Today we are on our way
up Mt. Carmel in the country
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of Israel.
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This mountain was the scene of
an intense political and moral
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debate between Elijah,
King Ahab, and the prophets
00:00:07.90\00:00:10.81
of Baal.
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The question was, "Who is God?"
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Hello, I'm Karen Byrd.
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Today people are still
asking the same question
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and are still coming
to different conclusions.
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Jews, Christians, Muslims,
Mormons, Hindus, Astrologers
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and many others...
they can't all be right.
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If only there was
someone who had divine insight
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and could be trusted to
guide us without any self-bias.
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In Bible times
they had such people
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and they were called prophets.
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Are there still prophets
who speak for God today?
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If there are prophets,
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how can we tell which ones
are inspired by the Creator?
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Join us as we go
in search of the truth
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concerning the
Spirit of Prophecy.
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I believe in this book.
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It's not just a
book of fairytales.
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I believe for reasons
that would convince me
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if I were a juror.
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Now, why do I
believe in the Bible?
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In a word, Prophecy.
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In our second program of this
In Search of the Truth series
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we learned a
little about prophecy
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from the story of Daniel
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who was taken captive by
the Babylonians in 606 B.C.
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After just a few short years
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Daniel became the Prime
Minister of this world empire
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through an
extraordinary chain of events.
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King Nebuchadnezzar
had had a troubling dream
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that he could not remember
and on the king's behalf,
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Daniel seeks the God of
heaven, the God of creation,
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for the answer to
the un-remembered dream.
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God revealed to Daniel
what the King had dreamed
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in his own bed and even
what the King was thinking
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before he went to sleep.
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Reminding the king
of his own thoughts
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and revealing to
him the forgotten dream
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was enough to cause
Nebuchadnezzar to believe
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the interpretation of
the dream was also accurate.
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But since the
dream was prophetic,
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since it revealed future events,
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only time would prove if Daniel
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had divined the
future correctly.
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Listen to what
Daniel told the King...
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"You, O king, were watching
and behold a great image.
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This great image
who's splendor was excellent
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stood before you and
its form was awesome.
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This image's
head was of fine gold.
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You, O king,
are a king of kings,
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for the God of Heaven
has given you a kingdom,
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power, strength, and glory.
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You, O king, are
this head of gold.
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Its chest and
arms were of silver.
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And after you there
shall arise another kingdom
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inferior to yours just as
silver is inferior to gold.
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Its belly and
thighs were made of bronze.
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This third kingdom of bronze
shall rule over the earth.
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Its legs were of iron.
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This fourth kingdom
shall be as strong as iron
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in as much as iron breaks in
pieces and shatters all things.
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And like iron that crushes,
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that kingdom will break in
pieces and crush all others."
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Then something
interesting happens.
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Daniel doesn't
predict another world empire
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to follow the kingdom of
iron, but a divided kingdom.
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"The images feet
were made partly of iron
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and partly of clay.
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Whereas you saw
the feet and toes,
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partly of potter's
clay and partly of iron,
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the kingdom shall be divided.
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And as the toes of the feet were
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partly of iron
and partly of clay,
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so the kingdom shall be partly
strong and partly fragile."
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Amazing!
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This is exactly
what history confirms!
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Babylon followed by
Medo-Persia followed by Greece
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followed by Rome,
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and then, just as predicted,
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Europe and the Middle
East never again united
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as one Great Nation, just as
the prophetic dream foretold.
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This is why I
believe in the Bible.
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No one has ever
been able to predict
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2,600 years of
history in advance,
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showing four world empires
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and then their divided state
with such pinpoint accuracy.
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How is it that we
can know these things?
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How is it that
Daniel, a mere human being,
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and a very young man was
able to foretell the future?
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Amos 3:7 tells us the answer,
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"Surely the Lord
God does nothing,
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unless He reveals His secret
to His servants the prophets."
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I find this amazing.
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That the God of creation,
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the God of the universe
wants us to know in advance
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what He is planning to do.
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This book is
worthy of our trust.
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Prophecy is such a
solid anchor for our faith.
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Peter tells us in 2 Peter
1:9 that Prophecy is more sure,
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more accurate, than
an eye witness account.
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You see, God knows the
future even before it happens.
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God tells us
through His prophet Isaiah,
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"Remember the former
things of old, for I am God,
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and there is none other;
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I am God, and
there is none like Me,
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Declaring the end
from the beginning,
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and from ancient times
things that are not yet done..."
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Daniel, Isaiah and
many other prophets
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did predict the future,
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but did you know that
predicting future events
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is not the
primary work of a prophet?
