When God first made man, He spoke to him face to face.
"God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." Gen. 1: 28.
Sin brought a separation between God and man.
"They heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God amongst the trees of the garden." Gen. 3: 8.
"Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you." Isa. 59: 2.
Then God manifested Himself to righteous men by visions and dreams.
"The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision." Gen. 15: 1.
Jacob "dreamed, and, behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. . . . And, behold, Jehovah stood above it." Gen. 28: 12, 13.
Later He sent messages to His people thru seers, or prophets.
"Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer." 1 Sam. 9: 9.
"If there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make Myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream." Num. 12: 6.
"No prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1: 21.
God designed that His people should be guided by His prophets.
"Believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." 2 Chron. 20: 20.
The word of prophecy is more sure than sight and hearing.
"We were eye witnesses of His majesty; . . . this voice which came from heaven we heard . . . We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed." 2 Peter 1: 16-19.
There were prophets in the Patriarchal age.
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied." Jude 14.
In the Jewish age there were many prophets.
Moses, Samuel, Deborah, Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist (who was the last of that age), and many others witnessed for God in their times.
The early Christian church also had the gift of prophecy.
Jesus was the first; "The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet." John 4: 20. Paul, Philip's daughters, and John were others.
At the ascension, Jesus "gave gifts to men," among them the spirit of prophecy (Eph. 4:8).
"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant." "To one is given thru the Spirit the word of wisdom; . . . to another prophecy." 1 Cor. 12: 1, 8-10.
Prophecy is established in the church by God Himself.
"God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets." 1 Cor. 12: 28.
This gift is to continue to the end, the time of the "remnant" of God's people.
"The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Rev. 12: 17. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev. 19: 10.
In the earth restored, God will once more dwell with His people, and speak to them face to face.
"He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them." Rev. 21: 3.
"There shall be no curse any more: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein: and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face." Rev. 22: 3, 4.
"It shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isa. 65: 24.