keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.
“The testimony of Jesus,” said the angel to John, “Is the
spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10. It is the keeping of the
commandments of God, and the recognition of the revival of the
spirit of prophecy by the remnant of the church, or the Christians
of the last generation, that stirs the ire of the dragon.
The Jewish age, notwithstanding its apostasies, opened and
closed with special manifestations of the spirit of God. And it
is not reasonable to suppose that the Christian age, the light of
which, compared with the former dispensation, is as the light of
the sun to the feeble rays of the moon, should commence in glory,
and close in obscurity. And since a special work of the spirit was
necessary to prepare a people for the first advent of Christ, how
much more so for his second advent.
God has never manifested his power to his people simply
for their gratification; but according to their necessities has he
wrought for them. Then we may safely conclude that as his
people are passing the perils of the last days in the final struggle
with the aroused powers of darkness, when false prophets shall
have power to show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if
it were possible, they would deceive the very elect, our gracious
God will bless and strengthen His fainting people with the gifts,
as well as the graces, of the Holy Spirit.
We have seen that the manifestation of the spirit of prophecy
in dreams and in visions became necessary in consequence of
man’s being separated from the visible presence of God. But
when the tabernacle of God shall be with men, and he shall dwell
with them, and God himself shall be with them,
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Revelation 21:3; when Christ shall come again with all the holy
angels, and receive his people unto himself, that where he shall
be, there they may be also, John 14:3; and when man redeemed
shall walk and talk with God, and Christ, and angels, in Eden
restored; then there will be no further need of the spirit of
prophecy.
When man in Eden stood in all the perfection of his manhood,
before the blight of sin had touched anything that God had made
for him, and with open face beheld the glory of the Lord, he could
have no need of the spirit of prophecy. But when Eden was lost in
consequence of transgression, and man was doomed to grope his
way from the gates of paradise, enshrouded in the moral gloom
that resulted from the curse and the reign of Satan, he needed
the light of the spirit of prophecy. And his need in this respect
will continue, more or less urgent, until the restitution, when the
redeemed shall walk and talk with God, and with Christ, and with
the holy angels, in Eden restored.
The apostle to the Corinthians clearly sustains this position.
He introduces the subject by stating, “Now concerning spiritual
gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” 1 Corinthians
12:1. He deemed the subject of too great importance to leave
the church at Corinth in ignorance respecting it. He proposes to
instruct them. We shall do well to avail ourselves of the benefit
of his teachings.
In this chapter the apostle introduces the human body, with
its several members acting in harmony, one dependent upon the
other, as an illustration of the Christian church, with its members,
and the several gifts God has set in the church. He then makes
the application of the figure thus: “Now ye are the body of Christ,
and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then
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gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
Verses 27 and 28.
Let it be borne in mind that God has set prophets, miracles,
and gifts of healings, in the Christian church as verily as he has
teachers, helps, and governments. And this expression, “God
hath set” them in the Church, means more than that he would
communicate with this people by His Holy Spirit in the Christian
age the same as he had in former dispensations. It conveys the
idea that God had especially endowed the Christian church with
them. He had established them in the church, to remain until
the return of her absent Lord. This was done because the church
needed them. Did the primitive church need them? So did the
true church need them to light her pathway during the dark period
of her persecutions and martyrdom. And much more does the
church need the gifts in making her course through the perils of
the last days, and in making ready to receive her soon-coming
Lord.
The design of the gifts, and also the time of their continuance
in the church, are definitely expressed by the apostle to the
Ephesians: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
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man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
Chap. 4:11-13.
It cannot be shown th