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In fact many of the
prophets in the Bible
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never predicted the future.
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Would you like to
know from the Bible
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what the primary
work of a prophet is?
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According to Paul who
also had the prophetic gift
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"...he who
prophesies speaks edification
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and exhortation and comfort..."
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The life of a
prophet most often was spent
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in edification or building up,
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exhorting, urging
people to live righteous lives
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and comforting those who
are wounded and down-trodden,
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strengthening them to endure
as faithful followers of God.
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This was also
the work of Elijah.
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We're standing, today,
on the top of Mt. Carmel
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where the Carmelites
have set up a church,
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a monastery in
memory of Prophet Elijah.
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What is a prophet, you say.
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The primary role of a prophet
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is not just to tell what's going
to happen off in the future.
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The primary role of a prophet
is to bring people to God,
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to tell them of His will,
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to warn people about God's wrath
to come if they're disobedient,
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and about the
beauties and the blessings
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that will come
if they're obedient.
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Elijah was one of those prophets
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and Elijah called all
the children of Israel
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right here to Mt. Carmel.
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This is where he was
going to have the final showdown
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to tell the people
that God was the true God.
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For three years it
hadn't rained at all
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because he had
told them by God's order
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that it wasn't going to
rain until the people repented,
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changed their
ways, turned around.
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So, he called them all together
here for the final showdown.
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If you look down here
on the top of Mt. Carmel
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you can see how a lot of people
could come up on the mountain
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and yet thousands of
people could still be together
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and see and hear
what was going on.
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The children of
Israel had been in rebellion;
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they had been serving Baal,
they had been worshipping him.
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God said,
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'Okay, you think
Baal takes care of you?
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Think Baal looks after you?
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I'll tell you what.
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There will be no
rain until I tell you."
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God used the prophet
Elijah to warn the people
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that this famine
was going to come,
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that there would
be this sever drought.
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And true to His word,
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that's exactly what happened.
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At the end of
three and a half years
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he called all Israel,
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King Ahab, and the prophets
of Baal to this very mountain;
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Mt. Carmel.
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He said, 'Now we're going
to see who is the true God,
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who is the real God.'
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Here is the prophet,
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striking the most common pose,
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exhorting the people to
choose between Baal or Jehovah,
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an idol of stone
representing the forces of Satan
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or the God of creation.
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Do you know how God most
commonly speaks to a prophet?
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We are told in
the book of Numbers,
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"If there be a
prophet among you,
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I the LORD will make myself
known unto him in a vision,
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and will speak
unto him in a dream."
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It's important to
notice here that a true prophet
00:09:18.58\00:09:21.02
is not some maverick,
00:09:21.44\00:09:22.47
some person who wants to
have power or glory for himself.
00:09:22.72\00:09:26.05
In all my Biblical research
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I've never found a true prophet
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getting rich off his gift.
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Jesus said,
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"Freely you have
received freely give."
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You can see this
in the experience
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of the Prophet Elisha.
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After healing Naaman of leprosy,
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this great
general of the Syrian army
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wanted to richly
reward the prophet.
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But the prophet refused
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and Naaman was compelled to
see a God better than his own.
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Afterwards he became
a follower of Jehovah.
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"OK, OK," I hear some saying,
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"that was Bible times.
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But were there
prophets beyond Bible times
00:10:02.30\00:10:04.61
and are there prophets today?"
00:10:04.94\00:10:06.77
Let's go to the
Bible for our answers.
00:10:07.53\00:10:09.85
Jesus gave us a very
clear answer when he said,
00:10:10.39\00:10:12.57
"Beware of false prophets,
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who come to you
in sheep's clothing,
00:10:14.97\00:10:16.92
but inwardly they
are ravenous wolves.
00:10:17.26\00:10:19.86
You will know
them by their fruits."
00:10:20.55\00:10:23.15
If there were not going
to be any genuine prophets,
00:10:23.84\00:10:26.47
Jesus would have
warned against all prophets.
00:10:26.74\00:10:29.07
The fact that he
warned against false prophets
00:10:29.62\00:10:31.62
indicates the
presence of the genuine.
00:10:31.85\00:10:33.90
I have listened to
some of the radio pastors
00:10:34.52\00:10:36.82
teaching that when
the Amen was placed
00:10:37.38\00:10:39.43
at the end of Revelation
00:10:39.62\00:10:40.73
there was no more need
for the prophetic gift.
00:10:40.77\00:10:43.55
They want us to believe
that God has no intention
00:10:44.16\00:10:47.00
of ever revealing
anything by dreams or visions
00:10:47.29\00:10:50.35
to His chosen
human agents again.
