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V.
The Holy Spirit
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Chapter 45
:
The Gifts of
Prophecy
1. How did God communicate with man in Eden?
"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto
him, Where art thou?" Gen. 3:9.
2. Since the fall, by what means has God generally
made known His will to man?
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have
multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the
ministry of the prophets." Hosea 12:10.
3. What things belong to God, and what to us?
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God;
but those things which are revealed belong unto
us and to our children forever." Deut. 29:29.
4. How fully and to whom does God
reveal His purposes?
"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He
revealeth His
secret unto
His servants the prophets."
Amos 3:7.
5. Can the wise men of the world
foretell the future?
"Daniel answered before the king, and said,
The secret which the king hath demanded can neither wise
men, enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show unto
the king." Dan.2:27, R.V. See notes on question 6. of
chapter 47 of this book.
6. Who did Daniel say could reveal secrets?
"But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets
and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what
shall be in the latter days." Verse 28.
7. How did the prophet Daniel acknowledge the
insufficiency of human wisdom?
"As for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any
wisdom that I have more than any living, but for
their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to
the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of
thy heart." Verse 30.
8. After revealing and interpreting the dream, what
did Daniel say?
"The great God hath made known to the king what shall
come to pass hereafter." Verse 45.
9. How does God show His foreknowledge?
"Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new
things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you
of them." Isa. 42:9.
10. How does the Lord reveal Himself to His prophets?
"If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make
Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak
unto him in a dream." Num. 12:6.
11. Under what influence did the
prophets of old speak?
"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of
man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21. See 2 Sam. 23:2.
12. How are both the origin of prophecy and the means
of communicating it still further shown?
"The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto
Him, to show unto His servants things which must
shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by
His angel unto His servant John." Rev. 1:1.
13. What angel revealed to Daniel
his visions and dreams?
"Whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the
beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about
the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me,
and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now
come forth to give thee skill and understanding." Dan.
9:21,22. See also chapter 10, and Rev. 22:9,10.
14. What Spirit was in the
prophets inditing their utterances?
"O which salvation the prophets have inquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of
time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow." 1 Peter
1:10,11.
15. How were the Lord's words to
the prophets preserved?
"Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his
bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of
the matters." Dan. 7:1. See Jer. 51:60; Rev. 1:10,11.
16. By whom has God spoken to us in these last days?
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in
these last days spoken unto us by His Son." Heb.
1:1,2.
17. What was one of the offices to
be filled by the Messiah?
"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet
from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto
me; unto Him ye shall harken." Deut. 18:15.
18. What was foretold through the prophet Joel?
"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.
19. When did this prediction begin to be fulfilled?
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men
shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
Acts 2:16,17.
20. What were some of the gifts
Christ gave to His church?
"When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men. . . . And He gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers." Eph. 4:8-11.
21. By what means did God deliver and preserve
Israel?
"By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of
Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved." Hosea
12:13.
22. When Moses complained of his
slowness of speech, what did God say Aaron should be to
him?
"And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people:
and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of
a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God."
Ex. 4:16.
23. What did God afterward call Aaron?
"And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a
god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy
prophet." Ex. 7:1.
24. What is one test by which to
detect false prophets?
"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the
Lord, if the
thing
follow not, nor come to pass,
that is the
thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet
hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid
of him." Deut. 18:22.
25. What other test should be applied in determining
the validity of the claims of a prophet?
"If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of
dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign
or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee,
saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou
hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt
not harken unto the words of that prophet, or that
dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to
know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the
Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments,
and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and
cleave unto Him." Deut. 13:1-4.
NOTE.-From these scriptures it will be seen that, in
the first place, if a prophet's words do not prove
to be true, it is evidence that God has not sent
that prophet. On the other hand, even though the
thing predicted comes to pass, if the pretended
prophet seeks to lead others to break God's
commandments, this, regardless of all signs, should
be positive evidence that he is not a true prophet.
26. What rule did Christ give for distinguishing
between true and false prophets?
"By their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. 7:20.
27. What general rule is laid down
for testing all prophets?
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no
light in them." Isa. 8:20.
28. How did God's prophets anciently use the words of
former prophets in exhorting the people to obedience?
"Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath
cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was
inhabited and in prosperity?" Zech. 7:7.
29. What is the promised result of
believing God's prophets?
"Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be
established;
believe His
prophets, so shall ye prosper."
2 Chron.
20:20.
30. What admonition is given
regarding the gift of prophecy?
"Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good." 1 Thess. 5:20,21.
31. What will characterize the last, or remnant,
church?
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to
make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ." Rev. 12:17.
32. What is the "testimony of Jesus"?
"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
Rev. 19:10. See Rev. 1:9.
33. What results when this gift is absent?
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but
he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Prov. 29:18. See
also Ps. 74:9.
What poor,
despised company
Of travelers are these,
Who walk in yonder narrow way,
Along the rugged maze?
Ah! these
are of a royal line,
All children of a King,
Heirs of immortal crowns divine;
And lo! for joy they sing.
Why do
they, then, appear so mean,
And why so much despised?
Because of their rich robes unseen
The world is not apprized.
But why
keep they that narrow road,-
That rugged, thorny maze?
Why, that's the way their Leader trod,
They love and keep His ways.
Why do they
shun the pleasing path
That worldlings love so well?
Because that is the road to death,
The open road to hell.
What! is
there then no other road
To Salem's happy ground?
Christ is the only way to God,
No other can be found.
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