Appendix
167
in the centuries immediately preceding the first advent of Christ, the
manifestation of the gift of prophecy almost wholly disappeared.
Restored in the Last Days
But the scriptures, while foretelling this dreadful apostasy, also
plainly teach that just before the second coming of Christ, many will
be rescued from the darkness of error and superstition. Once more
the earth is to be lightened by the glory of God. The pure truths of
the Bible are to shine forth. And in this time of heavenly illumination
marking the approaching end of the age, the gifts of the Spirit are again
to be manifest in the true church. “It shall come to pass in the last
days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants
and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.”
Acts 2:17, 18
;
Joel 2:28, 29
.
In clear terms the prophet John speaks of “the remnant,” or the last
church, as those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 12:17
. In another passage the
same writer gives a plain definition of what he means by the “testimony
of Jesus.” When on one occasion John attempted to worship the angel
who appeared to him in vision, the angel said:
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“See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God.”
Revelation 19:10
.
Under similar circumstances the same angel said, as recorded in
another place:
“See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren
the prophets.”
Revelation 22:9
.
The thought expressed is the same in both these passages. In one,
however, John’s “brethren” are said to have “the testimony of Jesus;”
in the other these “brethren” are called “the prophets.”
Therefore it is the prophets who have “the testimony of Jesus;” and
the angel who appeared to John is evidently the special messenger who
conveys instruction to all the prophets,—doubtless the angel Gabriel,
who is mentioned as having appeared to Daniel. See
Daniel 8:16
;
9:21
.
The same angel further said to John, “the testimony of Jesus is the
Spirit of prophecy.”
Revelation 19:10
.