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that the Lord would graciously receive and bless them, and would
heal their backslidings. Some of the writings of these prophets have a
special application to the time in which we live. They wrote of things
which should “come to pass in the last days,” or in the “time of the
end.”
Isaiah 2:2
;
Daniel 12:4
.
At The First Advent Of Christ
The last of the Old Testament prophets was Malachi. During the
period of formalism before the appearance of Christ, so far as any
record exists, there were no manifestations of the gift of prophecy.
But prophets were sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. Zacharias,
the father of John the Baptist, “was filled with the Holy Ghost, and
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prophesied.”
Luke 1:67
. Simeon, a “just and devout” man, who was
“waiting for the consolation of Israel,” came by the spirit into the
temple, and prophesied concerning Jesus, that he should be a “light
to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” Anna, a
prophetess, “spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in
Jerusalem.”
Luke 2:25, 32, 38
. And there was no greater prophet in any
age than was John the Baptist, who was chosen by God to proclaim to
Israel the advent of “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of
the world.”
John 1:29
.
In the Days of the Apostles
The beginning of the Christian era was marked by the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of various spiritual gifts.
Among these was the gift of prophecy. In the book of Acts we read of
the inspired utterances of Peter, of Stephen, and of others connected
with the early Christian church; also of the four daughters of Philip,
“virgins, which did prophesy;” and of a prophet named Agabus.
Acts
21:9, 10
.
The apostle Paul had visions of the glory of heaven. See
2 Corinthi-
ans 12:1-7
. He wrote at length in the twelfth chapter of first Corinthians
concerning the gifts of the spirit that were given, not for one age alone,
but “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13
. “God hath set some in the