00:10:50.60\00:10:52.49
Well, I hope that each of us
will choose to prayerfully read
00:10:53.63\00:10:56.84
this book for ourselves
because then we'll know
00:10:57.11\00:10:59.86
that this cannot be the case.
00:11:00.11\00:11:01.97
But, lest I seem as one
who believes without reason,
00:11:02.42\00:11:04.99
let's go back to the Bible
00:11:05.32\00:11:07.08
and see what it
teaches on this point.
00:11:07.51\00:11:09.54
Joel was probably a contemporary
00:11:10.14\00:11:11.99
of the prophet
Elijah and Elisha.
00:11:12.33\00:11:14.14
In Joel 2 he was talking
about the "Day of the Lord"
00:11:14.78\00:11:17.59
which is code
language for the day
00:11:17.85\00:11:19.93
that Jesus will come
again in the clouds of glory.
00:11:20.30\00:11:22.84
He foresees a great
revival of the prophetic gift.
00:11:23.55\00:11:26.35
"I will pour out My
Spirit on all flesh;
00:11:27.16\00:11:29.70
your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
00:11:30.23\00:11:32.45
your old men shall dream dreams,
00:11:32.88\00:11:34.80
your young men
shall see visions."
00:11:35.32\00:11:37.87
The Lord has not come back yet
00:11:38.54\00:11:40.06
so according to this prophecy
we can fully expect to see
00:11:40.40\00:11:43.18
a marked manifestation
of the prophetic gift.
00:11:43.46\00:11:46.17
If our sons and daughters are
receiving the gift of prophecy,
00:11:46.81\00:11:49.55
who are we to tell
God that he can't do that?
00:11:50.36\00:11:52.54
The fact is we need it!
00:11:53.44\00:11:54.82
Paul clearly
tells us in Ephesians 4
00:11:55.24\00:11:57.41
that the gift of prophecy
was given to the church.
00:11:57.72\00:11:59.72
"He gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets;
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.54
and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers;
00:12:02.91\00:12:05.51
For the
perfecting of the saints,
00:12:05.94\00:12:07.59
for the work of the ministry,
00:12:08.01\00:12:09.11
for the edifying of
the body of Christ..."
00:12:09.53\00:12:11.90
How long are we to have
this gift working in the church?
00:12:12.72\00:12:15.53
"Till we all come in
the unity of the faith,
00:12:16.21\00:12:18.97
of the knowledge
of the Son of God,
00:12:19.40\00:12:20.93
unto a perfect man,
00:12:21.42\00:12:22.58
unto the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ."
00:12:22.90\00:12:26.92
I don't believe we can
say that the Christian church
00:12:27.72\00:12:30.14
measures up to
the word "perfect"
00:12:30.42\00:12:31.83
and today God
continues to bless the church
00:12:32.40\00:12:34.43
with the gift of evangelists,
pastors, and teachers.
00:12:34.71\00:12:37.62
If God prophesied that
He was planning to pour out
00:12:38.07\00:12:41.13
the prophetic gift on
our sons and daughters,
00:12:41.43\00:12:43.41
and that it
would be in the church,
00:12:43.87\00:12:45.57
and that it would be there
till we all come to perfection
00:12:45.89\00:12:48.90
we can certainly be assured
that the Book of Revelation
00:12:49.53\00:12:51.92
was not the last
prophetic word to mankind.
00:12:52.18\00:12:54.85
In fact, the
Prophet Joel predicted
00:12:55.60\00:12:57.75
that the "remnant" church
would have the gift of prophecy.
00:12:58.15\00:13:00.97
What is the "remnant" church?
00:13:01.81\00:13:03.13
One of the identifying
marks of the "remnant" church,
00:13:03.79\00:13:05.76
according to Revelation 12:17,
00:13:06.12\00:13:08.19
is that they not only
keep the commandments of God,
00:13:08.63\00:13:11.38
but they also have
"the testimony of Jesus."
00:13:11.95\00:13:14.77
And what is the
testimony of Jesus?
00:13:14.80\00:13:17.11
We turn to the book of
Revelation for the answer.
00:13:17.70\00:13:19.84
In chapter 19 and
verse 10 we learn that
00:13:20.39\00:13:22.97
"The testimony of Jesus
is the Spirit of Prophecy."
00:13:23.47\00:13:27.10
It was Jesus Himself who spoke
through Elijah the prophet,
00:13:28.09\00:13:31.45
for the testimony of
Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:13:31.91\00:13:35.67
King Ahab and his
heathen wife, Jezebel,
00:13:36.28\00:13:38.51
had introduced the
worship of false gods,
00:13:39.08\00:13:41.23
Baal and the
Zidonian goddess Ashtoreth.
