How has God dealt with His people in the past when they were in apostasy?

“[The Children of Israel] served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets” (2 Kings 17:12, 13, emphasis added).

How did the sin-loving people and their leaders react when the prophets showed them their real standing with God?

“Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger” (verses 14-17).

What happened as they continued to reject the message that the Lord sent through His prophets?

“Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight” (verse 18-20).

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18).

What ensured prosperity to those who were delivered from Egypt?

“And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved” (Hosea 12:13).

The Scriptures contain a record of those who accepted and of those who rejected the instruction which the Lord sent by His prophets. This is especially written for us as we approach the close of time. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Since we as an Advent people have been blessed with a last-day prophet, what can we expect to be the very last deception that Satan will introduce to this people? “The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God.”1 This does not say that people will be deceived into completely tossing out the spirit of prophecy. Rather, they are simply going to make it of none effect!

The “alpha” of this apostasy began in the beginning of the 20th century with John Harvey Kellogg. “In the book Living Temple there is presented the alpha of deadly heresies. The omega will follow and will be received by those who are not willing to heed the warning God has given.”2

How do those who drift away from the truth react toward the writings of Ellen G. White? Referring to some in her day who felt that God had not spoken through Paul - regarding their own judgment equal to that of the apostle, the servant of the Lord made a comparison: “So it is with many among our people who have drifted away from the old landmarks and who have followed their own understanding. What a great relief it would be to such could they quiet their conscience with the belief that my work is not of God. But your unbelief will not change the facts in the case. You are defective in character, in moral and religious experience. Close your eyes to the fact if you will, but this does not make you one particle more perfect. The only remedy is to wash in the blood of the Lamb.”3

Whose work are we repeating if we even lessen our confidence in the spirit of prophecy?

“If you seek to turn aside the counsel of God to suit yourselves, if you lessen the confidence of God’s people in the testimonies He has sent them, you are rebelling against God as certainly as were Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”4

What is the cause of rejecting Christ as our leader? “The church has turned back from following Christ her Leader and is steadily retreating toward Egypt. Yet few are alarmed or astonished at their want of spiritual power. Doubt, and even disbelief of the testimonies of the Spirit of God, is leavening our churches everywhere. Satan would have it thus. Ministers who preach self instead of Christ would have it thus. The testimonies are unread and unappreciated. God has spoken to you. Light has been shining from His word and from the testimonies, and both have been slighted and disregarded. The result is apparent in the lack of purity and devotion and earnest faith among us.”5

1. Some claim that the writing of prophets was closed after the book of Revelation was written.

Such use the following as an alleged proof: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18, 19).

But compare this startling verse: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).

The Lord inspired this great prophet of the first writing of the scriptural canon to pen a similar statement at the very beginning as that written by John at its close. Compare the statements and see! “If any man shall add unto these things. . . . And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy.” This is what John wrote.

Moses wrote: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.” So then, if the meaning of John’s prophecy is to forbid all future prophecies, then Moses’ statement must mean the same. If that is true, then we would have to join with the Samaritans and disbelieve the rest of the Old Testament. Then we would not have all the great prophecies of the Messiah’s advent.

Therefore, the meaning of that statement in the book of Revelation is simply that no true prophet or true child of God will contradict the previously recognized prophets’ messages. For that reason “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets” (1 Corinthians 14:32).

2. Some claim there is no need for prophets any more since we have “all scripture,” as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16, as being “given by inspiration of God, and . . . profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

But, as Roswell F. Cottrell wrote in his foreword to Spritual Gifts, vol. 1, p. 9, “if Paul, in saying that the Scriptures were able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly-furnished unto all good works, meant that nothing more should be written by inspiration, why was he, at that moment, adding to those Scriptures? At least, why did he not drop the pen as soon as that sentence was written.”6 Was it not because Paul was indeed a prophet who had the authority to write these things? It is interesting to reflect at this verse a bit more carefully. The only Scriptures the disciples used were the Old Testament writings. The New Testament was then considered the “spirit of prophecy” for their day.

How did they regard their “spirit of prophecy”? The apostle wrote, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Was their “spirit of prophecy” thought of as being “second class” to the writings of the other prophets? Not at all! However, their “spirit of prophecy” could obviously benefit only those that believed. “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe” (1 Corinthians 14:22).

