Confidence in the Prophetic Gift

Sabbath School Class—Life as Discovery and Hope

Full Class Notes:  http://ssclassnotes.blogspot.com 

March 28, 2009
Larry R Evans 

Introductory Reflection 

I suspect prophets are most known for their emphasis on two things:  foretelling end time events and for rebuking sinners.  Would you agree?   Prophets may have done that but they also gave words of encouragement, set captives free and brought about times of ample “milk and honey.”  Why is it that we tend to view the work of prophets with such jaundice perspectives?  Perhaps a partial answer is that often our confidence rating comes in the midst of a crisis--when we cannot see through the fog, when we aren’t clear on the rationale behind the counsel or we’d rather be the one in charge and calling the shots.  This week we are going to be studying about our “Confidence in the Prophetic Gift.”  Confidence is earned but once it is then trust should result.  The question remains, “What does it take for you to move from belief to trust?”  How much confidence do you really have? 

“At the beginning of the twentieth century, Ellen White urged church leaders to establish sanitariums in several places in Southern California because thousands of tourists visited this region.  In a vision in 1901, she had been shown a sanitarium outside of Los Angeles.  In 1904, the church purchased facilities for Paradise Valley Sanitarium and Glendale Sanitarium, but neither of them fully matched the one she had seen in vision.  So, Mrs. White encouraged the church leaders to keep looking. 

“In 1905, a health resort named  Loma Linda was put on the market for $110,000.  John Burden, manager of the Glendale Sanitarium, reported to Mrs. White that the seventy-six-acre property seemed to match her description but the price was too high.  Sometime later, the price was reduced to $85,000, and Ellen White wrote to the church members in Southern California, ‘Arouse and avail yourselves of the opportunity open to you.’ 

Soon afterward the price dropped further, to $45,000.  Burden talked to the owners.  They said if the church purchased the property within the next few days, they could have it for $40,000.  Burden cabled Mrs. White asking for advice.  Based on a vision she had received the night before, she asked her son Wille White to telegram him, telling him to secure the option to purchase the Loma Linda property.  However, the members of the local conference committee were in Washington attending the General Conference session.  They cabled John Burden to delay action until their return.  What was he to do?

 

“Convicted that it was the Lord’s will the property be secured, Ellen White urged Burden to go ahead and put down the deposit, which he did.  But when the second installment of $5,000 was due and there was no money with which to make the payment, some felt that a mistake had been made.  Then, a few hours before the deadline, a letter containing a bank draft for $5,000 arrived from a woman in Atlantic City.  ‘I don’t know just what your immediate need is, but this will help, use it,’ the woman had written.  Once again, God’s guidance through Mrs. White was confirmed.”  (Gerhard Pfandl in The Gift of Prophecy, pp. 115-116) 

Reflective Quiz 

1.       Disappointment is often an effective teacher.  [Lk 24:13-27]  True 

There are times when words from the prophets aren’t clear, don’t sound relevant at the time or even sound preposterous.  I imagine the words of Jesus, for example, that he would be raised on the third day was brushed over because His followers had focused on what He had said about His pending death. 

Matt 17:22-23

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief. (NIV) 

 It wasn’t until after His death and disappointment had set in that they could actually “hear” what else Jesus had said.  Truly, disappointment had become the necessary teacher!  The story of the Jesus’ encounter with two very discouraged believers on the road to Emmaus has been repeated in principle many times in the life of the Church. 

Luke 24:17-18

17 He [Jesus] asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" 

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" (NIV) 

Discouragement had set in.  They could not see beyond the tomb because all along they had believed that the Messiah was coming to set them free from the Romans!  Their misunderstanding of the mission of the Anointed One led to despair.  It is interesting that Jesus corrected them first with a Bible study and then later revealed who He was in person.  Note the approach Jesus took: 

Luke 24:25-27

25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  (NIV) 

A similar experience happened to the early Advent believers.  They misunderstood the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 thinking that the sanctuary referenced there was the earth rather than the one in heaven.  The correction came after they went through a period of disappointment thinking that Christ was coming to the earth in 1844.  Prophetic revelations came after Bible studies opened their eyes.  Once careful Bible study occurred, prophetic revelation came confirming what they had studied and new details came to aid their biblical understanding.  Disappointment was part of their learning experience and in the end it reinforced an important Bible truth. 

