"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.
FROM THIS TEXT IT IS CLAIMED THAT GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIME PAST TO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, AND, IN THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL DAY, BY JESUS AND HIS APOSTLES, HAS HEREBY SOLEMNLY PROMISED NEVER TO COMMUNICATE ANYTHING MORE TO MAN IN THAT WAY. THEREFORE ALL PROPHESYING AFTER THIS DATE MUST BE FALSE. THIS, IT IS SAID, CLOSES THE CANON OF INSPIRATION. IF SO, WHY DID JOHN WRITE HIS GOSPEL AFTER HIS RETURN FROM PATMOS TO EPHESUS? IN DOING SO DID HE ADD TO THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THAT BOOK WRITTEN IN THE ISLE OF PATMOS? IT IS EVIDENT, FROM THE TEXT, THAT THE CAUTION AGAINST ADDING TO, OR TAKING FROM, REFERS NOT TO THE BIBLE AS WE HAVE THE VOLUME COMPILED, BUT TO THE SEPARATE BOOK OF REVELATION, AS IT CAME FROM THE HAND OF THE APOSTLE. YET NO MAN HAS A RIGHT TO ADD TO, OR SUBTRACT FROM, ANY OTHER BOOK WRITTEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD. DID JOHN, IN WRITING THE BOOK OF REVELATION, ADD ANYTHING TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL'S PROPHECY? NOT AT ALL. A PROPHET HAS NO RIGHT TO ALTER THE WORD OF GOD. BUT THE VISIONS OF JOHN CORROBORATE THOSE OF DANIEL AND GIVE MUCH ADDITIONAL LIGHT UPON THE SUBJECTS THERE INTRODUCED. I CONCLUDE, THEN, THAT THE LORD HAS NOT BOUND HIMSELF TO KEEP SILENCE, BUT IS STILL AT LIBERTY TO SPEAK. EVER BE IT THE LANGUAGE OF MY HEART, SPEAK, LORD, THROUGH WHOM THOU WILT; THY SERVANT HEARETH.
THUS THE ATTEMPT TO PROVE FROM SCRIPTURE THE ABOLITION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS, PROVES A TOTAL FAILURE. AND SINCE THE GATES OF HADES HAVE NOT PREVAILED AGAINST THE CHURCH, BUT GOD STILL HAS A PEOPLE ON EARTH, WE MAY LOOK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIFTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE, A MESSAGE WHICH WILL BRING BACK THE CHURCH TO APOSTOLIC GROUND AND MAKE IT INDEED THE LIGHT--NOT DARKNESS--OF THE WORLD.
AGAIN: WE ARE FOREWARNED THAT THERE WOULD BE FALSE PROPHETS IN THE LAST DAYS, AND THE BIBLE GIVES A TEST BY WHICH TO TRY THEIR TEACHINGS IN ORDER THAT WE MAY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TRUE AND THE FALSE. THE GRAND TEST IS THE LAW OF GOD, WHICH IS APPLIED BOTH TO THE PROPHESYINGS AND TO THE MORAL CHARACTER OF THE PROPHETS. IF THERE WERE TO BE NO TRUE PROPHESYINGS IN THE LAST DAYS, HOW MUCH EASIER TO HAVE STATED THE FACT, AND THUS CUT OFF ALL CHANCE FOR DECEPTION, THAN TO GIVE A TEST BY WHICH TO TRY THEM, AS IF THERE WOULD BE THE GENUINE AS WELL AS THE FALSE.
IN ISAIAH 8:19, 20, IS A PROPHECY OF THE FAMILIAR SPIRITS OF THE PRESENT TIME, AND THE LAW IS GIVEN AS A TEST: "TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY: IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM." WHY SAY, "IF THEY SPEAK NOT," IF THERE WAS TO BE NO TRUE SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION OR PROPHESYING AT THE SAME TIME? JESUS SAYS, "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS. . . . YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS." MATTHEW 7:15, 16. THIS IS A PART OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, AND ALL CAN SEE THAT THIS DISCOURSE HAS A GENERAL APPLICATION TO THE CHURCH THROUGH THE GOSPEL AGE. FALSE PROPHETS ARE TO BE KNOWN BY THEIR FRUITS; IN OTHER WORDS, BY THEIR MORAL CHARACTER. THE ONLY STANDARD BY WHICH TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEIR FRUITS ARE GOOD OR BAD, IS THE LAW OF GOD. THUS WE ARE BROUGHT TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY. TRUE PROPHETS WILL NOT ONLY SPEAK ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, BUT THEY WILL LIVE ACCORDING TO IT. ONE WHO SPEAKS AND LIVES THUS, I DARE NOT CONDEMN.
PROPHESYINGS WHICH CONTRADICT THE PLAIN AND POSITIVE DECLARATIONS OF THE WORD, ARE TO BE REJECTED. THUS OUR SAVIOUR TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES WHEN HE WARNED THEM CONCERNING THE MANNER OF HIS SECOND COMING. WHEN JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN IN THE SIGHT OF HIS DISCIPLES, IT WAS DECLARED MOST EXPLICITLY BY THE ANGELS THAT THIS SAME JESUS SHOULD SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS THEY HAD SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN. HENCE JESUS, IN PREDICTING THE WORK OF THE FALSE PROPHETS OF THE LAST DAYS, SAYS, "IF THEY SHALL SAY UNTO YOU, BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE DESERT; GO NOT FORTH: BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE SECRET CHAMBERS, BELIEVE IT NOT." ALL TRUE PROPHESYING ON THAT POINT MUST RECOGNIZE HIS VISIBLE COMING FROM HEAVEN. WHY DID NOT JESUS SAY, REJECT ALL PROPHESYING AT THAT TIME; FOR THERE WILL BE NO TRUE PROPHETS THEN?
Early Writings (1882), page 137-139.
Chapter Title: Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1
(INTRODUCTION)
Source: http://www.egwtext.whiteestate.org/cgi-bin/egw2html?C=20136574&K=100941041410814844&M=P
