Sola Scriptura As The Greater Light and Spirit Of Prophecy As The Lesser Light (Conclusion)

Part 1

Why Was the Gift of Prophecy Given, According to the Testimony of E. G. White?

Some think that the Bible or greater light is the only rule of faith and conduct, and that is correct. But the Bible announces that God would give, at the time of the end, the gift of prophecy (Rev 12:17; 19:10). Rejecting that gift once it came would involve rejecting the Bible that announced it. The mission of that gift of prophecy is clear. It had to lead the people to the Bible, as we have already seen. As deceptions would multiply at that time, God would confirm the faith of God’s people, the last remnant who keeps God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus, through the gift of prophecy.

“I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the “last days”; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth … To those who may circulate this little work, I would say that it is designed for the sincere only and not for those who would ridicule the things of the Spirit of God” (EW 78).

“I have had no claims to make, only that I am instructed that I am the Lord’s messenger; that He called me in my youth to be His messenger, to receive His word, and to give a clear and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus… ‘Your work,’ He instructed me, ‘is to bear My word. Strange things will arise, and in your youth I set you apart to bear the message to the erring ones, to carry the word before unbelievers, and with pen and voice to reprove from the Word actions that are not right. Exhort from the Word’” (1 SM 32).

Someone who lost his position years ago at the White Center in Washington DC, for introducing their particular ideas about the gift of prophecy, used to repeat that the Spirit of Prophecy is not normative, but formative. This is a mistake. We cannot limit the dimension of the Spirit of Prophecy to a slogan that at first glance may seem attractive. The mission of E. G. White would also be to warn against many wrong views of many of the Bible. Is not this normative, too? Should we put our particular interpretations before Jesus’ interpretation through the testimony of the Spirit of Prophecy? This is what many seek to do. But this is to misunderstand the meaning of the “Testimony of Jesus” through the “Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev 12:17; 19:10).

“The Lord has given me much light that I want the people to have; for there is instruction that the Lord has given me for His people. It is light that they should have, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. This is now to come before the people, because it has been given to correct specious errors and to specify what is truth. The Lord has revealed many things pointing out the truth, thus saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it’” (Letter 127, 1910; 3 SM 32).

“Besides the instruction in His Word, the Lord has given special testimonies to His people, not as a new revelation, but that He may set before us the plain lessons of His Word, that errors may be corrected, that the right way may be pointed out, that every soul may be without excuse” (Letter 63, 1893; see Testimonies, vol. 5, 665; 3 SM 31).

It is true that before the world we must not put the Spirit of Prophecy as normative. We must emphasize the Bible, and so as not to err, God outlined through the writings of E. G. White principles of interpretation in a simple way that are based on the Bible. In the “Testimony of Jesus,” we must look at what Jesus Himself tells us about the interpretation of the Bible in a simple way, so that we may do like the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures to see if what Paul said, who had the testimony of Christ or gift of prophecy (1 Cor 1:6), was true.

The role of the Spirit of Prophecy in establishing the doctrines of the Adventist Church

Some while commenting on the Sabbath School lesson for April 30 are also erroneously saying that E. G. White did not intervene in the foundation of the SDA doctrines. No, please don’t say that! It is true that the SDA faith came from a study of the Word of God. But let us not set aside the fundamental role of the gift of prophecy in uniting our pioneers in the establishment of the vital truths of our faith. Indeed, she was instrumental in the formation of the doctrines of the Adventist Church, a role she exercises through her testimonies to this day. Among the various testimonies of E. G. White, let me share here the following ones:

“At that time [after the 1844 disappointment] one error after another pressed in upon us; ministers and doctors brought in new doctrines. We would search the Scriptures with much prayer, and the Holy Spirit would bring the truth to our minds. Sometimes whole nights would be devoted to searching the Scriptures and earnestly asking God for guidance. Companies of devoted men and women assembled for this purpose. The power of God would come upon me, and I was enabled clearly to define what is truth and what is error …

“As the points of our faith were thus established, our feet were placed upon a solid foundation. We accepted the truth point by point, under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. I would be taken off in vision, and explanations would be given me. I was given illustrations of heavenly things, and of the sanctuary, so that we were placed where light was shining on us in clear, distinct rays” (Gospel Works, 302; 3 SM 31-32).

The “Testimony of Jesus”

The “testimony of Jesus” is not the testimony that men give about Jesus, but the testimony that Jesus Himself gives, corroborated by the testimony of His Father.

“I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me” (John 8:18). Even if, for the sake of our human logic, the testimony of Jesus alone is not enough to declare the truth (John 5:31), His testimony, accompanied by the testimony of His Father which is seen in His works, is true. For this reason Jesus said: “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14).

In the days of the apostles, the Jews prepared the Targumim, which consisted of a paraphrased Old Testament to be read in synagogues for people who did not handle Ancient Hebrew. The Jews learned Aramaic during the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, a language very similar to Hebrew with a perhaps equivalent difference between Portuguese and Spanish. In these Targumim we find the term Spirit of Prophecy. It was the Holy Ghost who gives the gift of prophecy to the prophets. Let’s read Num 27:18 paraphrased by the Targumim:

“The Eternal told Moses: ‘Take Joshua…, a man in whom is the Spirit [of prophecy], and lay your hand on him” (Num 27:18).

How did Jesus refer to His greatest testimony? “The Spirit of Truth” (John 16:13), “the Holy Spirit” (John 14:26). Jesus also said that “the Scriptures (of the Old Testament that were written by prophets under divine inspiration) bear testimony of me” (John 5:39). How did the Apostle Peter explain the role of the Holy Ghost who gives the gift of prophecy? “No prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pe 1:20-21). How did the Apostle Paul describe his divine testimony? He referred to his writings as “Testimony of Christ” (1 Cor 1:6), and “Testimony of our Lord” (2 Tim 1:8). And John called it, “Faith [doctrinal body] of Jesus” (Rev 14:12).

And what did the Lord tell to E. G. White when He called her to the prophetic ministry?

“Be not afraid of man, for My shield shall protect you. It is not you that speaketh: it is the Lord that giveth the messages of warning and reproof. Never deviate from the truth under any circumstances. Give the light I shall give you. The messages for these last days shall be written in books, and shall stand immortalized, to testify against those who have once rejoiced in the light, but who have been led to give it up because of the seductive influences of evil” (1 SM 32).

“As the Spirit of God has opened to my mind the great truths of His word, and the scenes of the past and the future, I have been bidden to make known to others that which has thus been revealed—to trace the history of the controversy in past ages, and especially so to present it as to shed a light on the fast-approaching struggle of the future” (GC xi).

Conclusion

We believe in Sola Scriptura. But the Bible proclaimed the gift of prophecy for the end of the world, so rejecting that gift once manifested involves rejecting the Bible that announced it. The Bible is, on the other hand, its own interpreter, as Jesus used it when the devil misinterpret it to deceive Him. Jesus replied: “It is also written.” Today, many also adopt principles of interpretation that are foreign to the divine revelation, and we were granted the privilege of having a guide that leads us in our investigation of biblical truths in a deeper and more encompassing way. Once we advance in the light and can see the truth in the Word of God, we can present to the world a wonderful message deeply rooted in the Word of God.

If we neglect the gift of prophecy entrusted to us in the writings of E. G. White, we will not be able to see the full dimension of the truths that God wants us to communicate to the world and emanate from the Bible. Nor will we be able to deal with the final crisis, because we will be unable to understand what is happening in the world, and what is at stake in that crisis before the coming of the Lord.

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“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” ~ Psalm 119:105.