00:13:41.50\00:13:44.45
Through Jezebel's
influence the people were taught
00:13:45.14\00:13:47.23
that these idol
gods were deities,
00:13:47.61\00:13:49.64
ruling the elements
of earth, fire, and water
00:13:49.89\00:13:52.72
by their mystic power.
00:13:53.25\00:13:54.69
But the testimony of Jesus,
00:13:55.08\00:13:56.47
the Spirit of
Prophecy, came to Elijah.
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.73
He told the wicked King that
it would neither rain nor dew
00:14:00.33\00:14:03.75
until the Spirit of Prophecy
00:14:03.98\00:14:05.24
spoke through him
to end the drought.
00:14:05.53\00:14:07.87
After three and a half
years of absolutely no rain
00:14:08.41\00:14:11.48
it was time to make a decision.
00:14:12.14\00:14:13.84
Who is God, and will
we worship and serve Him?
00:14:14.22\00:14:18.38
All the children of Israel
00:14:19.22\00:14:20.28
gathered here on Mt.
Carmel at Elijah's command.
00:14:20.53\00:14:22.90
King Ahab brought the prophets
of Baal as Elijah commanded.
00:14:23.27\00:14:26.45
And then they had a contest.
00:14:26.91\00:14:28.37
Whichever god could
bring fire from Heaven
00:14:28.89\00:14:31.00
and burn up the sacrifice
that would be the true God.
00:14:31.24\00:14:34.31
The Bible tells us that after
a whole day of calling to Baal,
00:14:35.05\00:14:38.06
cutting
themselves, jumping around,
00:14:38.31\00:14:39.52
looking for an opportunity
to secretly light the fire,
00:14:39.76\00:14:42.15
they finally withdrew from
the field of contest, defeated.
00:14:42.61\00:14:46.70
But just because they were
defeated, could Elijah do it?
00:14:47.19\00:14:50.13
The people watched intently
as Elijah took his sacrifice
00:14:51.03\00:14:54.85
and put it on the altar,
00:14:55.15\00:14:56.63
had them bring water,
probably their drinking water,
00:14:56.99\00:14:59.65
pour it over the altar, fill
up the trench around the altar,
00:15:00.06\00:15:03.18
and then he began to
pray to the God of Heaven.
00:15:03.90\00:15:06.80
And suddenly fire
came down right here,
00:15:08.56\00:15:11.49
consumed the
altar, burned up the wood,
00:15:12.03\00:15:14.60
burned up the
sacrifice, burned up the stones.
00:15:14.98\00:15:18.23
And the people began to shout,
'The Lord is God! He is God!'
00:15:18.80\00:15:22.85
The prophets of Baal
had lost the contest.
00:15:23.39\00:15:25.36
They had been
proved to be what they are.
00:15:25.66\00:15:27.42
Fakes and frauds.
00:15:27.90\00:15:29.67
I can see them trying to escape
as they sneak off from the crowd
00:15:30.05\00:15:33.73
but Elijah orders that
none be allowed to escape.
00:15:34.08\00:15:36.68
Then they were all taken down
to the river Kishou and killed.
00:15:37.44\00:15:42.15
A prophet is
someone who speaks for God.
00:15:42.97\00:15:45.66
God doesn't like
people to talk in lies.
00:15:46.53\00:15:48.34
That's one of
His ten commandments.
00:15:48.55\00:15:49.52
"Thou shalt not
bear false witness."
00:15:49.65\00:15:50.87
And the prophets of
Baal had been lying to people
00:15:51.25\00:15:53.12
saying that Baal
had sent the rain,
00:15:53.40\00:15:54.66
that Baal was the one to
bring them all the blessings.
00:15:55.05\00:15:57.11
Not true.
00:15:57.53\00:15:58.52
Only the God of Creation,
00:15:58.90\00:16:00.26
only the God who puts everything
together is the true God.
00:16:00.68\00:16:03.48
And He has the right,
00:16:04.08\00:16:05.05
by right of Creation
and by right of redemption,
00:16:05.23\00:16:07.87
to bring His truths to those
who are willing to receive it.
00:16:08.68\00:16:11.51
And to exclude those who
say they don't want any part
00:16:11.85\00:16:14.86
of creator God's kingdom.
00:16:15.12\00:16:17.08
A wonderful
victory was won that day.
00:16:17.64\00:16:19.68
Elijah begins to pray asking
God for relief from the drought
00:16:19.99\00:16:23.52
and before nightfall
the rain is on its way.
00:16:23.89\00:16:27.12
What a wonderful story.
