept or reject as suits our feelings. See Matthew 23:37; 2 Chronicles 20:20. God�s counsel is necessary, or He would not give it to us. To reject the message or messenger is to reject its Author. When the first step is taken in rejection, a move is made that often sets one�s eternal destiny; each succeeding step tends to strengthen the deceived one in his deception.

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries have seen many claiming the gift of prophecy. Some say that they receive their revelations from God; others assure their followers that their messages come from spirit beings; still others claim that their revelations are the result of a natural power within themselves. But do their lives confirm their words?

When we look at the scriptural definition of a prophet, Ellen G. White stands apart from others claiming supernatural gifts. Who was this woman? What was the tenor of her life? Did she really fulfill the tests of a true prophet?

Ellen White was a young woman in her teens when she participated in the Millerite movement of the 1840s. Like thousands of others she was disappointed when Christ did not come. As they continued to study the prophecies, they developed a clear understanding of the significance of the cleansing of the sanctuary and its relationship to the soon return of Christ. In connection with this truth, their studies also led them to a recognition of the significance of the Sabbath. It was from these humble beginnings that the worldwide movement, known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church, developed.

While a young child, Ellen suffered a facial injury that for a time threatened her life, and resulted in her becoming an invalid for a number of years. As a result she was only able to complete three years of formal education.

In December 1844, Ellen had a vision, the first of more than 2000 dreams and visions. Shortly afterward, she was instructed by the angel of the Lord to write what had been shown her. At the time she was so weak that she could not hold a pen steadily, making it impossible to write.

Again the word came to her �Write the things that are revealed to you.� As she sought to follow the instructions of the angel it was not long until she could write page after page with comparative ease. During her seventy years of public ministry between 1844 and 1915, she wrote approximately 25 million words or 100,000 pages of handwritten text, making her the most prolific woman writer in history.

Mrs. White�s writings are not an addition to the Bible, but are to direct the people to the Word. In her own words: �I commend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word promised to give visions in the �LAST DAYS�; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth.� Early Writings, p. 78.

Many had the opportunity to examine Ellen White while in vision. Those who personally witnessed the visions carefully observed what took place. George I. Butler described the vision of 1874: �The time Mrs. White is in this condition varied from fifteen minutes to one hundred and eighty. During this time the heart and pulse continued to beat, the eyes are always wide open, and seem to be gazing at some far-distant object, and are never fixed on any person or thing in the room....While she is in vision, her breathing entirely ceases. No breath ever escapes her nostrils or lips when in this condition....

�Peculiar circumstances in the lives of individuals, whom she never before had seen in the flesh, and secrets hidden from the nearest acquaintances, have been made known to her when she had no personal knowledge of the parties other than by vision. Often has she been in an audience where she was wholly unacquainted with the individuals composing it, when she would get up and point out person after person whom she never had seen before in the flesh, and tell them what they had done, and reprove their sins.� G. I. Butler, Review and Herald, June 9, 1874.

Mrs. White�s early counsels in the area of church organization and administration, counsels in the field of health and medical evangelism, as well as the educational and counsels concerning publish work, are well known. Her many boos preserve these messages for us today. Her writings are not outmoded but up-to-date. Where her counsels have been implemented the results have confirmed their divine origin.

In 1959, Dr. Florence Stratemeyer, a leading educator and faculty member of the Department of Education at Teacher� College, Columbia University, said: �Recently the book Education by Ellen G. White has been brought to my attention. Written at the turn of the century, this volume was more than fifty years ahead of its times. And I was surprised to learn that it was written by a woman with but three years of schooling.

�The breadth and depth of its philosophy amazed me. Its concept of balanced education, harmonious development, and of thinking and acting on principle are advanced educational concepts.� Dr. Florence Stratemeyer, Review and Herald , August 6, 1959.

Mrs. White�s husband died August 6, 1881. For nearly 34 years she was a widow. She labored two years in Europe, from the summer of 1855 to the summer of 1887. She did pioneer work in Australia from 1891 to 1900. She was truly a woman who belonged to the world and not just simply to a small group of people. Though she was an American, she conceived that her mission was to the world.

If you have any questions or comments about this lesson, you can email me at: [email protected]

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Bible Lesson 41

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