p. 4 | Its Divine Foresight by John O. Corliss

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1911

Its Divine Foresight

By John O. Corliss

Tracings of the Prophetic Gift—No. 7

Its Divine Foresight

J. O. CORLISS

FROM what has already been traced in these studies concerning the office of the prophetic gift, it can be readily seen that it was a legacy of infinite love, next to the gift of the Lord Jesus himself. Whatever the Son of God was designed to do in the way of revealing Jehovah in the flesh, the Spirit of God was to continue, as his representative among men. John 15:26; 16:7-13.

Therefore as it was the mission of Christ to declare, “lead out,” or “go before,” the Father among men, and thus reveal his will in hearts darkened by sin; so the Spirit of God is to guide into “all truth,” because he will not “speak of himself,” but deliver only that which he hears from the Father. It is this rule of proceeding that invests the prophetic gift with so much interest. Moral essays may seem dry, and without life, but endow them with the prophetic spirit, and at once they become full of interest, and religious faith finds in them its proper spiracle, or air-passage, to the heavenly atmosphere.

It is nearly as if one finds himself face to face with a friend. This is well illustrated by what the great apostle said of his own influence upon the church people to whom he wrote. He was so intent on making his personal presence felt that he almost conceived himself, though absent, as present with them in spirit (1 Cor. 5:3, 4), and talking with them face to face (2 Cor. 13:2). It is thus in an immeasurable sense that God impresses his personality upon men through his prophets.

It is this divine influence through the prophets that makes applicable the words of Paul. He says that when the church meets together, and an unbeliever is present, to hear the voice of prophecy through various ones, each will reveal to him some secret sin before unknown to him, and so in deep humility he will worship God and testify that God, in truth, is in that company. 1 Cor. 14:24, 25.

This manifestation of the divine Presence is both the evidence and the definition of true prophesying. Such close connection with men's thoughts, and the accompanying silent appeal to conscience, humbles the self-important human to acknowledge that God, rather than an ordinary mortal like himself, has spoken to him. It was the presence of this strong, unexplainable agency speaking through Nathan to David, “Thou art the man,” that brought the king to see and acknowledge the enormity of the sin he had committed. 2 Sam. 12:7, 13.

One thing in the study of the prophetic gift is especially interesting. One can not fail to notice how invariably the prophets of old befriended the poor, the oppressed, and the neglected, while with the idle and frivolous, the selfish and insolent, the luxurious and sensual, they were ever at variance. Isa. 3:14; 5:3; 32:5; Jer. 22:13; Amos 6:1-6; James 5:1. Indeed they could do no other way, since the vile traits of men were abominable to God, and God's instruction to his prophets was: “Speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.” Eze. 2:7. Indeed, the prophetic commission placed its instrument on an independent platform, far above the general trend of thought, and away beyond popular estimates. This was absolutely necessary in order to insure positive connection between the Author and the agent. In fact, every reliable person—one upon whom dependence can rest amid temptations and perils, one who is sure to stand where others have fallen—has a standard of character above normal; is built on a foundation akin to the Rock of Ages.

Upon such a Rock all true prophets have known that their feet were placed. They knew that they had the support and presence of Jehovah. It was this knowledge, really, that gave them their prophetic independence, and bespoke an unseen Power through them which compelled recognition. It was this inspiration that armed them with indifference to praise or blame, while courageously responding to the call of duty. It was this attitude, too, that became a sure token of the presence of Jesus Christ, who is indeed the wisdom and power of God, the all in all of God's gifts to men.

From what we now know of the prophetic gift, it is safe to pronounce as a mistake the theory that prophets had no other calling than to predict future events. True, they constantly looked into the future, and the outcome of the world's great controversy as seen through their heavenly extended vision was, and is, a ground of guaranty of hopeful endeavor in the work assigned them. It was also that which inspired the Jewish nation with constant hope and tenacious trust for the outcome of their calling. But this was by no means the whole,

or even the chief part, of a prophet's duty.

The ancient original word “prophecy” stood for a state of mind, an emotion, or an influence, rather than for the gift of prescience. It has been the generally wrong conception of the word which has given rise to wrong views of the gift of prophecy. This has caused men to look for the evidence of prophecy alone in the fulfilment of predictions made, when this may be considered but the secondary calling of a prophet; his first duty is to bring the darkened human heart in touch with the great Eternal, and it is in the way the heart is affected that the principal evidence of the gift is to be found.

There were at least four great coming events upon which the prophetic eye ever rested. The first and most important of these was the coming Messiah, and the manner of his arrival. The second was the great hereafter, and the nature of that existence. The third was the rise and fall of nations to intervene between their view-point and the close of earth's struggle with sin. The fourth was the future of the individual.

From the very first the Hebrew nation had been taught to look forward to a brighter and better age, in which a Son would be given to the nation as an Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace, who would stand at the head of their commonwealth. Isa. 9:6, 7. Their earliest traditions centered on and around a Prophet-King, who would come to deliver them from the power of their common enemy. Ps. 110:1-6. The manner of his birth was predicted by Isaiah. Chapter 7:14. The place of his nativity was definitely pointed out hundreds of years before the event. Micah 5:2. The exact time of his appearance was carefully measured. Dan. 9:25. His reception by the world was clearly stated. Isa. 8:14. Finally, the manner of his death was minutely set forth. Zech. 12:10; Ps. 22:16; 69:20, 21.

Of a definite future life the older prophets said little, but the very latest one has gathered up, as it were, the faint expressions of hope from the ancient seers, and has confidently foretold a glorious future for every earnest, trusting saint of God. Rev. 21:1-5; 22:1-5. This is but a condensed description given by an earlier prophet, wherein is set forth the Elysian beauty of the redeemed earth (Isa. 35:1, 2), together with the perfect restoration of all men to their original godlikeness (verses 5-8, 10).

Babylon, Medo-Persia, Rome, Egypt, and Tyre passed before the prophetic eye, and their future was accurately foretold. In some cases, the prediction was frustrated by the course of the nation upon whom calamity had been predicted. But provision for just such circumstances was made. “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, . . . to destroy it; if that nation . . . turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” Jer. 18:7-9.

It was the same concerning individuals. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” was the holy mandate. Eze. 18:4. Yet the same compassionate God said: “When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, . . . and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” Verse 27. Again: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Isa. 1:18. One has truly said: “The future is everything to us, the past is nothing. The turn, the change, the fixing our faces in the right, instead of the wrong direction,—this is the difficulty, this is the turning-point, this is the crisis of life.” All may avail themselves of this prophetic absolution if they will. The whole prophetic teaching is staked on this issue.

*Mountain View, Cal.