The Testimony of Jesus
The presence of the Spirit of Prophecy in God’s church is an absolute necessity. In the list of gifts presented by Paul in Ephesians we have: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Scripture reveals that the very characteristics of God’s church include this great blessing. John declares: “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.” And the same apostle registered the words of the angel addressed to him: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 12:17; 19:10, emphasis supplied).
About five years ago, my wife and I were traveling to Lubango, Angola, to hold a seminar at the missionary school, when, half an hour after departing, we were told that our aircraft had to return to the airport of origin. Upon landing again at the point of origin, we were informed that the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the aircraft was not working. Many passengers then abandoned their plan to travel, terrified at the idea of flying in an airplane without direction. On that same day, an Air France plane had fallen in the Atlantic Ocean with more than 200 passengers who lost their lives.
A church without the Spirit of Prophecy is like an aircraft or a ship without a GPS, being devoid of accurate knowledge of location or destination.
Through the prophet Hosea, God declared: “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved” (12:13).
Solomon, the wise man, wrote: “Without prophecy the people become demoralized” (Proverbs 29:18, The New American Bible).
The divine guidance of the Old Testament church through the prophets has been repeated in the Christian church during the New Testament era.
The manifestation of the prophetic gift was made evident during the presentation of Jesus a few days after His birth.
“Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:25–38).
“The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God [Simeon], and while Joseph and Mary stood by, wondering at his words, he blessed them, and said unto Mary, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’
“Anna also, a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon’s testimony concerning Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory of God, and she poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted to behold Christ the Lord.”1
The very founder of the Christian church, Jesus Christ, was the Prophet foretold by Moses. In his defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen declared: “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us” (Acts 7:37, 38).
Besides Christ, the Prophet, God sent other mouthpieces to warn, guide, and comfort His people.
In his book of Acts, Luke mentions several prophets by name: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul” (Acts 13:1).
In his trip to Jerusalem, Paul met with the brethren in Caesarea, where he “entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven”. “The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” Luke also mentions that “there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, name Agabus” (Acts 21:8–10).
As we see, the early Christian church was richly blessed with the presence and work of several prophets.
“[After the ordination of the seven deacons], later in the history of the early church, when in various parts of the world many groups of believers had been formed into churches, the organization of the church was further perfected, so that order and harmonious action might be maintained. Every member was exhorted to act well his part. Each was to make a wise use of the talents entrusted to him. Some were endowed by the Holy Spirit with special gifts—‘first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues’ (1 Corinthians 12:28). But all these classes of workers were to labor in harmony.”2
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:4–12).
Throughout the entire history of God’s church on earth, the Lord has guided His people by means of the Spirit of Prophecy. As long as the door of grace is open, He will continue utilizing this method of communication for the protection, guidance, and correction of His people in order to perfect them and present them as a holy body to represent His character before the world and the universe.