00:16:27.49\00:16:28.68
Would to God we
all would long and pray
00:16:29.14\00:16:31.35
for a prophet
such as Elijah today.
00:16:31.61\00:16:33.62
And why not?
00:16:34.26\00:16:35.23
Didn't Jesus promises us
through the prophet Malachi?
00:16:35.24\00:16:38.50
"Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet
00:16:38.92\00:16:41.36
before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the LORD."
00:16:41.74\00:16:44.46
According to Jesus,
00:16:45.06\00:16:46.50
John the Baptist was a prophet
00:16:46.74\00:16:48.29
and a
fulfillment to this prophecy
00:16:48.55\00:16:50.28
But History confirms that it
must be a partial fulfillment
00:16:50.98\00:16:53.84
since the "Great and
dreadful day" has not yet come.
00:16:54.14\00:16:56.58
The Bible foretells
that in the last days
00:16:57.58\00:16:59.73
before the coming of the Lord,
00:16:59.91\00:17:00.91
God will raise up a remnant,
00:17:01.36\00:17:03.05
a church that will keep
the commandments of God,
00:17:03.41\00:17:05.30
and that will also
have the gift of prophecy.
00:17:05.72\00:17:07.84
In order to qualify
as the remnant church,
00:17:08.65\00:17:10.64
the church must have
the gift of prophecy.
00:17:11.14\00:17:13.75
It is one of the special marks
identifying the last-day church.
00:17:14.34\00:17:18.43
The same gift that inspired
the prophet Daniel and Elijah
00:17:18.89\00:17:22.19
will be duplicated in the
end time by the restoration
00:17:22.63\00:17:25.60
of the gift of
prophecy to the church.
00:17:26.05\00:17:28.06
Has God's
prediction been fulfilled?
00:17:28.54\00:17:30.79
Perhaps the answer is yes.
00:17:31.60\00:17:33.60
In December of 1844,
00:17:34.20\00:17:35.95
a 17-year-old Methodist
girl named Ellen Harmon,
00:17:36.26\00:17:39.41
in frail health, and possessing
only a third-grade education,
00:17:40.05\00:17:43.02
received her first
vision while kneeling in prayer
00:17:43.45\00:17:45.78
with a group of
women in Portland, Maine.
00:17:45.98\00:17:47.59
She shrank from the prospect
of being called a prophet,
00:17:48.33\00:17:51.30
and yet she dared
not be disobedient to the
00:17:51.81\00:17:54.62
heavenly vision, and so she
related what God had shown her.
00:17:54.65\00:17:57.80
For 69 years she
continued to receive visions
00:17:58.38\00:18:01.09
and dreams from the Lord,
00:18:01.45\00:18:02.42
none of which
opposed Biblical truth.
00:18:02.50\00:18:04.86
She became one of the
most prolific female writers
00:18:05.73\00:18:08.41
in history, with over 50
books still published today.
00:18:08.69\00:18:10.78
Was this a genuine or a
counterfeit manifestation?
00:18:11.78\00:18:15.03
Was it a fulfillment
of the Biblical promise
00:18:15.53\00:18:17.76
that the prophetic
gift would be restored
00:18:18.03\00:18:19.64
to the church at the end time?
00:18:19.83\00:18:21.42
At first glance some would
be tempted to discount the claim
00:18:21.91\00:18:24.89
especially in this day
and age of sensationalism.
00:18:25.21\00:18:28.21
But the Apostle
Paul counsels us,
00:18:28.97\00:18:30.54
"Despise not prophesying.
00:18:30.89\00:18:33.04
Prove all things; hold
fast that which is good."
00:18:33.41\00:18:36.20
Here Paul tells each of us
not to neglect the prophets,
00:18:36.94\00:18:40.14
but to prove them,
and if they proved true,
00:18:40.31\00:18:42.75
to hold fast to their teachings.
00:18:43.13\00:18:45.13
Clearly Paul believed prophets
00:18:45.62\00:18:47.53
would exist in the future.
00:18:47.77\00:18:48.99
But can a prophet be a woman?
00:18:49.44\00:18:51.76
Would God call a
woman to be a prophet
00:18:52.31\00:18:53.86
or is this just for men?
00:18:54.05\00:18:55.64
In the Bible there are a
number of female prophets.
00:18:56.11\00:18:58.69
Deborah, the wife of
Lapidoth, was a prophetess
00:18:59.19\00:19:01.35
and led Israel
to great victories.
00:19:01.79\00:19:03.88
Miriam, the sister of
Moses was a prophetess.
