5.4 The Gifts of Prophecy                                       

 

1. How did God commune with man in the Garden of Eden?
Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

 

2. How has God usually made His will known to man since the Fall?
Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.

 

3. Which things belong to God, and which to us?
Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

 

4. How completely and to whom does God reveal His purposes?
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.

 

5. Can the wise men of this world foretell the future?
Daniel 2:27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;

 

6. Who did Daniel say could reveal secrets?
Daniel 2:28 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;

 

7. With what words did the prophet Daniel acknowledge the shortcomings of human wisdom?
Daniel 2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

 

8. What did Daniel say after he had revealed and interpreted the dream?
Daniel 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

 

9. How does God show His foreknowledge?
Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

 

10. How does the Lord reveal Himself to His prophets?
Numbers 12:6 And He said, Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

 

11. Under what influence did the prophets of old speak?
2 Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and His word was in my tongue.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

 

12. How are both the origin of prophecy and the means of communicating it further demonstrated?
Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John:

 

13. Which angel interpreted Daniel's visions and dreams?
Read Daniel Chapter 10
Daniel 9:21-22
21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
Revelation 22:9-10
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

 

14. What spirit was in the prophets, regulating their words and their utterances?
1 Peter 1:10-11
10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

 

15. How were the words of God preserved through the prophets?
Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
Jeremiah 51:60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

 

16. Through whom has God spoken to us in these last days?
Hebrews 1:1-2
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds;

 

17. What was one of the roles the Messiah would fill?
Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken;

 

18. What was foretold by the prophet Joel?
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

 

19. When was this prophecy fulfilled?
Acts 2:16-17
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

20. What are some of the gifts that Christ has given to His church?
Ephesians 4:8-11
8 Wherefore he saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

 

21. By what means did God save and preserve Israel?
Hosea 12:13 And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

 

22. When Moses complained about the heavy-handedness of his tongue, what did God say that Aaron should be his?
Exodus 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

 

23. What did God afterward call Aaron?
Exodus 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

 

24. By what test are false prophets detected?
Deuteronomy 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

 

25. What other test must be applied before accepting the reliability of a prophet?
Deuteronomy 13:1-4
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.

 

26. What rule did Christ establish to distinguish true prophets from false ones?
Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

27. What general rule has been established to test all prophets?
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

 

28. How did God's prophets of old use the words of prophets, who came before them, to exhort the people to obedience?
Zechariah 7:7 Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?

 

29. What is promised to those who believe in God's prophets?
2 Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.

 

30. What warning are we given regarding the gifts of prophecy?
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21
20 Despise not prophesyings.
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

31. By what will the last church, or the remnant, distinguish itself?
Revelation 12:17 And 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.

32. What is the “testimony of Jesus”?
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

33. What is the result if this gift is not present?
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Psalms 74:9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.