cies declare that in the last days there will be a special outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, and that the church at the time of Christ’s appearing
will have had, during its closing experience, “the testimony of Jesus,”
which is the spirit of prophecy.
Acts 2:17-20, 39
;
1 Corinthians 1:7
;
Revelation 12:17
;
Revelation 19:10
. In these facts we see an evidence
of God’s care and love for His people; for the presence of the Holy
Spirit as a comforter, teacher, and guide, not only in its ordinary, but
in its extraordinary, methods of operation, certainly is needed by the
church as it enters the perils of the last days, more than in any other
part of its experience.
The Scriptures point out various channels through which the Holy
Spirit would operate on the hearts and minds of men to enlighten their
understanding and guide their steps. Among these
were visions and dreams. In this way God would still communicate
with the children of men. Here is His promise on this point: “Hear
now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make
Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a
dream.”
Numbers 12:6
. By this means supernatural knowledge was
communicated to Balaam. Thus He says: “Balaam the son of Beor
hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: he hath said,
which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most
High, which saw the vision of the almighty, falling into a trance, but
having his eyes open.”
Numbers 24:15, 16
.
It thus becomes a matter of great interest to investigate the tes-
timony of the Scriptures concerning the extent to which the Lord
designed that the Spirit should manifest itself in the church during the
period of human probation
.
[21]
After the plan of salvation had been devised, God, as we have
seen, could still, through the ministry of His Son and the holy angels,
communicate with men across the gulf which sin had made. Some-
times He spoke face to face with them, as in the case of Moses, but
more frequently by dreams and visions. Instances of such commu-
nication are everywhere prominent upon the sacred record, covering
all dispensations. Enoch the seventh from Adam looked forward in
the spirit of prophecy to the second advent of Christ in power and
glory, and exclaimed, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands
of His saints.”
Jude 14
. “Holy men of God spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost.”
2 Peter 1:21
. If the operation of the spirit of