00:19:03.92\00:19:06.81
In the days of good king Josiah,
00:19:07.56\00:19:09.17
Huldah was a prophetess living
at the college in Jerusalem
00:19:09.37\00:19:11.79
and was a trusted
counselor to kings and priests.
00:19:12.14\00:19:15.28
The prophet Isaiah was
married to a prophetess.
00:19:15.95\00:19:18.47
And there was one Anna,
00:19:18.88\00:19:19.95
a prophetess also
living in Jerusalem
00:19:20.16\00:19:22.01
at the very time Jesus
was brought to the temple
00:19:22.23\00:19:24.70
for His dedication and
she prophesied concerning Him.
00:19:25.01\00:19:28.26
Philip, one of
the early Christians,
00:19:29.07\00:19:30.40
had four daughters,
all of which did prophesy.
00:19:30.60\00:19:33.97
That's clear.
00:19:34.74\00:19:35.73
God sometimes uses
women to be prophets
00:19:36.18\00:19:38.46
and many have come to
believe that Ellen Harmon,
00:19:38.63\00:19:40.65
who later married James White,
was used by God in this way.
00:19:40.82\00:19:44.56
But whether a man or woman,
00:19:45.06\00:19:46.66
how can we know for sure
if a prophet is true or false?
00:19:47.07\00:19:51.21
What would be the test or
the standard we would use to see
00:19:51.70\00:19:54.33
if a prophet passes muster?
00:19:54.47\00:19:56.09
Through my studies I have found
at least four Biblical tests
00:19:56.53\00:20:00.64
that have been most helpful.
00:20:01.09\00:20:02.75
The first test
is found in Isaiah.
00:20:03.22\00:20:05.47
"To the law and
to the testimony:
00:20:06.05\00:20:08.24
if they speak not
according to this word,
00:20:08.48\00:20:10.44
it is because there
is no light in them."
00:20:10.95\00:20:13.60
The phrase "the
law and the testimony"
00:20:14.10\00:20:15.96
was an Old Testament
expression for the Bible.
00:20:16.13\00:20:18.14
"The law" referred to the
first five books of Moses,
00:20:18.73\00:20:21.45
and "the testimony" referred
to the testimony of the prophets
00:20:21.86\00:20:24.02
or the rest of
the Old Testament.
00:20:24.22\00:20:25.50
What this text is simply saying
is that the prophets must agree
00:20:26.01\00:20:29.82
with Scripture,
00:20:30.02\00:20:30.99
or they are not genuine.
00:20:31.22\00:20:32.20
God doesn't give one
message to one prophet
00:20:32.68\00:20:34.80
and then tell another prophet
that He has made a mistake.
00:20:34.96\00:20:37.75
For example,
Moses was a prophet.
00:20:38.27\00:20:39.75
God wrote His Ten
Commandment law on stone
00:20:40.26\00:20:42.73
and gave it to Moses.
00:20:42.92\00:20:44.00
But 200 years later God
will not come to another prophet
00:20:44.51\00:20:47.50
and say, "Oops, I was
wrong about that adultery thing.
00:20:47.59\00:20:50.47
As long as the adults
are consenting that's OK."
00:20:50.74\00:20:54.25
Any prophet with such a
message would not be according
00:20:54.73\00:20:57.62
to the Law and the Testimony.
00:20:57.80\00:20:59.82
This puts a great
responsibility on each one of us
00:21:00.36\00:21:02.79
to be in the Word for ourselves
so we'll know if someone
00:21:03.00\00:21:05.74
is a true prophet or not.
00:21:05.97\00:21:07.93
The second test of a prophet
00:21:08.63\00:21:10.20
is found in 1
John chapter 4 verse 2.
00:21:10.60\00:21:13.29
"Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God:
00:21:14.15\00:21:16.11
Every spirit that confesseth
00:21:16.40\00:21:17.75
that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is of God."
00:21:18.18\00:21:21.91
The Bible
clearly teaches that God,
00:21:22.49\00:21:24.08
in the person of Jesus Christ
came to earth to die for us.
00:21:24.47\00:21:27.80
But it is equally important
to understand and believe
00:21:28.40\00:21:30.67
that Jesus came in the
flesh or was fully human.
00:21:31.03\00:21:35.29
In all points He
was tempted like us.
00:21:35.97\00:21:37.88
He had to learn obedience
00:21:38.46\00:21:39.45
through the
things that He suffered.
00:21:39.72\00:21:41.11
Even though he took upon
Himself a fallen human nature
00:21:41.70\00:21:44.91
He never sinned and as
such He is our example.