2.       Wisdom is a product of much searching and a personal application of one’s whole self.  [Prov 2:1-6]  True  and False 

Note the biblical reference: 

Prov 2:1-6

 My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

2 turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding,

3 and if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

4 and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD

and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom,

and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. (NIV) 

How could the answer possibly be false?  Don’t we have to apply  ourselves to study?  Certainly!  The point we wish to make is that true wisdom comes from God.  God expects us to apply ourselves but without God’s intervention we will find knowledge without understanding and that can be dangerous.  Is there a difference between knowledge and wisdom?  If so, how would you describe the difference?  Do we have any modern examples?  Does Wall Street offer any insights as to what the difference might be? 

3.       If there are no absolutes in society then society becomes absolute.  [Jn 16:2; Rev 13:15; Joshua 24:14-15]  True 

This question actually was prompted from study I was doing in preparation for a different presentation but it seems to parallel some principles found in this week’s study.  Biblical prophets often provide absolutes to individuals (and to society in general) who would rather be left alone.  Ironically those who preferred to live and do as they please were foremost in making greater demands of others.  Examples include Cain killing his brother Abel (Gen 4), Ahab and Jezebel and their relationship with Elijah (1 Ki 18), the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod (John 14:1-12), the attempt to silence Peter and John by the priests and Sadducees (Acts 4:1-22), the conspiracy by the Jews to kill Paul (Acts 23) and, of course, the plot to silence and kill Christ by those whose authority had been challenged! (John 19) 

Matt 23:37-39

37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"  (NIV) 

The climax of earth’s history follows this very principle: 

John 16:1-4

16:1 "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. (NIV) 

Rev 13:15

15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. (NIV) 

4.       Scripture is given because in them we have eternal life.  [John 5:39]  False 

John 5:37-40

37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (NIV) 

No matter how much we study Scripture we must remember that they are only effective, they only do their part when they lead us to Jesus.  Scripture is a means of directing us to Him. That is the work of a prophet as well.  Note what Ellen White wrote: 

“Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness.” [Ellen White, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p.9] 

And to all who minister or care for others she says, 

“The object of all ministry is to keep self out of sight, and to let Christ appear. The exaltation of Christ is the great truth that all who labor in word and doctrine are to reveal.”  (Ellen White, Selected Messages, book 1, p.155) 

5.       There is more than one way to kill a prophet.  [Mt 23:28-32]  True 

What does it mean to kill a prophet?  Can we “kill” a prophet after he or she has already died?  

Matt 23:29-31

29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.  (NIV) 

How is it possible to “decorate the graves” of prophets yet be guilty of “shedding the blood of the prophets?” 

The one asset or contribution of a prophet when he speaks truthfully for God is his or her lasting influence.  To minimize such an influence by word or example is likened to the killing of prophets of old.  I’m afraid we only faintly comprehend the sacredness of the work of a prophet and the importance of our treatment of the counsel they leave behind!  Individually we can weaken the influence of a prophet and in so doing we will ultimately bear the consequences. (Lk 23:34-36)  Having said that we would be remiss to end on that note!  What a blessing it is to hear from God through His chosen messengers.  It is obvious, it seems, that God has an overwhelming desire to talk with us and be with us. 

Conclusion 

If the gift of prophecy says anything about God it says that He wants to be with us.  We may not understand all the reasons for what appears to be a delay in His coming but one fact stands out by His giving to us “The Prophetic Gift” and it is this:  God loves us.  He desires for us to know Him and He is looking forward to a reunion with us far more, it seems, than many of us desire to be with Him.  If we take anything away with us from this quarter’s study of the prophetic gift it should be the desire to study more diligently the prophetic messages He has entrusted to us. 

Addendum 

Dr. Pfandl, who wrote this quarter’s Sabbath School lessons, left the following counsel in the companion book entitled, “The Gift of Prophecy,” p.120: 

“Most opposition to Ellen White’s ministry would disappear

• If we would stop using some pet sentence or paragraph as a club with which to hit someone else.
  
• If we would apply the counsels t ourselves instead of trying to apply them to someone else.
• If we wouldn’t ‘quote’ her when we don’t know where the quote is found. (There are many apocryphal sayings.)
• If we wouldn’t discuss something she wrote without having studied everything she wrote on that particular topic. (Partial knowledge can be more dangerous than no knowledge at all.)
• If we would recognize that people’s failure to live up to or carry out Ellen White’s counsels has nothing whatsoever to do with the inspiration and reliability of those counsels.” (Adapted from Denton E. Rebok, Believe His Prophets (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald®, 1958), 309-312.)