We have not followed cunningly de vised fables," declared Peter, "when ' we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." 2 Peter 1:16-19.
The apostle is here describing his experience when the Lord took Peter, James, and John with Him into the mount of transfiguration. The things he saw and the things he heard were wonderful, and these firsthand evidences must have been a great comfort and assurance to him as he faced a hostile world. But he declares, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy," more sure than the things he had witnessed with his own eyes and heard with his own ears. And that prophetic word is a light that shines in a dark place, he says, " until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts." The real purpose of prophecy is to prepare the heart for the day dawn when the Daystar, or Christ, arises in the heart with healing in His wings.
He comes as "the Sun of righteousness," declares the prophet Malachi. He comes to those who fear His name, and when He comes it is with healing in His wings.
When the angel announced the birth of John the Baptist, he outlined his work. He was to "go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people." Luke 1:76, 77. He was to reveal the "tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring [or "sun rising," margin] from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness." Verses 78, 79. As "the prophet of the Highest," he was to lead the people to the Lord Jesus.
And that is the main work of all true prophets. Although they may be called at times to foretell the future, or to rebuke men for their sins, yet the real purpose of the prophetic ministry is to lead men and women to a knowledge of the Daystar, or the Sun of righteousness. "To him [that is, Christ] give all the prophets wit ness," declared Peter. Acts 10:43. In that sense every prophet is a forerunner of Christ. Every book of the entire Bible reveals our blessed Saviour.
Speaking to the Jews, Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39. We need to realize more and more the truth of that statement that "the whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ." Gospel Workers, p. 250. Not our knowledge of the future, not even our knowledge of the Scriptures, but our knowledge of Christ is what determines our destiny. "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life," emphasized the Master. The work of the prophets was not merely to inform men but to transform them, to lead them to a knowledge of salvation through Christ. "The testimony of Jesus" is indeed "the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19:10.
Originally God spoke with men face to face, but when sin entered He was compelled to withdraw His visible presence. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have made him hide his face from you." Isa. 59:2, margin. Having withdrawn His personal presence, He must find some other way to communicate His message to His people, so He began to select certain individuals through whom He could speak His message. And these were anciently called seers. "For he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer." 1 Sam. 9:9. They saw things and clearly declared the will of the Lord. As long as men sought to do His will the ministry of the prophets continued. But when men turned away from God and defiantly dishonored His law, then the gift of prophecy was withdrawn. "The law is no more," declared Jeremiah. Consequently, "her prophets also find no vision from the Lord." Lam. 2:9. That has been the experience of God's people in every age. The gift of prophecy goes hand in hand with obedience to the law of God.
Describing the experience of the remnant church, that is, the church that will be living just before Jesus comes, John the revelator declared that "the dragon was wroth with the woman [the church], 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. Other prophets have also spoken of "the remnant." (Zeph. 3:13.) But why is the devil wroth with the remnant church? It is because they keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The last church bears the same pattern as the original. The testimony of Christ is confirmed in its members. They come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 1:6, 7.) As "the children of light" they will not be walking in darkness. The Daystar will be shining in their hearts. They know the experience described by Isaiah: "Then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually." Isa. 58:10, 11. Having come out of darkness into the marvelous light of God, they are now guided continually, and that guidance comes through the testimony of Jesus or the Spirit of prophecy.
Two outstanding characteristics mark the remnant: (1) They are obedient to the law of God, and (2) they have the Spirit of prophecy.
When God raised up the Advent messengers to proclaim the mighty message of the judgment and the Second Advent of Christ, He placed within that movement a messenger, or an interpreter. If we would know the secret of the marvelous organization and evangelistic program of the Advent message, it is because for a hundred years there has been in the midst of the church the gift of prophecy.
As soon as God's people came back into full harmony with His revealed will, God honored their faith and gave to His church the prophetic gift. He did not choose some great leader, but instead a humble girl. At the time she was called she possessed neither social nor educational advantages; yet, inspired and guided by the Spirit of the Lord, she faithfully declared God's message. It very soon became evident that this young woman, Ellen Harmon, or as she later became, Ellen G. White, was indeed the mouthpiece of God to the remnant church. She was a prolific writer, and although her books cover every conceivable phase of Christian life, experience, and service, yet they all reveal the way of salvation. Portions of her books and messages have been translated in sixty or more languages. The most marvelous counsels outside of the Scriptures themselves have come from her pen. As God's guide or interpreter or messenger, the one great purpose of her ministry has ever been to bring a fuller revelation of Jesus Christ to needy men and women. Hers has been truly a Christ-centered ministry. Her one great message is righteousness by faith in Christ. These terse words might well summarize her messages:
"The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers." Evangelism, p. 190.
Appealing for a continued emphasis on the fundamentals of salvation, she declares:
"Christ and His righteousness let this be our platform, the very life of our faith. Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel's message, and I have answered, 'It is the third angel's message in verity.'" Ibid.
Then later she declared, "This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world." Ibid.
Perhaps the most wonderful volume that has ever been written of the life of our Lord is The Desire of Ages. It is a priceless commentary. An English professor who knew nothing of the writer exclaimed, "This book must be inspired, for no person could write like this without the definite guidance of the Holy Spirit." To read the writings of this messenger of the Lord is to be led closer into the warm heart of God. Hers was indeed a salvation-centered ministry. In her writings is clear evidence that the Spirit of prophecy is indeed the testimony of Jesus. And no one who has read this eight-hundred- page revelation of Jesus and His ministry would feel that the professor's summary was an over statement. Thousands of others have expressed themselves in similar language.