So when the believers in the New Testament times read their spirit of prophecy, they did not regard it as the words of the apostle Paul, or of Peter, or of another. Rather they did receive it as the Word of God. So, they then had their Bible (the Old Testament Scriptures) and they also had their spirit of prophecy (the New Testament Scriptures) from which they were free to quote among themselves and to receive it as the Word of God even as we Christians do it now.

We have a similar situation today. Ellen White explains:

“Some, I was shown, could receive the published visions, judging of the tree by its fruits. Others are like doubting Thomas; they cannot believe the published Testimonies, nor receive evidence through the testimony of others; but must see and have the evidence for themselves. Such must not be set aside, but long patience and brotherly love should be exercised toward them until they find their position and become established for or against. If they fight against the visions, of which they have no knowledge; if they carry their opposition so far as to oppose that in which they have had no experience, and feel annoyed when those who believe that the visions are of God speak of them in meeting, and comfort themselves with the instruction given through vision, the church may know that they are not right. God’s people should not cringe and yield, and give up their liberty to such disaffected ones. God has placed the gifts in the church that the church may be benefited by them; and when professed believers in the truth oppose these gifts, and fight against the visions, souls are in danger through their influence, and it is time then to labor with them, that the weak may not be led astray by their influence.”6

For the rest of the Jews who didn’t believe in the New Testament’s spirit of prophecy, the disciples used only the Old Testament Scriptures to prove their points.

3. Some assert that God spoke in times past through the prophets, and that He speaks now only through Jesus Christ, using this text as their alleged proof: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1, 2).

We have just observed that the very person who wrote the book of Hebrews wrote it under the inspiration of the spirit of prophecy. So then, who reestablished that spirit of prophecy in the Christian church - since during that time it flourished? “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28). It was none other than God Himself who did so.

It is quite interesting that many Christians today would like to keep the apostles, the teachers, and those with other spiritual gifts, yet rid themselves of the prophets. I have wondered where is the proof in God’s word that they were abolished? In the same chapter where the Jewish Sabbath is thought to be “abolished” and the so-called Christian Sabbath instituted! Do you know where that is? It is in a special chapter which speaks of the mystery of iniquity, and the man of sin, (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). This mystery of iniquity abolished the Bible Sabbath and instituted Sundaykeeping in its place. At the same time, this religiopolitical power thought to replace the spirit of prophecy with human decrees.

Can we truthfully say that a time will come when we will no longer need the spirit of prophecy while we are still in this wicked world? “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. . . . But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:8, 10).

We are still living in a sinful world, in a sinful body. Only when Christ is come will we be able to say this verse has been fulfilled. But for now, the same apostle under inspiration says: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. . . . But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV), 3.)

Why do we need prophecy until Christ’s return? Because “that which is perfect” is not yet come.

For all future generations, the apostle gives us the guideline regarding the spirit of prophecy. “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).

If prophecy was to be done away with when the apostles finished their work, why did they tell us to prove all things, including the prophets?

Why did Jesus, in Matthew 24:24, when specifically referring to these last days, warn us of false prophets? “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

If there are false Christs and false prophets, there must be also true ones. And we must be able to distinguish between both.

Christ said: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15, 16).

“The deeds of a man’s life are the fruit he bears. If he is unfaithful and dishonest in temporal matters he is bringing forth briers and thorns; he will be unfaithful in the religious life and will rob God in tithes and offerings.”7

We need to make a serious decision regarding the attitude we take towards the Spirit of Prophecy. “We have warned of danger as God has presented before us the perils of His people. Our work has been given us of God. What, then, will be the condition of those who refuse to hear the words which God has sent them, because they cross their track or reprove their wrongs? If you are thoroughly convinced that God has not spoken by us, why not act in accordance with your faith and have no more to do with a people who are under so great a deception as this people are? If you have been moving according to the dictates of the Spirit of God you are right and we are wrong. God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith, or He is not. This work is of God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. My work for the past thirty years bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil. In arraying yourself against the servants of God you are doing a work either for God or for the devil. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ What stamp does your work bear? It will pay to look critically at the result of your course.”8 Do you want true spiritual prosperity? “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper” (2 Chronicles 20:20).