00:21:45.47\00:21:49.18
By living as He lived,
00:21:49.53\00:21:50.74
trusting in the Father
00:21:50.99\00:21:52.28
and asking for the
Father's will to be our will,
00:21:52.49\00:21:55.11
we can have the same
victorious experiences
00:21:55.59\00:21:58.57
Jesus did and we
can become like Him.
00:21:58.75\00:22:01.39
The third test a
would-be prophet must pass
00:22:02.12\00:22:04.84
is good fruit-bearing.
00:22:05.11\00:22:06.61
Jesus said in Matthew 7:20,
00:22:07.22\00:22:09.14
"By their fruits
ye shall know them."
00:22:09.61\00:22:11.44
Bible prophets were not perfect,
00:22:12.13\00:22:13.79
nor is any prophet
perfect; they were human.
00:22:14.15\00:22:17.32
But in general the tendency
of the life must be in harmony
00:22:17.63\00:22:21.00
with the Word of God.
00:22:21.32\00:22:22.83
And the fourth Bible test is
found in Jeremiah 28 verse 9.
00:22:23.52\00:22:28.30
"When the word of the
prophet shall come to pass,
00:22:28.78\00:22:30.57
then shall the prophet be known,
00:22:30.86\00:22:32.29
that the Lord
hath truly sent him."
00:22:32.57\00:22:34.44
If you are a regular listener
00:22:34.90\00:22:36.07
to the daily
news by Paul Harvey,
00:22:36.32\00:22:37.93
then you have heard
the name Ellen White
00:22:38.33\00:22:39.85
on more than one occasion.
00:22:40.02\00:22:41.24
Many great thinkers have been
challenged by the keen insights
00:22:41.99\00:22:45.12
and prophetic guidance given
by this simple unassuming lady.
00:22:45.53\00:22:49.11
A group of Christians
from many denominations
00:22:49.81\00:22:51.94
in the middle 18
hundreds found her counsel,
00:22:52.12\00:22:54.50
timing, and
wisdom to be inspired.
00:22:55.15\00:22:58.14
After testing her with the
same four tests in scripture
00:22:58.56\00:23:01.60
they concluded that
this was wisdom from God
00:23:01.97\00:23:04.32
and that she did in fact
exercise the prophetic gift.
00:23:04.58\00:23:08.09
This group of people
eventually organized themselves
00:23:08.85\00:23:11.24
under the name
7th Day Adventists.
00:23:11.53\00:23:13.75
By following her
inspired counsel on health
00:23:14.27\00:23:16.80
they have come to
live 5 to 7 years longer
00:23:17.00\00:23:19.57
than the average population
00:23:19.93\00:23:21.40
and that with far
less illness and disease.
00:23:21.63\00:23:23.89
By following her
counsels on education
00:23:24.46\00:23:26.41
they have come to operate
00:23:26.80\00:23:27.84
the largest protestant parochial
school system in the world.
00:23:28.04\00:23:31.62
Many have been profoundly
moved to see and understand
00:23:32.31\00:23:35.61
their need for a deeper
and more personal relationship
00:23:35.82\00:23:38.92
with the God of Creation.
00:23:39.28\00:23:40.64
For me personally,
00:23:41.23\00:23:42.25
I would never want to be
without Ellen White's book
00:23:42.68\00:23:44.90
The Desire of Ages
00:23:45.21\00:23:46.38
which the
Library of Congress said
00:23:46.60\00:23:47.83
was their best book
on the life of Christ.
00:23:48.10\00:23:50.36
I was offering free
copies of the Desire of Ages
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.26
on the Life Quest Talk show
00:23:53.29\00:23:54.63
and a lady called
in asking for a copy.
00:23:54.88\00:23:57.45
She said that she had
had a dream about this book
00:23:57.74\00:24:00.15
but because she
had never heard of it
00:24:00.71\00:24:02.35
she didn't do anything about it,
00:24:02.67\00:24:03.97
but when she heard it
mentioned on the radio
00:24:04.01\00:24:06.37
she called to say
she must have a copy.
00:24:06.60\00:24:09.25
Ellen White's
book Steps to Christ
00:24:09.83\00:24:11.88
has helped countless people
00:24:12.29\00:24:13.45
walk with Jesus
in a deliberate way,
00:24:13.69\00:24:15.46
and I must confess
this is the number one book,
00:24:16.02\00:24:18.87
next to the Bible,
00:24:19.03\00:24:20.00
that has made me the
Christian I am today.
00:24:20.04\00:24:22.72
Virtually all true prophets
of God have been persecuted
00:24:23.61\00:24:26.60
by the current religious
and political leadership
00:24:26.79\00:24:29.21
because a true prophet
calls sin by its right name
00:24:29.52\00:24:32.77
and does not play favorites,
00:24:32.94\00:24:34.47
doesn't go easy on
anyone who is hurting others,
00:24:34.98\00:24:37.70
and never kowtows
to the ruling elite.
