THE INSPIRATION OF THE PROPHETS Lesson 5 for January 31, 2009

How does he transmit it to us? God has a message BIBLICAL HISTORY THE END TIME How does he transmit it to us?

THROUGH Revelation is the act in which God transmits a message to a person so he or she can communicate it to others. REVELATION

How did God reveal to the prophets? Directly, like He did to Moses. “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33: 11) Through angels, like He did to John. “And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” (Revelation 22: 6)

In dreams, like He did to Daniel. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.” (Daniel 7: 1) In visions, like He did to Ezekiel. “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” (Ezekiel 1: 1)

Visions sometimes affect the prophet physically in an extraordinary way. A character took Ezekiel “by a lock of my hair” and lifted him up, but he didn’t feel any pain (Ezekiel, 8: 3). His body remained standing before the elders while he was carried to Jerusalem by the Spirit. “The vision occurred while the elders were sitting before the prophet. They evidently saw nothing, but Ezekiel’s state of vision doubtless prepared them to listen at the close of his vision to ‘all the things that the Lord had shewed’ the prophet.” (SDA Bible Commentary, on Ezekiel 8: 2)

(Daniel 10: 8; Revelation 1: 17) Other prophets like Daniel and John lost their strength while they were in vision. Daniel said: “no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.” (Daniel 10: 8; Revelation 1: 17)

Ellen G. White’s also experienced physical phenomena while in vision. Ellen G. White’s testimony: “As inquiries are frequently made as to my state in vision, and after I come out, I would say that when the Lord sees fit to give a vision, I am taken into the presence of Jesus and angels, and am entirely lost to earthly things. I can see no farther than the angel directs me. My attention is often directed to scenes transpiring upon earth.”. (Selected Messages, vol. 1, cp. 2, pg. 36) “While engaged in earnest prayer, I was lost to everything around me; the room was filled with light.” (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, cp. 17, pg. 461)

“Some of the instruction found in these pages was given under circumstances so remarkable as to evidence the wonder-working power of God in behalf of his truth. Sometimes while I was in vision, my friends would approach me, and exclaim, “Why, she does not breathe!” Placing a mirror before my lips, they found that no moisture gathered on the glass. It was while there was no sign of any breathing that I kept talking of the things that were being presented before me. These messages were thus given to substantiate the faith of all, that in these last days we might have confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy.” (Selected Messages, vol. 3, cp. 5, pg. 38)

The testimony of those seeing her during vigion: She is utterly unconscious of everything transpiring around her. She does not breathe… as has been repeatedly proved by pressing upon the chest, and by closing the mouth and nostrils.. Immediately on entering vision, her muscles become rigid, and joints fixed, so far as any external force can influence them… When coming out of vision, whether in the daytime or a well-lighted room at night, all is total darkness. Her power to distinguish even the most brilliant objects, held within a few inches of the eyes, returns but gradually...” (Ellen G. White – The Early Years, p. 123) The testimony of those seeing her during vigion:

How did prophets communicate a divine revelation after receiving it? INSPIRATION THROUGH

In all cases, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to transmit God’s messages in the most effective way. Inspiration is the process in which the Holy Spirit influence the thoughts of the prophet so he or shee can express God’s message by speaking or writing the most appropriate words.

Ellen White at the consecration of the Loma Linda college. 1905 “After I come out of vision I do not at once remember all that I have seen, and the matter is not so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises before me as was presented in vision, and I can write with freedom. Sometimes the things which I have seen are hid from me after I come out of vision, and I cannot call them to mind until I am brought before a company where that vision applies, then the things which I have seen come to my mind with force. I am just as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision, as in having the vision. It is impossible for me to call up things which have been shown me unless the Lord brings them before me at the time that He is pleased to have me relate or write them.” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 1, cp. 2, pg. 36). Camp meeting in Eagle Lake, Minnesota, 1875. James and Ellen White, Uriah Smith and others under the canopy. Ellen White at the consecration of the Loma Linda college. 1905

Sometimes the prophet thought he was not able to express the message properly. In those cases, other people helped them to speak or to write the message from the prophet. The Holy Spirit inspired both teh prophet and his or her assistant or scribe.

JEREMIAH “Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah,[a] all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.” (Jeremiah 36: 4)

PAUL Paul had sight issues, so he couldn’t write long letters. He usually wrote the final greeting only, so they letters could be identified as actually his. “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.” (2 Thessalonians 3: 17) He dictated his letters to faithful brothers. One of them was Tertius: “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.” (Romans 16: 22)

THE APOSTLE JOHN That John was an exile there would imply that he was forced to rely upon his own linguistic abilities in the composition of the Revelation. Therefore it is not surprising that the language of this book is not always idiomatic, that Semiticisms sometimes shine through the Greek, and that its author was not at all times sure of his grammar. On the other hand, early Christian tradition indicates that the Gospel was written under entirely different conditions; It was reviewed by several brothers and written by Papias—his disciple. (SDA Bible Commentary, introduction to Revelation)

Marian Davis, assistant to Ellen G. White “The books are not Marian’s productions, but my own, gathered from all my writings. Marian has a large field from which to draw, and her ability to arrange the matter is of great value to me. It saves my poring over a mass of matter, which I have no time to do. So you understand that Marian is a most valuable help to me in bringing out my books. Fanny had none of this work to do. Marian has read chapters to her, and Fanny has sometimes made suggestions as to the arrangement of the matter. This is the difference between the workers. As I have stated, Fanny has been strictly forbidden to change my words for her words. As spoken by the heavenly agencies, the words are severe in their simplicity; and I try to put the thoughts into such simple language that a child can understand every word uttered. The words of someone else would not rightly represent me.” Marian Davis, assistant to Ellen G. White Fannie Bolton Selected Messages, vol. 3, cp. 12, pg. 91-92

There’s another type of inspiration There’s another type of inspiration. Sometimes, people are inspired by the Holy Spirit to gather information and to write down the story of the gathered events. This happened with the anoymous authors of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles, por example. Tradition states that Nathan, Jeremiah and Esdras were the ones gathering information and writing those books inspired by the Holy Spirit. Luke is another example of this method. He wrote his Gospel and Acts of the Apostles that way: “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus.” (Luke 1: 3)

THE PROCESS OF REVELATION Directly from God. Through angels. In dreams. In visions. THE PROCESS OF INSPIRATION The Holy Spirit influences the thoughts of the prophet to transmit the message. They can use assistants to write down the message or to find better words to do so. Authors may gather existing material and even writings from non-biblical authors to compose inspired material.