00:24:38.05\00:24:40.73
Perhaps the most important
point of Ellen White's ministry
00:24:41.26\00:24:44.07
is the fact that
she consistently pointed
00:24:44.35\00:24:46.49
people to Scripture.
00:24:46.76\00:24:48.35
She always uplifted the Bible.
00:24:48.64\00:24:50.45
The Bible predicted this
prophetic gift would come
00:24:50.98\00:24:53.20
in the last days to
be a tremendous blessing
00:24:53.60\00:24:56.01
to the church.
00:24:56.26\00:24:57.39
The evidence points
out that it has come.
00:24:57.87\00:25:00.93
Will there be
another prophet like Elijah,
00:25:02.00\00:25:04.41
Daniel or like Ellen White?
00:25:05.06\00:25:07.51
No doubt.
00:25:08.12\00:25:09.09
If you look back over
the History of civilization
00:25:09.15\00:25:11.57
there was never one great event
00:25:12.08\00:25:13.69
but God had a
prophet on the scene;
00:25:13.73\00:25:15.81
the flood, the establishment
of the Jews as a nation,
00:25:16.05\00:25:19.23
the coming of the Messiah,
and the Pre-Advent Judgment
00:25:19.57\00:25:22.17
that started in October
of 1844 just to name a few.
00:25:22.34\00:25:25.78
There really is only
one more great event.
00:25:26.38\00:25:28.87
And that is the return, or
the Second Advent of Christ.
00:25:29.62\00:25:33.28
God does nothing
without first revealing it
00:25:33.97\00:25:36.20
to His servants the prophets.
00:25:36.36\00:25:37.95
With a track record of
sending a prophet at the time
00:25:38.48\00:25:41.00
of each major event
and with clear prophecies
00:25:41.15\00:25:43.94
declaring that He will
send Elijah before His return;
00:25:44.09\00:25:46.98
I believe we can be confident
00:25:47.52\00:25:49.16
that God will not leave
those who are honestly searching
00:25:49.30\00:25:51.56
in the dark but will send
us the prophetic help we need.
00:25:51.71\00:25:55.15
Friend, when that prophet comes,
00:25:56.15\00:25:58.87
most of humanity will not
see him or her for who they are,
00:25:59.03\00:26:02.76
God's mouthpiece.
00:26:03.06\00:26:04.80
Why?
00:26:04.93\00:26:05.90
Because they don't read this
book packed full of prophecy.
00:26:06.21\00:26:08.65
They don't even take the time
to consider truths sent to us
00:26:09.09\00:26:11.62
by more recent
prophets like Ellen White.
00:26:11.77\00:26:13.87
Remember, the testimony of
Jesus, said the Prophet John,
00:26:14.34\00:26:18.04
is the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:26:18.46\00:26:20.96
The God of the universe
wants to communicate with you.
00:26:21.86\00:26:25.33
He wants you to hear
His call of love and truth.
00:26:25.92\00:26:28.68
Are you listening?
00:26:29.74\00:26:30.71
I pray we are.
I pray we all are.
00:26:31.96\00:26:35.29
One of God's appointed
means in communicating with us
00:26:35.70\00:26:38.30
is through the
services of a prophet.
00:26:38.64\00:26:40.54
If you would like to learn more
from the Bible about this topic
00:26:41.18\00:26:44.04
then may I encourage you to
request our Free Study Guide.
00:26:44.41\00:26:47.74
This guide is
pregnant with vital information
00:26:48.31\00:26:50.48
I'm sure you'll
find indispensable.
00:26:50.75\00:26:53.03
Here is the
information you'll need.
00:26:53.57\00:26:55.36
Would you put
water in your gas tank?
00:27:35.79\00:27:37.73
No of course you wouldn't.
00:27:38.17\00:27:40.02
And yet many
people are doing far worse
00:27:40.19\00:27:42.25
than this everyday to machines
that are much more valuable
00:27:42.40\00:27:45.16
than the most
impressive luxury car.
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.76
In our next program Charles
is going in search of the truth
00:27:48.25\00:27:49.56
about our Body Temples.
00:27:51.57\00:27:53.65
You'll meet a people
that live 5 to 7 years longer
00:27:54.12\00:27:56.62
than the average population
and that with far less diseases.
00:27:56.80\00:28:00.80
We'll see you next time as
we go in Search of the Truth.
00:28:01.26\00:28:05.45